Is It Soup Yet?

About the only thing I love about cold/cool days is soup!! Soup is delicious, practical and sooo easy to make.  So this guinea pig date was all about recipes that were my own.  I tried to provide some variety such as cream, broth, meat, no meat - you get the idea. 

So first up we had very simple vegetable soup.  Vegetable is so so simple.  I used beef broth for this soup but you can use chicken or if you're into the total veggie thing use veggie stock.  Whatever floats your boat I say!!  I sauteed some onions, celery and carrots to start, then add corn (frozen), green beans (frozen), fresh squash and lastly some kale.  A little cracked pepper and we are good to go!!

Lots of veggies!!

As for me, I'm not a big vegetable soup lover but this wasn't bad.  I would really have liked some sausage in it!!!

Next we had clam chowda!! No living here in New England I have always loved seafood and chowda!! However my dad always made a brothy chowda - its not your typical thick chowda.  I started with bacon, dice it up and brown it in a stock pot.  Once browned remove the bacon from the pan but leave the drippings in the pan.  Now add some chopped onions (celery if you like).  I saute the onions till they are soft and translucent.  Next I add the clam stock (I had some in the freezer)!  You can make stock by just steaming a few quahogs (5-6 in a pot of salted water).  Or you could buy it but why would you do that!!! Next I add diced potatoes.  Pick good potatoes you don't want to end up with mush in your chowda!! I love love love golden yukons.  They hold up so well in chowda.  I simmer the potatoes till fork tender.  Next I add in heavy cream - the whole container!!  And thyme (fresh if you have it but dried is fine as well).  Lastly I add my chopped clams (yup they were in the freezer too) and the cooked bacon from earlier.  You can buy chopped clams at the local fish market, use the quahogs you boiled earlier for the stock or buy canned.  Why you buy canned I couldn't tell ya!! Moving on!! Allow it to heat through and serve!!

Delish!!!

This was my sister, Sharon's bowl.  I had to grab a pic before it was all gone - everyone loved the chowda!!!

Lastly soup choice we had was the Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup.  With this one I simply sauteed some onions, celery, peppers and garlic in olive oil.  Once soft I added a small can of chopped green chilis.  The kitchen smelled amazing while I was cooking this.  While the veggies were bathing in the olive oil I cooked up some boneless chicken breasts in olive oil.  I had sprinkled the chicken breasts with Cactus Jack (courtesy of Russ & Jackie) - secret family recipe!!  Once the chicken was cooked I cut it up in cubes and set it aside.  To the sauteed veggies I added two (2) bottles of Hot & Spicy V8 Juice.  Lastly I added corn (frozen), some rice I had cooked earlier and the cubed chicken.  It was delicious.  I did sprinkle a little more Cactus Jack into the soup while it was simmering but that was it.  We ate it topped with shredded cheese, fried corn tortillas and sour cream.

It'll warm you right up!!

It's another brisk day here in New England but I'm happy to say that I have NO leftovers!!  All the soup was eaten up!  So why don't you try your hand at soup today.  Clean out the fridge - add some broth and spice and snuggle up to a nice warm bowl of deliciousness!!!