Would you believe me if I told you that I have never had a homemade beef stew? I probably had some version of it from the can, and it would have been a LONG time ago. And I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t very good. Because when Red kept on suggesting Beef Stew for our meal planning, I have never agreed to it, until recently, about two weeks ago. Just like this Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff, which I ended up loving – and now shows up on a regular basis on our menu rotation. Seriously, the ONLY reason that I was willing to give this a go was because I got to use my slow-cooker. I think we all could use a new slow cooker recipe that works, right?
As a pessimist to the initial idea of Beef Stew (in a slow cooker nonetheless), I was pleasantly surprised at how scrumptious this stew turned out. I normally don’t like getting that bitter beer flavoring that sometimes comes through when you’re cooking with it. But I was very happy to say that I couldn’t taste any of the bitterness. The beef was fork-tender, the veggies were hearty (my first time trying and cooking with parsnips!), all coated in this rich broth that was complex in flavor (a slow cooker surprise!) and was just freaking delicious. This dish also made a big nice batch, that was even better as leftover. The complexity of the flavors continued to develop, while none of the components of the dish (veggies or the meat) disintegrated. I’m now a Beef Stew convert!
Ingredients
4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped about 2 cups
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 cups Guinness Draught
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped (yes, chocolate!)
2 bay leaves
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1-1/2 lbs baby red potatoes (about 24), scrubbed
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Directions
Pat dry the beef cubes with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook half of the beef until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker insert and repeat with an additional 2 tsp oil and the remaining beef.
Add the remaining 2 tsp oil, onions and 1/4 tsp salt to the skillet and cook until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, 1-1/4 cups of the beer, sugar, thyme, chocolate, and bay leaves and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Transfer to the slow cooker insert.
Add the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender, about 9-10 hours (or cook on high for 6 to 7 hours, but I have only tried this recipe on low for 10-hrs). Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the flour and remaining 1/4 cup beer until smooth, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cook, covered, until the sauce thickens about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Adapted from The Best of American Test Kitchen 2008
Soup is a big hit at our house as soon as we hit the colder months, and I was ready! I’m still in love with Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter cookbook because it features very simple but delicious recipes that don’t require a lot of fancy ingredients. I tried a couple of her recipes and have been very satisfied with the results. When I saw this tomato soup recipe, I knew that I had to make it. My daughter really loves anything with tomatoes, so naturally, I had to try making this soup at home. Not only that it is simple to make, I can make a big batch on Sundays, and have leftovers for the next day or two (and freeze the leftovers, if there’s any left). It goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches–that are truly a life-saver for those busy nights when I only want to spend less than 15-minutes in the kitchen. We love dunking our hot sandwiches into this soup and you will too. Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or more as desired)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh, large basil leaves
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
~10 pieces of 2-inch round slow roasted tomatoes slices
Kosher salt (I used 2 teaspoons)
Freshly ground pepper (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
Olive oil for drizzling, optional
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring so that it doesn’t burn. Add the basil leaves, tomatoes and juice, and 1 -1/2 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it uncovered for 40 minutes. As it simmers gently break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. After cooking stir in the slow-roasted tomatoes with any juices and season with salt and pepper. Simmer everything together for 5 more minutes and serve hot. Drizzle with olive oil if you’d like.
Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow
While I absolutely love summer; I have a little soft spot for fall. I love the cooler weather, the changing colors in trees, the abundance of fall fruits, and ….it is officially SOUP weather!!! Summer has its great fruits and produce, but fall also presents wonderful collection of root vegetables and stone fruits that I love to cook and bake with as well. This is a soup that I just sort of came up with a few years ago when I had abundance of root vegetables. The recipe is so simple, and so flexible… you can basically use whatever root vegetables that you have in hand and make them into whatever consistency fits your family’s preference. If you have leftover roasted vegetables or potatoes-throw them in there as well. This soup is really special because of the addition of delicious sun-dried tomatoes. If you want to make this a bit more hearty, feel free to add in some pasta as well. And if you want an added creaminess, add a splash of heavy cream in the last few minutes of cooking. Enjoy a big bowl of this hearty soup with a crusty bread; and you would be glad that fall is here too! 
Ingredients
6 cups of chopped root vegetables, about an inch cube (carrot, sweet/regular potatoes, squashes, etc)
2 cups of chopped onions, about an inch cube
1 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (preferably homemade)
~ 3-1/2 cups of vegetable broth (depending on your desired consistency)
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp of chopped fresh garlic
Sour cream and grated cheese, optional for topping
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chopped vegetables together on a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, toss together. Roast for approximately 50 to 60 minutes, turning the baking pan once and flip the vegetables halfway through. You want the vegetables to be slightly browned and soft, but not mushy yet.
Once the vegetables are cooked, transfer them to a large sauce-pan. Add garlic and vegetable broth into the pot. Cook over medium heat until boiling, and then reduce the heat to low. Add sun dried tomatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes.
Cool for approximately 10 minutes, and either using immersion blender or a regular blender, blend the soup to your desired consistency.
Yield: 5-6 servings
With all of these gorgeous squashes in season, I knew that I had to take advantage of making them into a soup. Nothing beats a bowl of warm & hearty soup with homemade rolls on chilly weekends. I looked around for a recipe that fits the bill, and I couldn’t quiet find one that seemed to have everything that I wanted. I prefer soups that are more savory than sweet, so I decided to use regular vegetable broth instead of apple cider like some recipes suggested. If you want a sweeter soup though, feel free to substitute them in place of broth. I also like pretty heavy seasoning on mine and just a tad bit of creaminess from the heavy cream. I also liked to have a little bit of chunks of apples in the soup, so if you want your soup to be completely creamy without any chunks, feel free to put them into the blender after sauteeing them. Playing around with the amounts of different seasonings, I arrived at this one listed below. I enjoyed mine with homemade olive rolls (I will post the recipe next week!) and they were heavenly together. Try this and let me know if you agree. Happy eating!
Ingredients
3 lbs of squash (I used one butternut, and one deliccata), halved
1 medium McIntosh apple, diced
1 medium apple, peeled and diced
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 tbsp of chopped garlic
2 tbsp of heavy cream
1 tsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp of ginger
1/4 tsp of paprika
1/8 tsp of red pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degree. Scoop out and discard seeds from squash. Place cut side down in a 13×9 inch baking dish, add water. Bake uncovered for approximately 45 minutes, until squashes are tender.
Carefully scoop out squash into a blender or food processor, cover and process until smooth. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, saute the onion, apple, and garlic. Stir in curry powder and ginger, continue to cook for another minute. Stir in broth and pureed squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add cream, salt, pepper, red pepper, and paprika, heat through.
Yield: 6 generous servings
I am always in the lookout for a simple soup recipe that is delicious, and preferably has both vegetables and meat in it. This way I can just add a salad or some sort of rolls or bread to go with it. This is actually a recipe that I have saved up for a while now. For time-saving tips, you can leave the skin on as long as you scrub them well before cutting. Red actually peeled the potatoes, although I wouldn’t have minded if he had left the skin on. I also did not have any beef or chicken bouillon. Instead, I used low-sodium canned vegetable broth and it was still wonderful. I also used low-fat milk and couldn’t tell the difference. This soup is very delicious, creamy, and flavorful–and my fave part of all, you can definitely tweak the ingredients as you wish. I am sure that you can use frozen potatoes or onions to save you time in chopping some of the vegetables. This recipe was a favorite at our house, and we will make again.
Adapted from Allrecipes
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Directions
Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.
Yield: 8 servings
In attempt to use up the leftover vegetables in my refrigerator, I thought that I should whip up this classic comfort soup that again, fits into my ideal dinner in one bowl: lots of veggies, some sort of protein (and this one uses my fave, roasted chicken!), and aromatic broth. It also has leftover that serves as great lunch meal. I wanted a classic version, without any special herbs or spices–and this recipe did the trick!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
1/2 pound chopped cooked chicken breast
1 1/2 cups egg noodles
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and celery in butter until just tender, 5 minutes.
Pour in chicken and vegetable broths and stir in chicken, noodles, carrots, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 servings
Inspiration from AllRecipes
I was very excited when I saw that the first recipe selected for September was this Cheddar Corn Chowder. I have been wanting to try a new soup recipe and this suggestion from Jill of My Next Life seems so appropriate. I love corn and bacon–so we were excited and ready to try this new soup! I must admit that since this soup makes a ton, I decided to half the recipe *just in case* that neither one of us cares for it. I also don’t usually like thick soup, although Red does. We basically didn’t make a lot of changes to this recipe, we wanted to see how it plays out the way the original recipe calls for it and I really loved it. It has the perfect consistency for me, but just beware that I don’t normally like super thick soup (a.k.a chowder). The flavors were wonderful and comforting.
Ingredients
8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Directions
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
I found this recipe on the internet about two and a half years ago, when I was looking for something that is easy to prepare and can be used as a one-stop meal during our first winter in Iowa. When I said one stop meal, I usually look for some sort of protein, carbohydrates and some leafy vegetables all into one dish. This recipe also introduced me and Red to our first taste of kale as well, and we absolutely loved how this recipe transformed kale into something so delicious!
The combination of the spicy sausage, bacon, and heartiness of the potatoes and kale in cream-broth was a winter solitude in a bowl. We loved this so much that this has became a weekly staple at our house in the winter. And in the Midwest where we live, that’s easily about six to eight months out of the year. Or at least it feels that way. We love serving this to our friends as well who quickly fell in love with this soup and started making it at their home–and made it their fave. Red had been asking for this soup when the weather started getting chilly last week. As much as I don’t like the cold winter days (and evenings!), I know that at least we have this to look forward to.
Ingredients
1 lb spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 lb. smoked bacon, chopped
1 quart water
(2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean, cubed
2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
1 medium onion, peeled, chopped
2 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside.
Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.
I’m secretly grateful that Red and I agree that a big cup of hearty soup with maybe a few pieces of warm crusty French bread with a few slices of good stinky cheese is an ideal winter meal. I am always in the lookout for a new soup recipe that we both can enjoy on a regular basis. I prefer soups that are not too heavy (so any cream-based soups would be out for me) & this recipe fits perfectly to what I envision as an ideal soup. It uses ground chicken and Italian sausage, pastas, and veggies… Aaah… did I mention those meatballs are heaven-sent? We don’t normally eat meatballs, but we do now. We have made this several times now since we first found it a few months ago. I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!
Note: we couldn’t find any ground chicken in our grocery store, so we used turkey sausages instead.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
3/4 lb. ground chicken
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 tsp. minced garlic
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and black pepper
For the soup:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup 1/4-inch diced carrots
3/4 cup 1/4-inch diced celery
10 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 oz. baby spinach, washed and trimmed
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, Italian sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. Mix gently with a fork until well combined. Form the mixture into 1- to 1 1/4-inch meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6-8 minutes or until al dente. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 additional minute. Taste for seasoning, and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics by Ina Garten
We had some leftover of veggies in the frig, so when we saw this soup recipe on one of Ina Garten’s cookbooks and thought we should give it a try! This is very similar to what everyone probably recognizes as “Chicken Tortilla Soup”. I personally prefer soups that are not cream-based, like chowder, or chunky soup with some sort of thickening agents. I like the lighter type like this one. I’m okay with a little bit of heavy cream or half and half, but I don’t want anything too heavy.
We really enjoyed the flavoring, but Red and I thought that it needed more veggies, so we added a can of sweet corn to give it a little bit more chunks. We also skipped the sour cream & tortilla topping to make it a little bit lighter. I highly recommend the fresh cilantro though, since it really gave the “wow” flavor and aroma. This was filed as keeper. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
- 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
- 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
- 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
Directions
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.
Note: This dish also freezes wonderfully! This makes approximately 6-8 servings, so I froze half of the soup for quick lunches in the future.
