12. Cream of Mushroom Soup

I haven't had home made cream of mushroom soup in years. It doesn't even begin to compare to the canned version. This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens Soups and Stews Cookbook.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 ½ cups chicken stock
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
Few dashes white pepper
1 cup milk

In a saucepan, combine chicken broth, chopped onion, mushrooms, and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Place half the vegetable mixture into a blender container or food processor. Cover and blend 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth. Repeat with remaining vegetable mixture, Set aside.

In the same saucepan melt the butter. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Add the milk all at once. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the blended vegetable mixture. Cook and stir till soup is heated though. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serves 3 or 4.


Shortcuts and changes: I tripled the recipe as it just didn't seem that the quantity listed would feed 4 people. I had enough for 4 with one small bowl left over.


Results: Very good and flavorful although I would definitely add more mushrooms the next time.


Keeper? YES!!

13. Peggy’s Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

This is from Not Your Mother's Weeknight Cooking. This is another recipe that looked simple and tasty--a good soup for a good fall night.

Peggy’s Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
4 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth, or more as needed
1 to 2 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, coarsely chopped
½ to 1 cup crème fraiche
Juice of 2 fresh limes
Salt
Coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and enough broth to cover. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes. Stir in the chipotle chilies and adobo sauce.

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. (Alternatively, let the soup cool for 10 minutes. Then, working in several batches, puree in a blender or food processor; return the mixture to the soup pot.) Cooking over medium –low heat, gently whisk in the crème fraiche and lime juice until well blended and hot. Season to taste with salt and more lime juice, if needed. Top each serving with a small spoonful of crème fraiche and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve at once.



Shortcuts and Changes: I forgot to buy fresh limes, so I used about 2 tablespoons of bottled juice--basically to taste. I also don't care for cilantro, and honestly forgot to buy it, so I used some dried cilantro and just mixed it in at the end when I put in the chipotle and adobo. By the way, you will never use a whole can of chipotle with adobo sauce at one time. For the longest time I was throwing away what I didn't use as it went bad in the refrigerator before I could use it up. Now I put it in a plastic baggie, flatten it out, and freeze it. When I need some, I just chop of a piece of the frozen stuff. It works great!


Results: Nice, thick soup with a lot of flavor!


Keeper? Yes!

14. Curried Pumpkin-Vegetable Soup

This looked super easy and different and I had pretty much everything on hand. The recipe is from www.bettycrocker.com.

Curried Pumpkin-Vegetable Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups Green Giant frozen mixed vegetables (from a 1 lb bag)
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) fat free chick broth with 33% less sodium
½ cup water
½ teaspoon sugar
11/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes; stirring frequently until onion is crisp-tender.


2. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. If desired, season with salt and pepper.

Shortcuts and Changes: For starters, I just realized I forgot the sugar. I think it would be good in this recipe and I can't believe I left it out! I don't like peas or lima beans, so I searched the frozen vegetable for something I could use. I came up with a mix of corn, carrots, and asparagus. This worked well but they were whole baby carrots and pieces of asparagus that were about and inch and a half long. So, I wound up fishing them out and cutting them up. (I think some potatoes and carrots would be good, too) In the end, I added a little garam masala since I have a whole bunch on hand. I served this with some refrigerator biscuits.


Results: This is a very thick, flavorful soup. I thought it was tasty.


Keeper: I think so!

15. Country Vegetable Chowder

This recipe is from Not Your Mother's Weeknight Cooking. I was looking for something quick. I had some fresh spinach in the refrigerator so I thought I'd give this a try.

Country Vegetable Chowder

Prep Time:15 min
Cook time: About 15 min.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium-size leeks, washed, white part only, thinly sliced into rounds, then cut in half
2 tablespoons all purpose flour or whole wheat flour
2 stalks celery, diced
3 new potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon dried crumbled herbs, such as basil, thyme, or Italian blend
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
114.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 16 oz package frozen baby lima beans, thawed
6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves (about 3 large handfuls)
1 ½ cups half and half or plain soy milk

1. melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the leeks until limp, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the leeks with flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the celery, potatoes, herbs, broth, and tomatoes and their juice. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetable are tender.


2. Add the lima beans, spinach, and half and half. Season with salt and simmer for 10 minutes, until steaming hot. Serve immediately.


Changes and Shortcuts: We don't like lima beans, so I substituted a can of drained and rinsed white beans. For the items that gave a choice, I used white flour, oregano (couldn't find my basil!, chicken broth, and half and half. I also added pepper and Mrs. Dash.


Results:I felt that this soup need something else. I think carrots would have been better than the beans and spinach. All in all, not bad.


Keeper? I don't think so.