New Years Soup

 Every New Years Day I make the traditional southern New Years day food (greens, black eyed peas, pork) with some extras to go with it. This year my husband sent me this recipe and said instead of making the whole meal we should try this soup out. So thanks to #theblondcook for the inspiration. We did change up a few things. She called it Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Collard Greens and Sausage. Like she said, growing up in the south, it is totally unacceptable NOT to have greens and black-eyed peas on New Year's day. Just not sure I would have thought about throwing it all into a soup, but glad she did. It was a hit at our house.

The Blond Cook

INGREDIENTS

• 👉1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 👉1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 👉1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 👉1/2 cup sliced celery
• 👉1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 👉1 (14 ounce) package smoked kielbasa sausage, sliced
• 👉1 (14 ounce) package smoked beef sausage, sliced
• 👉1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 👉4 cups chicken broth-Typically I add more as it seems to get absorbed into the soup while you cook. I used a total of 3 boxes of chicken broth.
• 👉1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 👉1 (16oz package) tightly packed chopped turnip greens, tough stems removed
• 👉1 (15.5-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 👉1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 👉1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

*Now as I was making it my husband thought that it should be over rice. So I made some rice for him. He said it was a must. Then as I was talking to my aunt about it she said, diced potatoes would probably be good. So if you want to add some more to make it a little heartier I would suggest either rice or potatoes.

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Chicken Gnocchi Soup

So if you guys love a great and quick filling soup, love Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocchi soup  and have less than an hour on your hands, make this!! Trust me!

Last week Casey and I went to Olive Garden with a gift card he had gotten from a customer. I had never had the Chicken and Gnocchi soup before but really enjoyed it. As we were eating it Casey said, "Yiu think you could make this? what do you think is in it?" Which is something very typical of him to do. Always curious is we ( by we he means me:) re-create something we ha e had at a restaurant. So of course I went to Pinterest. I found a few and from there I would pick and choose what I thought should be in it, plus add a few items as well. 

So here is what I did....and I think it was great if I do say so myself! :)

A creamy delicious hearty soup full of veggies, chicken and potato gnocchi.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2. (Or a rotisserie chicken)
3. 1 Tbs olive oil
4. 4 Tbs butter
5. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6. 1 small onion, chopped
7. 2 garlic cloves, minced
8. 6 cups chicken broth
9. 2 cups milk
10. 2 cups half and half
11. 1 cup carrots, shredded
12. 1 cup celery, diced
13. 2 tsp parsley flakes
14. Salt and pepper for seasoning
15. 1 package (16 ounces) mini potato gnocchi
16. 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In large stock pot, melt butter and olive oil together.
2. Add your onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until onions become translucent.
3. Whisk in your flour and let cook for a minute, slowly stir in your chicken broth and simmer until it starts to thicken up.
4. In a separate pot, cook your gnocchi according to package directions, drain and set aside.
5. Add your milk to your veggie and chicken broth mix and bring to a boil, stir in your seasonings.
6. Once at a boil reduce heat and add your gnocchi, spinach and chicken simmering until heated through and thickened.
7. Take off the heat, add the half and half and serve

NOTES

1. I added half and half since I had it on hand, but I did see a recipe say that "If your soup is too thin for your liking add 1Tbs cornstarch mixed with 1Tbs cold water and stir into your soup until thickened."
2. 

Adapted from Olive Garden

White Chicken Chili

This is a goody that I ran across. It is starting to get cold here in TN and this sounds like the perfect thing to make for dinner this week. I am not sure if I have altered the recipe or not, but the first time I had this was at Bunko with my good friend, Bethany. Hope you enjoy it as well.
However, if you want to make this dish as easy and as fast as possible, I find that rotisserie chicken is extra juicy and is the perfect texture for this recipe. Plus, it pulls apart into great shreds for this delicious white chicken chili recipe.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cups cooked chicken (I usually use an oven-baked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to save on time), shredded
• 2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can (4 ounces) green chilies (optional-sometimes I leave these out)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 box (32 ounces) chicken broth
•  salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1 lime, juice

Directions:

1. In a large pot, saute the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent.
2. Once the onion is done, add shreds of chicken, Great Northern Beans, corn, green chilies (with juice from can), cumin and oregano to the large pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients and then add the chicken broth.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes to allow the broth to reduce. Add salt and pepper (to taste) and juice from one whole lime. 
4. Leave simmering on stove until ready to serve.
5. Serve with sour cream, shredded Jack cheese, or tortilla chips.

Chicken Tortilla

I have had this lots of places, but my recipe is from my sister-in-law, Tisha. I think I got it about 3 years ago after a new years day get together.
1 pound chicken (I always use rotisserie chicken pulled apart)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can of cream corn
2 cans of rotel
2 cups of chicken broth
2 cans of black beans, drained well
1 jalapeno (optional)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tbl cilantro
Salt to taste
3 tbl butter
1 cup of Jack Cheese
2 cups of half and half

This is a big ole dump. Dump everything in to a large pot but the last two ingredients (cheese and half and half). Let everything cook and simmer for about 25-30 mins. Add cheese and half and half 5-10 mins before serving.
Garnish with tortilla chips and sour cream if you want.

Potato Cheese Soup

Now this one is a little tricky but maybe you can get the idea. I really do not measure with this one. I start with about half a cup of diced onions (I have also used dried onion flakes-about 1 tbl when I didn't have an onion-omit butter if you use them) and a tbl spoon of butter. Saute. Then I add a can of cream of chicken soup, 2 cups of half and half ( I use all milk if I do not have this), and about a cup to cup and a half of Velveeta cheese torn into pieces (depends on how cheesy you like it. I let that all cook together and melt. Depending on consistency sometimes I add a cup or two of milk to thin it out, then a bag of Oreida  frozen potatos (Southern Style Hash Browns) to the soup mixture. Turn on low and let cook for about 20 mins. Ta-dah!! So easy and so yummy!

Chicken Penne

 I made this one up after eating the soup at J Alexanders. It was one of those dinners where we were like this is really good, what do you think is in it? and this is what we came up with...

3 tbl butter

4 oz of mushrooms, diced very little

1 cup of celery

1 cup of shredded carrots

1 medium onion, diced

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

6 cups of chicken broth

1 1/2 cups of half and half

2 tbl parsley

1 chicken shredded ( I buy pre-cooked rotisserie)

1 cup of whipping cream

2 tbl Herbs de Provence

1 tbl lemon juice (optional)

Saute in butter, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. After softened mix in chicken broth and parsley. Bring to a simmer. Then add in all ingredients except the creams. Add the creams last and before serving. Make sure soup is heated through.

Creamy Broccoli and Wild Rice

 This is one from my mother-in-law, Mama C

6 oz. Chicken Flavored Wild Rice

5 cups of water 

10 oz frozen chopped broccoli

2 tsp minced onion

1 can of cream of chicken soup

8 oz cream cheese

Combine rice and water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Stir in broccoli and onion. Cover and simmer for 5 mins. Stir in soup and cream cheese. Cook until cream cheese is melted.

I also add shredded chicken to it sometimes. My husband always wants a meat in it. If I do this I usually add a can or two of chicken broth since the chicken soaks up so much liquid.

Italian Chicken Soup

This is from the Pioneer Woman. So simple and SO yummy...That Pioneer Woman is a genius!! I love smart, simple, and delicious cooks.

1 box Ditalini pasta {I used the Barilla brand}

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 chicken breasts

8 cups chicken broth {this equals out to two big boxes of chicken broth}

1 medium onion, diced

2 green peppers, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 can {28. oz} whole tomatoes, diced

2 cups heavy cream

1/3 cup olive oil

4 tbsp. minced fresh oregano

salt & pepper, to taste

Parmesan Cheese shavings, as desired

First up, cook your pasta according to package directions.  I used the whole box of Ditalini, just incase you're wondering.  Drain pasta, rinse, and return to pot.  Toss in 1 tbsp. of olive oil and mix well.  Set this aside.

Cook your chicken and shred-or go easy and buy a rotisserie chicken and pull apart.

Chop up your bell peppers, celery, and onion.

Saute the peppers, onion, and celery, in a tablespoon of olive oil until tender {about 10ish minutes}. Now add the broth, chicken, and tomates {with all the tomato juice} to the pan.  Bring to a boil and the reduce the heat to simmer.

Then add pasta, heavy cream and oregano and stir until well combined.

Alright guys.  Tell me this doesn't look easy enough?!

Bacon, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

I am sitting here trying to figure out what soups I should make for our Thanksgiving get together, well after our Thanksgiving meal. When we get together with Casey's family the celebration goes a little longer since the family has to travel farther to see one another. So I  said that I would make a soup or two to have Friday night after we have eaten Thanksgiving lunch together that day. I LOVE making soups. I could eat soup 3 or 4 times a week in the winter.
Here is what I ended up making...

Bacon, mushroom and wild rice soup: This recipe is from my friend Lori :)

1 lb. bacon fried and crumbled

1 lg. onion sautéed in bacon drippings (optional)

2 c. wild rice, cooked

2 cans cream of potato soup

2 cans (lg.) mushrooms & juice

8 oz. american deli slices

1 pt. ½ & ½

1 pt. water

Mix all ingredients except cheese; heat thoroughly & slowly. Add cheese last.

This was a picture I had used when I shared it to facebook. This                                                            recipe is ALWAYS a hit. I am always asked what's in it, then for                                                              the recipe. This was the name my friend gave me, but then I feel                                                                like you should throw in potato and cheese somewhere?!?! Well, it                                                        does have those things, but you got to stop somewhere. Let me just                                                          tell you, ITS SO GOOD! Maybe I should just rename it, SO                                                                    GOOD SOUP? :)