Thursday Soup or Stew Night #3

It's good to feel better again, and to be able to cook and eat again! And just in time for Thursday Soup or Stew Night. As Don and I were talking about how we felt like eating again, I reminded him that tonight was soup night. "Good," he said. "Let's have something hearty, but that isn't fattening." (He's also working on losing weight.) I got out my old recipe collection and started reading off some soups I hadn't made before, and he vetoed the first three because they are cream-based. He wanted a broth-based soup. I'll be sharing below what I came up with. On to the roundup.

I'm a regular visitor and poster to the Open Road Forums at rv.net. One of the threads is "Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs," and of course, I visit that one often. SteveRuff, another frequent poster, contributes a soup he made for the diet he's on. Here's his recipe:

Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

2/3 c brown rice
4 1/4 c chicken broth
1 dash Black pepper
1 1/2 c Shiitake mushrooms; sliced
--or regular fresh mushrooms
1/2 c Shallots; or onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. Butter or margarine
1 1/2 c Cooked chicken; or turkey
1/2 c Fresh parsley; snipped

Run cold water over the rice in a strainer for about 1 minute, lifting the rice to rinse it thoroughly. In a large saucepan, mix the rice, broth and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the mushrooms and shallots in butter until tender, but not brown. Add the mushroom mixture, chicken and parsley to the soup. Heat through.

Steve adds: "I made most of my own chicken broth from what I boiled the breasts in...added celery salt, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper, and a couple of bay leaves. I did add the bag of spinach and it added a lot to the soup. I have to say that it turned out to be one of the best soups I have had for the calories. It is also pretty filling with the added spinach."

Our next soup comes from Sara of I Like to Cook. She doesn't really know if it's a soup or a stew, since it's pretty thick (remember Rachel Ray's word - Stoup?), but she says it's really good! It's called Sorta Minestrone Soup





Paula of The Cookbook Junkie joins us this week with a stew - and oh, does it look good! It's called Texas Stew, from Delicious and Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes.







Ulrike in Germany, of Kuchlatein contributes a Carrot, Lentil, and Orange Soup. What an interesting mix of flavors!




I asked Meeta of What's For Lunch, Honey? to join in with a soup she made yesterday, Creamy Ginger Carrot Soup. Once again, interesting flavor combinations. (I really need to try new tastes!)





My soup tonight is one I think I got from Light & Tasty Magazine. I used to subscribe to it, and have a notebook full of ideas to try. This one's a keeper - and Don ate 2 1/2 bowls. To go with it, since he always wants bread, I took refrigerated biscuits and sprinkled them with shredded Swiss cheese and some crushed red pepper. Tasty!

Kielbasa Bean Soup
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t butter or margarine
2 cans reduced-sodium chicken broth or 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 med. potato, peeled, cubed
1 cup sliced fresh carrots
1/2 lb. turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 can (15 oz) kidney or great white beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. white wine or cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in broth, potato, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Thanks to everyone for participating! This is such fun. And it makes planning one of my meals each week easier. Join me next time, won't you?

food & drink