Cauliflower Soup

2 heads of cauliflower, broken into pieces
2 medium carrots, shredded
1/2 C chopped celery
1 1/2 C water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
6 T butter
6 T flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 C 2% milk
2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1. In a large pot, combine cauliflower, carrot shreddings, chopped celery, water, and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and then cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain).
2. In another large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, and salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add the milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Reduce heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Then dump into the cauliflower/vegetable mixture.
Makes 16 servings (About 4 quarts)

Baked Potato Soup with Bacon

2 T butter
1/2 C chopped yellow onions
2 cans (2 14oz.) chicken broth
 2 1/2 C milk
 1 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes (about 4), baked, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
 1/4 tsp. pepper
2 green onion sliced, divided
16 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
 1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided
 1/2 C sour cream

  Directions:
1. Melt butter in large saucepan or pot on medium heat. Add yellow onions and celery; cook and stir 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add next 4 ingredients; bring just to a boil, stirring constantly. Lightly crush potatoes with back of spoon. Simmer on medium-lower heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
 2. Save 1 T green onions, 2 T bacon, 2 T cheese. Put rest of the green onions, bacon, and cheese into the soup and cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly.
 3. Serve topped with the reserved green onions, bacon, cheese, and sour cream.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

3 cans white beans
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium jalapeno pepper, minced
1 can green chiles
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic gloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 limes, juiced, plus lime wedges for serving
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
sour cream, for topping

Directions

1. Drain and rinse the canned white beans. In a medium bowl, mash half of the beans with a potato masher until chunky. Reserve the beans until needed.

2. Add the canola oil to a large pot and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, green chile, onions, and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt, and pepper, to taste. Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder and continue to saute for 1 more minute to toast the spices. Stir in the chicken stock, lime juice and bring to a simmer. Add the beans and continue to simmer for 20 more minutes.

3. After 20 minutes of simmering, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Stir in the shredded rotisserie chicken, cream cheese, and cilantro and simmer until heated through.

4. You can either eat now, or move to a crock pot to let simmer for as long as you need.

5. Serve the chili with a dollop of sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed
2 med carrots, peel and slice ( I used a bag of matchstick cut carrots – so easy!)
2 med celery stalks, med dice
½ - 1 onion medium dice
2 med garlic cloves, minced ( or several dashes of garlic powder)
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs Italian parsley ( I  did not have this)
1 meaty smoked ham bone, or bag of pre-diced ham ( I used pre diced ham - so fast!)
5 cups chicken broth
Sea salt or kosher salt
Ground black pepper

Arrange the spit peas on the bottom of the crockpot in an even layer. Layer the carrots, celery, onion, garlic bay leaf, over the peas in one even layer. (Or several layers!) Place the hambone on top or the diced ham.

Pour chicken broth over all and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours till peas are very soft and meat is falling off the bone.

Remove the ham bone, cool, and pull the meat off.  Put back in the soup and discard the bay leaf.  Stir a bit and serve with crusty bread.  The soup gets thicker as it cools.  You don’t have to blend it at all; it just gets really soft and the peas lose their shape.

Minestrone Soup

1 lb. hamburger
1 chopped onion
3 cans Campbell's minestrone soup
3 cans water
15 oz. Pork and Beans (with maple and brown sugar)
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbl. Worcestershire (optional)

Sauté and drain hamburger and onion.  Add the rest and simmer 1 hour or all day on very low heat.

Better variation ( 12/15/2013):

Add 2 cans pork and beans and if they are not maple flavored, then add some maple syrup!

Add 1 24 oz can of cheap pasta sauce by Hunts – onion and roasted garlic.

Also add 1 cup of small shell noodles at the beginning if cooked in the crockpot.

Cook 4 hours on low.

If cooking on stove top then add the pasta and some extra water so the noodles cook but you don’t lose liquid. 

Or don’t add extra pasta at all, very flexible soup!

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can beef broth (soup style)
1 can corn with liquid
1 can kidney beans, drained and washed
1 can black beans
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 package taco seasoning

Brown hamburger with onion, drain fat, and add can of crushed tomatoes and taco seasonings. Warm in skillet, then transfer to crockpot. Add drained kidney bean, corn, and other can of tomatoes.

Heat through on high or low and serve over Fritos, and top with cheese, sour cream, avocado, olives, and green onions.

submitted by JeNeal Bradford