Creamy Pumpkin Soup

My mother-in-law makes this every fall for me, because she's awesome. Absolutely heaven and perfect for this time of year!

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (16 oz) can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt or more to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onions and cook until soft. Add curry powder and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add chicken stock, pumpkin, cinnamon and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. Add half-and-half. Stir until heated through. Top with extra cinnamon, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped parsley.

Potato Cheddar Soup

1/4 cup butter
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
3-4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the garlic and cook until softened (doesn't take long). Stir in the flour. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Stir in the milk.

Place the potatoes in a slow cooker. Pour in the soup mixture. Cover and cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

Remove the cover. Puree part of the soup with a mixer. (I just use a hand mixer and put it right in the slow cooker) Stir in the cheese. If you need to thin it out, add some milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I serve mine with the bacon and sour cream. You could also add chives for color.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Made this tonight, swapping out full-fat ingredients for fat free. I really never use fat free cream cheese, but figured it couldn't be too bad in a recipe. It was yummy, but I felt a little funny eating it because... well, fat free cream cheese really just shouldn't exist. Next time will use just plain old low fat, which is an OK substitute for the real deal. I do think the butter is important in this recipe. It gives a nice texture and flavor.

-3 tbsp butter

-1/2 large onion, chopped

-1-2 cloves garlic, minced

-3 tbsp all-purpose flour

-46 ounces V8 juice

-1 can fat free evaporated milk

-1 (8oz) block cream cheese, chopped into pieces

-salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a soup pot, add onions and garlic and saute until soft. Add flour and stir, allowing the flour to cook out for a few minutes. Add V8 and evaporated milk and bring to a soft boil. Simmer about 10 minutes, then stir in cream cheese. When it melts, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Serve with croutons, fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Perfect with grilled cheese!

Corned Beef & Cabbage Chowder

My sister's recipe. Perfect for your leftovers! Happy St. Patty's Day!!

2 cups corned beef brisket, diced
2 cups leftover cabbage, chopped
2 cups potatoes, cooked & diced
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk

Bring all ingredients to a simmer for 30 minutes and serve.

Tomato Basil Soup

It's such a cold, yucky day... and we're supposed to get snow. So I thought I'd make a big pot of homemade soup for lunch and to freeze. I just kind of threw this together using what I had on hand and it turned out really good, so I thought I'd share.

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tbsp dried onion
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp freeze-dried basil*
• 1 bay leaf

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, garlic and dried onion. Sautee to infuse the oil with flavor. Add tomatoes, water, chicken bouillon granules, sugar and salt; bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in basil and half & half.

*I use freeze-dried basil. It reconstitutes to "real" basil when added to liquid. I'm not sure how regular dried basil would be in this recipe; but fresh would be great.

Turkey & Beer Cheese Soup

Ellie has a cold, so last night we were holed up at home. Hallie and Ryan were kind enough to bring us dinner and come hang out for awhile. Hallie created this soup recipe and it was delicious. Rob loved it. She cooks like I do when I make things up... a little of this and a little of that. This is her guestimation of what she did after I forced her to write the recipe down! :o) Actually, I'm guessing on the spices... she just added them to taste, so if you think you'd like more or less, go for it!

1 Turkey breast tenderloin

1 can sweet corn

1 can Northern beans

1 bottle dark beer (she used Sam Adams)

1 small yellow onion

1 (32 oz) container chicken stock

1 cup of chopped carrots (approx)

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

fresh parsley to taste

shredded sharp cheddar to taste

salt & pepper to taste

Bake turkey breast tenderloin at 375 for 90 minutes (or according to package directions.) Chop and place in slow cooker. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on low 6-8 hours. Serve with more cheese sprinkled on top.

Ham and Potato Soup

This is the perfect soup for all your leftover ham from the holidays. I just made a big pot of this and I put the ham bone in the soup while it simmered for extra flavor.


1 TBSP butter
1/3 cup celery
1/3 cup carrots
3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
3/4 cup diced, cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth or stock
salt and pepper to taste
5 TBSP butter
5 TBSP all-purpose flour
2 cups warm milk

In a large stockpot, melt 1 TBSP butter over medium heat. Add the celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper and saute for about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and season again with salt and pepper. Add the ham and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes and veggies in stockpot with a potato masher.

In a small saucepan, melt 5 TBSP butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly for about one minute. Slowly stir in the milk. Continue stirring until thick, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook until soup is heated through.

Tortilla Soup

I made this soup for the first time tonight, but it won't be the last. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law came over for dinner, and we practically finished the pot between the four of us. It was really filling and very yummy. There are a lot of ingredients but it's all in one pot, so it's super easy. I found this recipe while browsing recipe blogs similar to ours. I did modify it somewhat to our tastes. YUM!

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 cup coarsely crushed lime flavor tortilla chips

3 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 can diced tomatos with jalapenos

2 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into chunks (I used rotisserie)

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1/3 cup half and half

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

zest of one lime

juice of one lime

fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic and jalapeno and saute until soft. Add crushed tortilla chips and cook until the edges start to brown.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, spices and hot sauce and bring to a soft boil. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to your liking. (I left a lot of chunks and am glad I did - just a tip.)

Add chicken and corn bring back to a rolling simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn down the heat and add half & half. Then slowly stir in cheese until it melts. Add lime zest and juice, and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

I served this with a choice of toppings: chopped tomatoes, sour cream, more shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and additional crushed lime tortilla chips. My sister-in-law made an amazing salad which I will get the recipe for and post. Only an icy margarita would have made the meal better. :o)

Maryland Crab Soup

I'm proud to say Baltimore, Maryland is my hometown. I grew up eating steamed crabs and crab soup and truly believe that traces of Old Bay can be found coursing through my veins. The taste of real Maryland crab soup takes me right home. It's the ultimate comfort food. I will definitely be making a big pot after the holidays. This recipe is modified to my tastes from one of my mom's oldest cookbooks, The Chesapeake Collection. Traditional Eastern Shore crab soup doesn't call for worschestire sauce, but I add it, 'cuz that's how I roll.

4 cups water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
5 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning*
1 tablespoon worschestire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups frozen diced potatoes
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 pound backfin crabmeat, picked over for shells**
Salt and pepper to taste

*You can find Old Bay seasoning by the seafood counter.
**Get REAL crabmeat. Look for Phillips crabmeat in the refrigerated section of the seafood area.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water. Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a low boil. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add Old Bay and worschestire sauce. Reduce heat and add crabmeat. Heat through, but don't boil. (The crabmeat will shred.)

Serve with saltine crackers. Ever since I was little, I've crumbled them into my crab soup. My Uncle Fred showed me how to crumble crackers while they were still in the package, so that's my favorite way to eat it.

This freezes really well. Hope you try it and enjoy!

White Chicken Chili

My friend, Beth, shared this recipe with me. This would be perfect on a cold, snowy night. Enjoy!

2-3 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried oregano
½ TBSP jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans northern beans
1 lb cooked chicken, diced
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups white cheese, shredded
½ cup salsa

Saute first seven ingredients in olive oil for five minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add diced chicken, salsa and half of the cheese. Simmer until heated through.

When serving, sprinkle with remaining cheese and sour cream. Great with tortilla chips!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Sometimes you just need good-for-the-soul chicken soup. I am not a huge fan of traditional chicken noodle soup, so this is my take on a classic. Perfect on a chilly evening... I just made a big pot tonight.

32 oz container chicken broth

4 cups water

1/2 cup very dry white wine (you can skip this and just add extra broth or water)

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I use 98% reduced fat)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken breast)

1 (7oz) pkg frozen cheese tortellini

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup carrots

1 cup celery

2 tsp chicken boullion granules

2 garlic cloves, minced fine

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, combine all ingredients except tortellini. Bring to a boil; add tortellini. Simmer 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Soup

My mother-in-law is an AWESOME cook. She is what I aim to be in the kitchen someday. Recently, before dinner one night, she asked me to try her pumpkin soup to see what it needed. I obliged, thinking I wouldn't like it. I am not generally a sweet-as-savory kind of gal. If I'm having pumpkin, I prefer it with sugar and spice and everything nice in the form of a pie or muffin. Or so I thought. My mother-in-law's soup was incredible. Needless to say, it needed nothing. Several helpings later, I asked for the recipe. Like Shana's grandma, my mother-in-law rarely cooks from a recipe. She told me what she used in it, but said she just keeps tasting it until it is just right. Here is the best I could do... I made some this morning. It turned out really good; very close to my mother-in-law's. Even if pumpkin soup weirds you out, I'd encourage you to give it a try. It's really healthy, too!

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion; chopped fine

2 cloves garlic
1 (32 oz) container chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

dash all spice

bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil. Saute the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes until the onions are transluscent. Add chicken broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Lower the heat; add pumpkin, spices and bay leaf and bring to a simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add additional chicken broth if it's too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

My advice is to keep tasting it. Add more spices if you think it needs it. These are not exact guestimations.

It's delish the way it is, but my mother-in-law put a little cream on top when she served it. YUM!

Black Bean Soup

I was never a huge fan of black bean soup. I wanted to like it, but every time I ordered it I was disappointed. But recently a former co-worker of mine whom we all know and love made some. She raved about it, so I asked her to share the recipe with me. I made it that night and I am hooked. Black beans might just be nature's perfect food, too. High in vitamins and fiber, counts as a veggie, and FILLING. So, while this soup is good for you, you'll never know it by the taste.

I also love this recipe because I can buy all the ingredients, and just have it on hand to make whenever I want. Nothing perishable about it.

2 cans black beans, drained well but NOT rinsed

1 (15 oz) can of chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes with jalepenos; don't drain

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp chili powder or chipotle chili powder

bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil with the garlic. This will infuse the broth with garlic flavor. Mash one can of black beans with a potato masher. Add both whole and mashed beans to the pot along with tomatoes, chili powder and bay leaf. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste.

The original recipe calls for a cup of salsa instead of the tomatoes with jalepenos. The result is a thicker soup. Thin it out with more chicken broth if necessary.

Easy Easy Potato Soup

Last winter, during a phone conversation with my sister, she mentioned she was making Potato Soup. YUM. The Irish girl in me loves anything that even mentions a potato in the recipe. I realized I had never made it before. Now, this is a staple in my house and I just made it for the first time this fall. I realize there are tons of potato soup recipes out there, but this one is so easy.

My sister uses bacon instead of ham, and doesn't use the immersion blender. She just mashes it a little. She likes more chunk to her potato soup, whereas I like mine smooth. Enjoy!

Potato Soup

5 Russett potatoes

1 pkg diced ham ( I like Bob Evans )

1 (32 oz) container chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can chicken broth

1 medium chopped onion

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Saute chopped onion with olive oil in a soup pot until the onions just start to brown. Add chicken broth and potatoes. Boil the potatoes until they're fork tender. While potatoes are cooking, in a seperate pan, cook the ham in a little olive oil just to crisp it up a tad. (You can probably skip this step, because the ham is pre-cooked, but I think it tastes better if it's browned a bit.) Once the potatoes are done, remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to cream the soup. Add ham, and salt and pepper to taste. If it's too thick, thin it out with a little milk.

I think the soup is perfect the way it is, but it would be great with cheese, sour cream, and scallions on top.