spicy hot chicken soup

This soup is excellent for eating when you have a cold. From the Penzey's catalog.

about 8 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)

2 T vegetable oil

2 medium onion, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 t cayenne pepper

1 t powdered ginger

8 c water

2 T chicken soup base

3/4 lb extra wide egg noodles

2 scallions

Cut the chicken meat into 3/4" cubes. In a large, heavy pot or soup kettle, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, and then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the onions and garlic until everything is starting to brown up, add the cayenne pepper and ginger.

Stir constantly for about a minute, and then add the water and chicken soup base. Let everything come to a slow boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Bring a separate pot of water for the noodles to a boil, add noodles and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on the bag. Drain the noodles and add to the pot of soup, turn off the soup, let stand 5 minutes and serve. Top each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped scallions.

Noodles don't reheat very well, so if the soup won't be eaten all at once, add some cooked noodles to each bowl, top with soup, let stand a few minutes for the noodles to absorb the chicken flavor, and keep the rest of the noodles in a covered container in the fridge to add to the reheated soup the next day, or just cook new ones.

rustic shrimp stew

from wholeliving.com

makes 4 servings

2 T olive oil
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, quarted and sliced crosswise
2 links (3 oz each), fully cooked Italian-style chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 T all-purpose flour
2 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c parsley leaves, chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, sausage, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are crisp-tender, 15 to 17 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over potatoes and vegetables. Stir in broth, bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Top mixture with shrimp. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are opaque throughout. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

chicken and white bean soup with greens

from health.com

1 T olive oil

2-3 thinly sliced leeks, white parts only

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 c carrot, cut into 1/4" thick slices

6 c low sodium low fat chicken broth

1 1/2 c shredded rotisserie chicken

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 19oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 c packed roughly chopped fresh kale

1 c packed baby spinach

1 T chopped fresh parsley

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes or until tender but not browned. Add carrots and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add broth, chicken and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans and kale, and simmer for about 5 minutes more. Add spinach and cook 2-3 minutes more or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove rosemary sprig (and garlic cloves, if desired). Ladle soup into 6 warm bowls; sprinkle each with fresh parsley.

6 servings, 209 cals, 6 g fat, 20 g protein, 21 g carbs, 5 g fiber

Spicy Bean, Pasta & Sausage Soup

2 15- to 16-oz cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas) [or 1 can chickpeas, 1 can cannellini]
2 T olive oil [more if using turkey sausage]
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed [turkey sausage worked just fine]
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped [maybe 3]
1/4 t dried crushed red pepper
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes instead
4-6 c canned low-salt chicken broth
8 oz orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or other small pasta [elbow works well]
3/4 - 1 c grated Romano cheese

Strain liquid from canned beans into blender. Add 1 cup beans and puree until smooth. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add sausages, rosemary, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausages are cooked through, breaking up with fork, about 8 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add bean puree, remaining beans, broth, and pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender and mixture is thick, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Put a handful of fresh spinach in each bowl, ladle soup onto spinach. Let stand a minute and serve.

white bean soup

1 t olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
8 c low-salt chicken stock
1 T dried or fresh basil, chopped
½ t dried Greek oregano or 1 ½ t fresh
1 16-oz can peeled whole tomatoes, chopped
1 lb white cannellini beans, soaked overnight, quick cooked, and drained (see below)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 beefsteak tomato, chopped, for garnish

The night before, soak the beans to prevent skins from popping. In the morning, or just prior to making the soup, drain the water, and cover them with fresh water. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes and lower heat to low and cook until beans are tender. Drain the liquid.

Place a heavy-bottomed stockpot over med heat and when it is hot, add oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until tender. Add the stock, herbs, canned tomatoes, beans, cook partially covered until the beans have fallen apart, about 2 to 3 hours. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate up to three days. Place in a pot, add vinegar and gently reheat. Garnish with fresh whole basil leaves and chopped fresh tomato.

ginger carrot soup

Ginger Carrot with Cream


1 T unsalted butter
1 Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 lbs carrots, peeled if desired and sliced
pinch ground cinnamon
8 c chicken stock
2 t peeled, coarsely chopped ginger root
½ c heavy cream
chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish

Place stockpot over med heat and when hot, add butter. When butter has melted, add onion and carrots and cook until tender. Add cinnamon, stock, and ginger, raise the heat to high, an bring to boil. Lower heat to low and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the solids and place in a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth, gradually adding the cooking liquid and heavy cream. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate up to three days, or serve immediately, garnished with parsley or chives.

savoy cabbage soup with bacon and cream

¼ lb bacon, finely chopped
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ c all-purpose flour
8 c chicken stock
2 medium potatoes (about ¾ to 1 lb), diced
1 Savoy cabbage, shredded
1 T caraway seeds
½ t black pepper
1 to 1 ½ c heavy cream
crumbled blue cheese for garnish (optional)

Place heavy stockpot over med heat, add bacon, cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set bacon on paper towel and discard all but 2 T of bacon fat. Set aside. Reheat the stockpot. Add the onion and carrots and cook until tender, about 10 to 15 mins. Sprinkle the flour on the vegetables, stirring all the while. Slowly add stock, stirring constantly; raise heat to high and bring to boil.

Lower the heat to low, add potatoes, cabbage, caraway seeds and pepper and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Do not let it boil again. Gradually stir in heavy cream, lower the heat to very low, and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately garnished with the reserved bacon and blue cheese if desired.