TEXAS TORTILLA SOUP (serves 6-8)
One 3 lb chicken
10 cups water
2 onions, cut into halves
6 ribs celery, cut into halves
8 sprigs cilantro
4 chicken bouillon cubes
12 corn tortillas, torn
2 jalapenos, seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic
Garnish: Fried corn tortilla strips, shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack, chopped fresh cilantro.
Rinse the chicken, combine the chicken, water, onions, celery, cilantro & bouillon cubes in a stockpot. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat. Simmer 1 hour or until the chicken is tender. Drain, reserving the stock & discarding the vegetables. Shred the chicken, discarding the skin & bones. Process 2 cups of the reserved stock, tortillas, jalapenos & garlic in a blender until pureed. Pour into the stockpot with the remaining stock. Stir in the chicken. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish each serving w/corn tortilla strips, Cheddar, Monterey Jack & cilantro. ~~

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (serves 6)
3-4 lb chicken
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 ribs celery, cut into halves
1 large onion, cut into quarters
1 carrot, peeled, cut into halves
1/4 cup parsley sprigs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups sliced celry
1 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, cut into 1" slices
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
8 oz spaghetti, broken into 2" pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Rinse the chicken & discard the gizzard. Combine the chicken, broth, water 2 ribs celery, 1 onion, 1 carrot, parsley sprigs, 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper in a stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat. Simmer 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Remove chicken to a platter, reserving the broth. Cool slightly. Chop the chicken, discarding the skin & bones. Strain the reserved broth through a fine mesh colander or cheesecloth into a bowl, discarding the vegetables. Skim the broth. Rinse the stockpot to remove any fat.
Return the broth to the pot. Bring the broth to a simmer. Add 1 1/2 cups celery, 1 cup onion, 2 carrots, 1 tso salt & 1 tsp pepper. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the spaghetti. Increase the heat to medium. cook 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken & parsley. May add additionaly water if needed for the desired consistency. Simmer just until heated through.
Ladle into soup bowls. Serve immediately. ~~
NOTE: May substitute 6 oz egg noodles for the spaghetti. Remove the noodles from the soup & store separately in the refrigerator or freezer as they will absorb all the broth.

CHEESE SOUP (serves 8)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 cups grated Cheddar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire
5 bacon slices, cooked & crumbled

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Saute carrots, onion & celery until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add flour. Cook & stir 2 minutes or until blended.
Slowly add 3 cups of the broth, stirring with a whisk until mixture comes to a boil & thickens. Place mixture in a blender or processor. Blend until smooth.
return mixture to a clean saucepan. Stir in remaining broth & the milk. Stir in cheese, mustard & Worcestershire. Simmer over low heat until soup is hot & chees is melted. Garnish w/crumbled bacon.~~Bound to Please

HERBED SWEET PEPPER SOUP (serves 6)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped red onion
1 1/2 lbs chopped sweet red pepers
1 TBL minced garlic
1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped
1 1/4 tsp each of dried rosemary, thyme & marjoram
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 bay leaves
2 cups canned chicken broth diluted with 2 cups water
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/4 TBL fresh ginger, peeled & minced
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot. Add the onion, red peppers & garlic & coat with olive oil. Reduce heat & cover, stirring occasionally until onion & pepper are soft, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat & cool 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender & puree. After cooling, may be refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat over low heat.~~Of Tide & Thyme

Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb. of chicken breast fillets (approx. 3 fillets)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina
3 cups water
1 cup enchilada sauce
16 ounces Velveeta
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Garnish
shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled corn tortilla chips
picante sauce

1. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add chicken breasts to pot and brown for 4-5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.
2. Add onions and garlic to pot and saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent. Add chicken broth.
3. Combine masa harina with 2 cups of water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture to pot with onions, garlic and broth.
4. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil.
5. Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
6. Serve soup in cups or bowls, and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled corn tortilla chips, and picante sauce.

Makes approx. 12 servings.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The Tortilla Soup

Serves 6

6 Tablespoons canola oil
8 corn tortillas, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1can Rotel tomatoes (your choice of heat)
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt (amount may vary)
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
4 large cooked chicken breast halves, shredded

Garnish
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried crisp and slightly brown

1. In dutch oven, heat the oil over low to medium heat. Add onion and cook until clear. Add garlic and cook until soft. Do not brown.
2. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add the chopped tortillas; cover and cook until the tortillas have cooked up.
3. Add the cooked chicken, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and cilantro. Stir and cook until well blended, about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Serve and garnish with cheese and fried tortilla strips.

Love this time of year just for the soup reason-this is the recipe that got me hooked on using Italian sausage in soups:
Heidi's Zucchini Soup
1 lb. Italian sausage-hot or mild or a combination,` sliced
2 (28 oz) cans tomatoes
2 c sliced celery
2c peppers-one hot, one regular
1 onion, chopped
2 large zucchini sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Fry sausage and onion together. Drain fat. Combine all ingredients in a large kettle. Simmer one hour or more.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
RL`

French onion soup is one of my favorites, and I can a wonderful recipe from KatieC which I use when I'm in a hurry. When I'm not rushed, I use this recipe:

Onion Soup with Parmigiano and Cracked Pepper
4 servings

2 tablespoons butter
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
8 medium onions, thinly sliced
coarse salt
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano
5 black peppercorns
3 white peppercorns
3 coriander seeds
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 clove garlic
4 slices dry crusty bread

Warm the butter and 2 tbl. olive oil over low heat and add onion and a bit of salt Cook slowly until the onion is meltingly soft (about 12-15 minutes). Add the stock.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes Meanwhile, sprinkle the cheese in the bottom of 4 soup bowls.

Crack the peppercorns and coriander seeds, then place them in a plastic bag and finely crush with a heavy saucepan or meat mallet (or morter and pestle if you have one). +Sprinkle this over the cheese along with the nutmeg.

Rub the garlic over the bread and brush the slices with remaining olive oil on both sides Heat a dry saute pan over medium heat until very hot and add the bread until brown on both sides Break the bread into small pieces.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with bread pieces.

Annie

Here's a favorite of mine: Potato Cheese Soup

12 potatoes (finely chopped)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1/2 pound bacon (precooked and crumbled)
2 chicken bouillion cubes
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups dried potato flakes
2 cups shredded cheddar (I use a mix of cheddar & velveeta)
2 tbls. butter
salt & pepper to taste

Combine first 4 ingredients in a soup pot with enough water to cover. Cook till tender. Stir in milk & butter. Stir in instant potato flakes. Add cheese; season with salt & pepper.
Note: I usually add more cheese as needed.

This is good with a grilled cheese sandwich:
Tomato Basil Soup
8c pureed tomatoes, simmer for 30 minutes.
Add:
1 can chicken broth
1/2c butter`
1/2 pint whipping cream
6T minced fresh basil
Simmer 15-20 minutes.
Serve topped with Parmesan Cheese

This is one I love when the snow is blowing-which it doesn't do here very often but used to do when we lived in South Dakota where a friend gave me this recipe:
Fideo
Boil 1 large fryer til well done-bone meat, saving broth. Put meat in baggie to keep moist.
Bring broth to a boil. Brown 1 pk vermicelli in oil, drain well and drop into broth. Brown 1 chopped onion in oil. Add 1 can tomatoes and add to broth. Salt and add 2 tsp cumin seeds. Put top an kettle and add water if necessary. Cook til vermicelli` is tender. Add 2 cans chopped green chilies. Add chicken and heat til ready to serve. Freeze or refrigerate 2-3 days.

RL`

This is a great soup for chilly days and very hearty. Serve it with tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream on top to dress it up. This is a Weight Watcher recipe and thus very low in fat and high in fiber. You would never guess it is WW. My dad freezes this in single serving quantities and says it freezes well.

TACO CHILI SOUP

Brown 2 pound extra lean ground beef (4%) with one large onion, chopped.

Add and stir in to mix well:
1 package taco seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Mix

Add the following 5 ingredients:
28 oz stewed tomatoes
28 oz. mexican style tomatoes (If you use Rotel, cut back
to 10 oz) It will be too spicy if you use more.
28 oz pinto beans
28 oz chili beans
28 oz whole kernel corn
Do not drain any of the above, use whole contents of can.

Simmer one hour
Makes 24 cups
2 points (for all you weight watchers)

I have a lot of favorites, I love soup! Here is a good and easy one.

POTATO MINESTRONE WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE

1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage - sliced in 1/4 inch slices
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
3 cups water
2 cups diced, peeled potatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cans (15 ounce) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups coarsely chopped spinach

Combine first 4 ingredients in soup pot over medium heat and sauté for 7 minutes. Add water and next 6 ingredients (through beans). Bring to boil, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook for 2 minutes.

Here are a couple of my favorites:

Baked Potato Soup

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 400°.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 329(30% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 5.9g,mono 3.5g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 13.6g; CHOLESTEROL 38mg; CALCIUM 407mg; SODIUM 587mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.5g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002
**************************************

Hearty Harvest Soup
Prep Type: Boil-Simmer
Prep Time: 10

Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes

Makes: 6 servings (1-1/2 cups each)
Ingredients

8 ounces fresh italian Sausage, casings
removed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cans (14.5 ounce each) Butterball® Chicken Broth
1 can (14.5 ounce) Hunt's® Diced Tomatoes with
Roasted Garlic, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1 bag (9 ounces) baby spinach leaves

Directions

1.Brown sausage with onions in large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to crumble sausage; drain.
2.Add broth, tomatoes with their liquid and the beans; mix well. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.Stir in spinach; cover saucepan with lid. Cook 5 minutes, or just until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally.

Linda

I'd love to share my recipe for soup with you; my extended family loves it when I make soup. I usually deliver some to my MIL and by the time I get home there are calls from SILs wanting to know when I was going to drop by or should they stop in.

Unfortunately, I wing it!

What ever left over bones set to simmer in heavily salted water, about 8 to 10 peppercorns, 1 large onion chopped fine, 1 to 3 bay leaves. Let simmer for an hour or two, until all meat is loose on bones. Remove bones, "pick" meat and return to pot.

If I'm making veg soup, I sometimes add a large can of V8, tomatoes and other veggies as I have them on hand. If nothing is fresh, then a bag of mixed veggies (if DH is not eating, then I use the type with okra -- the only way I eat it). Continue to cook on low until veggies are cooked.

If it is turkey or chicken, then I add carrots and peas, poultry seasoning and continue to cook on low until the veggies are done. Add dumplings or noodles and serve.

I did "shock" my MIL once when she was visiting by making Oyster stew. The fact that I made the stew was not shocking, but that I started by frying bacon, removing it adding pepper, thyme, marjoram and flour (a roux). She didnt understand why I was putting flour in the soup. I found out later, that she "made it" by heating mild and dropping oysters into the hot milk. Then I add a bottle of clam juice, let the mix smooth out and warm the juice. To this mixture, I add cubed potato, chopped green onion and sometimes corn. Then I add the oysters if they are raw, cook until they just start to curl a bit, then slowly add ½ and ½ heating until the cream is warmed. Just before serving, I put a bare sprinkle of dill and a few bacon bits.

This is my all-time favorite soup recipe. Don't let the fact that it is weight watchers fool you. It is rich and flavorful and filling!
Nell

Recipes
Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup

POINTS® value : 2
Servings : 8
Preparation Time : 25 min
Cooking Time : 30 min
Level of Difficulty : Easy

soups : This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold fall days. Roasting the vegetables helps bring out their natural sweetness.

Ingredients

1 large onion(s), cut into large chunks
4 large carrot(s), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 medium parsnip(s), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cup winter squash, cubed
2 sprays cooking spray
3 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.

Place vegetables in a large pot; add broth and milk. Season to taste. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender in pot, and blend until smooth, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Puree soup in batches to prevent hot liquid from splatterng, if necessary. Or allow soup to cool before pureeing.) Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Notes

You can add more water or broth to the pureed soup to achieve desired thickness.

© 2005 Weight Watchers International, Inc. © 2005 WeightWatchers.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
WEIGHT WATCHERS and POINTS are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. and are used under license by WeightWatchers.com, Inc.

This is another easy favorite of ours. I'm planning to make it tomorrow.

OVEN BAKED SPLIT PEA AND LENTIL SOUP
2 - 32 ounce containers low sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried split peas
1 cup dried lentils
4 carrots, sliced
4 celery ribs, sliced
2 medium size red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients in an ovenproof Dutch oven.
Bake, covered, at 350 for 2 hours or until peas and lentils are tender. Remove and discard bay leaves.
Yield 8 cups
Source: Southern Living Magazine
Recipe by Schley Sharpley, Atlanta, GA
(Note: I took about a cup of the soup and pureed it in the blender to thicken it and added it back in.)

Woodie, next time I make soup am going to try that recipe.
So far this week with temps in the teens here, we have had New England Clam Chowder and Zucchini Soup so am craving pasta tomorrow!

Hubby made this one night and I thought it was very flavorful and delicious.... and I'm not really a big fan of split pea soup. I'd definitely make it again.

Split Pea Soup

Source: Soups from the Williams-Sonoma Cookbook Library.

* 2 cups (3/4 lb. split peas (either yellow or green)
* 1/4 cup olive oil or unsalted butter
* 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
* 2 carrots, finely chopped
* 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 6-8 cups chicken stock or water
* 1 piece smoked ham, 3/4 lb.
* 2 large fresh parsley sprigs
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 tsp. dried thyme
* salt and freshly ground pepper
* 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
* Lemon wedges

Sort through the peas, discarding any impurities or discolored peas. Set aside.

In a large pot, warm the oil or butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add 6 cups of the stock or water, the peas, ham, parsley sprigs, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the peas are reduced to a thick puree, about 1-1/2 hours. Add more water or stock from time to time, if necessary, to keep the peas moist.

Before serving, discard the bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Remove the ham, chop it coarsely and stir it back into the soup. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed soup bowls, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges to sqeeze into individual portions of soup.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Although I make soup all year round, in winter I always have 2 or 3 kinds in the refrigerator.

I always use the wine in this one and substitute chicken broth for the water, unless I'll be having vegan guests. If you don't have marrow beans available, you can substitute great northerns.

FRENCH BEAN SOUP

½ lb. Marrow beans
1 cup white wine (optional)
1 ½ lb. Zucchini
2 cloves minced garlic
3 medium white turnips (1 lb.)
1 large potato
6 medium carrots (1 lb.)
2 celery stalks with leaves
2 onions, preferably red
1 onion studded with 4 cloves
1 whole bay leaf
1 can (1 lb.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbs. dried basil leaves
2 Tbs. of olive oil
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Day before, soak beans overnight in cold water to cover. Next day, drain and rinse beans and put in 6 quart pot with 6 cups water or 5 cups of water and 1 cup of wine; bring to boiling; then reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables, dice zucchini; pare and dice turnips and potato. Pare carrots, slice thinly; slice celery; coarsely chop 2 onions. Add remaining ingredients except parsley and continue cooking until beans are tender, adding more water to make sure everything is covered. To serve, remove and discard onion with cloves and bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in parsley. Makes about 4 quarts. Flavor is better the next day.

CURRIED PUMPKIN SOUP

½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
½ cup chopped onion
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
2 Tbs. flour
½ to 1 tsp. curry powder
3 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken broth)
1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1 Tbs. honey
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Fresh or frozen chives or chopped green onion tops (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute the mushrooms and onions in better until tender. Stir in the flour and curry powder until blended. Gradually add the broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the pumpkin, milk, honey, salt, pepper and nutmeg; heat through. Garnish with chives if desired.

I made a turkey carcass soup a few days back that was wonderful!...I don't use a recipe as such I just wing it....but pretty much I put the turkey bones in a pot and added a gallon of water, a stalk of celery and 1/2 an onion that was in the refrig...LOL!
Boiled it for about an hour and a half, cooled it strained the broth and pulled the meat off the frame. I add 2 cans of chicken broth to the broth and 2 chopped onions, about 5 stalks of celery, a pound of carrots,a cup of frozen okra cut into small pieces, about 6 oz of porto bellos, diced, and a cup of wild rice, and 2 jalapenos....seeded and chopped and a handfull of fresh parsley chopped ( about 1/4 cup after chopping)....simmered it until the rice was done, corrected the seasoning and um....um!...lunches for a while!
Linda C

Ruthanna, your French Bean soup looks great-in fact, I was looking at some turnips at the store the other day. I like to put them in my vegetable soup but it has really not been soup weather here in west TX lately. Am tired of 70° temps in December, and now January-I want winter and soups and stews! Thanks. I feel better after saying that and will print our your recipe for when we get the colder stuff. LOL
RL`

Those look good Ruthanna. I thought I was the only person who keeps soup in the fridge all the time. Even though it's been warm here for the past week or two, I made three kinds of soup yesterday and have them all in the fridge. And the bad thing is that DH doesn't care much for soup. He will eat Chicken Tortilla Soup which is one that I made yesterday.

Another favorite:

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH MEATBALLS

3 qts. chicken broth
2 stalks celery, cut in chunks
1 lg. onion, quartered
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef
1-1/2 slices bread, crumbled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tblsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 Tblsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
16 oz. can crushed Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 Tblsp. grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tblsp. olive oil
2 Tblsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. dried basil
4 cloves garlic, crushed

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered 30 minutes. Remove vegetables, and discard.
Set broth aside.
Combine ground beef and next 6 ingredients; shape into 1-inch meatballs, and cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain on paper towels.
Bring broth to a boil; add meatballs. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and remaining ingredients, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Yield: 3 quarts.

Here are some of our favourite thick soups:

CREAM OF CHICKPEAS - Crema de Garbanzos

3/4 lb chickpeas (300 grams)
5 cloves garlic - peeled
1 medium onion - peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
fresh ground black pepper
tarragon - to taste
salt

1) Put chickpeas in a pot, cover with cold water and let soak about 12 hours.

2) Once that time has elapsed, drain chickpeas and cover with fresh cold water again, adding the onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf and salt.

3) Cook for about 2 hours or until the chickpeas are tender.

4) Drain chickpeas, keeping some of the cooking liquid and put into blender together with tarragon and a little pepper.

5) Blend, adding some of the cooking liquid until you have the desired consistency.

6) Pass through a sieve, gently reheat and put into a soup tureen, garnishing with chopped parsley. Serve hot.

Source: Translated from Cocina Hoy S.L.

---------------------------------------------------------

Here's one of my favourite Spanish dishes: -

Although I have been making it for years the way a Spanish cook once showed me, I have also tried the preparation seen recently on a Spanish Cooking TV channel.
Their ingredients included a small pice of

350 grams (1 1/2 cups) of small dark lentils - put them to soak the night before in water to cover
100 grams (3.5 oz) red stewing chorizo sausage - lightly pricked over with tines of a fork
50 grams (1.7 oz) salted tocino pork fat - cut into large diced pieces
1 TBSP flour
2 carrots diced fine
2 medium leeks, using only white stems sliced finely in rounds
1 lg clove garlic (this was optional but I wouldn't leave it out) - pass through garlic press
2 cups beef broth (I used 2 Knorr cubes)
1 bay leaf
fresh rosemary - small sprig
olive oil - about 1/4 cup
2 cups extra water to add after 1st hour

1. Soak lentils the NIGHT BEFORE in water to cover.

2. Next day drain and rinse lentils, put aside.

3. Heat olive oil in heavy cooking pot. When sizzling, add carrots, garlic and leeks. Lightly brown while stirring.

4. Add 1 TBSP flour and keep stirring for about a minute.

5. Add lentils, beef broth, whole chorizo, tocino, laurel and rosemary

6. Put on lid and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Check after 1st hour and add up to 2 more cups water as needed.

7. Adjust seasoning and serve.

-----------------------------------------

Ingredients:

lentils - 250 grams (slightly over 1 cup)
garlic - one whole head
onion - 1 large - quartered
Kasseler smoked pork chop - 1 large (or 250 grams other smoked pork or bacon)
ham or pork bone as for making stock
4 medium carrots - sliced into coins
2 stalks celery - diced
5 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into 8ths
6 flowerettes of cauliflower
green beans - handful sliced
tomato puré - small 4 oz tin
olive oil - 4 TBS
fresh garden herbs: 1 bay leaf, several sprigs thyme, Italian flatleaf parsley 2 or 3 sprigs
chicken stock 1 liter (4 cups) or water and 3 Knorr chicken stock cubes
salt & fesh ground pepper
water to cook lentils
vinegar - 1 teasp
garlic croutons - optional garnish

Method:

1) Turn on oven to 350F. Put lentils in large heavy bottomed stew pot with water to cover plus about 2 inches, bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes. Check water level and add more as needed.

2) Meanwhile put whole head of garlic into shallow baking pan together with quartered onion, Kasseler or smoked pork and ham or pork bone, drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven at medium heat about 45 minutes.

3) Remove baking tray from oven when all is nicely browned and cut meat into small dice and add to lentil pot along with onion. Squeeze garlic from skin into lentil pot, adding ham/pork bone along with oil and juices scraped from roasting pan.

4) Add rest of vegetables to lentils, chicken stock (or water and stock cubes), tomato puré, fresh herbs and bay leaf, parsley - reserving one sprig, fresh ground pepper. Bring to boil and simmer about 1 hour until vegetables are done, adding more water if needed.

5) When vegetables are tender, remove ham/pork bones and any bare thyme stems from pot, check for flavour and add salt as needed. Add vinegar and stir.

6) Serve with a bit of chopped parsley and more fresh ground pepper. Homemade garlic croutons are also nice as a garnish.

Source: Recipe as I learned from a Mallorquin housewife years ago.

------------------------------------------

The next day I made the rest - about 4 cups - of our previous day's stewed lentils into ...{{gwi:1477095}}

{{gwi:1477095}}{{gwi:1477095}}

I started out using my hand cranked food mill and when I realized it wasn't going to do the job I put it all into my food processor, adding the following:
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth (using Knorr cube and water)
2 lg cloves of garlic crushed and browned in 1/4 cup oil in small frypan
2 slices brown bread broken in small pieces and fried in the garlicky oil until brown
Processed the above until smooth and then heated it gently.
Diced some more pieces of brown bread and toasted them in the frying pan with oil and garlic salt for the croutons.

Closeup Lentil Puré. It was super tasty and Wolf really enjoyed it as well !

We were both full after two bowls each.
-----------------------------------

Garlic Soup (Sopa de Ajo)
************************
A garlic soup recipe from the Mediterranean Island of Mallorca.

Ingredients:

9 oz (250 grams approx) *shaved dry brown bread
6 garlic cloves
6 fine stalks spring onions
1 small cabbage
2 medium size ripe tomatoes
fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
1 teaspoon red sweet pimento powder
salt
water

* Note: this refers to a type of local bread often used in soups (sopas) as a way of using up stale bread. It's a round, flat and heavy tan-coloured dense country bread loaf which is sliced crosswise paper thin, the cut pieces having a half-moon shape and being as thin as a slice of salami. (An electric meat slicer does the job well if you can find a heavy loaf of brown country bread.)

Method:

Heat the oil in an open, shallow casserole dish and add the peeled garlic cloves; remove them when browned and set aside. Add the finely chopped spring onions to the oil and when lightly golden add the finely chopped cabbage.
Stir fry together then add the pimiento powder and enough water to cover all.

Mash the browned garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle, add a little water to dilute the paste then add to the casserole. Season with salt and cook until tender at a low heat on the stove top. Then add the bread slices, scooping up the cabbage mixture and piling it on top of the bread to sink it down.
Let return to a boil and remove from the stove. This soup is usually brought to the table and served out of the same casserole.

I don't have a photo of the finished product but I do have my Mallorquin clay casserole which is what is normally used. Called a {{gwi:2053502}} I brought mine from Mallorca over 20 years ago and whatever comes out of it tastes wonderful. It works equally well in the oven or on an open gas flame.

SharonCb

I make the taco soup almost exactly as Twinkledome! It is delicious!