Small Recipes...Hamburger Veggie Soup

It was in the 50's yesterday...but it's colder and it snowed some overnight.  

So here's an easy soup I make to use hamburger mix that I can or freeze.  You can also brown hamburger plain and freeze it to use in recipes like this.  Either method gives you a head start on your meal.  You can use a mixed vegetable blend as purchased, or mix together odds and ends from your frozen vegetable collection to use them up.  If I don’t have my own home canned beef broth I like canned consommé for the good flavor.   Use any small pasta you like, just weigh out the same amount.  I freeze any tomatoes I have left and use them in other recipes.

Serve with some kind of bread, biscuits, muffins or crackers, a small side salad and fruit for dessert for an easy meal that pleases most everyone.    It makes 2 nice bowls of soup with no leftovers.              

                       Hamburger Veggie Soup

  1          half pint  hamburger mix -- or 4 ounces cooked ground beef, thawed if needed

  1          half pint  beef broth -- or consommé

  2          tablespoons  chopped onion

     2/3   cup  frozen mixed vegetables -- thawed - 3 ounces

     1/2   cup  canned stewed tomatoes

     1/2   teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce -- optional

  1          bay leaf

    1/16  teaspoon  pepper

     1/3   cup  uncooked spiral pasta -- 1 1/2 ounces

Combine all ingredients, cook until pasta is done.  Takes 15 to 20 minutes or until pasta is done as desired, depending on the brand of pasta you buy.

If needed, first cook 4 ounces ground beef; drain and crumble to use in place of hamburger mix.  Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Serves 2

Small Recipes...Sausage Chowder for 2

My husband wants this recipe again…soon!  He says “It’s a keeper for sure”.  I liked it because of the taste and because I always keep the ingredients on hand for other cooking so I can make it at the last minute, and it’s ready in less than a half hour.  I cut it down from 8 to 2 servings.

To make it simpler on a busy weekday, I used frozen Southern-style hash browns; potato cubes that are non-GMO, gluten-free, with no added salt, fat or sugar from Mr. Dell brand.  I keep them in my freezer all the time. I can make a number of different recipes with no potato waste or spoilage.  I also used my own frozen onions and corn, so the only prep work I had was slicing some carrots.  It’s also a good way to use up some fresh potatoes.

The original recipe calls for evaporated milk; I used whole milk with a little ultragel or cornstarch as I didn’t want to find a use for the remaining evaporated milk from the can.

I used pork sausage I had pattied up in 1 ounce patties so I cooked them from frozen and broke them up a little, add the frozen potatoes and onion and the fresh diced carrots and simmered them in the water.  After 15 minutes I added the frozen corn and thickened milk, and then the cheese and cooked another 5 minutes or so until nice and creamy.

    Sausage Chowder for 2  (Gluten free)

  4           ounces  pork sausage

     1/4    medium  onion -- thinly sliced or diced

  1           cup  diced potatoes

     1/2    cup  diced carrots

     3/4    cup  water

     1/2    tablespoon  minced fresh parsley or dried parsley

     1/4    tablespoon  minced basil

     1/4    teaspoon  salt

    1/16   teaspoon  pepper

     1/2    cup  corn

  3           ounces  whole milk

  2           tablespoons  UltraGel or cornstarch -- blend into milk

  2           ounces  American or Velveeta cheese

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the sausage and onion. Slowly add the potatoes, carrots, water, parsley, basil, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add remaining ingredients, cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

The cookbook is published by the "Iowa Food & Family Project" and you can download it in PDF form here:  Iowa Food and Family Cookbook                 

Small Recipes... Sausage Wild Rice Soup

Coming originally from Minnesota, we love wild rice.  This recipe for soup is one of our favorites; I keep breakfast sausage pattied up in the freezer, as well as cooked brown-wild rice mixture, diced celery and diced onions ready to go in the freezer.  This soup is on the table in less than a half hour.  If you don’t have the rice in the freezer, cook it a day ahead while you’re working around your kitchen or eating a meal, and refrigerate it overnight. 

I make my own rice mix; buying both wild rice and brown rice in bulk and combining it myself is cheaper.  The mixture I use is at the bottom of this post.                   

   Sausage Wild Rice Soup

     ¼      cup  brown and wild rice -- uncooked (1 cup cooked)

  2         ounces  Bulk Breakfast Sausage

  2        Tablespoons  Onion -- minced

  2        Tablespoons  Celery -- finely chopped

     ¼     cup  Carrots -- very thinly sliced

  1 ½    cups  Chicken Broth -- (homemade or made with water and chicken base)

  1        tablespoon  Sherry

     ½    cup  Heavy Cream -- or half and half

  2        Tablespoons  Flour, All-purpose -- or cook-type clear jel

Cook brown and wild rice mix in 1 cup of water or broth for 40-50 minutes; drain well.  (I often do this during dinnertime the day ahead and refrigerate.) or use 1 cup thawed frozen brown and wild rice mix.

In a saucepan, brown sausage, crumble, set aside.

In same saucepan, combine broth, sherry, vegetables; simmer about 15 minutes.  Return sausage to pan with rice.  Combine flour and cream, add to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil and stir 1 minute more until thickened. 

Serves 2

Yield:  "3 cups Soup"

  Brown and Wild Rice Mix

  2 1/2         Pounds  brown rice

     3/4         pound  wild rice

Makes a half gallon jar full of dry mix.  

Cook ¼ cup brown and wild rice mix in 1 cup of water or broth for 40-50 minutes; drain well.  Can be prepared in your instant pot or pressure cooker and frozen.

Cost:  $2.41 per pound.....mixed was $3.63 per pound

Yield:  "3 1/4 pounds"

Saturday Thoughts...Beefy Mushroom Soup

 

After a Friday morning of appointments, my husband and I stopped by our local family restaurant (where we usually have morning coffee with Myrna) and had a nice “senior” lunch.  After a cup of good soup, we had large servings of “Chopped Steak with Onions”; which was tenderized sirloin with wonderful caramelized onions, and green beans, with peppermint ice cream for dessert.  Neither of us could eat all of our steak, so I brought it home in a sandwich take-out box.  
On that Saturday, one of the coldest here in 2021 so far, I made this soup recipe from “Taste of Home Down Home Cooking for 1 or 2" that I had been looking at.  It calls for cooked roast beef, but I subbed in our chopped steak and the onions as well.  We wanted a little vegetable in our soup too, so I added a half cup of frozen peas to the original recipe.  I used home-canned beef broth and canned mushroom slices as that’s what I had on hand in my pantry.  If you have mushrooms leftover, freeze them to use in another recipe.
We loved it…I’ll make it again. 

                    
                Beefy Mushroom Soup
  1        medium  onion -- chopped
     1/2 cup  sliced fresh mushrooms
  2        tablespoons  butter
  2        tablespoons  all-purpose flour
  2        cups  beef broth
     2/3 cup  cubed cooked roast beef
     1/2 teaspoon  garlic powder (I substituted minced garlic)
     1/4 teaspoon  paprika
     1/4 teaspoon  pepper
     1/8 teaspoon  salt
  1/2    cup frozen peas (optional)
            Dash  hot pepper sauce
            Shredded mozzarella cheese -- optional
In a large saucepan, sauté onion and mushrooms in butter until onion is tender; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk flour and broth until smooth; gradually add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Add the roast beef, garlic powder, paprika, pepper, salt, pepper sauce and onion mixture; cook and stir until heated through. Garnish with cheese if desired.
Yield:   Makes 3 cups or 2 servings"

Small Recipes...Lemon Wild Rice Soup

The Crackers are Gluten Free

  The Better Homes and Gardens Great Cooking for Two has a recipe for Lemon and Wild Rice soup that is excellent. It has an egg stirred in at the end like egg drop soup and the wild rice and lemon are a different taste and texture for a welcome change. 

I stirred too much and broke up the egg more than I meant to.

  You could add some leftover cooked chicken or some chopped ham to make it a heartier soup but I thought it was good just as the recipe calls for. Any left over will warm nicely for another meal or use it for the base of a hot dish by adding white rice, and mushrooms, maybe some almonds. Keep in mind that the better your chicken broth or stock is the better your soup will taste. I used my homemade stock but you can use your favorite broth or stock.

Lemon and Wild Rice Soup

2 cups chicken broth or stock

3 tablespoons wild rice

2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice

dash of pepper

1 beaten egg (beat lightly with fork)

1 tablespoon sliced green onion (optional)

1 cup of diced ham or cooked chicken (optional)

Directions

In a medium saucepan bring chicken sauce to a boil, add wild rice, cover and lower heat to simmer for about 40 minutes or until rice is tender. 

Stir in lemon juice and pepper. Pour the beaten egg into the broth in a steady stream having the broth quite hot and stir the egg two to 3 times to make threads of the egg.

To serve ladle into bowl and garnish with sliced green onion if desired.

Small Recipes...Lentil Stew

I had to try this recipe for a lentil soup using a hamburger mix recipe that was in “Betty Crocker Cooking for One".  Since I can or freeze my own hamburger mix, I used mine…the recipe for the mix was very similar.   We like tomatoes with hamburger, and although the mix uses tomato, I had a half pint of canned tomatoes in the freezer, so I substituted them for a cup of the water called for.  I also made it a little larger so I could serve two.  I do use red lentils that I keep in my pantry, which cook more quickly than the regular brown ones.  I keep diced celery and cooked mushrooms in the freezer too; so it didn’t take long to prep this recipe.

My husband thought that this was a “keeper”.   I was happy to have another good recipe to add to my “hamburger mix” repertoire.               

                               Lentil Stew

  1             cup  Canned tomatoes -- cut up

     1/2      cup  water

     1/4      cup  lentils -- uncooked

  1             tablespoon  parsley -- or 1 tsp. Italian seasoning

     3/4      cup  hamburger mix - half pint jar

  1             small  carrot -- sliced

  1             small stalk  celery -- sliced

  2             tablespoons  sliced mushroom

                 dash  salt

Heat tomatoes, water, lentils and parsley (or Italian seasoning) to boiling in 1 quart saucepan.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes (10 minutes for red lentils).

Stir in remaining ingredients.  Heat to boiling.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables and lentils are tender, 15-20 minutes.

 

Small Recipes...Split Pea Soup

We like split pea soup.  If I want to just make two bowls to warm us up on a cooler day like we're supposed to have this week, this is a good recipe.  If you have it, like I did, add a few ham scraps to the soup.  I make it on Saturdays occasionally, when I am working around the house and can let lunch cook awhile.  We enjoyed our soup with egg salad sandwiches on homemade wheat bread.

The recipe is from the Mille Crawford Bell cookbook Single Servings.   The beautiful dried peas are purchased in bulk at the nearest Amish store, The Dutchman’s in Cantril, Iowa.                 

                              Split Pea Soup

  1             Cup  split peas

  1             quart  water

  1             tablespoon  chopped onions – or ½ teaspoon onion powder

     1/2      teaspoon  garlic powder

  4-5         baby carrots – sliced 1/2" thick (optional)

     1/2      teaspoon  beef or ham base or bouillon

                 pinch  cayenne

Place all ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pan and mix well.

Cook, uncovered, over medium heat at a slow boil until soup thickens and peas are tender, about 45 minutes.

Use a wooden spoon to mash the peas some, as desired.

Makes 2 bowls of soup.  Leftovers can be frozen, and reheated with a tablespoon or two of water.

Cream of Chicken with Tortellini Soup

Here’s what we had for lunch on a snowy cold day this week.  I had cooked chicken to use, and some of the cheese tortellini in the cupboard.  I also freeze chopped onion and celery so I had a real head start on this recipe.  Don’t boil the tortellini hard; it will break up.

 I like dried shelf-stable cheese tortellini; the least expensive is the Priano brand from Aldi’s.  The other brand in this area is from Barilla; its good but is more expensive.   Of course, you can also use a package of refrigerated tortellini, or you can use plain noodles instead and cook until they are done.                  

Cream of Chicken with Tortellini Soup

  5           cups  Chicken Stock

     2/3    cup  Celery -- medium dice

     2/3    cup  Carrots -- very thinly sliced

     1/2     cup  onion -- diced

  9           ounces  Dried cheese tortellini -- purchased

  1           cup  whole milk

  6           tablespoons  flour

  3           cups  cooked chicken -- large dice

     2/3    cup  peas -- optional

  1 1/2    tablespoons  sherry

  1 1/2    teaspoons  poultry seasoning

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large pot and add the celery, carrots, onion and tortellini. Simmer uncovered for about 8-10 minutes, until the tortellini are cooked. (Change time if using other pasta - follow package directions).

Make a slurry of the milk and flour, stir into the broth. Add the cooked chicken meat and peas and heat through until thickened and hot, about 4-5 minutes. Season to taste and serve.

6 Servings

Family Favorites...Simpler French Onion Soup

Here’s an easy onion soup recipe that we liked.  However, it’s not quick, as you really want your onions to caramelize for all the flavor you can get.   We liked using croutons instead of having to have French bread on hand and they are easier to eat than whole slices.  Simply delicious.

                       Simpler French Onion Soup

  1 1/2    tablespoons  Butter

  2           medium  Onions -- thinly sliced and halved

     1/4    teaspoon  Thyme Leaves

  2           Tablespoons  Sherry

  1           Can  Beef Consommé -- 10 1/2 oz.

     1/2    Can  Water

  2           Tablespoons  Parmesan Cheese -- shredded (or Swiss or Gruyere)

               Croutons, as desired

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions and lower the heat to medium low. Add the thyme leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions start to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until the sherry is almost completely evaporated and the onions are brown, about 15 minutes.

Add the consommé and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees F.

Ladle the soup into oven-proof soup bowls. Place the soup bowls on a sheet pan. Place the croutons on top of the soup, to cover. Top each bowl with grated cheese. Place in the oven and cook until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.

Adapted from  "Emeril Legasse"

2 Servings      Yield:  "3 Cups"

Chicken Corn Tortellini Soup

My husband really liked this soup!  I made it with Barilla Dried Cheese Tortellini; it’s shelf-ready and very flavorful.  Aldi's has very good dried tortellini too, and cheaper.   If you can’t find that, use fresh or frozen tortellini.  I also use some Cream of Mushroom Soup Frozen Mix; I’m spoiled since Myrna introduced me to that recipe.

I also used home-canned chicken; you can use leftover cooked chicken or turkey or perhaps even diced ham, to use it up!  Another suggestion is to substitute canned tuna and condensed cream of broccoli soup for a more pantry-ready soup.  Every version is good.

We enjoyed it with basic muffins and a fruit for dessert.                    

                         Chicken Corn Tortellini Soup
   2                  Cups  fresh or frozen cheese filled tortellini -- (5-6 ounces dried tortellini can be substituted)

  1                can  Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken Soup

  12              Fluid Ounces  chicken broth

     1/4           tsp  Dried Italian Seasoning -- crushed

     1/8           tsp  garlic powder

  

  1                  Cup  frozen whole kernel corn (sweet)

  1 1/2           Cups  milk

  1                  Pint  Cooked Chicken -- drained (use broth for chicken broth) (1 3/4 cups cooked chicken)

  2                  Tbsp  Diced Red Bell Pepper

                      Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

In a 3 quart saucepan, cook tortellini as package directs.  Drain and set aside.

In same saucepan, combine soup, broth, Italian seasoning and garlic. Over high heat, heat to boiling.

Add red pepper and corn. Reduce heat to low.  Add milk and chicken; heat through, stirring occasionally, add drained tortellini.
 Garnish with parsley, if desired. Makes about 6 cups.

Yield:  "4 servings"

Sausage Meatball and Green Bean Chowder

We had a package of homemade pork sausage from Don’s homestead hog; we wanted to try out Myrna’s recipe for homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup mix; we had everything for this recipe.

It was delicious!!  If you use regular canned soup, Myrna likes the chicken mushroom condensed soup for better flavor.
Serve with hot rolls or biscuits and a side salad.             

                 Sausage Meatball and Green Bean Chowder

     1/2      pound  Pork Sausage -- 16 small meatballs

  2             medium  Onions -- chopped

  2             medium  Carrots -- sliced

  1             can  Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup -- 10 3/4 ounce or Freezer MushroomSoup  

  1             Pint  Chicken Broth (I used home-canned)

     1/2      Cup  Water

  3             medium  Potatoes -- 3/4" dice

  1             cup  Cut Green Beans -- frozen or fresh

Shape sausage into 1" meat balls (16 per 1/2 pound).  (I used a size 100 scoop.)  In saucepan, brown meatballs on all sides; remove, leaving drippings in pan.

Brown onions and carrots 3 minutes in hot drippings.  Drain.

Stir in soup, broth, water, potatoes, green beans and cooked meatballs.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.

Cover and cook 10-15 minutes until potatoes and beans are tender.  (If soup is too thick, thin with milk or water.)

4 Servings

Per Serving: 443 Calories; 30g Fat (59.8% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 39mg Cholesterol; 1398mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 5 Fat.

Bean and Sausage Soup

Here’s a hearty soup, just right for still cold days.  My husband thought we needed to have this again.  You can use your home-canned or purchased canned beans and vegetables from your pantry, as I did.  Always nice to have another recipe to use your storage staples.   

If you use fresh potatoes, I wouldn’t peel them, just cube them.  I keep bacon and sausage on hand in my freezer, as well as chopped onion I freeze, so this wasn’t a recipe I had to go out and buy something to make.                

BEAN & SAUSAGE SOUP

  2             slices  bacon

     1/2      c.  chopped onion

  1             c.  sliced carrots (can use canned carrots)

  1             c.  cubed peeled potato (can use 1/2 pint canned potatoes)

     1/4      c.  chopped fresh parsley

     1/2      tsp.  dried marjoram leaves (optional)

     1/4      tsp.  ground black pepper

  2             c.  water (use potato and/or carrot water for part of this if using canned vegetables)

  1 1/4      c.  thinly sliced sausage (8 ounces) -- Polish, Brats, Ring Bologna or your choice

  1             can  canned cut green beans -- (16 oz.) undrained

  1             can  canned Great Northern beans -- (16 oz.) undrained

In large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Crumble bacon. Set aside. Sauté onion in reserved 1 tablespoon drippings until tender.

Add raw carrot*, raw potato*, parsley, marjoram, pepper and water. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add sausage, beans and reserved bacon. Heat thoroughly. 

*If using canned potatoes and/or carrots, add with the beans at the end.

Serves 6

Pozole Rojo

I don’t know if this recipe is really very authentic, but it’s a favorite of ours.   I used some fresh ham (really pork leg) that I had left from another recipe to make it today.  I also used yellow hominy because that’s what was in the pantry.  You can use water, tomato sauce or enchilada sauce interchangeably.  Thick salsa, regular canned tomatoes or Rotel work for the tomatoes too.  I sometimes add chopped green peppers and onion to the pork when I brown it.  
This is a recipe that let's you make it your own, and it’s a little different each time.  My husband says “It has everything in it I like”.  We usually serve it with cornbread and a chopped salad.   
If you aren't used to hominy, the yellow hominy tastes like bits of tasty cornbread in your soup.            

Pozole Rojo

 2        tablespoons  olive oil -- or lard

  1       pound  pork tenderloin, pork loin, pork shoulder or fresh ham -- trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

  2        teaspoons  chipotle seasoning blend or cumin or chili seasoning (as desired)

  2       cans  white or yellow hominy -- (15.5-ounce each)  drained

  1       can  Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeno peppers and spices (14.5-ounce) undrained

  1       cup  tomato sauce or water or enchilada sauce (as desired)

     ¼   cup  chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with oil or lard. Sprinkle pork evenly with seasoning blend.   Add pork to pan; cook and stir 4 minutes or until browned. Stir in hominy, tomatoes, and 1 cup  tomato sauce or water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20-30 minutes or until pork is tender. Stir in cilantro.

 4 servings 

Corn and Ham Soup

Myrna likes a cream soup that’s not thick and “gloppy”, and she needs one that’s gluten-free.  This recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Practical Produce", fills the bill!  I had cream on hand, and the rest of the ingredients too…home canned chicken broth, and good diced ham from those not-so-pretty slices near the end of a ham, and green peppers and onion, already chopped, all in the freezer, along with corn – I didn’t even thaw them before cooking.

I served it with some focaccia I also had in the freezer, warmed 15 seconds in the microwave, and in the time it took my husband to make a nice salad, using homemade salad dressing that lasts several days, we had a homemade lunch! 

Corn and Ham Soup

  6             cups  Chicken Broth

  2             cups  Corn

  1             cup  Ham -- diced

     1/3      cup  Onion -- chopped

     1/3      cup  Green Pepper -- chopped

  1             cup  Cream

Combine all but cream.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes.  Stir in cream and heat through.

6-8 Servings

Instant Pot Bean Soup

The first recipe I tried in my new Instant Pot was bean soup. This has long been a favorite of mine. I can remember cold Minnesota winters and coming in to a pot of bean soup and corn bread. Yummy for us and cheap on Mom’s budget. I still make it often for us and when ham shanks are on sale I buy them and freeze for later use.

Navy beans are my beans of choice, the rest will eat either. The Instant Pot made it quick and easy and we all had second bowls . I can no longer have the corn bread but Bettie and Lyle like it in the bowl with the soup poured over it.

Instant Pot Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 lb Great Northern beans or navy beans  soaked for 1 hour *  (Bring water to boil & shut off. Cover with lid or foil, let soak for 1 hour and drain.)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 medium onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced optional

1 lb ham cubed or meaty ham shank

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 bay leaf

Instant Pot Instructions

Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot, and add the oil,onion, garlic, to the pot. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Dump the remaining ingredients in the Instant Pot and close the lid. Lock the lid, move valve to sealing and cook on Manual for 15 minutes.
When the ham and bean soup is done, and you hear the beep sound, click the Cancel/Keep Warm button. Let natural release for 10 minutes, and then carefully quick release until all the pressure is out.

Open lid and serve warm.

Overnight Soak - Place beans in large saucepan with about 7 cups water. Cover and let stand overnight, or at least 6-8 hours. Drain soak water and rinse. 

Black Bean Minestrone Soup

This is a recipe for a version of minestrone soup; I don’t know how authentic it is, but it doesn’t matter to us as it’s delicious and nutritious, as well as budget friendly.  It has plenty of protein and 15 grams of fiber!    If you don’t have black beans, use red beans.               

We like soups like this with some good whole grain crackers and fruit for dessert.  It's fast to make anytime of year.

Black Bean Minestrone Soup

  2          cans  beef consomme -- 10 1/2 ounces each

  2          cups  chunky spaghetti sauce

  1          cup  carrots -- sliced

     1/2   cup  onion -- finely chopped

  2          teaspoons  parsley -- minced

  1          teaspoon  italian seasoning -- or basil

  1          small  bay leaf

  1          cup  frozen peas -- or fresh

  2          ounces  small pasta -- shells, ditalini, etc.

  2          cups  cooked black beans -- or canned, rinsed and drained

  4         tablespoons  parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, combine the first 7 ingredients; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add peas, beans and pasta; simmer 5-10 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.  Discard bay leaves.  Ladle into soup bowls, top with cheese.

4 servings

Can substitute 2 3/4 cups beef broth for consommé.

Broccoli Chowder

  This is an excellent soup that uses all of the bunch of broccoli; including the stems for extra flavor.  I have a Bamix stick blender, which makes pureeing the stems while hot really easy.   I adapted the recipe from an old one I found in Fine Cooking so long ago I can’t remember what I changed.   I use home-canned chicken or turkey broth; you can use vegetable broth if desired.  This can be gluten-free if you are careful about the broth you choose and shred your own cheese.              

Broccoli Chowder

  1         tablespoon  Butter

     1/2  cup  Onion -- medium dice

  2         medium  Carrots -- thinly sliced

  1         stalk  Celery -- thinly sliced

  1         teaspoon  Garlic -- minced

  1 1/4  cups  Chicken Broth

  1 1/4  cups  Water

  2         tablespoons  Sherry

     3/4  pound  Broccoli Stems -- thinly sliced stems

     1/2  cup  Heavy Cream

  1         teaspoon  Balsamic Vinegar

  2         cups  Broccoli Florets

  4         ounces  Sharp Cheddar Cheese -- shredded

In a 2-3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir well, cover, and reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the aromatics are softened, 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli, chicken broth, garlic and sherry, plus as much water as broth. Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender and the soup is full-flavored, 20 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and let the soup cool for 5 minutes. Set the pan in the sink, and puree with a stick blender (or working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, filling the jar no more than half full and venting the lid, topping it with a folded kitchen towel to prevent hot splashes. Put the soup back into the pan.)   Add the florets and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add the cream and the vinegar. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.  Take off heat and add cheese, letting it melt.

Yield:  "1 1/2 quarts"