Eight Soups & Stews

It's been a long time since I shared any recipes, but I can assure you, I have not been idle. Each Sunday night I make a large pot of soup to eat all week for lunch. Not all of these are unique, in fact, many share the same ingredients, but they each carry their own set of flavors. So here these eight soup/stew recipes! Five are original creations, two are inspired from Pinterest-found blogs, and one is a guest recipe from a friend. Enjoy!

Potato, Pea, and Meatball Stew

Olive Oil

Garlic

Onions, diced

Potatoes, cubed

Peas

Mushrooms, sliced

Can of diced Tomatoes

Kale, finely chopped

1 carton of Turkey Broth

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Oregano

Paprika

Chili Powder

Tumeric

Salt

Pepper

Meat Balls:

Ground Turkey

Ground Beef

Bread Crumbs

2 Eggs

Salt

Pepper

BBQ sauce

Mustard

Make meatballs. Roll into inch-sized balls. Place evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until meat balls are browned.

Saute onions, potatoes, peas, mushrooms. When onions are translucent, add tomatoes, kale, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add cooked meat balls, lemon juice and spices. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Mexican Meatball Soup with Butternut Squash

(Inspired by The Organic Kitchen)

Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

Garlic

1/2 cup chopped Carrot

1 cup Butternut Squash, diced

1 cup Cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons Fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 Lime

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 carton of Chicken stock

Meatball spice blend:

Ground Beef

Ground Pork

1 Egg

2 tsp. Oregano

3/4 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Chili Powder

1/4 tsp. Coriander

Salt

Pepper

In a bowl, beat the egg with the spices. Add the beef and pork and season generously with salt and pepper. Using wet hands, mix until well combined, then form the mixture into 1-inch balls. Set aside.

In a pot over medium-high heat, saute onion, carrot,  squash, and garlic in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, stirring to coat the vegetables. Add the diced tomatoes, cabbage, cilantro, chicken stock, lime juice, and spices. Bring to a boil, drop in meat balls, boil for 2-3 minutes, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 15-20 minutes.

Crockpot Cider Roast with Browned Sage Butter Mashed Potatoes 

(Inspired by the Half-Baked Harvest)

Olive oil

Beef roast

Salt

Pepper

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 Onion thinly sliced

1/2 cup Carrots, diced

1/2 cup Celery, diced

4 cloves Garlic, minced  

8 oz cremini Mushrooms, sliced

2 cups Apple Cider

1 Tbsp. fresh chopped thyme

2 tart Apples, chopped

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes:
6-7 medium white Potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 garlic Cloves, peeled and minced

Salt

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) Butter, browned

1 Tbsp. ground Sage

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, sear the meat on all sides. In that same pot, quickly saute onions, carrots and celery.

Arrange the vegetables on the bottom of your crockpot and sprinkle the brown sugar over them. Add the seared meat, garlic, mushrooms, apple cider and thyme.

Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. During the last 1-2 hours of cooking, add the apple slices. Once the roast is done cooking and easily fall apart, skim off any fat from the top of the crockpot.

In a large pot of water, bring the potatoes to a boil. Salt the water and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Drain the potatoes, return the potatoes to the pot and mash. Then add the cream, cheddar cheese, salt, and garlic.

In a skillet or small sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat until just browned. The butter will melt, foam and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Stir in the sage and let cook 30 seconds. Pour the browned butter into the warm mashed potatoes.

Chicken and Tomato Stew

This soup doesn’t really have a name. But it was intended to be a very quickly-made, delicious soup. Success on both parts.

Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

Green Pepper, diced

Garlic

2 medium Sweet Potatoes, cubed

1 cup diced Tomatoes

Mushrooms

Kale

3 medium boneless Chicken thighs

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup of Water

1 packet of Turkey Gravy

Lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Italian Spices

In a medium pot, boil chicken until tender. Set aside to cool, and then cut into small pieces.

In a pot over medium-high heat, saute onion, green peppers, sweet potatoes, and garlic in olive oil. Cook until slightly browned. Add mushrooms, kale, chicken, tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth. Sprinkle in lemon juice and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook 15-20 minutes.

Shabbat Taco Soup

Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

Green Pepper, diced

Garlic

2 medium Sweet Potatoes, cubed

1 can of Black Beans

2 cups of Water

1 packet of Chicken Gravy

Paprika

Cumin

Salt

Pepper

Oregano

Salsa:

1 large can of Peeled Whole Tomatoes

1/2 Onion

1/2 Green Pepper

Cilantro

2 Tbsp. Garlic

1 Tbsp. Honey

Salt

Pepper

Hot Pepper

Mango, diced

Cilantro, diced

Place onion, green pepper and cilantro in a food processor. Pulse until vegetables are chopped. Add can of tomatoes, honey, and spices. Pulse again until the desired consistency is reached. Set aside.

In a large pot, saute onion, green peppers, sweet potatoes, and garlic in olive oil. Add black beans and spices. Combine a small amount of water and gravy in a small bowl. Once well combined, add to pot, along with as much water as you need. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook 15-20 minutes. Serve with salsa, and a garnish of cilantro and mango.

Italian Vegetable and Chicken Soup with Acini de Pepe Pasta

Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

Red Pepper, diced

Garlic

Chicken

Mushrooms

Kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced

1 can of diced Tomatoes

1/2 cup Acini de Pepe Pasta

2 medium Sweet Potatoes, cubed

1 carton of Chicken Broth

Lemon Juice

Red Wine Vinegar

Paprika

Salt

Pepper

Oregano

Basil

Sage

In a large pot, saute onion, red pepper, garlic, chicken, and mushrooms in olive oil. 

Roast cubed sweet potatoes on a greased pan, at 350 degrees, until tender. Add sweet potatoes, kale, diced tomatoes, broth, and pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, Add lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and spices. Cook 15-20 minutes.

Curry Zuppa Toscana (Tuscany Soup)

Olive Oil

Garlic

1 medium Onion, diced

1 Bell Pepper, any color

1 large Zucchini, diced

3 large White of Yellow Potatoes, cut into small cubes

2 cups Kale, diced

1 can fire roasted diced Tomatoes

1 lb. Italian Sausage

1/2 or 3/4 carton Chicken Broth

1 can full fat Coconut Milk

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Curry Powder – to taste

Chili Powder

Black Pepper

Salt

2 Tsp. Lemon Juice

In a large soup pot, saute onions, bell peppers, zucchini and garlic in olive oil. Add potatoes, kale, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. Drop in inch-sized pieces of sausage. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add coconut milk, spices and herbs, and lemon juice. Continue to cook for about 15 more minutes.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

(guest recipe by Jonathan Morgan)

Chicken Legs

Water

Garlic

Celery, diced

Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt

Sugar

Flour

Olive Oil

Onion, diced

Mushrooms, sliced

Jalapeno, chopped

Potatoes, cubed

Sour Cream

Salt

Pepper

In a large pot, boil chicken with garlic and celery. Add apple cider vinegar, salt and sugar. Once the chicken is really tender, remove the bones and skin, and break apart meat with a fork.

In a medium skillet, saute onions, mushrooms, and a jalapeno with oil. Pour into broth mixture. Add potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are soft, then pour in the sour cream. Skim the oil off the top, and combine with flour in a medium bowl. Once well combine, add back to the pot. Add salt and pepper. Stir well, and simmer until soup thickens.