It's cold. We've established that, I think. It's going to be cold for many more weeks. We are, of course, in Ohio; we'll complain that the weather is too cold until maybe May, and then we'll complain that it's too hot until October.
But for now, it's cold. Great soup weather, isn't it? I've been in and out of the cold all day, and Thursday evenings are busy for my family. It was kind of a "fend for yourself" type of night; this simply means that there isn't one meal prepared and instead everyone kind of eats what they want (it doesn't mean that the kids are left to scrape together a meal on their own, ha!). After everyone had landed home after our hectic evening, I sat down to answer emails and check out Facebook, then realized that I hadn't eaten anything yet. I wasn't really hungry (doing a water-drinking-challenge really curbs that appetite!), but I had a sudden urge for a steamy bowl of soup. Off to the kitchen I wandered, to peruse the pantry in search of my dinner.
In case you didn't already know, I am a terrible cook. Awful. Not so bad that I can't get a meal on the table, but bad enough that I don't usually try to make something new or experiment with different recipes. In an attempt to cut down on processed foods, I'm making more of an effort, but I will admit that I do still buy some food items that probably aren't so "whole". Canned soup is one of those items. Tonight, I was happy to pop open a can of vegetable soup.
I would love, though, to master a good soup recipe. I can't say that I haven't tried; one day, a couple months ago, I attempted to make a chicken noodle soup. The picture in the recipe was beautiful: a lovely, golden broth with vibrant, colorful vegetables. Mine? Looked like gray mush. I don't know where I went wrong, but I haven't tried it again.
In the spirit of "try, try again", feel free to share a good soup recipe (read: easy soup recipe). My family will thank you!
Until then, I will continue to enjoy my canned selections, as I did this evening. Gotta stay warm somehow.
This is Julie Beck. (I am replying here instead of in Facebook, so I can keep both windows open to copy and paste ;-) Here are some soup recipes we like:
ReplyDeleteBroccoli Wild Rice Soup (reminds me of Panera's broccoli cheddar soup)
1 6oz pkg chicken and wild rice mix (uncle bens)
5 C water
1 10oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli
1 med carrot finely shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (I always use lowfat) - cubed
Combine rice, seasoning packet, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 mins, stirring once. Add broccoli, carrot, and onion. Cover and simmer for 10 mins. Stir in soup and cream cheese; heat and stir until smooth (at least 10 more minutes). It is better if it simmers for a while, but try not to boil it.
Split Pea and Ham Soup (BH&G)
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup dry split peas
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 cup shredded carrot
2 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
½ tsp dried thyme, crushed
¼ tsp pepper
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking rice
In a 3½-, 4-, or 5-quart crockery cooker combine ham, peas, onion, celery, carrot, parsley, thyme, and pepper. Pour chicken broth and water over all. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in rice. Cover; let stand 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Makes 6 servings.
We also have one for Italian Wedding soup, but it is slightly more involved, but oh so tasty, and you can make a ton and then freeze some, so you have it for one of those times you don't feel like making anything but want a good meal (the split pea one is totally good frozen too). Just message me if you want it. The kids LOVE it!