creamy potato carrot soup

this is the soup I made for Briste's baby shower. that's it there in that bowl in the picture - though you can't see the soup...
this soup is easy & flexible: you can throw in whatever veggies you have, omit the carrots if you want, heck even the bacon is optional & I dont use it when I am being a good vegetarian. but I am a bad vegetarian & sorta on a bacon-in-soups kick right now & I think it makes soups taste especially good. and I know velveeta is spooky... what is it anyway?... but it makes potato soup yummy. you can also use sharp cheddar too/instead. you see? a very flexible soup!!!
here's is what I made... as best I can remember:

Creamy Potato & Carrot Soup - by kristen

2 slices uncured bacon (uncured=nitrite free! nitrites are bad for you)
1/2 white onion, chopped (1 cup)
6 large potatoes, peeled & chopped (I used russet)
3-4 handfuls baby carrots
veggie broth (just enough to cover veggies)
8 oz cream cheese (organic so christy doesn't die!)
velveeta to taste (I used 1/3 of a big pkg)
salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

cook bacon in a large heavy pot over med-high until crisp. remove bacon, crumble & set aside. sautee onion in bacon drippings for about 10 minutes, until nice & cooked. (VEGETARIAN VERSION: omit bacon & sautee onion in 1-2Tb olive oil.) add potatoes & carrots to pot, add just enough broth to cover. (the broth stays in the soup, so the more you add, the runnier your soup will be. I like it thick, so I just barely cover the veggies enough that they can cook.) bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer until the veggies are cooked (tip: the smaller you chop your carrots/potatoes the faster this will cook.).
for chunkier soup, mash by hand with a potato masher to desired consistency. for smoother soup (or if your carrots aren't quite soft enough) puree spoonfuls of potatoes/carrots in blender & replace in pot. add cream cheese & velveeta, stir in to melt. salt & pepper to taste (the more velveeta you use, the less salt you need). add bacon back in or crumble on individual bowls. enjoy!


(above: briste enjoying opening gifts after eating the soup)

Chicken broccoli soup

This soup is the perfect comfort food on a dreary and cold winter day. It was featured in this month's edition of Cooking Light! Enjoy!

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup presliced mushrooms -I chopped my own!!
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons butter
1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)
4 cups 1% low-fat milk -I used skim milk
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
4 ounces uncooked vermicelli (I used spaghetti), broken into 2-inch pieces
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light) -I used extra sharp cheddar
4 cups (1-inch) cubed cooked chicken breast -next time I might try shredded chicken
3 cups small broccoli florets (8 ounces)
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat a Dutch oven (or large pot) over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; add butter to mushroom mixture, stirring until butter melts. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually add milk and broth, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add pasta to pan; cook 10 minutes. Add cheese to pan, and stir until cheese melts. Add chicken and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender and soup is thoroughly heated.

317 calories per serving

This was the perfect meal with bread and a salad! It also made awesome leftovers!!

Zucchini Cheese Soup

2 medium zucchini chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp lemon juice
1 15 oz can diced tomatos
1 can evaporated milk
1 can corn
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

saute zucchini, onion, parsley, and basil in butter until tender. stir in flour, salt and petter. gradually stir in water . add bouillon and lemon juice and mix well. bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes. add tomatos, milk and corn; bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. stir in cheese just before serving. continue stirring until cheese is melted.

Ribolita

If you were smart(like me) and planted a garden you might have several of these ingredients just outside. This soup is so good! I combined 2 recipes to make it. It is a really yummy italian minestrone.

1 lb. italian sausage (I used regular, because that's what I had)
1 lg. onion, diced
Cook in soup kettle until done. Drain grease, then add:

2 carrots, cut up small
2 celery ribs, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
about 5- 6 cups beef or chicken broth (I didn't measure and I used water and Coscto's Chicken base that comes in a small round container. 1 tsp per cup of water)
1 can tomato paste
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil (I used fresh because a neighbor gave me some and it's awesome)
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste (already salty from chicken broth, keep in mind)
cayenne pepper to taste (3 dashes)

Boil for about 3 min, then add a little zucchini, spinach, or italian squash (I used gagutza and it is the best for soup becuase it doesn't get slimy. My neighbor gave me some plants last spring. I have used spinach before and it is also good.)

Next add:
1 can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. uncooked small pasta shells
3 T minced parsley or just a few sprinkles dried
I add more water if it is too thick at this point.

Cook until pasta is tender, then serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.
Add some delicious bread or cheese biscuit( red lobster recipe) and you have a very savory, extremely healthy italian dinner.
This is a lot easier than it might look like. Maybe I will just make it for a girls night since now that I think of it most of you probably won't try it on your own because of all the ingredients.