Table Talk: Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

I've been crazy about tomato soup and cheese sandwiches lately.  I've always liked the combo, but I've just gotten back into it.  I picked this recipe because I wanted to try it and use some of the tomatoes from my garden.  To make it creamy without cream, bread is thrown into the mix.  I thought that was interesting when I read the recipe but it seemed to work.  Although, I'm not sure why I am leaving out the cream only to load the soup with cheese?  Less cream equals more cheese, I guess.  Yeah, that's how I roll.

Fresh Corn Soup

So the picture doesn't really do it justice, but this soup was completely delicious.  I love fresh corn in the summer and part of me wondered if it was a form a blasphemy to add fresh corn to a soup rather than just cooking it and eating it with butter.  I was worried it was going to decrease the awesomeness of fresh corn somehow.  I was wrong.  There are few ingredients in this recipe yet it's so flavorful.  The fresh corn flavor was preserved and complimented by the creaminess of the soup.  Everyone loved it.  Instead of straining through a mesh strainer like the recipe states, we just served it after processing and it was delicious.  I am not sure the straining is necessary, but use your judgement there. :)

Mushroom-Artichoke Soup

When Tyler and I were newlyweds, I would sign up for cookbook of the month clubs.  I wanted the 8 free cookbooks (or whatever)!  It always ended up being a pain because I would forget to cancel my shipment for the month but it's one of the reasons I have so many cookbooks. That and sometimes I just can't resist, I NEED a cookbook.  

French Onion Soup

Tuesdays with Dorie has a kind of sister group called French Fridays with Dorie.  After seeing all of their beautiful photos of French onion soup, I had been thinking I NEEDED some. 

Roasted Tomato (Red Pepper) and Basil Soup

Speaking of healthy, wait until you see the info on this soup.  And it's meatless so I can check off one meatless meal for the week!  And it was so delicious.  And (are you sick of the "and" business yet?) I threw it in the crockpot after preparing everything and it was still delicious.  Which was perfect because I don't always know exactly when Tyler is going to get home, so when he did, I could do a couple things and serve dinner.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

 I had planned on making a different kind of soup yesterday but when I went to the grocery store they had asparagus on sale.  That is something I can never pass up.  I started thinking about making cream of asparagus soup for dinner and wondered if it would be a shame to use such a lovely vegetable in that way; but I went for it anyway because it's something I've wanted to make at home.  I looked up a few recipes but none of them seemed like what I was after so I just decided to wing it.  That might not have been the best idea because I have had a string of kitchen disasters lately.  (I will post more about that when it's not so painful to talk about.)  When things don't go well in the kitchen, it really affects my mood.  Luckily for everyone around here, the soup was a hit.

Chili

 A couple people have brought to my attention that I need more healthy recipes on the blog. So I thought I'd post a recipe for chili.  With sour cream and cheese on top. :)  You can leave it off if you find it offensive.  However, I don't find it offensive, I find it lovely.  I really like this chili recipe for a few reasons.  It's really easy, it really fresh tasting and delicious, it's really healthy (if you just eat the chili by itself), it doesn't take a ton of ingredients, and it keeps so well.  Leftover chili is just as delicious, or maybe more so than the first day.  Tonight, we served it with cornbread and can I just say that it's the first cornbread I have made from scratch that I LOVED, but more on that tomorrow.  Chili is the kind of thing that would be good to double the batch and freeze half.  And I think I have a recipe coming up that you can use the frozen half for. ;)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I have been wanting to make a potato soup for a couple weeks.  It's been rolling around in my mind and today when I was at the grocery store, they had 10 lb bags of potatoes on sale.  I think it was a sign that tonight was the night.  I went into my kitchen, annoyed by the thought of trying to find a recipe, and decided to just go for it.  I wanted a potato soup that was good and cheesy and comforting.  Some days, when I go into my kitchen without a plan, it can end up being disastrous, but today, luckily, was not one of those days. I asked Tyler after we ate if he thought the soup was blog-worthy and he didn't hesitate at all before saying, "Yes!"  (I thought it was, I just wanted a second opinion.)

Hamburger Soup

This is a great soup and in our rotation of favorites.   It's really quick, easy and inexpensive.  The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I usually substitute ground turkey.  The recipe is intended to use garden vegetables but I rarely have since we haven't really had a garden.  If you have garden-fresh corn and tomatoes I bet it would be even better.

Hamburger Harvest Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 med onion, chopped
6 cups water
8 beef bullion cubes (or tsps bullion, or substitute water and bullion for beef broth)
2 carrots, chopped
14.5 oz can stewed, diced Italian style tomatoes (or 1.5 cups fresh tomatoes, diced)
2 cups frozen (or fresh) corn
3-4 diced potatoes
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
Serve with mozzarella or Mexican-style cheese.

Directions
Over med-high heat, brown turkey and onion until turkey is done and onion is tender.  Add remaining ingredients and cook until potatoes are tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8

Great served with Dinner Rolls.

Adapted from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Corn Chowder Bread Bowls

I decided I wanted soup in a bread bowl.  I can't think of a more Fall-like meal!  And I thought I should redeem myself after posting about ice cream.  This soup is super easy, which I like, it doesn't call for a ton of ingredients, which I also like, and it doesn't take long to make.  If you don't like corn, I would just stop reading right here and find a different kind of chowder to put in your bread bowl.  This soup has three different kids of corn.  Yeah, when I say it's corn chowder, I mean it.  I happen to love corn, so it doesn't bother me one bit. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

{photos updated 6/4/2013}

I think I heard once that chicken noodle soup has actual healing powers.  Or maybe I just made that up, I'm really not sure.  But sometimes I just get this idea in my head that I need some.

Like on days when I don't feel great...

Or when the weather is getting cold...

Or if I realize I have all the ingredients for it.

Chicken Broccoli Soup

I love fall.  One of the many reasons is: soup!  Something about soup and fresh bread just gets me.  

This is an easy but tasty soup recipe.

Chicken Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:
1 T oil
1 med onion, chopped
4 cups water (or substitute water and bullion for 4 cups chicken broth)
6 chicken bullion cubes (1 tsp size)
1 cup milk
10 oz  fresh broccoli, steamed and chopped or frozen chopped broccoli
4 chicken tenders (also great with leftover turkey, just chop and add with milk)
1/2 cup rice (optional, if you leave it out, you might want to thicken the soup with shredded cheese)
4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
shredded cheese for garnish

Directions:
Heat oil in pan until it starts to smoke, add onion and cook until tender.  Add water, bullion, broccoli, rice, and chicken (I just throw the whole tenders in there frozen).  Cover and cook over med heat until chicken is done.  (about 10-15 minutes)   Remove chicken, recover so rice will continue to cook, shred chicken and return to pan.  Once rice is cooked, add milk heat until almost boiling, turn down heat and add cream cheese, don't boil once cream cheese is added.  Stir to incorporate cream cheese.  Serve with shredded cheese on top. Serves 6.

Great served with Dinner Rolls.

An Amanda Original