Gnocchi/Kale/Sausage Soup

Found online, forgot where… My whole family loved this. It is super spicy with the spicy sausage, but no complaints here.

1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 small white onion (I always just do onion powder for little Juddy)
4 cups chicken broth
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
1 pound gnocchi
1/2 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
top with parmesan cheese

Brown sausage and onion in pot.
Drain excess grease.
Add broth, red peppers, bring to simmer over medium heat, the reduce to medium-low heat. Add kale and gnocchi. Stir to combine. Stir in cream. Add pinch of salt and pepper.

Top with fresh/grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Easy Tomato Basil Soup

From the blog Picky Palate:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian Sausage
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (stacked, rolled and thinly sliced)
1 26 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce or homemade sauce 

1 Cup water

1 1/2 Cups half and half
Pinch of salt and pepper

Place olive oil into a medium sized dutch oven over medium heat. Cook sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil leaves, pasta sauce, water, half and half, salt and pepper. Cook until warm then reduce heat to low. Simmer until ready to serve. It’s that easy!

4 servings

Cheesy Zucchini Soup

This is apparently a famous ward soup recipe, and it is totally one of my favorites! I'm so excited that it's going to be soup season again soon!

Sautee until tender:
2 medium zucchini chopped (one yellow, one green makes it looks prettier)
1 medium onion
2 T parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/3 c. butter

Stir in:
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes (or 3 cups chicken broth instead of water)
1 tsp lemon juice

Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.

Add:
1 can tomatoes
1 can evaporated milk
1 pkg. corn or 1 can drained

Reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add:
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Enjoy!!

Tomato Basil Soup

6 medium fresh tomatoes, or 28 oz can
2 cups chicken broth
6 to 8 basil leaves
1 carrot (if you don't have a good blender, leave this out)
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cream or milk
2 T olive oil
salt to taste

Blend everything in a blender. Cook in a pan for 15 minutes.

This is really good served with a grilled cheese and apple sandwich

Taco Soup

My sis-in-law Emily always has the best recipes and this is one of my favorites.
Brown some meat, dump in the cans, stir.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (unless you have a husband that cries about it)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans with juice
1 can corn with juice
8 oz tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 package taco seasoning

Mix and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with cheese, chips and sour cream.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
1/4 of a bunch of kale

Sautee Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients. In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour. Add heavy cream and cook until thoughouly heated. Stir in the sausage. Add kale just before serving. Deliciouso!
(I also like to go buy a bag of breadsticks and their amazing salad dressing from Olive Garden and make my own salad to make it more authentic!)

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 small can diced green chilies

2 cans chicken broth

2 cans refried beans

1 can corn or 1 c. frozen corn

1 can chicken

Combine all ingredients and cook in crock pot on low 6-8 hours.

To serve, top with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese, lime juice, cilantro, if desired.

Enchilada Soup

2 cans Enchilada sauce (I use old El Paso because it's a little spicier than La Victoria- the hotter the better!)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup (if you like it a little thicker- Jared does- use one more can)
3 cans chicken broth
1 large can chicken
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
Heat and serve with sour cream, cheese, and more tortilla chips!

(This is also very easy to do in the crockpot, which Mom does a lot)

Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Soup)

4 (14 oz. each) cans Chicken Broth
1/3 cup uncooked Orzo pasta or rice
2 eggs
1 1/2 lemons, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth to a boil, add pasta or rice, reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. In large bowl beat eggs until frothy. Continue beating and slowly add lemon juice in a small, steady stream. Gradually ladle hot broth in lemon-egg mixture, until bowl is full. Pour hot mixture back into soup pot. Bring soup to a simmer at medium heat until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper. Serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

With cooler weather coming, here is a recipe I made up. I actually tried to copy what I have tasted at Ye Lion's Den Restaurant in Ogden.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes OR 1 can chicken
2 cans of chicken broth
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups milk
1 cup Swiss cheese
1 c. ham, diced

Heat the chicken broth in a large saucepan until it starts to boil. In a separate bowl mix the flour and the sour cream. Then gradually add heated broth to bowl, a half cup or so at a time, stirring with a whisk, until smooth and thin. (about a cup total broth). Then add that back to the rest of the broth in the saucepan. (This little trick keeps your soup very smooth, not lumpy) Return to a boil, but don't turn heat up to above medium , stirring constantly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When it starts to thicken, add the can of milk and the other 3 cups of milk. Then don't cook above medium heat, but keep stirring until it thickens again. Turn off heat and add the cheese and ham. Stir until melted. Serve.

I will add the photo when I make it again.