Category: Soups (Page 7 of 8)

Golden Potato Soup with Cabbage and Butternut Squash

December 12, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 17 Comments

I guess I am in a bit of a soup mode right now. What better way to cut the damp chill in the air than to make a pot of hot, steaming, vegetable-filled soup. What better way to soothe a sore throat and nourish a loved one back to health. A couple of us in my house had some kind of a mild illness last week, and homemade soups served us very well. Even without a sore throat, my husband has benefited from the warmth and vitality of the vegetables. At the risk of posting too many soups in a row (my daughter, who isn’t really a soup fan, warned me of this–I think she just wants me to make a dessert), I am sharing a delightful variation of the soup I posted a few days ago. This particular soup has no meat, and it has a smooth, buttery taste, though it also has no butter. The butternut squash gives it just the right creaminess. This soup is chock-full of nutrients with the potatoes, cabbage,onions, and squash. I added some Parmesan cheese to my bowl when I served it, and that gave it an extra amount of richness. Aside from chopping some vegetables, this soup takes almost no effort to make, and can be done all in one pot. You can serve it with some crusty bread, crackers and cheese, a green salad, or sandwiches. Or you can simply sip it on its own for a little comfort and revival of your energy. I’m going to take a couple of bowls over to the the Fiesta Friday link-up party at Angie’s blog, the novice gardener, where there are lots of other delicious dishes to check out!

Golden Potato Soup with Cabbage and Butternut Squash

Servings: 4-6
Time: about 15 minutes to prepare, about 20-30 minutes to cook
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Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced
4 cups potatoes, diced
6 cups chicken broth–I love Better than Bouillon chicken base because it gives soups a rich texture (if you wish, you can use vegetable broth)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup milk
dried or fresh dill for garnish
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Wash and chop the onion, cabbage, and potatoes. Wash, peel, and chop the butternut squash. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and the cabbage for about 5-7 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the potatoes and squash. Then add the broth, a teaspoon of salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring the broth just to a boil, and then lower the heat to simmer (medium-low). Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and squash are tender. Add the milk and more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Top with a teaspoon or so of dill, if desired. When serving the soup, add some Parmesan cheese to the bowls, if you wish. Serve with bread, cheese and crackers, a green salad, or sandwiches. Enjoy!

Rainy Day Soup

December 9, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 8 Comments

I call this Rainy Day soup for a couple of reasons. First, because it is a warm, nourishing soup to have on a cold, rainy day. (And we seem to be having a few of those lately). Also, this soup is not an expensive soup. It makes me think of the saying, “save it for a rainy day.” During this time of year, many of us spend more money than we maybe should (or maybe I’m just speaking of myself!) on holiday preparations. To make an inexpensive meal during this time helps balance the spending. Cabbage is one of the cheapest vegetables around–and it keeps for quite awhile in the refrigerator. Potatoes are also inexpensive and keep well (though less inexpensive if you buy organic, which I do, since we ate all our garden potatoes; still, they are economical). And kielbasa, even the higher quality kind, is reasonable. So I like to save this soup for a rainy day when I want to cut back on my food spending, but still create a good meal. Variations of cabbage and potato soups abound, and I have played around with lots of different versions, depending on what ingredients I have on hand. This is just one of many experiments that I like, but this recipe is so simple, tasty and filling, that I have written it down, and want to share it on my blog. For me, cabbage was an under-appreciated vegetable until the last few months. Now I like to use it in soups as often as I can. It helps that my son, who loves soup, likes cabbage too. I know he is getting vitamins A and C, minerals, and fiber when he eats cabbage. If you are looking for a way to warm up on a rainy day, get good nutrition, and be frugal without giving up taste, give this soup a try.

Rainy Day Soup

Servings: 4-6
Time: about 15 minutes preparation, about 30 minutes simmering time
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Ingredients:

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups potatoes, washed and cubed
2 cups green cabbage, washed and finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth (I like to use the Better than Bouillon chicken base mixed with water–it is delicious)
8 ounces kielbasa, fully cooked and thinly sliced

Directions:

Wash and chop the onion, potatoes, and cabbage. Thinly slice the kielbasa. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. When the broth is boiling, gently add the chopped potatoes. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the potatoes for about 12 minutes, until fork-tender. Add the cabbage. Gently simmer for about 20 more minutes. Add the sliced kielbasa and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with rustic bread. Enjoy!

Hearty Vegetable and Beef Soup after a Walk in the Woods

October 30, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 5 Comments

A few days ago, my husband and I took our dog for a walk in the woods near our house. It was a cloudy day, but the clouds allowed the vivid colors of the trees to shine. It was an enchanting walk through a grassy field and then into the deep, bright woods. I am posting this recipe for vegetable and beef soup because I think it is a perfect soup to have waiting when one returns from a walk in the chilly fall air. It would also taste good on a Halloween evening. The beauty of this soup is that you can put it together in a slow cooker in the morning, and it will be ready and waiting when you come in from whatever activities you have going on. Whatever glamour slow cookers lack, they make up for it in allowing us to go out and do luxurious things like tromping through the gorgeous woods when we would normally be scrambling to get a dinner together. I love my slow cooker. As I have mentioned before, if I am cooking with beef, I much prefer to use organic, grass-fed beef because it tastes better and is better for the planet. It is more expensive to do this, but as we don’t eat meat every day, it doesn’t break our budget. And the colorful vegetables make this soup a delight to eat after a long day.

Hearty Vegetable and Beef Soup

Servings: 6-8
Time: 20 minutes prep. time, about 8 hours cook time
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Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
4 small red potatoes, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
14 ounces tomatoes, with their juices
3 cups water
3 teaspoons Better than Bouillon reduced sodium beef base, or the equivalent
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons of salt

Directions:

Wash and chop the vegetables, and mince the garlic. Brown the beef and onion in a skillet. Place the vegetables in a slow cooker. With a slotted spoon, spoon the beef and onion mixture into the slow cooker. Add the water, Better than Bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and salt. Stir gently to combine, and cook in a slow cooker on low heat for about 8 hours. If you are in a pinch, cook on high heat for about 4 hours. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with rustic bread and slices of cheese. Enjoy!