Soups - Vegetable Soup Recipes and More

Soup recipes are delicious and a wonderful way to make a good meal year-round, even though we think of eating soup more in the cooler weather.

The advantage of making soup in the summer is you can make it with fresh vegetables in a larger quantity and freeze bags of soup for those winter day. There is no vegetable in a can that tastes like one that is fresh. The first four soups can be vegetarian.

One of my favorite soups is Corn Chowder. It tastes especially good when made with white corn, but the color of yellow gives the chowder a nice appeal also. You can actually mix the two corns together whether you use fresh corn or frozen and get a wonderful result. It also freezes well. This soup can be served as an appetizer or as a main course.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices Bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. Hot smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 10 ounce packages of frozen corn (white or yellow to taste)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 canned fat-free evaporated milk (12 oz. can)
• 4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Directions:

• Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

• Discard all but 1 tbsp. of the drippings, and return the pot to medium heat. Add the onion. Cook and stir for 7 minutes.

• Add the garlic, paprika, and cumin and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

• Stir in the corn and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

• Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the purée to the saucepan and stir to combine.

• Stir in the milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 min. longer.

• Serve topped with the green onions and bacon.

Yield: 6 servings

Calories per serving: 188

This is an easy, very versatile soup with an assortment of vegetables you desire. It makes a great main dish and again you can use frozen or fresh vegetables. You can also add other ingredients, even something like sausage.

If you are using frozen vegetables you can always use a bag of some mixed frozen vegetables. You could easily double the recipe and this soup would freeze nicely.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 cups of water
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, untrained
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 8 cups mixed vegetables, such as carrot, corn, green beans, corn, peas, potatoes, and zucchini (Cut larger vegetables into bite-sized pieces)

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, set over medium heat. Add the next four ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for the next 8 minutes.

• Add the broth, water, tomatoes with their juices and tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes. Stir in the vegetables and return to a simmer.

• Cook, uncovered until the vegetables are tender, usually about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 8 servings

This is a nice light, creamy soup that is delicious. It is simple to make and the nutmeg gives the squash just the right flavor to make the taste delightful.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 med. Yellow squash, chopped
• 1 can of Campbell Chicken Broth, undiluted
• 1/2 cup coffee cream
• Dash pepper
• Dash nutmeg
• Minced chives or parsley

Directions:

• Combine onion, squash and chicken broth in a saucepan and cook until soft.

• Puree mixture and return pureed vegetables to the saucepan and add a dash of pepper and a dash of nutmeg.

• Heat mixture. Add 1/2 cup coffee cream.

• Remove from heat; do not let the mixture boil.

• Serve sprinkled with minced chives or parsley, according to your taste.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 tsp.chili powder
• 1 tsp.dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp.ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 14.5 ounces can chili-ready diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15 ounce light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 6 ounce can tiny shrimp, drained
• 1 tsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper.

• Cook and stir 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour. Cook and stir 1 minute.

• Add the broth, rice chili powder, thyme, cumin, hot sauce and tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 quarts water
• 1 ham hock, with some meat
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb. kidney or navy beans
• 2 large. Onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery with leafy tops, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1-2 tsp. Creole seasonings
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

• In a large pot, combine water, ham hock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes.

• Strain into a large bowl. Discard the bay leaf. Remove meat from the bone. Trim off visible fat and cut meat into small pieces. Set aside 1/4 cup of the meat. Reserve any remaining for another use. Remove fat from stock.

• Add beans, onions, celery, carrots, red peppers, parsley, cilantro, cumin, oregano. Next, add Creole seasoning and garlic to the stock in the large pot.

• Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to simmer. Cover and simmer 2 1/2 - 3 hours, or until beans are tender.

• Puree 4 cups of soup in blender or food processor. Stir back into the pot. Stir in reserved ham. Season to taste with hot pepper sauce.

Yield: 14 cups

Soup is something that always seems nourishing and the nice thing is you can alter a recipe any way that suits your taste. The numbers of soups are only limited by your imagination. It is a great idea to use fresh vegetables and freeze different soups, as you will appreciate the fresh taste in the winter weather.