Thanks for joining us online for some of our favorite soup recipes!
Be advised, I don’t normally follow a recipe when I make soup, so all the measurements are my best guesses. Use your judgment and good taste.
Many of the recipes call for chicken stock; if you use chicken stock that you have made, you may need to add more stock/less water or vice versa, depending on how long you cooked your stock and how strong it is.
Easy Cream of Tomato Soup
1 can of tomato paste (6 oz.)
2 c. milk or evaporated milk (or equivalent of water + milk powder)
approx. 4 T. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
salt to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in medium saucepan. Heat but do not boil.
Bean Soup
Soak 1 lb. dry beans overnight (I prefer the mixed beans intended for soup, but you can use/mix whatever you have)
Put beans in large Dutch oven with approx. 4 c. chicken stock and 4 c. water OR 8 c. water plus 8 chicken bouillon cubes. Add seasoning to taste (i.e., salt, poultry seasoning, cumin, tarragon, turmeric, etc). Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 2 hours or until beans begin to get tender.
Add chopped vegetables—onion (about ¼ large), carrots (2-3), celery (2), and pepper (1 small or ½ large). Optional: ½ c. rice and chopped ham. Bring to a boil again, then simmer for another 45 minutes or until beans and vegetables are tender.
Lentil Soup
Put 1-lb. package of lentils in large Dutch oven with 8 c. water plus 6-7 chicken bouillon cubes or 4 c. chicken stock plus 4 c. water. Add seasonings to taste (salt, red pepper, cumin, garlic).
Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes. Then add chopped vegetables (1/4 large onion, ½ large green pepper, 2 carrots, 2 celery ). Bring to a boil again, then turn heat down and simmer for approx. 20 min. Add 1 can of crushed or diced tomatoes (with juice) and heat for an additional 10 min.
Sausage and Bean Soup
In a large Dutch oven, brown sliced Italian sausage or ½ lb. bulk sausage (or more, if it suits your taste and budget). Add 3 c. water and 4 beef bouillon cubes; ¼ small onion, chopped; about 1 lb. fresh or frozen chopped, green beans or wax beans; and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer until beans are tender (time depends on whether they are fresh or frozen). Once beans are cooked, remove from heat. Whisk 2 c. milk with about ¼ c. flour until no lumps remain; whisk this mixture into the soup and return to low heat until heated through. Do not boil.
If desired (for additional flavor) add a few tablespoons of melted butter to the soup after adding the milk.
Egg Drop Soup
Bring to a boil in large Dutch oven: 8 c. water plus 8 chicken bouillon cubes or 4 c. chicken stock plus 4 cups water. Add ¼ c. chopped onions, 2-3 chopped carrots, 2 ribs of celery (chopped), and about 1 c. of frozen peas. Bring to a boil and turn heat down to simmer for about 15 min. or until vegetables are tender. Break 6 eggs into a bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Bring the soup back to a boil and whisk the egg into the soup. Boil until the eggs are cooked through—usually just a few minutes.
You can add frozen tortellini, rice, or dry pasta to the soup along with the vegetables, if desired.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Bring to a boil in a large dutch oven: a ham bone, 2 chopped ribs of celery, one finely chopped green pepper, and one small, diced onion. Reduce heat to medium and let cook at a low boil for about 1-1/2 hours. Add 1 large jar of mushroom stems and pieces (with liquid) or 1 small package of fresh sliced.
Turn heat to low. Whisk in approx. 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes, if you have them, or the equivalent of mashed potato flakes. (When I make my mashed potatoes, I use butter, sour cream, chives, and garlic…so they are pretty flavorful.)
Add milk so that the pot is about 3/4 full. Then, measure an additional 1 c. milk in a separate bowl and add to it approx. 1/2 c. flour and 1/4 c. sour cream (optional). Whisk until no lumps remain, adding more milk if necessary to make a thin paste, then whisk into pot. Chop any leftover ham that you may have (or a small ham steak) and add it to the broth. Keep heat on low or med-low; do not boil but heat until thickened.
Add seasonings to taste: additional ham flavoring (found with the chicken/beef bouillon in some grocery stores), salt, pepper, garlic or garlic powder, cumin, and parsley.
Optionally, you can also add in a can of cream of mushroom soup for more flavor. You can also add in additional diced potoes or broccoli near the end of the initial boil, if you like a chunkier soup.