My version of Minestrone

MINESTRONE

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
• 1 pkg ground mild Italian sausage
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 chopped onion
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 cups chopped canned San Marzano tomatoes
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 can chopped green beans
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup small pasta (penne/shells/ditalini) or 1 pkg cheese Tortillini
• Salt and pepper
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup parmesan

Directions
Heat oil in large pot and cook bacon until crisp. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with the side of a big spoon, until well browned. Stir in onions and celery and cook until tender. Stir in carrots, herbs, garlic and toss to coat. Pour in chicken stock and tomatoes bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in green beans and shells. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender.Top with cheese & scallions. Season to taste. Yum-O!

*Serve with Bruschetta or garlic bread.

Meatball Soup

One of my favorite recipes! I got it from a friend of mine. Very hearty.

1 lb ground meat (we use beef or pork or a mixture of both) (if frozen, just put in pot, just takes longer to cook)
2 cups rice (not instant or minute rice, we use Mahatma)
6 med potatoes, peeled, bite size
2 carrots, peeled, bite size
1 bell pepper, bite size
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Spices to taste: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, rubbed sage, garlic season all, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning
Lemon juice

Spray soup pot.
Put in all ingredients & spices.
Add enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer for about 2 hours.
Stir often.
Add more water & stir as needed.
After it's done (when meat is done & veggies are fork tender), ladle into bowls & add a squirt or 2 of lemon juice to each bowl. Yum!

Variations:
Add Red or Yellow Bell Peppers
Corn
Celery
Twisty or Elbow Pasta
Can make Mexican rice and put in bowl at the same time you put soup in, just don't add rice to your soup.

Enjoy!

My Homemade Chicken Noodle

My Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I poach whatever chicken we have (or boil it basically) in a big soup pot of water, with an onion, a green pepper, some baby carrots (all the veggies are cut small) & garlic season all, garlic powder, s&p, & poultry seasoning for an hour or more.

Then I use a slotted spoon to take it out, but leave the broth, etc.

I cool the chicken, just so I can pick it.

Then put it back in the broth with the small egg noodles (cuz I like those ones best) & I add a dash or 2 or celery seed (cuz I don’t like celery chunks).

I cook it like that until the noodles are done.

And that's it.

I usually fix garlic bread or rolls with it.

Easy peasy. (was out of green pepper today, so just left it out)

Rhon’s Vegetable Soup (you can leave out or replace meat if you're a veggie)

Rhon’s Vegetable Soup

1 sirloin steak cut into cubes or 1 package stew beef
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2-1 bag baby carrots
1 large can diced tomatoes, undrained + 1-2 cans water to cover all
1-2 can green beans, drained
½ bag frozen corn
6-8 peeled, diced potatoes
½ head diced cabbage (optional)
Salt, pepper, spices to taste (I use garlic season all, oregano, parsley, celery seed, & sage)

Prepare ingredients.
Spray a large stock pot with cooking spray & add all ingredients to pot.
Fill with water to cover ingredients about 1/2-1 inch.
Cook for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through and vegetables are fork tender.
*Or Place all ingredients in Crock Pot.
Cover & cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Wait until last ½ hour before you add frozen veggies.

Optional - serve over rice or egg noodles, serve with bread, bruschetta, or Club crackers.
Can add any vegetables you like (peas, lima beans, etc.) or change the meat to rib meat, etc.
My soup makes it's own stock/broth - I don't use store bought.

Enjoy!

My Potato Soup

I love potato soup & most restaurants don't make it anymore. So I saw a recipe for it on TV & copied it down (long time ago). I have made changes to suit us, tho. I'll post the original & then my changes.

"John & Lisa's Killer Potato Soup" from Home Grown Cooking with Paul James

1 stick butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 whole all spice
8 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
Enough water to cover potatoes
12 oz. can evaporated milk

In a 4 Qt pan, melt butter.
Saute' onion, pepper, garlic, & all spice.
Saute' until onions are translucent.
Add potatoes & water & cook until potatoes are done.
Slightly mash potatoes & add milk.
Heat to serve.
Yield: 4 Servings

~My changes
1/2 a stick of butter
No Serrano
No all spice
Add salt, pepper, & celery seed to taste
Cook in large soup pot to yield more soup
No mashing
Add 1/2 cup or so of sliced carrots with potatoes.
I cook mine for 2 hours or more, not just until potatoes are done.

~Nice toppings:
Bread & butter
Club Crackers
Sliced green onions
Shredded cheddar
Crumbled Crisp Bacon

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb Italian sausage {you can also use polish sausage [kielbasa]}, sliced into coins
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (was a bit much for Diamond, maybe 1/2 - 1 tsp next time)
2 large russet potatoes, cut in half then into slices (I used 5 medium)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled
2 cups kale, Swiss chard, spinach, chopped (I used 5 large green onions instead)
2 cans chicken broth {vegetable broth is also good}(I used 1 box chicken broth)
1 qt water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt/pepper to taste (I didn't have to add any, bacon & sausage were salty enough & red pepper flakes were peppery enough.)

Heat sausages and crushed red pepper in heavy pan until sausage is warmed through.
Remove sausage from pan.
Place potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken broth,and water in pan.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and cook on medium until potatoes are done ~ 10 - 20 minutes.
Add sausage, bacon, salt/pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Turn heat to low, add kale and cream.
Heat through and serve.

~Thanks JoNell~