The Lady's Chicken Noodle Soup

The boyfriend made this last year (or so) and I really loved it.  He did the whole thing with making the stock while I was at work and then assembled the soup part when I got home.  I had been wanting it again (I really loved the creamy aspect - not something I think of with chicken noodle) so I made it last Saturday.  Because I went straight from stock to soup steps, the stock pretty much stayed at boil while I added everything in.  But I cheated - I didn't want to deal with cutting up a whole chicken nor deboning it so I used chicken tenders and thighs (to get a combination of white and dark meat).  In hindsight I used a bit more chicken than I really needed.  But soup is forgiving about that.  I do wonder though if my stock would have been richer with the bones.  Maybe that was the reason I think his tasted better than mine... or maybe it was because I didn't have to make it!


Ingredients
Stock:
1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
3 1/2 quarts water
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/3 cup cooking sherry
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
Seasoning salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions
1.  For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

2.  For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Creamy Chicken Soup

A high school classmate shared this link on facebook a couple of weeks ago.  Since we've been back in winter again, I figured this was a good time to try it.  It does take a little bit of work to prep the veggies, but after that it comes together pretty quickly.  Except waiting for it to come to a boil and then simmering.

FOR THE ROUX (to thicken soup...this is made first):
• 4 T flour
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter - unsalted
• ****make the roux by heating the oil and butter in pot then sprinkling the flour on top. whisk together until fully absorbed and turns almost golden. take off the heat and set aside while combining other ingredients****
• 2 T butter - unsalted
• 2 T olive oil
• 4 stalks carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped (opt)
• 1 sweet yellow onion - diced
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth (or a combo) - low salt or unsalted
• 3 1/2 cups milk or cream or half & half, i use a combination of skim milk and cream
• 2 T chicken base granules
• 1 t fresh cracked pepper
• 1 T dried parsley or 2 T fresh parsley
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 t Herbs of Provence
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• 1/4 t garlic powder or 1 t. chopped garlic (i use garlic from a jar)
• 3 cups rotisserie chicken - cubed or shredded and cooked
• 1/4 cup white wine (your favorite)
• shredded gruyere cheese to sprinkle on top after spooning soup into bowls

Instructions

1. start by making the roux (directions above)
2. chop the vegetables and set aside until ready to saute.
3. In a Dutch oven, saute the vegetables in 2 T olive oil and 2 T butter until softened. i cook the carrots and celery first, then add the onions since they don't take as long to cook.
4. Add all other ingredients including the roux, stir well.
5. bring to a boil then turn down the heat to low and let simmer 20-30 minutes until the soup thickens to the desired consistency.
6. Stir every 3-4 minutes. Do not leave the soup unattended - it can burn quickly.
7. if you need to thicken the soup a little, mix together some cornstarch with milk or water (per box instructions) then stir into the soup.
8. stir frequently - the soup is milk-based and can burn easily.
9. before ready to serve, take out the bay leaves
10. pour into bowls and sprinkle with shredded gruyere cheese
11. serve with french baguette or other crusty bread
12. enjoy!

Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A friend shared this on facebook.  It appears to be a modified version of a recipe that's been posted elsewhere on the internet - sans potatoes.  It went over well - thank goodness, because there's quite a bit leftover.  We ate it with ham and swiss sandwiches.  (Note, copied as is from fb post).

Crockpot Broccoli Cheddar Soup!

32 oz frozen broccoli (fresh doesn't stand up well) 
1 16 oz can of cream of chicken
1 16 oz can of cream of mushroom
1 small sliced yellow onion
2 gloves garlic minced (1.5 tsp)
1 (14 oz) can of chicken broth
1/4 stick butter
1 SMALL block Velvetta cheese
1 Tsp flour
Salt and pepper to taste

mince garlic, slice onion finely, and throw it all in crock along with everything else. Velvetta breaks up best of cut in small blocks. Cook on high for 4-5 hrs ... Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Soup

This recipe is a home run!  It smelled divine cooking all day, and was well worth the wait when it was FINALLY dinner time!

I found this on Pinterest.  Click here for the original website where it was posted.

I added some chopped tomatoes because I had frozen chopped peppers and tomatoes together that were leftover from a recipe I made at Christmas.  I used dried spices -- 1 tsp basil and about 3/4 tsp oregano.  I had half a red onion so I chopped that instead of a white onion.  I skipped the red pepper flakes.  And I picked gemelli for the pasta because I think it's fun.

It was absolutely fabulous!  I served it with mozzarella stuffed breadsticks from Schwann's (thank you Grandma!) and a salad.

Chicken Parmesan Soup

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/2 pound (raw) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth, plus additional if needed
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
4 ounces (uncooked) dry gemelli or penne pasta
Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

In slow cooker, stir together garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, 1/2 cup cheese, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook on high 3-1/2 hours or on low 7 hours.

Transfer chicken breasts to cutting board and coarsely shred; return to slow cooker. Stir in pasta. Cook on high 30 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked al dente. If soup becomes too thick after pasta is cooked, stir in additional broth until desired consistency is reached, and warm through.

Serve garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped basil or parsley.

Beef and Barley Soup

This soup was very simple to make and made a perfect fall meal.  I made a few changes, and next time will make a few more.

First, the recipe calls for 10 cups of water.  No beef broth.  That sounded kinda bland.  So I replaced 4 cups of water with beef broth.  Next time I plan to use 8 cups of beef broth (2 Swanson boxes), 1 cup of red wine, and 1 cup of water.

Second, I have never had a rutabaga.  So I used 2 medium sized potatoes instead.  Not sure that was the right size of  "1/2 a small rutabaga," but it seemed like the right amount!

Third, I didn't have any fresh thyme sprigs, so I used dried.  I used a generous pinch.  I think I will use more next time.

Fourth, I made a mistake when I made this.  You are supposed to leave the beef in 1 1/2 inch cubes, but I didn't realize it said that until I had cut the beef into bite sized pieces.  Some of them were a bit overcooked.  Next time I'll start them out bigger and follow the directions.

This recipe comes from the October 2014 issue of Woman's Day.  I served it with a big salad and homemade rolls.

Beef and Barley Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 small rutabaga (about 12 oz), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves (optional)
10 cups water
3/4 cup pearl barley

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  Season the beef with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.  Working in batches, brown the beef, 10 minutes total.  Transfer to a bowl.

Reduce heat to medium, add the onion and remaining Tbsp oil and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Return the beef and any juices to the pot along with the carrots, celery, rutabaga, thyme and bay leaves (if using).  Add the water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the meat and vegetables are tenders, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, cook the barley according to package directions (mine had to boil for 45 minutes, FYI).  Drain and set aside.

Discard the thyme and bay leaves from the soup.  Using two forks, gently break the beef into smaller pieces, then stir in the barley.

Chunky chicken soup

I got this recipe from a friend back in October 2012.  I recently asked her where she got the recipe from and it turns out it came from a site filled with more recipes!  It's a low / no carb type of recipe, so good for those trying that out.  But even if you're not, it's an easy way to make chicken soup (I haven't the desire to work with a full chicken)!  This time I used our onion / veggie chopper on all the vegetables except the mushrooms (I bought a package of sliced), so they're all diced instead of chopped or sliced.  And I threw in some egg noddles (about a half package) because I felt like it (and we're not no carb at the moment) (there's also instructions on how to make a carb friendly egg noodle on the site).  Because it's soup, I just approximate on how much of the vegetables I'm putting in.

1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 boneless chicken breasts, diced, 10-12 ounces
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped, 2 ounces
1/2 cup celery, sliced thin, 2 small stalks
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced, 2 ounces or 4 medium
1/4 cup onion, chopped, 1 1/4 ounces
2 cans chicken broth or 4 cups homemade broth
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup carrots, sliced, 2 1/2 ounces or 1 medium carrot
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salt, to taste
Egg Noodles

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken; cook and stir 4-5 minutes or just until no longer pink. Add the green pepper, celery, mushrooms and onions. Cook and stir 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender crisp. Add the broth, bouillon, water, carrots, parsley, pepper and salt. Simmer, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Add the Egg Noodles and simmer a few minutes until heated through.

Makes 6 servings 

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Tonight we tried another recipe from the Crockin' Girls cookbook -- and it's another winner!

If you like chicken wings, you will LOVE. THIS. SOUP.

I love chicken wings, but I'm not a huge fan of hot food.  If you're like me, you'll want to drink a big glass of milk with this meal!  I might experiment with a little less hot sauce next time -- maybe 3/4 of a cup instead of a whole cup.  I use Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce Buffalo.  It's tangy, and tastes like wings, rather than just a bottle full of hot.

This recipe requires a bit more prep work than other slow cooker recipes, but it is worth it!  One tip about cutting celery.  Take a knife and cut down the entire length of the celery 4 to 5 times, but don't go all the way through to the end so the strips are still attached on one side.  Then slice the strips crosswise to make diced celery.  The strips will stay together nicely as you chop.  Way easier than cutting the rib the other way and trying to cut up each little smiley face piece!

I served it with Awesome and Easy Creamy Corn Casserole.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

1 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 tsp garlic salt (I used minced garlic instead)
1 cup bottled Buffalo wing sauce (mild or hot)
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp NYS cheddar)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and saute for about 5 minutes.  Scrape veggies into the slow cooker.  Add cooked chicken to slow cooker.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat until just foamy.  Whisk in the flour to make a roux, stirring well to incorporate all the flour.*  Cook 1-2 minutes, or until the roux is slightly golden. (This happened in about a minute for me)  Scrape into the slow cooker.

Stir in broth and milk.  Add garlic salt and wing sauce.  Still well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.

Stir in cheese about 20 minutes before serving.

* When making a roux, when you first add the flour you will think, "Oh my God!  I've ruined it!"  Don't panic!  Just keep whisking it and it will smooth out!