Category: Soups

Mushroom Soup

We had this soup at the Baobab Safari Lodge, Botswana, Africa.  Delicious !

Ingredients:

  • 75g butter (about 3 oz – 3 Tab)
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 500g mushrooms, finely chopped (about 1 lb)
  • 1 chicken stock (?? can,cup?  enough for desired consistency)
  • 150g dairy cream (about 3/4 c)

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a large pan.
2. Add the onions and fry for 5  minuets or until evenly browned.
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in cream and cook for 1 minute.
5. Gradually stir in stock.
6. Season with salt to taste.
7. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Serve, garnish with parsley

Serves:  Probably about 6??

 

Cold Curried Zucchini Soup

We seem to be on a Zucchini kick – but, what the heck, it is summer and that is when zucchini take over.  Another use for the giants that lurk under the leaves.

Ingredients:

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (about a cup of the already chopped ones in a bag)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp of the already chopped stuff in a jar)
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 2 pounds zucchini coarsely chopped (1 lb = 4 cups shredded)
  • 3 c chicken or vegetable broth
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 c sour cream (reduced fat, if you must) (I used twice as much sour cream (because cream is good – more cream is more good!)
  • 2 T chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions:

1. If you have large zucchini, peel some (about half) of the skin off), cut into quarters lengthwise and remove seeds.
2. Warm oil in a pot over medium heat.
3. Add onions and sauté until softened, 6 – 8 minutes.
4. Add garlic and curry powder and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Raise the heat to medium high, add zucchini, pour in broth and add 1 tsp salt (optional – how salty is your broth).
6. Cover and bring to a simmer.
7. Remove cover and reduce heat to medium.
8. Cook until zucchini is very tender, about 20 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and let soup cool slightly.
10. Working in batches, puree soup in  blender until smooth.
11. Transfer to large bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least two hours. (Overnight is even better.)
12. Just before serving, whisk in sour cream and season with salt and pepper.
13. Ladle into chilled bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Serves:  Makes about 5 – 6 cups

Notes:  The recipe called for 4 cups of broth, which made a thin soup.  It was good for the picnic as we drank it out of cups.  If it had been in a bowl – thicker would have been better.  You could start with 2 cups and puree it, then add broth to desired thickness.

Source:  Health.com

 

Margie’s Southwest Tomato Soup

Many soups can be vegetarian or not if you just adjust one or two ingredients.  In this soup you may use chicken broth or V8 in place of vegetable broth.  Add chicken, beef, or shrimp.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small onion — diced
  • 1 Tab olive oil
  • 2  28 oz. cans tomatoes, crushed or 4 – 5 lbs fresh tomatoes
  • 1 qt  vegetable broth
  • 1 Tab cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp garlic salt
  • ¼  tsp pepper
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 15 oz. can corn
  • 15 oz. can 1 black beans
  • 7 oz.  fresh salsa

Directions:

  1. Saute onion in oil until soft.
  2. Add tomatoes, broth, and spice.
  3. Simmer soup 15-30 minutes.
  4. Adjust spice as needed.
  5. Before serving, add beans and corn and return to simmer.
  6. Add fresh salsa and heat through.
  7. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Serves:  8

Source:  Margie Kleerup

Margie’s Corn Chowder

This one’s pretty much Margie’s recipe. It’s actually scaled down from a large group recipe (great for luncheons), and makes the house smell great. Entered by Dave the Husband as a public service. 

Ingredients: 

4 oz. Bacon (diced)
½ Onion (diced)
¾ tsp. Thyme
¾ tsp. Sea Salt

2 tbsp. Flour
1 pint Chicken Broth

1-1/8 lbs. Canned Corn
½ large Idaho Potato

½ c.Heavy Cream

Instructions:

  1. Brown bacon until almost crisp. 
  2. Add onions and sauté until tender.
  3. Stir in seasoning until fragrant.
  4. Add flour and cook slightly.
  5. Slowly add half of broth while stirring. Cook until thickened.
  6. Add remaining broth and simmer 20 minutes.
  7. Microwave potato. When cool enough again to handle, peel and dice.
  8. Add corn and potatoes to soup and heat through.
  9. Remove from heat and stir in cream.

Serves 16.

Cheddar Cheese Pumpkin Soup

I have bad luck transporting this soup. I’ve brought it to the office three times now and spilled some every time. My office mates just encourage me to make it again and be more careful – they don’t want me to spill a drop

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Marsala
  • 3 cups Chicken Broth
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1¼ teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
  • 1¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1¼ teaspoon Pepper
  • 5 cups Pumpkin Puree
  • 4 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:

  1. In a large stock pot, sauté Onions and Garlic in Olive Oil over medium heat until limp and light brown.
  2. De-glaze with Marsala and sauté until dry.
  3. Add Chicken Stock, Water, and Spices and simmer for 30 minutes.
  4. Add Pumpkin and stir over low heat until hot.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar Cheese.

Serve with cheddar cheese.

Note: I make my own pumpkin puree, but canned works well also.

You can use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.

Serves: 8

Source: MLK

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

I thought that a red soup would look festive for the harvest dinner. This soup is the result. Roasting the tomatoes gives them a dense flavor that matches the peppers.
Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds Tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 12 ounces Roasted Red Peppers — canned
  • 1 Onion — diced
  • 4 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes — diced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 teaspoon Thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Slice tomatoes in half.
  3. Place cut side down on baking sheet.Drizzle with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper.
  4. Roast until skin becomes slightly charred, 30-60 minutes.
  5. Remove and let cool slightly.
  6. Remove tomato skins.
  7. In a stock pot, saut