That sounds good, jyg.

I don't have a recipe to share, but love making soup no matter what time of year it is. It just seems so soothing to me. I really like inventing as I go, especially if I have left overs. The next day it'll go into soup...so I get the thrill of using the leftovers and come up with some unexpected and nourishing soup.

And I always love sharing it...someone is always the beneficiary of whatever soup I have going. It's an act of caring.

Great thread,

Wanda

This is tme consuming if you make your own stock but you can used purchased stock but it does not taste as well. I do love it and try to keep homemade stocks in the freezer.

Tuscan Bean Soup Au Gratin

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 cups minced onions
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped leeks, white part only
1 hot chili pepper, stemmed and minced
2 medium ham hocks, about 3 to 4 ounces each
1 pound white beans, soaked overnight and drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
10 cups homemade chicken stock
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
8 slices Italian bread, toasted
1 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese, freshly grated
1 small onion, thinly sliced
Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a gallon stock pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, leeks and pepper. Sautfor 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the ham hocks and sauté for 1 minute. Add the beans, rosemary, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the chicken stock and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove the ham hocks, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Using a hand held-blender, puree half of the bean mixture. Pick the meat from the ham hock and return the meat to the bean mixture. Season the beans with salt and pepper. In a sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the crushed garlic cloves and chopped thyme and simmer for 1 minute to infuse the oil. Remove the pan from the heat and discard the garlic cloves. Stir half of the olive oil mixture into the bean mixture. Line a fireproof tureen or pot with the toasted bread slices. Sprinkle the bread with half of the cheese. Ladle the bean mixture over the toasted bread. Cover the bean mixture with the onion slices, the remaining infused olive oil and cheese. Place the tureen in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Yield: about 8 servings

Homemade chicken stock

Use an entire chicken cut up into. The standard ratio of bones and/or meat to water is eight pounds to six quarts. Slowly bring the stock to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Leave it uncovered for the entire cooking process. The more the stock reduces, the more intense its final flavor. Simmer for 4-5 hours. After 2 hours of simmering add 3 large onions chopped, 2 large carrots chopped fine with skin on, 2 celery stalks chopped, and four cloves of minced garlic. During the final 30 minutes of simmering add a few sprigs of cilantro and thyme, and one or two bay leaves. I also add celery leaves and numerous twists of the pepper mill. Do not add salt to the stock. Skim the stock frequently to remove fat and other stuff that float to the surface. When it's finished strain it through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. You can use the chicken for a salad or in a salad or for whatever you like.

Forgive me , but I am not much of a recipe follower..............

Here is my homemade beef soup.

Cut up beef... lots for my garden slave.......
Beef stock.

green beans
rutabaga
cabbage
carrots
onions
All the about cut up rather small

Can corn
LARGE can of tomato sauce
LARGE can of diced tomato

Salt and pepper

Simmered on the stove in a large pot on a day I am cleaning the house . ( if I go outside I will scorch
the bottom )

Steve just LOVES this !

D`Ann :)

My chicken soup...................

Chicken cut up.
Chicken stock.

Celery ( especially the leaves in the center of the stalk )
mushrooms
garlic
all the above cut up real small.

Brown rice ( or wild) Cooked with chicken broth in a separate pot , mixed later.

I usually use lima beans... but I think next time I will follow junkyard girl lead and use
okra ..........YUM

MY favorite .... Easy asparagus soup.

My of my girlfriends and I would fix this for our lunch. Soup and 1/2 of a sandwich.

Campbell cream of asparagus soup..........
1 can of asparagus , drain , add milk ....... run it through the blender...........

mix and heat. Really sticks to your innards. LOL !

D`Ann

I have a Stuffed Green Pepper Soup that's really good.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 28 oz. tomatoe sauce
1 28 oz. diced tomatoe (undrained)
2 c. cooked rice
2 c. chopped green peppers
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Brown beef and drain off grease. Add remaining ingrediants and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 or 40 min.untill peppers are soft and tender.

I also add chopped onion and garlic. And garnish with motz. cheese.

Rib sticken good!

All these sound so good. I just love soup. I also make a pretty good potato soup, but it has no recipe.

I just put potatoes, finely chopped onion, a little minced garlic, shredded carrots, and bacon bits in a pot and boil until the potatoes are done. Mash into large chunks, add some milk, salt and pepper (I like lots of black pepper in this), and simmer to let the bacon flavor meld with the rest. I never measure anything, just do a "Rachel Ray" and "eyeball it". How much I make depends on how much I think I'm going to want to eat.

Quick and easy-peasy, and really fills you up. Great with bread and butter.

I love the flavor of all-day soups, slowly simmered with whatever meat I have a taste for. But sometimes I come home from work and want soup NOW! Yeah, it's my basically impatient nature showing through. I like it either just the way it is or with noodles or rice added.
Kate

REALLY QUICK AND YUMMY CHICKEN SOUP
(From idea to soup in about 1 hour)

Saute a little minced onion, garlic and celery in olive oil.
Add 1 box of Swanson's chicken stock.
Bring to a boil and then add carrots cut into bite sized pieces.
Taste. If you want more chicken flavor, add a spoonful or a cube of bullion. Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer about 30 minutes until the carrots are cooked.
Add one can of chicken breast meat, broken up (like a can of tuna, only it's chicken) or some left over cooked chicken.
Cook another 15 minutes or until the chicken is hot.

To embellish, you can toss in egg noodles or broken up thin noodles. It's also a good way to use left over rice from your Chinese take out!

QUICK & YUMMY!
Saute (as much garlic as you like) in olive oil
Add a bag of frozen leaf spinach (or fresh) & saute with garlic
Add 32oz of chicken stock (I like swanson's organic) & equal part water
Add a can of canalinni beans
Bring to a boil & add bag of cheese tortellini
Cook a few minutes
Serve with a sprinkle of shredded parm

All these sound so good! I'm glad the thread came back. I need to copy and save these. My crockpot gets plenty of use in the winter with stews and soups.

Cream of Broccoli/Cheddar Soup

Large head of broccoli, chopped; or 2 boxed frozen-cook till tender crisp, drain

Meanwhile, make the roux
Saute in soup pot: 1 stick butter, 1 small to medium onion, chopped fine
Cook till onion is clear
Sprinkle 1/2 C flour over mix, stir constantly till flour
smell is gone. Abt. 3-5 mins.

Add: 2 C milk a little at a time, stirring constantly. I
use a whisk to get it lump free
Blend in: 2 C shredded sharp cheddar till melted
Add: 1 Qt. chicken stock a little at a time
Add: broccoli
Season with salt and pepper to taste (I use white pepper)
Cook on low heat for abt. 15 mins, stir frequently to keep
from sticking. Do not cover.
Serve with a sprinkling of cheese and/or bacon bits

Goes really well with Pumpernickle rye or Hawaiian bread and a glass or two of wine. We want comfort, right?

I use 2% milk which I warm in the microwave, reduced fat cheddar when I can find it, Brummel & Brown spread instead of butter. I also add Julienne cut carrots (1 large). Sometimes I saute them with the onions. Sometimes I cook them with the broccoli. I've also added cut up cooked chicken. Use a flat bottom pot for best results...keeps the roux from burning/sticking

If you are interested in some "different" soups, there is a post on the Kitchen Table Forum (in Home Forums) titled something like"Soups for Friend having Chemo). There are soups there I have never heard of!