Excellent idea.

This is a favorite. Must have the leeks. Reheats wonderfully.

Cream Cheese Potato Leek Soup - NY Times Bread & Soup Cookbook

Serve hot or cold

3 Tbsp butter
3 lg. leeks, white area chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 Tbsp flour
3 1/2 C. chicken stock
about 3/4 tsp salt *
2 lg. russet potatoes, grated if uncooked (no need to parboil) **
8 oz. each cream cheese & plain yogurt, room temp. ***
1 egg yolk
pepper to taste

In large pot, saute leeks and celery in butter until limp.
Sprinkle in flour; stirring, cook about 1 min.
Slowly whisk in chicken stock and salt. Add potatoes.
Bring to a boil & simmer 15 min. Cool 5 min.
Mix cream cheese, yogurt & yolk together and beat
into hot soup. Serve immediately or chill & serve.

* I salt lastly, as needed
** If using leftover cooked russets, add lastly to soup.
the orig. recipe used parboiled lg. cubed russet potatoes
*** may be halved
===============
This is my favorite chowder. Made a convert of my husband. So easy. For gifting I would let it cool before adding the fresh parsley and clams.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

1/4 c. minced bacon
1/4 c. minced onion
2 - 7 oz. can minced clams' liquid
2 cups sm. diced potatoes
scant 1 cup water
1/3 cup sm. diced celery

16 oz. can tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme leaves, crushed
2 tsp. minced parsley

Saute bacon & onion translucent in saucepan.
Add clam liquid, potatoes, water, & celery; simmer 10 min.
Just before serving add remaining ingredients & clams.
Heat & serve.

A creamy wild rice soup would work well. If that interests you I can post a recipe later. I am on a bus on my way into work at the moment.

Teresa

Thank you both for the suggestions. They all sound good not only for gifts but also to make for my family this winter. Yum!

And yes, Teresa, I would love the recipe when you have time thank you.

I will post the wild rice soup recipe a little later.

Here is a link to a thread from a couple years ago. Booberry started the thread and there are some really good recipes in it.

I should add the Thai Chicken Soup posted by Mustangs and the Tomato with Tortellini posted by Doucanoe are excellent. Have made both of them a couple of times.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soup and Stew

This post was edited by teresa_mn on Thu, Dec 5, 13 at 10:53

I have three soups hand written at the top of my shopping list. (it's a simple spread sheet that has room top and bottom for notes)
I just jot down what i'm thinking of making over the next weekend.

Beef Barley - probably use a mix of grains, maybe some lentils. It is hearty but not quite a stew. Lots of broth for bread, biscuits or croutons. I add extra stock usually. It will thicken overnight. Freezes great. Make a killer top crust/or biscuit pot pie.

Thai Coconut Chicken Curry - Also nice and rich but still brothy. I add a bit of tumeric and sweet paprika for color. Very much like a chowder. Not really a bread companion but we like it with thin rounds of toasted baguette.

Potato Leek w/garlic and fennel - I use so much roasted garlic it should be called Garlic Soup. (less garlic for gifting). The fennel is some stalks i have frozen i just add while cooking and remove. I have leeks left over from T-day and lots of garlic. I like to use a few whole baby potatoes removed with some of the leeks/onions before stick blending some of the broth. One regular potato diced and half a sweet potato that get blended for some creaminess. Or i could use some squash/pumpkin from the freezer that i roasted a few weeks ago.

I made versions of these with a chili and filled a friends freezer after she had her baby.
It's a nice gift. If you google any suggestions, you will find many variations of the recipes.
For example i just googled the curry to give me a quick reminder of the ingredients...
i've never used fish sauce. I might add some shelled edamame.

This Beef Barley is similar...

Here is a link that might be useful: holiday soups

Kim,

My favorite way to cook the wild rice for maximum yield.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a covered casserole or pot (a 2 quart size is good). I use a glass casserole. Place in casserole:
1 cup raw rice ( rinse thoroughly first)
2.5 cups of boiling water or stock
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Test rice for doneness. Cook another 15 minutes if you want it more tender. Use excess water in wild rice soup.

Wild Rice Soup (6 cups)
6 tablespoons margarine or butter
2-3 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup finely grated carrots (I use more)
1 cup minced ham or leftover cooked chicken
3 tablespoons chopped slivered almonds (you can put them in the soup OR toast and top as a garnish)
Salt to taste if you want
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Directions
In large saucepan, melt margarine; saute onion until tender. Blend in flour; gradually add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in rice, carrots, ham, almonds and salt; simmer about 5 minutes. Blend in half and half and sherry; heat to serving temperature.

Use this recipe as a guideline. I think if you use the search function you will find other recipes here. Doucanoe's recipe uses much more sherry. That recipes is delicious also - if I remember correctly it was a famous recipe at a lodge here in Minnesota..... or something like that.

Teresa
-10 here in Minnesota - soup will be on the stove later today

Thank you all. The recipes sound wonderful and any I don't use as a gift will still be added to my collection. Yum!

Kim, what a thoughtful and useful Christmas gift!
Hope you come back and see this one; everyone I have made it for or shared the recipe with really likes it.
It's easy, inexpensive, and can easily be made to be vegetarian.

TUSCAN LENTIL SOUP:

1 pound small French green lentils, rinsed
7 cups vegetable broth (I use chicken broth)
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small cup pasta (try whole wheat) [I omit the pasta; personal preference]
8 ounces spinach, chopped - use frozen, defrosted
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh Parmesan cheese - (a must have!)

In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until vegetables are tender, but not browned. Set aside.

In a large pot, combine the lentils, broth and bay leaf. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for approximately 45 minutes, or until lentils are just tender.

Bring a med saucepan of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain and set aside.

Add the sauteed vegetables, spinach, tomatoes (with juice), and parsley to the lentils. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in the pasta and season with the salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

Ladle in bowls, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Note: Any variety of lentils will work just fine.

Thunderboltlee...the Tuscan soup sounds yummy. Almost too many choices, but I love hearing everyone's suggestions. Even tho I can't gift all of them, I'll be keeping the recipes to use this winter...a favorite dinner meal for me. :)

Thunderboltlee...the Tuscan soup sounds yummy. Almost too many choices, but I love hearing everyone's suggestions. Even tho I can't gift all of them, I'll be keeping the recipes to use this winter...a favorite dinner meal for me. :)

Thunderboltlee...the Tuscan soup sounds yummy. Almost too many choices, but I love hearing everyone's suggestions. Even tho I can't gift all of them, I'll be keeping the recipes to use this winter...a favorite dinner meal for me. :)

Thunderboltlee...the Tuscan soup sounds yummy. Almost too many choices, but I love hearing everyone's suggestions. Even tho I can't gift all of them, I'll be keeping the recipes to use this winter...a favorite dinner meal for me. :)

Glad to read you have so many to choose from, Kim, both for your gift-giving and for personal taste tasting throughout the winter.
I'm sure your friends will be delighted to be the recipients of such a thoughtful gift this busy time of the year.
Merry Christmas from Lee.

I apologize for the duplicate responses...I have no idea what happened. My thank yous are most sincere regardless. Happy cooking.