Nashville Wife

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Soups

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

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chicken noodle soup recipeIn the Northern Hemisphere, spring is underway, and summer is just around the corner (which means it’s early fall for my readers in the Southern Hemisphere, right?). Here in Tennessee, the weather is slowly warming up, but our evenings are cool, which means that soup is still an appropriate dinner food. Mr. Handsome isn’t a huge fan of chicken noodle soup because he associates it with being sick. I, on the other hand, love it, but when I do cook it, I usually try to make sure there are some leftovers in the fridge for him.

Mr. Handsome was sure that after my labor and delivery, I would no longer have any desire to eat chicken soup. You can read more about it in my birth story posts, but I was only able to eat clear liquids for 30 hours, and plain chicken stock was one of the few things I could have. I ordered several bowls from the hospital kitchen while I was in labor, and we laughed because it came on a plastic tray with a fancy cover.

Honestly, I think I enjoy chicken soup even more now because I remember how starving I was while in labor and how that stock really hit the spot. And even though my delivery was really difficult (I recently read that drug-induced labor initiates much stronger contractions that are closer together than natural labor, which explains why I had insanely painful contractions with barely any breaks nine hours before my baby was born), I somehow look back on the whole experience with rose-covered glasses.

Now back to the soup. This recipe for chunky chicken noodle soup is from my childhood. It can be ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes if you use prepared chicken stock. If you buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner the night before, you can make your own chicken stock the next day by boiling the carcass and adding herbs, but this soup tastes great whether you use homemade or store-bought stock. If you really want an easy meal, buy an extra rotisserie chicken and use the meat from that one for the soup….

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Baked Potato Soup

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While planning meals for the week, I decided to try a few new recipes. I’ll admit that Mr. Handsome was a bit nervous when he heard, but he has been pleased with the results so far. Two nights ago, I experimented with potato soup, and we both loved it.

Picture a loaded baked potato in soup form, and that’s exactly what this recipe tastes like. It takes a bit of time to make but is so worth it. This soup is creamy and wonderfully flavorful. It’s not an especially healthy meal, although it does contain a decent amount of vegetables and has less fat than conventional potato soup. If you want to make it healthier, you can substitute some of the potato for more yellow squash. You can also use more milk and less heavy cream, but expect a runnier soup if you make that change….

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Cheeseburger Soup

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When my husband requested that I make a dish called cheeseburger soup, I admit I was skeptical. A cheeseburger in soup form? How could that have any health value whatsoever?

Mr. Handsome’s cousin brought it to a family Super Bowl party a few years ago. “I’m not usually a soup guy, but it was delicious,” he told me. So I decided to be a good wife and track down the recipe, which ended up being from Taste of Home.

I made it last night with quite a few alterations, and we both loved it! And guess what? It is decently healthy (especially with my change)!

Cheeseburger Soup (my version)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cups carrots, diced
3 cups celery, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
5 Tablespoons butter, divided (2 Tablespoons can be olive oil)
3 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups potatoes, diced and peeled (approximately 2 large potatoes)
1/4 cup flour (I use a mixture of white and wheat)
1-2/3 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican style)
1-1/3 cup milk
Salt to taste (approximately 1/2 teaspoon

Directions:

  • In a small skillet, brown beef with seasoned salt. Drain and set aside.
  • In a 5-quart saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil, and parsley in 2 Tablespoons butter (or olive oil) until they begin to soften (10-15 minutes).
  • Add chicken broth, potatoes, beef, and garlic. Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes (until potatoes are soft).
  • Meanwhile, melt remaining butter (3 Tablespoons) in the skillet, and add flour. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble (3-5 minutes). Add to soup.
  • Bring soup to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
  • Stir in cheese, milk, and salt. Continue stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Makes approximately 10 cups of soup.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home