Spicy Fish and Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped 
• 1/4 cup chopped carrots
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 large red potatoes potatoes (about 1 pound), chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound skinless firm white fish fillets (such as striped bass or tilapia), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 package fresh baby spinach

Directions

1. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to a plate. Increase heat to medium-high.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the drippings in the saucepan and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
3. Add the fish to the broth mixture in the saucepan and cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in spinach, wilt, and sprinkle with the chives, bacon, and celery leaves. 

Adapted from Real Simple magazine

Three Bean Soup with Chard and Roasted Garlic

1 whole garlic head
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups chopped chard (about 1 pound)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups jarred pasta sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pink beans, rinsed and drained
6 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Sage sprigs (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap head in foil. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp and 1/4 cup Great Northern beans; mash with a fork until pastelike. Stir in chopped sage; set aside.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chard to pan; cook 3 minutes or until chard wilts, stirring frequently.

Add remaining Great Northern beans, broth, and next 4 ingredients (through pink beans); bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until escarole is tender.

Stir in garlic mixture; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with sage sprigs, if desired.




--Adapted from Cooking Light

Meatball Stew

2 potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef broth, undiluted
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
3 dozen frozen meatballs

Bring first 8 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in meatballs; cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and meatballs are thoroughly heated.






--Adapted from Southern Living magazine

Easy Chicken Soup

3 cups water
1 package ramen noodles, chicken flavor
2 cups cooked cut up chicken
1 bundle swiss chard
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced into rounds
1 teaspoon sesame oil


Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Break up noodles, reserving seasoning packet. Stir noodles, chicken, and carrots into water. Return to boil. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in chard, sesame oil, and seasoning packet. Serve immediately.



--Adapted from Betty Crocker Quick and Easy cookbook

Mushroom and Potato Soup with Smoked Paprika

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds fresh button mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 ounces bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (pimentón)
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 russet or Yukon Gold potatoes (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 tbsp. crème fraîche or sour cream



1. In a small bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over dried porcini. Set aside.

2. Cut off stems of button mushrooms. Finely chop stems; set aside. Halve caps, slice, and add to stems. With a slotted spoon, lift out porcini, pressing excess liquid into bowl, and transfer to a cutting board. Finely chop porcini and add to stems and caps. Reserve soaking liquid.

3. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add paprika, bacon, and onions and cook until very fragrant, 2 minutes. Turn heat to high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms start giving off their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add reserved porcini soaking liquid (pouring carefully to leave behind the sandy dregs), chicken broth, 2 cups water, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with a dollop of crème fraîche.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Creamy Wild Rice Soup with Turkey

2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cups chopped turkey breast (1/2 pound)
1 cup uncooked wild rice (or 2 cups cooked wild rice)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 3/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt



Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot and next 5 ingredients (carrot through garlic). Sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in turkey and rice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until rice is tender. (If using cooked rice, reduce cooking time to 30 minutes.)

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring frequently. Stir in sherry and salt.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Hot and Sour Soup

5 dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)
5 dried wood ear mushrooms (about 1/4 ounce)
1 (32-ounce) carton fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth
2 1/4 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound reduced-fat firm or extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
Chili oil (optional)



Place mushrooms in a medium bowl; cover with boiling water. Cover and let stand 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Thinly slice mushrooms; set aside.

Combine broth, 2 cups water, ginger, and garlic in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Add mushrooms. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, and tofu; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Stir cornstarch mixture into broth mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes or until soup thickens slightly, stirring frequently. Slowly pour egg whites into broth mixture in a steady stream, stirring constantly but gently with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat; stir in onions, cilantro, and sesame oil. Drizzle with chili oil, if desired.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Mexican Ham and Bean Soup

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
8 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cubed smoked ham steak (about 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 chipotle chile (or dried ancho or pasilla chile)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions



Combine beans, broth, and next 8 ingredients (broth through garlic) in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Partially cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

Stir in tomatoes and chile; simmer 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves and chile. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Top with cheese; sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Mexican Corn and Bean Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
lime slices (optional)



Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add green onion, cumin, garlic, and oregano; sauté 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in corn, pepper, broth, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Serve with lime slices.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Manhattan Clam Chowder

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 1/2 cups chopped peeled baking potato (about 1 pound)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley


Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add potato and next 5 ingredients (potato through clam juice); bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in clams; cook 3 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls; sprinkle with parsley.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Roasted Vegetable Chicken Soup

1 cup (1-inch) cubed carrot
1 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms
1 cup (1-inch) pieces celery
1 cup (1-inch) pieces red bell pepper
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups uncooked rotini pasta



Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; drizzle with oil, and toss well to coat. Arrange vegetable mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan lined with foil. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.

Combine water and next 5 ingredients (through chicken) in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Add roasted vegetables; simmer 30 minutes. Bring soup to a boil. Add pasta; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Tuscan Bean and Barley Soup

Very simple, very tasty.


2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 cups water
1 cup canned cannellini beans or other white beans, drained
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 beef-flavored bouillon cubes
4 cups fresh spinach




Put the oil and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in rosemary, salt, and pepper. Add water, beans, barley, and bouillon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the barley is tender.

Add spinach. Serve immediately - before the spinach loses its bright green color.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Sausage and Rice Soup with Spinach

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 pound turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups torn spinach
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese



Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add wild rice; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender. Set aside.

Cook the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Drain sausage; set aside.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the sausage, 3 cups water, and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in cooked wild rice, spinach, salt, and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with cheese.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Creamy Tomato-Basalmic Soup

1 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
1/2 cup half-and-half
Cracked black pepper (optional)



Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.

Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Roasted Garlic-Potato Soup

3 whole garlic heads
2 bacon slices, diced
1 cup diced carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups diced baking potato (about 2 pounds)
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup 2% low-fat milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


Remove white papery skin from each garlic head (do not peel or separate cloves). Wrap each head separately in aluminum foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour; let cool for 10 minutes. Separate cloves, and squeeze to extract 1/4 cup of garlic pulp; discard the skins.

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. Add carrot and minced garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Add potato, broth, salt, pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender; remove bay leaf.

Combine garlic pulp and 2 cups potato mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return purée to pan; stir in milk, and cook over low heat until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in chopped parsley.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Tomato-Basil Soup

This is pretty good. I'm just not sure that it's any better than canned tomato soup.



2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup dried basil
Basil leaves (optional)


Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in basil.

Place half of the soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a bowl, and repeat procedure with remaining soup. Garnish with basil leaves, if desired.




--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Vegetable Beef Soup

I included this recipe as mostly written. However, I made it with ground beef and half the required water. Then I simmered for 1.5 hours.

One of the best homemade soups. Top notch.



2 tablespoons vegetable oil (if using chuck roast)
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef short ribs or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless chuck roast*
4 quarts cold water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon seasoned salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 bay leaves
1 cup thinly sliced carrots, frozen
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced green beans, frozen
1 cup frozen black-eyed peas, frozen
1 cup frozen butter beans, frozen
1 cup corn kernels, frozen
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni


If using chuck roast, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the roast in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the skillet and cut it into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes; discard the fat. Place the beef cubes in a large stockpot. (If using short ribs, you can put them right in the pot with no preparation).

If using ground beef, brown the beef; drain. Add 2 quarts water, instead of 4.

Add the water, tomatoes, dried parsley, beef bouillon, dried Italian seasoning, House Seasoning, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, garlic powder, black pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot; reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If using short ribs, remove them from the pot and cut the meat from the bones, discard the bones and fat, and return the meat to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables and the macaroni and return the soup to a boil, stirring to distribute the ingredients.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and add fresh chopped parsley.



--Adapted from Paula Deen

Castilian Garlic Soup

Don't be intimidated by the lengthy process. You can easily do it all at the same time. This soup gets amazing flavor from the simplest of ingredients. I used saffron because I had it on hand, but I'm sure you could go without. Also, I didn't realize I only had one can of chicken broth. I used water in place of the other two cans, and it was still very flavorful. We didn't miss it at all.

Note: baking" the soup to set the eggs causes it to bubble rapidly - use a big baking sheet to avoid making a mess.


Soup:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 ounces Spanish serrano ham, diced (I just used smoked sandwich ham)
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika or sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
3 (15.75-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Croutons:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 cups (1-inch) cubed hearty country bread (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika or sweet paprika

Remaining ingredient:
4 large eggs



Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare soup:
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 crushed garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add ham and 1 teaspoon paprika; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in cumin, pepper, saffron, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes

To prepare the croûtons:
Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and 1 crushed garlic clove in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, tossing to coat. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until toasted. Sprinkle bread cubes with 1/2 teaspoon paprika; toss well.

Increase oven temperature to 450°.

Break 1 egg into each of 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the broth mixture evenly among bowls. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Top each serving with croutons.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

This is a thick and rich soup. It's not as sweet as you might think, but is very hearty. The best part is, if you use a stick blender, the whole thing can be done in one bowl in the microwave. The bright color makes it perfectly suitable to serve while entertaining, and it won't take up valuable burner space. It also doesn't require any attention while the microwave is humming away, so you're free to spend that time on something else.




2 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 medium)
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken broth, divided
2/3 cup evaporated skim milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of white pepper
Dash of ground nutmeg
Chopped leek (optional)

Combine sweet potato, sliced leek, and 1/4 cup broth in a 1 1/2-quart casserole; stir well. Cover, and microwave at HIGH 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.

Place sweet potato mixture in a food processor (or use a stick blender); process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except chopped leek; process 30 seconds or until blended.

Garnish with chopped leek, if desired. Serve warm.


--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Chopstick Noodle Soup

This is a great recipe to use up leftovers. While I didn't use any meat, you wouldn't go wrong with some adding some grilled chicken, steak, or salmon. The same is true of the vegetables. I used what I had on hand.


6 ounces udon or soba noodles (dried, from a packet)
3 cups chicken or vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon 5-spice
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 cup bean sprouts
3/4 cup sugar snaps
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced carrots
2 heads baby bok choy, finely sliced (or left in large leaves if you like that look)

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions and while the water is boiling fill a nearby saucepan with stock, brown sugar, 5-spice, ginger and soy sauce. (When the noodles are done, just drain them and put half in each bowl.)

When the flavored stock comes to a boil, add the vegetables. They should be cooked in about 2 minutes

Pour half into each bowl, over the cooked and drained noodles and sprinkle with cilantro.

--Adapted from Nigella Lawson