Tex-Mex Turkey Soup

On New Years day I made a Turkey and it was (if I do say so myself!) delicious. Just like at Thanksgiving, there was some leftover turkey meat and I didn't want to see it go to waste, so I went onto Allrecipes.com, one of my favorite sites for finding recipes, and found this one for a Turkey Tex-Mex Soup. We all love the flavors of Tex-Mex in this house, even the boys, so I was sure even before we could smell the soup simmering on the stove, that it would be a hit!

What You Need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 cups water
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa
4 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

The Steps:
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.


Stir in water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded turkey, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until bouillon cubes dissolve.


Add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.


Serve soup with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onion, shredded cheese and additional cilantro and sour cream.

The Verdict:This was SO good! Like so good, I think that I'll make it again soon and roast some bone in chicken breast in the oven, good, since I don't plan on cooking a big turkey again for a while and I think it would taste just as good with chicken!! The boys loved it too! Evan, of course picked out all the beans and corn (his favorite part!) and David enjoyed dunking some tortilla chips in the broth. Next time I will sprinkle the top with some shredded cheddar jack. Oh and because SOUR CREAM is on the Doc's list of NO-NO ingredients, I used the new Philadelphia brand cooking cream, original flavor though I bet you could use the Santa Fe flavor for some added zing!

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

I have been a slacker here, and have a back load of recipes to post, but I am starting with tonights dinner, Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini, because it's a soup and with spring on the horizon, the days for warm soups and comfort food will be over and replaced with delicious grilled meats and fresh garden salads!

What You Need:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

The Steps:
1. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.





Saute onions and garlic in drippings.


Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.


Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes.


Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving. And if you can make these Garlic Croutons to serve on top, as I did tonight! YUM!

First cube a baguette


Next, melt butter in pan and saute the garlic for about a minute. Then add the bread to coat.


Then spread on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven (350 degrees) for 15 minutes! I sprinkled mine with some freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese.


The Verdict: This soup is fantastic! I served it with my garlic croutons and some more freshly grated cheese. Mmmm. So comforting! It was a hit with the boys too!

The first time I made this exactly as the recipe stated. This time I made some changes. I used chicken sausage, omitted the zucchini (the Doc isn't much of a fan in general and I just didn't think it went well in the soup). I also used a 32oz can of San Marzano whole tomatoes with the liquid because I forgot to get the 8oz can of sauce. It made the sauce thinner but still delicious!

Mac & Cheese Soup

I look forward to each month when my new Food Network Magazine arrives! I skim it right away and see if anything jumps out at me, and sure enough this recipe for Mac and Cheese Soup did just that.

What You Need:
Kosher salt
4 ounces elbow macaroni (1 cup)
Cooking spray
2 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette
Freshly ground pepper
3 shallots
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 3/4 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

The Steps:
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook as the label directs; drain.

Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the tomato and baguette slices on it in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Bake until the bread is golden brown, about 7 minutes.


Mince the shallots, carrot and celery in a food processor. Mist a saucepan with cooking spray. Add the vegetables and cook over medium-high heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.


Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.


Add the milk, cheeses and macaroni and stir until the cheeses melt. Season with pepper.


Top the toasts with tomatoes; serve on the soup.

The Verdict:

This was just OK. It wasn't bad and I enjoyed it, but to be honest, I would just rather have the real deal! I would want to add maybe some mustard powder or season salt if I make this again, since I felt like it was a little bland. But if you're looking for something a little lighter and easier on the waistline, then this is your dish!

Sausage and Kale Soup

This is a great soup for those cool nights that will be creeping upon us shortly. It's also super fast and super healthy!

This makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:
* 2 links chicken sausage
*2 links HOT Italian sausage
*1 sweet onion, diced
*4 tsp bacon pieces (the real bacon bits)
*2 tbsp minced garlic
*6c water
*2 tbsp Chicken better than Bouillon (or enough cubes for the amount of water)
*1 1/2c mini potatoes cut in half (I get these gumball sized potatoes at Trader Joes, if you can't find them use 2 medium potatoes cubed)
*1/4 bunch of kale, chopped to bit size
*3/4c heavy cream

The Making:
In a large pasta pot, or dutch oven heat about 1 tbsp olive oil. Squeeze the sausage out of the casing and sautes until crumbled and cooked through. Remove and reserve in a separate bowl.

Add a bit more oil and saute onion, garlic and bacon pieces till onions are tender.

Add water and bouillon making sure to scrape all the good bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil.

Add potatoes and sausage and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Reduce heat to a simmer and add kale.

When kale is wilted, add the cream.

Tips and Talk:
Phil thought this was really great, and Miles liked it too! With the kale and the sausage and the potatoes this is such a well rounded meal, I only served it with some garlic toast. You can use all chicken sausage and just add red pepper flakes instead of the Italian sausage to make it even healthier, or if you like it really spicy add some more red pepper flakes.

Pasta e Fagioli

Every once in a while on my Mommy board there will be "What's For Dinner" thread. This was something one of the mom's made and I asked her for the recipe. I am so glad I did because it was awesome!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped fine
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 medium rib celery , chopped fine (about 2/3 cup)
4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 anchovy fillets , minced to paste (about 1 teaspoon)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 piece Parmesan cheese rind , about 5 inches by 2 inches
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces small pasta (ditalini, tubetini, conchigliette) [I use tubetini]
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

The How To:
This soup does not hold well because the pasta absorbs the liquid, becomes mushy, and leaves the soup dry. The soup can, however, be made in two stages. Once the beans are simmered with the tomatoes, before the broth and water are added, the mixture can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days. When ready to complete the soup, discard the Parmesan rind (otherwise it will become stringy), add the liquid, bring the soup to a boil, and proceed with the recipe.

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and anchovies; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Add cheese rind and beans; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend flavors, 10 minutes.
Add chicken broth, 2 1/2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt; increase heat to high and bring to boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (refer to package instructions to better estimate pasta cooking time).

2. Discard cheese rind. Off heat, stir in 3 tablespoons parsley; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; drizzle each serving with olive oil and sprinkle with a portion of remaining parsley. Serve immediately, with grated Parmesan.

The Verdict:
The flavor of this dish was amazing! I have never been a big fan of Pasta e Fagioli but the Doc is so I made this with him in mind and ended up loving it myself! Next time I think I am going to make the pasta separate and add it to the bowl then serve the broth on top. It makes a ton and as it states in the directions the pasta ends up soaking up all the liquid. That way you can save the leftovers without the pasta getting all mushy.