Soup Soup-a-doop

I have still been making soup, but I have just been horrible about documenting it. And I must soup it up fast because the spring is rapidly approaching and soon I add another challenge to the mix. We will be going to meat-free in our house for Lent. I tell you this not to brag on a street corner like a pharisee, that's not my style I hope. But because it will drastically change the way I finish out this challenge!

Alright to update you.

Soup 9
Turkey Meatball Marinara with Chickpeas
courtesy of my amazing friend Lisa K



Turkey Meatball & Chickpea Soup Makes 4 Servings

4 cups Meijer reduced sodium chicken broth
1 Jar. Prego marinara pasta sauce
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 lb. broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
2 T. grated pecorino romano cheese


Heat a large pot over high heat with chicken broth, marinara sauce, chickpeas and crushed red pepper flakes until mixture comes to a simmer. While mixture comes to a simmer, season ground turkey with salt and pepper flakes. Roll turkey into about 40 meatballs. Next, stir broccoli rabe into the broth and bring to a simmer. Add meatballs to the broth, cover pan with lid and lightly poach the meatballs until just cooked through, stirring occasionally for about 6 minutes. The broth should barely simmer. Check soup for seasoning. Ladle into 4 large bowls and top with pecorino.

Calories: 380
Total fat: 15 g
Carbohydrate: 26 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Sodium: 420 mg
Protein: 41 g
Fiber: 5 g

I loved this soup and would totally make it again. Kel is sad that he was in Honduras when it happened. I should have frozen some for him but it was just that tasty and how often was I going to cook while he was gone really? I find that I very often double the broth in my soup recipes. This makes them go farther and never seems to leave me any less satisfied.

Soup 10 (baby food soup from William Sonoma) Potato & Butternut Squash Stew

1 cup butternut squash chunks (peeled and seeded
1 cup cooked potatoes
1 cup apple chunks
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups water (or stock)
Nutmeg to taste (add other spices to appeal to a more adult palette.)

Heat oil in saucepan (that you can keep using to save on dishes) Add squash, potatoes and apple and cook for 8-10 minutes until apple turn golden. Add water (or stock) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and maintain this until the items in your pot are nice and soft. Blend or food process ingredients until they are soft.

I hesitated on counting this as a soup, but the cooking process uses the same methods that you would use should you be making a soup for adults. I tried some and the texture and flavors of the ingredients are lovely but I would add a lot more seasonings if cooking it for big people.

Soup 11- Creamy chicken and wild rice

Ingredients

• 1 - 2 cupss cooked wild rice
  
• 2 cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 Onion
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
  
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups milk or cream (depending on your caloric needs or desires)

Sautee the onion in extra virgin olive oil. Add in your stock, milk, chicken, rice, celery, mushrooms and salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for a good long while, 20 - 30 minutes and then you are ready to go.

Again I upped the broth in this recipe and I took out the half and half it called for and added skim milk because I'm cool like that. I went with like a Rice-A-Roni rice but I would get the higher quality wild rice in the future and cook it up old school before adding it to the soup.

Alright well I am only 33% of the way through my soup challenge and I need to step it up several notches.

Perhaps this video will inspire all of us. It's pretty much what i have been singing lately as I make my soups.