Chicken Pozole Soup (Mexican soup)

Okay I know that the weather is finally getting warm and soup isn't always the greatest idea, but if you have a cold day this is not hard to make and has refreshing garnish ideas.


Chicken Pozole Soup
 3 chicken breasts

1 medium onion-diced

2 Tbsp diced garlic

2-3 Red chili peppers soaked in hot water

2 cans diced tomatoes w/oregano and basil

(or add some more of these spices to the soup)

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 large can hominy drained and lightly rinsed

3-4 c. chicken broth (I use hot water and bouillon)

garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado or guacamole

Serve with tortilla chips

Sorry I forgot a few items that are featured below.  I am sometimes really lazy and don't want to  dice up my own garlic and keep this jar of garlic in the fridge.

Dice up dried (I use fresh) chili’s and let soak in about 1 cup of hot water (warmed in the microwave).

Dice chicken and brown in large pot with a little bit of oil.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauté onion and garlic until onion is soft. 

Add cumin and oregano

Add chicken broth/water and bouillon (I usually do 3 c water and 4 tsp bouillon and add the other 1 c from the soaked red peppers), hominy, tomatoes, and heat until hot.

Add soaked red peppers, add more salt and pepper as need

Garnish with these items or anything else that sounds great. 

And here's the end result!!  So yummy!

Potato Corn Chowder

We have soup for dinner every Monday, and this particular soup is by far everyone's favorite.

I'm sure many of you wouldn't deem this a hard recipe -- definitely not complex enough to justify all the pictures. But for me it's pretty fancy.

First you dice up a bunch of potatoes. I usually do about 8 or so, but potatoes up here come really small. Cube them however you like -- my husband likes them pretty chunky, but I like them small because that makes this recipe all the more chowdery. (What, that's a word.)


Boil the potatoes. If you're weird and like extra work you can dice up some onions. Otherwise just sprinkle in a bunch of onion salt.


When the potatoes are soft, drain the water. You can either go for stick-a-fork-in-it done or you can let it get really mushy if you want it to be super chowdery. (Again, it's a word.) This particular batch got really soft ... I totally forgot it was boiling and started folding laundry. Turned out delicious.


Return the potatoes to the original pot and throw in a few tablespoons of butter or margarine. (Don't judge the starch all over my pot -- I told you, I forgot the potatoes were boiling.)


Then add a can or two of creamy corn. I always do two cans, but I always do a big batch for the leftovers. Did I mention this makes fantastic leftovers?


Add about 3 cups of milk (more or less depending on how many potatoes you cubed and how large of a batch you'd like to make) to the pot and put it back on the burner at a medium heat. Stir regularly while warming the milk.


When the milk is warm enough* add a handful or two of grated cheddar cheese to help thicken the soup. The official recipe calls for about a cup, but there is no wrong amount of cheese here. (*What is "warm enough"? You could wait until it bubbles, but I'm never patient enough. As soon as you think it'll actually melt the cheese, toss it in. It'll melt eventually.)


Once the cheese has melted, viola! You're ready to ladle the soup up.


Looks delicious, right? And this is the leftovers -- I made a pot large enough to feed a small army because we become eating machines for this meal.

This is great with bread or rolls. You can also toss in some bacon pieces of you're so inclined.

RECIPE:
8 medium potatoes, diced
onion salt to taste
3 Tbsp butter
1-2 cans cream style corn
3 cups milk
1 cup cheese, grated

Boil potatoes. Add onion salt. When potatoes are soft, drain. Add butter, corn and milk. Bring back to a light boil. Add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Yumbo Gumbo

PER SERVING (1/5th of recipe, about 1 cup): 133 calories, 1.25g fat, 710mg sodium, 14g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 17g protein -- POINTS® value 2*
This soup is packed with shellfish and tons of tasty items -- but no rice. Trust us, you won't miss it for a SECOND...
Ingredients:
One 14.5-oz. can stewed tomatoes (not drained)
8 oz. peeled and deveined raw medium shrimp with tails removed
8 oz. white crab meat (about two 6-oz. cans drained)
1 cup Spicy Hot V8 vegetable juice
1 cup frozen cut okra
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or more to taste
1 tsp. Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, or more to taste
black pepper, to taste
Directions: Bring a large pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook for about 3 minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes, V8 juice, and cornstarch. Stir well, making sure cornstarch dissolves completely. Cook until mixture begins to bubble. Add okra, Cajun seasoning, and Frank's RedHot. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add shrimp, and continue to simmer until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add crab meat and 3/4 cup water. Raise heat to medium, and return to a boil. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let thicken for 5 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. If you like, add a little more Cajun seasoning and Frank's RedHot. Enjoy! MAKES 5 SERVINGS

Grandma Roy's Creamy Chicken Soup

2 chicken breasts
3 carrots diced
2 onions, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cup celery, chopped
water to cover
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour

In large kettle, place chicken, carrots, onions, parsley and celery. Add water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 45-50 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and vegetables and boil liquid until you have 3 cups* remaining. Stir in milk. In a bowl, cream butter and flour into a paste. Stir into water and milk. Simmer and stir over low heat until soup bubbles and thickens. Dice or shred the cooled chicken and return it and vegetables to the soup.

*Before adding the milk, flour and butter, you can freeze half of the soup to use next time. If so, half the milk to 1 1/2 cups, the butter to 1/4 cup and the flour to 1/4 cup. With the frozen half, just thaw and warm then add milk, butter and flour.

White Chili

White Chili

3-4 15 oz. cans of white chili beans

2-3 cups uncooked cubes of chicken

1 t. cumin powder

1 t. chili powder

1 t. garlic salt

1 cup white onion, cut up

2 T. butter

6 cup chicken soup stock, or prepared bouillon

1 c. salsa

Sauté onions and chicken in butter, add to rest of ingredients. Cook until hot.

*I made mine in the crock pot and it worked great. I had uncooked white chili beans (not canned), so I let them cook in the crock pot for a while before adding the rest of the ingredients. I didn’t measure exactly some of the ingredients; just go by taste. It was super yummy and made for good leftovers*

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: 6

1 package (6 ounces) long-grain and wild rice mix, prepared according to package directions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 (about 8 oz. total) boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped (OR USE ½ ROTISSERIE CHICKEN INSTEAD)
2 cups (8 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crushed (I left it out the first time, still good)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Sliced green onions (optional)
Toasted slivered almonds (optional)

HEAT vegetable oil in large saucepan. Add chicken, mushrooms, chopped onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is no longer pink.

ADD rice, broth, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine small amount of evaporated milk and cornstarch in small bowl; stir until smooth. Add to saucepan with remaining evaporated milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until soup is thickened. Garnish with green onions and almonds.

FOR FREEZE AHEAD:
PREPARE as above; do not top with green onions and almonds. Cool soup completely. Place in airtight container; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
HEAT in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with green onions and almonds.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

I adjusted a recipe from Parents magazine and made this last night. I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed ...

3 potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups frozen broccoli
2 cans vegetable broth (or about 3 cups)
dash of onion salt
3 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded

In medium saucepan, bring potatoes, broccoli, vegetable broth and onion salt to a boil. Drop heat to medium and simmer about 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Left cool about 5-10 minutes.

Blend soup with the cheese. I put about 1/3 of the mix in blender with 1/3 of the cheese and then kept layering until my blender was about 2/3 full, then I pureed. Add a little more mixture little by little until all is blended. (I mixed the last portion in unblended because I like some chunks.)

I didn't think my family would eat it because it looked like green glump, but my 2-year-old downed three bowls. We'll be making it again.

Tomato Bisque Soup

I snagged this recipe from another recipe blog I watch, and I have to share because it is just SO good. It comes from a caterer, and makes a fairly large batch (maybe 8 servings or more), but I just freeze individual servings in plastic bags and use them for a quick lunch with a grilled cheese or quesadilla.

Tomato Bisque Soup

1/2 c onion, diced
1/2 c butter, divided
2 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 t dill weed
1 t oregano
1 t basil
5 c canned crushed tomatoes
1 (6 oz can) tomato paste
4 c chicken stock or broth (2 cans)
2 T flour
2 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
4 t honey
1 1/4 c heavy cream
2/3 c half & half

In a large pot, melt 6 T butter. Saute onions, garlic, and herbs on medium low for about 5 minutes, until onion is SOFT and translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock and heat to simmer. In a separate small saucepan, make a roux with the flour and remaining 2 T butter, whisking constantly over medium heat for 3 minutes, without browning. Add roux to stock, whisking to blend. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil to thicken, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Add honey, cream, and half & half.

Fiesta Chicken Soup

10 oz chicken breast shredded (I poached* it first and then cut it up)
15 oz can black beans
15 oz can ranch style beans with jalapeno peppers (make sure you get the can with the picture of the beans, the black one without a picture isn't as healthy)
15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
4 oz can green chilies
1/2 a medium red onion chopped
2-3 cups chicken broth
15 oz can yellow corn
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer 30 minutes. It makes about 12 cups and a 1 cup serving is 2 points for anyone concerned about that. Enjoy!! :)

*To poach the chicken, bring a pot of water to boiling (about 1 quart per chicken breast - in this case, about 3-4 quarts. Go for more water instead of less if you have room in the pot.) Add the chicken breasts, cover, and remove the pot from heat. Let stand 20 minutes. The chicken will be cooked just right and will stay tender and juicy. I use this method to cook my chicken whenever I am not using a marinade.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Edited: Ok, I have made this soup and I was right - it is divine! Very good on a cold winter night :) It also is yummy when heated up for leftovers.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

8 6-inch corn tortillas

Salt

2 tablespoons CRISCO® Pure Canola Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 can (15 1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, drained

1 package (1 1/4 ounces) taco seasoning mix

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 tablespoons lime juice

Shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped cilantro

Sour cream

Lime slices (optional)

Spray a baking sheet and both sides of the corn tortillas with Crisco No Stick Cooking Spray. Slice the tortillas into strips; sprinkle lightly with salt. Place on baking sheet; bake for 12-15 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat Crisco Canola Oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until soft. Add chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, chilis and taco seasoning; stir to combine. Add chicken broth; stir. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, 10-15 minutes. Stir in lime juice.

To serve, place a few tortilla strips into soup bowl; ladle soup over. Sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Top with remaining tortilla strips. Garnish with sour cream and a lime slice.

*When I made the soup, I left out the diced green chilis, and it still tasted good ... also, mine was a little thin, so I made mine a tiny bit thicker using a flour/water thickener. All in all, very yummy!

Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained, reserving half (or, use 1 lb. of dry beans cooked in the crock pot - see below)
1 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 can of stewed tomatoes (with onions, chiles, etc. is good)
(if your tomatoes don't have additions, add 1/2 medium onion, chopped fine)
2 teaspoons lime juice (or more if you like that flavor)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped (or 1 teaspoon of bottled garlic)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Mix all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, reserving half of the beans (because all of it will probably not fit in the blender, and I think it is better to leave some of the beans whole in the soup). Blend until well mixed and you can see that the cilantro has been blended well. If the cilantro was at least chopped up a little bit, it should all be fine. Transfer to a medium pot and add the rest of the beans. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, or guacamole.


This is a great way to use black beans, and it is a little like a vegetarian taco soup.

*It is about 4 times cheaper to buy dried beans than the already pretty cheap canned beans. If you plan a day ahead, you can cook one bag (1 lb.) of black beans in a crock pot for 8-10 hours. Just add enough water so that there is about 2 inches of water above the top of the beans (maybe a little less if the beans don't come close to filling up the crock pot). You don't want the beans to ever be uncovered by the water. Check them every couple of hours if this is your first time, to be sure they don't become exposed. You'll know the beans are done if you blow hard on a few and the skin breaks. Extra beans can be frozen in ziploc bags and defrosted quickly to use instead of canned beans.

Potato Corn Chowder

This is the only recipe I've ever had that's actually worth the extra effort. I know this time of year no one is interested in soup, but come fall you'll thank me.

You'll need:

Diced potatoes
Onion salt
1 can creamy corn
3 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Boil the diced potatoes with as much or little onion salt as you like. When they're soft enough, drain the water. Add the butter, milk and creamy corn. (You can add bacon, too, if desired.) Heat on medium until bubbling. Stir to keep from scalding. When bubbling, stir in the cheese. As soon as all the cheese is melted and mixed in, it's ready to eat.

Taco Soup

This is pretty similar to the other taco soup post.

2 Lbs. Ground Beef
1 C. Chopped Onion
(Cook together and drain grease.)

2 C. Water
28 Oz. Diced Tomatos (not drained)
27 Oz. Kidney Beans (not drained)
15 Oz. Tomato Sauce
1 Pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
46 Oz. V-8 Juice
1 Can Corn (optional)
1 Can Red Beans (optional, not drained)

Combine all ingredients into a crockpot and cook on low all day.

Toppings:

Sour Cream, Frito's, Grated Cheese, Lettuce, Sliced Olives.

Zucchini Soup

2 lb. Zucchini
2 C. Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 C. Chopped Onion
Salt to taste
3 Tbsp. Flour
3 C. Milk
1 Sq. Butter
2 C. Velvetta Cheese (cubed)

Wash zucchini, cut of ends and grate coarsely. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add onions and saute until transparent. Blend in flour and broth, bring to a boil. Add grated zucchini and stir while adding milk. Add worcestershire sauce. Stir continuously until hot. Add cheese while stirring. Garnish with parsley.

Also, you can substitute broccoli for zucchini. This is the Thanksgiving favorite for our family. Enjoy!

Seven Can Soup

I wish I could take credit for this one, but it came from a friend. This meal takes only as long as it takes you to open and warm the contents of seven cans. It’s absolutely delicious. I recently served it at a family reunion and it was a hit.


Ingredients:

Can of chicken chunk (10 oz is about right)

Can of black beans (15 oz)

Can of corn (15 oz)

Can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (10 oz)

Two cans of chicken broth* (14-15 oz each)
*Last time I made it I used the new Winco brand of chicken broth – no good. It’s really strong and made the whole soup taste like chicken noodle. So I recommend the cheapest thing you can find that isn’t Hytop.)

Can of stewed tomatoes

You’ll notice I don’t have the stewed tomatoes in my photograph. That’s ‘cause my husband and I don’t like ‘em. But if you’re a fan of the stewed tomatoes, be my guest.

Drain the chicken chunk, the beans and the corn. Dump everything into a pot and heat it up. I let it simmer until I just can't stand it and I have to eat some. It's good with tortilla chips and sour cream.

While we love it just for our small family, this recipe is perfect for big groups -- family reunions, church socials, etc. Just add more cans of everything. I'd just say drop off a few cans of the broth if you make a really big batch. When I quadrupled the recipe for the family reunion this month, I should have used six or seven cans of broth, not the full eight. But it was still really good.

Easy French Onion Soup

3 lbs. onions

2 cups apple juice

10 cups beef stock

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons thyme

salt & pepper to taste

toasted baguette

mozzarella cheese

Saute the onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Add beef stock, apple juice and seasonings. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with baguette and cheese. Serves 6-8 people.

This is new recipe that I just found last month. I love it because it tastes delicious, looks impressive, and is ridiculously easy.

Taco Soup

It seems like most people I know have some version of this soup, but just in case you don't, I have to share it. It is so easy and goes from start to finish in about 15 minutes.

Brown 1/2 pound ground beef in bottom of a big soup pot. Add the following cans (dump the whole can, including any accompanying liquid): 1 can corn, 1 can red kidney beans, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce. Then add 1/2 package of taco seasoning. Heat until warm.

You can garnish it with cheddar cheese and sour cream and can add whatever other toppings you like to it. Serve with tortilla chips which can be crushed and put on top of the bowl of soup, or you can use them to dip into the soup and eat.

We also recently tried this using some grilled and cut up chicken and it was very good as well. Enjoy!