Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb meatloaf mix

1/3 c. fresh breadcrumbs mixed with ¼ c. milk

1/3 c. grated parmesan

2 tbs. chopped parsley

1 egg

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Soup:

1 tbs. olive oil

1 c. diced carrot

7 c. chicken broth

15 oz can cannelloni, rinsed and drained

¾ c. acini di pepe

½ lb sliced spinach

2 tbs. chopped fresh oregano

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 large beaten eggs

Grated parmesan

Mix meatball ingredients and make 24 little meatballs-microwave at 70% power for 5 min.

Soup: Put oil, onion, carrot and garlic in pot and sauté for 2 min. Cover pot and cook 10 min. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add meatballs, beans, pasta, spinach oregano, salt and pepper, reduce to low and simmer 10 min., or until pasta is tender. Whisk eggs with some hot broth, remove soup from heat and stir in egg mixture. Let stand covered until egg sets. Serve w/parmesan.

Senegalese Peanut Soup

2 tbs. olive oil

3 c. butternut squash, ½ inch dice

2 c. chopped onion

1 tbs. minced garlic

2 tsp. curry powder

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

3 tbs. flour

1 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes

4 c. chicken broth

1 14 oz can lite coconut milk

2/3 c. peanut butter

2 c. cooked diced chicken

½ tsp. salt

Chopped parsley for garnish

Heat oil and add squash, onion, garlic, curry and pepper. Cook 2 min. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 min. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, add tomatoes and their juice and cook 1 min. Add broth, coconut milk and peanut butter-stir until smooth and bring mix to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 min or until squash is tender. Stir in chicken and salt, cook 2 min to thicken and heat through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.

Curried Carrot Soup

1 tablespoon extra  virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds packaged baby carrots, from produce section
6 cups chicken stock, available on soup aisle
1 tablespoon mild curry paste or 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
1 cup sour cream
Plastic condiment bottle or medium plastic food storage bag
6 blades fresh chives, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat medium pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions and carrots and sauté 5 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken stock, curry and cayenne, and about 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes. Place pot on a trivet next to food processor.

Process soup in 2 or 3 small batches until soup is smooth and carrots are fully pureed. Transfer processed soup into a large bowl as you work to make room for more soup in the food processor. Return completed soup to the soup pot and place back over low heat. If the soup is too thick, add remaining stock, up to 2 cups, to achieve desired consistency. Adjust seasonings. Place sour cream in a plastic condiment squeeze bottle or into a medium food storage bag. Cut a very small hole in the corner of the bag with scissors.

Ladle soup into bowls and squirt a swirl of sour cream around the bowl from the center out to the rim. Drag a toothpick from the center of the bowls out to the edges, forming a spider web design on soup. Pile a few pieces of cut chives at the center of each bowl to resemble green spiders in their webs! Cool!

Tomato Bisque

2 tbs. butter

¾ c. chopped onions

1 large baking potato, peeled and diced

3 ½ c. chicken broth

1 small bay leaf

1 tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp black pepper

2 cans tomatoes w/juice

¼ c. tomato paste

1 tsp. sugar

Minced parsley

Melt butter in a large saucepan; add onion. Sauté onion for 5 minutes over medium heat, until tender. Add diced potatoes, bouillon or base, water, bay leaf, basil, and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, and sugar. Stir well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Puree soup in small batches until smooth. Top with minced fresh parsley for serving. Serves 6.

Senate Restaurant Bean Soup

2 lbs. navy beans

1 ½ lbs. smoked ham hocks

1 diced onion

4 qts. Water

Butter, salt and pepper 

Wash beans through hot water. Drain. Add four quarts of hot water and ham hocks. Simmer slowly in a covered pot for three hours. Remove ham hocks and cool. Pull the meat from the bones and return meat to pot. Cook onion in butter until slightly browned and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.

White Bean Soup

2 tbs. butter

1/3 c. diced celery

1/3 c. diced carrot

1/3 c. diced onion

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 16 oz. can white beans- navy, great northern, or cannellini

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 c. water

1 packet chicken or turkey gravy mix

1 1/2 c. smoked sausages or ham, diced

Melt butter in medium saucepan over med-lo heat. Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic and ham-stir to mix. Cover and cook 5 min until vegetables are almost tender-stir to prevent burning. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over med-hi heat.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 min. Mash some of the soup against the side of the pot, stir, and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes. Easy and quick.

Vegetable Bean Soup

2 cans chicken broth

1 c. water

1 diced onion

2 diced celery stalks

1 lb bag frozen mixed vegetable

1 can diced tomatoes

1/3 c. broken angel hair pasta

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ c. parmesan cheese

Saute onion and celery in 1 tbs. olive oil. Put in broth, frozen vegetables, tomatoes, and uncooked pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and stir in beans, seasoning and garlic powder.

Reduce to a simmer and boil for 5 min. or until pasta is tender. Reduce to low and stir in parmesan. Serve immediately, or simmer at very low until ready to serve.