Millet Sweet Vegetable Soup

via christinacooks.com

Ingredients
1/2 cup millet-rinsed well
1/4 cup each onion, carrot, winter squash, green cabbage-finely diced
5 cups spring or filtered water
2 teaspoons barley miso
1-2 fresh scallions-thinly sliced for garnish


Directions
Rinse millet by placing in a glass bowl and covering with water. Gently swirl grain with your hands to loosen any dust. Drain well.

In a soup pot, layer onion, cabbage, squash, carrot, and then millet. Add enough water to just cover, careful not to disturb layering too much. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook soup for 30 minutes. Remove a small amount of broth and puree the miso. Gently stir into the soup and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh scallions.

*Ten Minute Couscous Soup Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

* have not tried yet

This is a soup that should be made to order, if it sits around the consistency changes and the vegetables get that over-cooked flavor no one likes. I like to use whole wheat couscous, which I've been seeing around more often lately. I also picked up a box of barley couscous the other day - delicious. If all you can find is regular couscous, no problem, that will work as well too. I just try to pick up "whole" versions when given the choice. Use a delicious broth, one you wouldn't mind enjoying a bowl of on its own - I've mentioned before that I like Rapunzel Herb Bouillon with Salt (available at many stores). This soup can easily be made vegan by leaving out the cheese.

7 cups great-tasting vegetable broth
2 or 3 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup whole wheat, barley, or regular couscous
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (opt)
4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
an ounce or two of goat cheese

In a large pot heat the broth, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. When it comes to a boil remove the pot from the heat and stir in the couscous. Wait two minutes and stir in the broccoli and cauliflower. Wait another two minutes - just long enough for the vegetables to loose their raw edge, and ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with some sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and a bit of goat cheese.

Serves 4-6.

*Spinach and Zucchini Soup Recipe - from 101 Cookbook

* not tried yet

I prefer to use a light tasting vegetable stock here, nothing too overpowering. If you'd like a richer version of this soup feel free to finish the soup with a splash of cream, or a dollop of creme fraiche or plain yogurt in place of the finishing drizzle of olive oil.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
big pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups potatoes (2 medium) cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 1/2 cups zucchini (2 medium), loosely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, loosely packed
1 cup cilantro, loosely chopped
one lemon

In a large, thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt, just ten seconds or so. Now stir in the cilantro. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Whisk in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Now taste, and add more salt if needed. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Serves about 6.

Cream of Chicken Soup

4-5 chicken breast

3 carrots – chopped

2 celery – chopped

1 onion – chopped

1 C. flour

1 stick butter – melted

Salt/pepper to taste

Boil chicken until tender and drain (save broth from chicken). Add three cans of chicken broth. Make a paste of 1 C. flour and stick of butter. Slowly stir into broth until smooth. Add to broth. Season with garlic, and salt/pepper to taste.

Linda Odom

Black-eyed Pea Soup

1 pkg black eye peas

5 strips bacon – cooked

Salt/pepper to taste

2-3 beef bouillon cubes

1 garlic clove – chopped

1 C. onion – chopped

2 C. Rotel tomatoes – diced

Velvetta cheese – grated

Cook peas in water. Add ingredients to peas and cook until peas are tender. Add velvetta on top when served.

Alice Odom

Chicken Soup

1 chicken (3 lbs)

Celery

3-4 pods garlic

1 large onion

1 or more bell pepper chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Add these items to chicken and water. Bring to a boil then add:

1 heaping tbs basil

4-8 bouillon cubes (according to how lean chicken is)

1 tbs cumin

2 tbsp poultry seasoning

2 handfuls parsley

2 tbs old boy seasoning

1 large can of tomatoes

Bring to a boil and slowly boil.

Add carrots, thin egg noodles and instant rice the last 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before done add 1 cup of peas, 1 or ½ pkg of frozen okra or 1 small frozen corn, 1 pkg frozen mixed vegetables (I like the ones for stir fry), and 1 can of mushrooms.

Cool and debone chicken. Keep deboned chicken separate in a covered dish and add it to the hot soup as you ear. This will keep the chicken from becoming sticky.

Ellen Miller

Taco Soup

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	1 lb. ground beef
	1 can chopped tomatoes
	1 can red kidney beans
	1 can pinto beans
	1 can white corn
	1 package taco seasoning
	1 package ranch dressing mix

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain.

2. Transfer the ground beef to a large pot and add all cans (undrained), taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes. This also works great in a crock pot.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40008

Vegetable Beef Stew

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	4 lb. rump roast, cut in cubes
	2 medium potatoes, diced
	2 cups water
	4 beef bouillon cubes
	1/2 head of cabbage
	3 carrots, cut 1/4 inch thick
	1 can corn, drained
	1 can green beans, drained
	1 can tomato juice

1. Heat a skillet until it is very hot.

2. Sear the roast cubes until they are browned on all sides.

3. Add the bouillon cubes to boiling water. Stir until they are completely dissolved.

4. Add all ingredients to a crockpot and cook on high all day.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=39993

Best Beef Stew

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
	2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
	2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
	1 to 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced rutabaga (about 1/2 small rutabaga)
	1 cup fresh green beans, in bite-size pieces
	1 pound beef stew-meat chunks
	1 bay leaf
	1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
	1 clove garlic, crushed
	3 cups low-sodium beef stock
	2 tablespoons light brown sugar
	3/4 teaspoon salt
	2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
	Pepper to taste
	3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
	2 teaspoons tomato paste

1. Put everything but the flour and the tomato paste in a slow cooker; stir to combine.
2. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 5, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are just fork tender.
3. Stir the stew once or twice as it cooks, if possible. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer a ladleful of the broth to a small mixing bowl.
4. Add the flour and tomato paste and whisk until smooth. Stir the mixture into the stew and cook for the remaining half hour. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40768

Potato Spinach Soup with Parmesan Toasts

This one's another Old Mother Hubbard meal. The only vegetables in the house were a box of frozen spinach, half an onion, and a potato. I chopped the onion and sauteed it in a pot with a couple tbsp. of butter until it was soft. Then I peeled and chopped the potato and put it, the spinach, and 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth in the pot with the onions. I let it boil until the potato was soft, then added a cup of milk and put it in the blender. I pureed it and put it back in the pot over medium-low heat and added 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. of black pepper, and about 1/2 tsp. salt. To make the parmesan toasts, I toasted some chewy bread, buttered it, sprinkled on some parmesan, and broiled them. Then I cut them up into strips. Easy, huh? Oh, to make the white squiggles, I mixed some milk into a little bit of sour cream and swirled it on top. You can use the same method to make soup out of just about anything depending on what you have.

Source
Taylor Cropper