Doing Soup-er

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

• 1 chicken
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion, peeled
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 package frozen peas
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 2 cups Bisquick
• 2/3rds cup milk

Place chicken and whole carrot, celery, and onion into a pot with six cups of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for two hours. Cool chicken, remove meat from bone and chop into bite-sized pieces. Discard bone, strain and skim broth.

Gently boil together the skimmed broth with chopped carrots, celery, and onion for 20 minutes. Add mushroom soup, chicken, and peas, and bring mixture back to a boil.

In a separate container, mix Bisquick and milk. Drop by spoonfuls into soup pot. Cover, and cook for ten minutes more.

Wintery Day Bean Soup

• 2 cups dried mixed beans
• 2 tbsp salt
• 2 quarts water
• 2 cups diced ham
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Rinse beans and place in a kettle. Cover with water, add salt, and soak overnight. Drain beans, add 2 quarts of water and ham. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Add onion, garlic, chili, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Simmer 45 minutes, and season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce.

Mimi's Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

• 2 - 3 lb chuck roast
• 1 lb ground beef
• 6 - 8 carrots
• 3 - 5 celery stalks
• 6 - 8 medium potatoes
• 1 cup cabbage
• 2 cups okra (frozen or canned)
• 2 medium onions
• 11 oz can whole kernel corn
• 1 large can beef broth
• 1 large can tomatoes

Cut up roast into bite-sized pieces. Wash, peel, and dice the carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, onions, and tomatoes (keep tomato juice and set aside both). Brown roast, ground beef, and onions in a large Dutch oven, and drain grease. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, and beef broth; and cook on low heat for an hour. Add okra, corn, and tomatoes with juice; cook 1 additional hour. May need to add water.

Hamburger Soup

• 1 lb ground chuck
• 1 can beef broth
• 4 - 5 carrots, sliced
• 4 - 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 potato, diced small (optional)

Brown beef and drain grease. Combine all ingredients, and simmer for an hour.

Fish Chowder

• 3 strips bacon, diced
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery (about 3 stalks)
• 3 large potatoes, chunked large
• Water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp thyme
• 10 package frozen peas and carrots
• 1 lb white fish filets, cut in chunks
• 2 1/2 cups milk

In a large saucepan, cook bacon and remove. In the remaining grease, saute onion, garlic, and celery for 15 minutes. Add to the pot potatoes, one cup of water, salt, bay leaf, and thyme; simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add package of peas and carrots and one more cup of water, and lay fish chunks on top. Simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or longer until fish is cooked. Add light cream and heat just to boiling. Serve with reserved bacon bits on top.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

• 1 head broccoli, cut up
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 cans chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook broccoli in small amount of water until tender; drain liquid and set aside. Saute onion in butter until transparent. Stir flour into butter and onion and cook about 5 minutes. Add milk slowly, stirring continuously. Fold in cheese, and blend until smooth. Slowly blend in the chicken broth. Puree about 1/2 of the broccoli in a food processor, and leave the rest whole; add all to sauce mixture. Stir well, and add salt and pepper. Simmer about 15 minutes.

Gazpacho

• 1 cup peeled and seeded tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cucumber, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp fresh chives, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
• 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups tomato juice
• Optional - jalapeno or hot sauce
• Optional - cilantro
• Optional - lemon juice
• Optional - oregano

Combine ingredients in a glass bowl. Cover, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Keeps at least 4 days, serves 6.

Winter Soup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups beef broth
• 28 oz canned tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
• 1 cup diced potato
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup frozen cut green beans
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup dry red wine
• salt and pepper to taste

In a six quart sauce pot, cook onions in butter until transparent. Add beef and garlic, and cook until beef is browned. Drain grease, and stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for one hour.