Recipe--Soups!

Well the weekend before last it was 89 degrees on Saturday, now you can see your breath in the air.  So this is a good time to post a few more soup recipes.  

                     

Cheesy Vegetable and Ham Chowder
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Ingredients
2  cups water (or ham based boullion or chicken soup stock)
2  cups chopped potato (2 medium)
1/2  cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
1/2  cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1/4  cup chopped onion
1/4  cup butter or margarine
1/4  cup all-purpose flour
1/4  teaspoon black pepper
2  cups milk
2-1/2  cups shredded cheddar cheese or 10 ounces American cheese, torn
1  15-ounce can cream-style corn
2  cups cubed cooked ham
* Black pepper (optional)
Directions
1. In a large saucepan combine water, potato, carrot, celery, and onion. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Do not drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour and pepper; add milk all at once. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
3. Add cheese to milk mixture. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Add cheese mixture to potato mixture. Stir in corn and ham. Heat through, but do not boil. If desired, season with additional pepper.
4. Makes 6 servings (9 cups)

Amish Potato Rivel Soup
The staff at the Patchwork Quilt Country Inn in northern Indiana takes great pride serving regional specialties like this comforting soup. The "rivels" (small noodle dumplings) thicken the soup, and require no special equipment to make.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup diced cured or smoked ham
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon celery seeds
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or chives
Directions
1. Bring the water, potatoes, celery, onion and ham to a simmer in a large saucepan; cook for 20 minutes.  
2. In a medium bowl, mix the egg, flour and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Using floured hands, pull into stringy lumps; add to the potato mixture. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring often. Stir in milk, celery seeds and remaining salt; heat through. Top with parsley or chives.

French Onion Soup
The unbeatable combination of cheese, onions, broth and bread originated at Les Halles, the famous Paris market. This heart-warming soup is perfect for a cold day!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
5 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth
2 cups water
1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 small slices or 4 large slices French bread
1 to 2 cups shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic; cook until golden, about 25 minutes. Stir frequently during last 15 minutes of cooking.  
2. Preheat the broiler. Add the broth, water, sherry, bay leaf, thyme and pepper to the onion mixture. Bring to a simmer; cook for 10 minutes.  
3. Meanwhile, place the bread slices on a baking sheet; broil until golden, turning once.
4. Divide the soup among 4 heatproof bowls. Place the bowls on a baking sheet. Float 2 small slices or 1 large slice of toast in each bowl; sprinkle the bread slices with the Gruyère, then the Parmesan, dividing the cheese evenly. Broil 4 inches from heat until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Of course, my favorite fall meal is still Campbell's Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Mmm, good!  Especially when you dip your grilled cheese into the Tomato soup, YUM!

I also love French Onion soup, although the ol' guy isn't too crazy about it.  So I will usually fix that for lunch sometime.  I love to make some homemade sour dough bread and serve the soup in a "bowl" of the bread. 

I do have some ham in the freezer and think I will give the Cheesy Vegetable & Ham chowder a try one day this week.  Maybe I'll serve that in a bread bowl too.  Mm, that might be really good.

Wow...I'm sitting here watching The Early Show as I write...they have Steve Earl, a rock and roll legend on.  Dang!  Those rock and rollers age HARD!  I mean he was looking pretty good in the old clips and stuff and then BAM!  There he is sitting on stage and he is looking like he lived a real hard life. 

Okay, makeover tip number one-when your going bald, but still have a fringe of "bangs" in front of that balding pattern, CUT THE BANGS short!  When you let them grow long, they look like a silly little thread bare curtain hanging over your forehead.  Just embrace the baldness and cut them bangs.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and welcome back to the real world.

Have a great day & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: recipes, soups, Cheesy Vegetable and Ham Chowder, Amish Potato Rivel Soup, French Onion Soup