Sausage and Bean Soup with Pasta

This is the soup I mentioned wanting to make in this post.  It was very good, and perfect to make nowadays, since it has been very cold and windy outside.  It's also pretty healthy!  Sorry I'm making this such a short blog...my mind is totally distracted by the fact that I want to get the Christmas decorations out...and possibly go buy some new ones.  :)

Sausage and Bean Soup with Pasta
Source: Slightly adapted from The Italian Dish

1 15-ounce can of white beans, drained
1 pound ground sausage- turkey or pork (I used turkey sausage)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium carrot, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
6 to 8 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup ditalini pasta, or any small pasta
grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

In a large pot, brown the sausage. Remove from pot. If there is a lot of fat left in the pot, pour this out but do not wipe out pot. Add onion, carrot and olive oil and saute for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and saute about a minute more. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, some salt and pepper, the drained beans and the sausage and cover the pot. Cook for an hour over low heat, at a gentle simmer.  Add the pasta and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is tender. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick for your liking, you can add more chicken broth.
Serve with grated cheese on top.

Cheeseburger Soup

**First of all, I'd like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! to my wonderful Mom!  Jordan, Emily & I wish we could be there and celebrate with you!  I love you, Mama!**

I don't know about you, but the show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" really depresses me.  I mean, why can't I live near some of these places with the ultra unique, fresh, and amazingly delicious food?!  Sigh...

I promise there's a lot of hamburger meat in there!  It just sinks to the bottom.

One particular episode featured a place called "Grovers" in New York who served delicious looking cheeseburger soup.  Thankfully, another blogger took it upon herself to try and copy the recipe and post it online.  Jordan & I had this for supper tonight and it was very good!  Also, it was easy to make which is always a plus.  It tasted just like a cheeseburger, especially considering the toppings that you stir into your bowl with the soup.  Don't be weirded out by adding lettuce to your hot soup - it's delicious and really gives you the "cheeseburger" experience!  :)



Cheeseburger Soup
Source: Have Pan, Will Cook!

2 lb ground beef
Hamburger seasoning or salt/pepper
1 large onion, diced
1 Tb butter
1 box (32 oz) Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
3/4 of a 2 lb log (so, 1.5 lb) of 2% Velveeta Cheese
1.5 pint (3 cups) Half & Half
1 Tb flour
1 Tb cold water (may take a bit more)
Diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Diced dill pickles

In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray, brown the ground beef. Season with your choice of hamburger seasonings—I just used salt & pepper. Drain and set aside.
In a large soup pot, add 1 Tb butter, and diced onion. Allow the onion to sweat over medium heat. When the onions become translucent, you are ready to continue.
Add the chicken broth, the diced Velveeta and the half & half. Allow the Velveeta to melt into the mixture.
In a small bowl or ramekin, mix the flour and water to make a slurry. You may need a bit more of water–just add enough to make a smooth mixture, somewhat thin, but not watery. Once mixed well, add to the cheesy mixture. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly (the cheese likes to stick - try not to let it, or it will brown on the bottom of the pot).
Add the ground beef to the soup pot, turn down to medium low heat.
Stir to combine and turn to low heat until ready to eat.
Ladle into bowls and add toppings into the bowls-shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and diced dill pickles.  Stir and enjoy!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Who loves Panera Bread?  (I can almost hear a chorus of "Meeeee!'s" through the computer.)  :)

When I was in college, Panera was a place that you always knew one of your friends would be up for going to eat dinner with you.  And I have to admit that 99.999% of the time, I got their broccoli cheddar soup.  

That's why I jumped for joy when I saw this recipe.  Could it be true?  Real "Panera" taste??  And it's my favorite??  AND it's 13 degrees outside?!!  JACKPOT! 

This soup was everything I hoped it would be.  It's cheesy, creamy goodness with tender broccoli & carrots and all the right flavors.  If you're looking for a new soup to make this winter season, let it be this one! 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Recipe Source:  My Life as a Mrs. via Sugarcrafter via. Mangio da Sola

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 sweet onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half
1 cup shredded and chopped carrots
18 ounces broccoli florets  (I used frozen and it was fine)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed into 1/2" squares
dash cayenne
dash nutmeg
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat butter in a large heavy bottomed stockpot over medium high heat. Saute onions for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir until combined well. Heat mixture for another 1-2 minutes (stirring constantly).
Add the chicken broth, half and half, and milk; bring mixture to a simmer. Add the broccoli and carrots and simmer for 15-20 minutes (until broccoli is tender). Add both cheeses and stir until combined well. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes. 
Season with a dash of cayenne, a dash of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with warm crusty bread and additional cheddar cheese if desired.

*I used an immersion blender to blend my soup a bit after it had all cooked.  I saved a handful of small whole broccoli florets to throw in the pot after the blending.  This was just personal preference, as I wanted my soup a little more creamy instead of eating lots of whole florets.  You can leave the broccoli as it is, no problem, but the blending is why my soup has lots of tiny broccoli bits instead of larger pieces.

Tortellini Soup

Who doesn't love a bowl of hot soup?  It's one of my and Jordan's favorite meals to eat - any time!  Now that it's fall and the weather has cooled off, I will especially be thinking of different soups to make for our dinners. 

This tortellini soup is delicious and healthy!  Funny story - the first time I ever made this, I basically made it as healthy as possible, and it ended up being vegetarian.  I used whole wheat 3-cheese tortellini and organic vegetable broth.  While Jordan liked the soup, he voiced his opinion that he would prefer me to use a meat tortellini and chicken broth instead.  Go figure.  Men and their meat!  lol

So now, to keep my hubby happy, I make this soup with his wishes in mind.  : )  The nice thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to suit your favorite flavors.  And bonus: It comes together very quickly so it is ideal for a weeknight meal when you've had a long day, but still want a good meal!  Happy cooking!

Tortellini Soup
Adapted from Annie's Eats

1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (sometimes I even shred mine on a grater so the pieces are thinner)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
9 oz. fresh tortellini (any variety - I now use Buitoni Chicken & Prosciutto flavor and it's delicious!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated/Shredded/Shaved Parmesan Cheese (I use shaved because I love the way it melts over the tortellini like a blanket!)

In a large pot, heat 1 TB EVOO over medium-high heat.  Add onions to the pot and cook about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.  Add the minced garlic and keep stirring for about 1 minute.  Add oregano, diced tomatoes, and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Add tortellini and cook according to package (mine says boil about 8 minutes).  Turn off heat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm with shaved Parmesan and crusty bread on the side!