Spicy Meatball Ravioli Soup

During the cold, wet, and windy fall and winter months we really love to make a thick and hearty soup for dinner. This last Sunday I made soup in the slow cooker, I simply love anything that I place into the slow cooker and walk away while it does amazing things to the items you have placed inside. I found this recipe on Brandie's site, The Country Cook. I did however make a few changes to the ingredients to make it more our own. This soup went really well with the pumpkin cornbread that we posted last Sunday, but just some crusty bread or soft dinner rolls would have been great as well.

1 Lbs. - Frozen Mini Meatballs
1/2 Lbs. - Buitoni Frozen Braised Beef & Sausage Ravioli
32 oz. Box - Beef Stock
2 (15.5oz.) Cans - Cannellini Beans (do not drain)
1 (14.5oz.) Can - Italian Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)
1 Small - Onion (minced)
2 Tbs. - Garlic (minced)
1/2 Tbs. - Italian Seasoning
1/2 Tsp. - Celery Salt
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning (or garlic powder)
1 Tbs. - Dried Parsley
1/4 Tsp. - Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C. Heavy Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Corn Starch

Pour the beef stock into the crock pot and add the beans, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, and all seasonings. Stir to combine, and then add in the meatballs; turn the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. About 45 minutes before you are ready for simmer stir in the ravioli and allow them to cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. When the soup is ready, thicken with the corn starch and heavy cream, ladle into serving dishes and enjoy.

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Cold Strawberry Soup

A few weeks ago one of my driver's at work brought me a half flat of fresh local strawberries, I was so surprised by this. My husband and I hulled them and then froze the berries so we could use them all summer long. Now that the hot summer days have finally arrived in Beaverton I took some out of the freezer to make something a little sweet for dessert tonight, I also wanted to make something I have not tried before. I came across a recipe that sounded just like what I was looking for, simple not too fussy, cold and delish.

2 C. - Hulled Sliced Fresh or (thawed) Frozen Strawberries
1 C. - Orange Juice
8 Oz. - Yoplait Light French Vanilla Yogurt
1/2 Tsp. - Vanilla Extract
1/4 C. - Sugar
Whip Topping

In a blender combine the berries, juice, yogurt, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Refrigerate until cold before serving. Pour into a bowl or cup and top with a dollop of whipped cream, then enjoy this cold refreshing dessert soup on a hot summer night.

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Gnocchi Turkey Meatball Soup

My husband and I simply love to eat out at Olive Garden, we will go to enjoy the all you can eat soup, salad & bread sticks. My favorite soup has always been the Zuppa Tuscana, we have made our own version of this and posted it on our blog 11-9-2008. Even though I simply love this soup my new go to favorite is their new Chicken Gnocchi Soup. My husband and I played with this recipe and made a few changes to create our version of this delicious soup.

Turkey Meatballs:

1 Lbs. - Ground Turkey
1 C. - Honey Flavored Panko Crumbs
1 Tbs. - Minced Garlic
1 - Egg
2 Tbs. - Half & Half
1 1/2 Tbs. - Olive Oil
2 Tbs. - Parsley
1/4 C. - Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Tsp. - Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp. - Johnny's Turkey Seasoning
Salt & Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and form into about a walnut sized, maybe little smaller meatballs. Pan fried on all sides just until brown, and then bake the meatballs in the oven at 350 degrees for another 20 minutes to finish cooking.

Soup Base:

4 C. - Chicken Broth
2 C. - Half & Half
1 Tsp. - Celery Salt
1 Tbs. - Chopped Garlic
1/2 C. - Shredded Carrot
1/2 C. - Diced Onion
1 Tbs. - Olive Oil
1 Tsp. - Herbs De Provance
16 oz. - Package Potato gnocchi
1 C. - Frozen Defrosted Spinach
1/2 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
Salt, Pepper & Cayenne to taste

Sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic in olive oil until tender and translucent. In a soup pot, add the broth, half & half, sauté veggies, and all seasonings. Heat to a rolling boil then add the gnocchi and gently boil for 4 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the spinach and cooked meatballs simmer for an additional 5 minutes. If the soup is not the consistency you like, simply thicken with a corn starch slurry.

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Lasagna Soup

This last week in Beaverton has been a frigid one for sure; we have had snow and extremely cold temps down in the mid teens with the wind. We have been trying so hard to stay warm on the outside as well as the inside, so what better way than some hearty comfort food. To us there is nothing more hearty and comforting than a big dish of fresh hot cheesy lasagna, we really wanted all the same flavors but in a great deal of less time. We took the components of great lasagna and turned it into a great bowl of soup. This soup did the trick, it warmed us up heart, body, mind, and soul....it was amazing.

• 1/2 Lbs. - Fafalle Pasta (cooked about 1/2 way)
• 1 Jar 26 oz. - Garlic Onion Pasta Sauce
• 1 Lbs. - Ground Beef (cooked)
• 2 C. - Beef Broth
• 2 1/2 C. - Water
• 1 Tbs. - Oregano (dry)
• 1/2 Tbs. - Salt
• 2 Tbs. - Italian Seasoning
• 2 Tbs. - Steak Seasoning
• 7 oz. - Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Tbs. - Parsley
• 1/2 Tsp. - Pepper
• 1 - Egg
• 1/4 C. - Parmesan Cheese

In a soup pot, add the ground beef, beef broth, pasta, pasta sauce, water and seasonings. Cook over medium high heat for about 20 minutes. While the soup cooks, in another bowl mix together the ricotta, parmesan, parsley, pepper and egg. After the 20 minutes of the soup cooking stir in the ricotta mixture and cook for another 10 minutes, stir to combine the cheese mixture well. Serve this soup alongside a salad and crusty garlic bread just like it was a big dish of lasagna.

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Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder

The weather has changed and fall is in the air and on the ground in the form of rain, I really love this cold and rainy weather. That being said, it is now officially soup weather and I could not be more excited. What a better way to kick off soup weather than using fresh off the cob sweet corn in a chowder, Yumm-o.

1 Lbs. - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cubed)
2 C. - Fresh Sweet Corn Kernels
2 - 10 3/4 oz. - Cream of Potato Soup
2 - 4 oz. - Cans Green Chile Peppers
1 Packet - Cheese Taco Season Mix
3 C. - Chicken Broth
1 - 8 oz. - Sour Cream
4 oz. - Velveeta Cheese (cubed)

In a slow cooker combine the chicken, corn, soup, chile peppers & taco season mix, stir in chicken broth and mix to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. After cooking stir about 1 cup of the hot soup into the sour cream, then stir the sour cream mix and the cheese cubes into the pot of soup. Cover and let cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve with some Mexican cornbread for a wonderful body warming fall meal.

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Tuscan Turkey Soup

It has been really cold, windy and rainy in Beaverton lately and the only thing to cure that is to make a big pot of soup. My husband found a recipe for a soup that we thought would do the trick to warm us up from the inside out, we wanted a soup that was thick, hearty and full of flavor and this recipe had all of that. We did of course take the liberty to add a few things to make it more our own recipe and to make this soup really have a kick.

1 C. - Chopped Onion
1 Tsp. - Minced Garlic
2 Tbs. - EVOO
2 (14.5 oz) - Cans Chicken Broth
2 C. - Cubed Turkey
1 Can (15 oz) - Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 Can (15 oz) - Cannellini Beans
½ Tsp. - Salt
½ Tsp. - Dried Basil
¼ Tsp. - Pepper
2 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasonings
½ Tbs. - Italian Seasonings
½ Tsp. - Louisiana Season or Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Large - Red Potatoes (cubed)
Wondra Flour or Corn Starch
Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large soup pot sauté the onion and garlic in the EVOO until tender. Stir in the broth, turkey, pumpkin, beans, potatoes and all of the spices. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and everything is heated. Thicken with some Wondra flour or corn starch to the desired thickness you like, then dish into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

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Taco Soup

Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Installment #2.... We wanted a hearty and slightly spicy soup this week so I found a Taco Soup recipe, who would have ever thought of a taco in a soup version. All of the items for the soup are things we always have on hand in the pantry and freezer so it really made making this soup very easy. I tossed everything in the slow cooker and set it before I left for work and when I got home it had already switched to warm and kept it just perfect until we were ready to serve it.

1 Can (15 oz) - Nalley Thick Chili
1 Can (15 oz) - Whole Corn, with liquid
1 Can (14.5 oz) - Diced Fire Roasted Tomato, with liquid
1 Can (8 oz) - Tomato Sauce
1 Can (15 oz) - Black Beans, with liquid
1 Packet - Taco Seasonings
1/8 C. - Liquid Smoke
3 Tbs. - Hot Sauce
2 Tbs. - Garlic (chopped)

Combine all ingredients in a greased slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips then garnish with grated cheese and sour cream. This will serve 4-6.

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Creamy Turkey Wedding Soup

It has turned cold again here in Beaverton, so in turn that makes me crave soup once again. Let me just say that my husband was just thrilled (LOL), he doesn’t mind soup really as long as I make it thick and creamy. I had been having such a desire to make homemade Italian wedding soup; this is one of my all time favorite soups. I found a great recipe for it and then tweaked it to fit our taste, it turned out wonderful. The soup was thick, creamy, hearty and very filling to my craving.

1 - Egg
¾ C. - Parmesan Powder
½ C. - Seasoned Bread Crumbs
¾ Tsp. - Salt
1 ½ Tsp. - Garlic Powder
1 ¼ Tsp. - Ground Pepper
½ Lbs. - Ground Turkey
2 Q. - Chicken Broth
1 C. - Frozen Spinach
2 - Knorr Mini Onion Cubes
2 - Knorr Mini Garlic Cubes
1 Tbs. - Dry Parsley
1 C. - Ronzoni Acini Di Pepe #44 (cooked)
½ C. plus 2 Tbs. - Heavy Cream
2 Tsp. - Corn Starch

In a large bowl mix the egg, cheese, bread crumbs, ¼ Tsp. salt, ¼ Tsp. garlic and ¼ Tsp. pepper. Crumble the turkey over the mixture and combine well. Shape into 1 inch balls. In a large soup pot brown the meatballs in a little EVOO over medium high heat. When the meatballs are cooked and brown add the broth, spinach, parsley, onion cubes, garlic cubes, and remaining salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta and 2 Tbs. cream letting soup come back to a boil and thicken it with the remaining cream and corn starch. Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan and Serve immediately.

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Zuppa Tuscana

One of my all time favorite soups is Olive Garden’s Zuppa Tuscana. I really wanted to make this at home so I found a recipe that seemed really similar so I gave it my best shot and made a few additions, this was the wonderful outcome. This soup really hit the spot on our cold, wet and drippy Portland night.

1 Lbs. Johnsonville Mild Bulk Sausage
2 Medium Red Potatoes (Cut into chunks)
1/2 Small Chopped Onion
4 Slices Bacon (cut into small pieces)
2 Tbs. Minced Garlic
2 C. Chopped Kale Leaves
1 1/2 Tbs. Chicken Base
5 C. Water
1/2 C. Heavy Cream

Cook the sausage in frying pan over medium high heat just until no longer pink, transfer to a plate. Add the bacon, garlic, and onion to the pan to cook until the onion is soft and the bacon is crisp. Transfer the bacon mixture and sausage to a soup pot and cover with the water and add the kale, potatoes, and chicken base. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the cream and simmer for another 4-5 minutes. Serve with bread sticks and salad for a fabulous cold night dinner.

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Chicken Soup With Pasta

4 – 41/2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 1/4 Cups Small Pasta ( I use Ronzoni Acini Di Pepe # 44)
2 Egg Yolks
1/4 Cup Whipping Cream
2 Tbs. Parmesan Cheese
1 Can of Chicken ( Large )
Season to taste with salt, pepper & garlic powder

Put the chicken broth & can chicken into a soup pot, bring to a boil then add the pasta and cook for 5-10 min. In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks, cream and cheese. After the soup has boiled for the 5-10 min take about ¼ cup of the soup and mix it in with the egg mixture to temper the eggs. You do this so when you put the egg mixture into the soup it will not scramble the eggs. When ready to add the egg mixture to the soup take the soup off the heat and mix well. Return to heat and cook over low for another 4-5 min being careful not to boil the soup.

Serve hot with a grilled sandwich for a wonderful yet simple dinner.