Recipes From My Collection: Soups for Winter Months

You have probably read my previous writing on my favorite stews for winter. Now I share these soup recipes.

Once you finish the prep of the ingredients and throw it all in the pot, you can do other things you need to - or nothing at all while the fragrances fill your kitchen and warm your soul.

As promised, please see my personal disclaimer at the bottom of my writing.

Soup
vegetable oil
1 can whole tomatoes with liquid
2 lbs stew meat
flour
1 c chopped bell pepper
1 c chopped celery
1 c chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 c okra, cleaned and sliced rather thick
2 boxes frozen, mixed vegetables (nowadays they come in bags....)
2 c diced potatoes
1 can whole kernel corn with liquid
Salt and pepper
Water

Lightly coat meat with flour and pepper; brown meat in oil in skillet. Saute bell pepper, celery, onion and garlic with the meat. Transfer to a large pot. (Actually, I brown and saute all this in the bottom of the pot first- one less utensil to wash.) Add water to cover contents of pot by half. Add mixed vegetables, okra, corn, potatoes and tomatoes; cook over medium heat for 40 to 50 minutes. Add a little more water as necessary. You can also add a beef bouillon cube if you think the flavor might be thinned with the water. Season with salt and pepper, dried basil and thyme. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.

Potato Soup - This is a thicker mixture than regular soups.
6 to 10 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 stick butter or margarine
Whole milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 lb ground meat, browned and drained (this is my preference)
Dash each of thyme, garlic powder and parsley flakes

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of water until almost tender; add onions and continue to boil until the potatoes are tender. Pour off almost all water (But save it in another pot!), leaving a 1/2 inch of the water in the bottom of the pot. Mash the potatoes in the water; add the butter. Pour some of the saved water from the original boiling into the potatoes. Add enough milk to be a cream pale yellow color. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Add the bouillon cube. Simmer. Add the browned beef if you want. Stir. Add the thyme, garlic powder and parsley flakes. Simmer a little longer. Add a little more potato water and/or milk if the soup begins to be overly thick.

You can change this recipe up in many ways. Add cooked, chopped, drained broccoli to the soup either leaving the meat in the recipe or not. Toss in shredded cheddar cheese for another taste. Create your own favorite.

Split Pea Soup - I cannot believe that I don't have a lot of recipes written down that I cook. My collection of recipes have always been a hobby and I can honestly say that I almost never cook something exactly like a recipe says, but not to have a card at all baffles me. The other strange thing about my liking and cooking Split Pea Soup is that I've always had an aversion to green peas. I refused to try this soup until I took my son and mother to the San Antonio Riverwalk one winter and met two most interesting older men who insisted that we try the soup at their favorite restaurant. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, I tried the soup and have been hooked on it ever since.
1 lb green split peas, washed as per the pkg directions
2 T vegetable oil
1 lb polish sausage (I usually just used smoked), cut in small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 1/2 qt water, or less
2 beef bouillon cubes
Salt, pepper, dried thyme, celery salt and 1 bay leaf

In a large, heavy pot heat the oil; add the sausage and onion; saute until sausage is heated through (the sausage is probably already cooked when packaged, but read the instructions just in case). Add peas, water, broth bouillon and seasons. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and let simmer for at least 2 hours. Test your seasons and adjust accordingly. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Egg Drop Soup - serves 6
4 c chicken broth
1/2 T light soy sauce
Salt to taste (or not if the soy sauce is too salty)
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 eggs
1 c thinly sliced spinach leaves (or not)
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Place the broth and soy sauce in a saucepan; warm to medium high over heat. Season with salt and pepper. Bring broth to a medium boil. Beat the eggs until foamy. Slowly stream the egg into the broth using a fork to stir and therefore, shred the beaten eggs into strips. Stir in the spinach strips. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Have green onion slices on the table for those that would like to add in their soup.

Why not serve with fried rice and egg rolls?

Crock Pot 9 to 5 Soup - have made this many times in the past
1 lb lean ground beef (lean meats are best in a crock pot - if raw when added, you won't have an opportunity to drain the fat)
10 oz can whole peeled tomatoes and chilies with the liquid
2 10 to 11oz cans minestrone soup (I use a bag of frozen mixed veggies)
2 15oz cans pinto bean with jalapenos and the liquid
15 oz can (use the bean can) of water

Make sure that your crock pot will hold all this! Crumble the raw meat into the pot; add all remaining ingredients. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 8 hours. Do a taste test and add your seasonings of salt, pepper, garlic powder to your satisfaction. Stir and let these flavors blend for at least 5 minutes.

Crock Pot Vegetable Soup - makes about 3 quarts
3 14 1/2oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp pepper
2 14 1/2oz cans beef broth
10 oz pkg frozen baby Lima beans
10 oz pkg frozen whole kernel corn
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves

Stir all of this together in a 5 qt crock pot. Cook, covered, on high for 4 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Serve with a good crusty bread.

Cabbage Soup - I have a recipe on one of my cards, but it's really not how I make it. I tasted the Weight Watchers' version many years ago and I guess I styled the ones I cook after that but I don't find a card in my files for that one either. So here's from memory:
6 slices of bacon cut into pieces (not really considered healthy these days....)
2 large onions, chopped into large pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cans beef broth
1 large head of cabbage, cut in medium size wedges
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 c water
salt and pepper

In a heavy 6 qt pot, cook the bacon, but not quite crisp. Saute the onion, garlic and cabbage until it smells good and cabbage is barely wilted. Add the tomatoes, broth and water. Add the potatoes. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Before the end of the cooking time, add the salt and pepper. Watch the salt as the broth has quite a bit. The potatoes do soak up and disguise the salt though.

You can add cooked stew meat, but I prefer this soup without meat.

Broccoli Cheese Soup - I have tried repeatedly to duplicate a cheese or cheddar beer soup that I had in Houston once, but that always falls short of my expectations. I like this one just as well. It has two of my favorite flavors in the title!
1/4 c chopped onion
1 T margarine
1 1/2 c milk
3/4 lb processed cheese, cubed (yeah, you know the brand name)
Dash of pepper
10 oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, cooked and drained (the pkg usually has microwave directions for cooking)

In a 2 qt pan, saute the onion in the margarine. Add all the remaining ingredients while stirring over a lot heat. It's ready to eat when the cheese has melted and all is hot, but you may want it to simmer just a little (being sure to stir every now and then to keep cheese from burning).
Serve this with good old fashioned grill cheese sandwiches or simply toast that is spread with a light garlic butter mix and it is sure to warm tummies!

Sopa de Lima - I had this several times while in the Yucatan of Mexico. I love it! Lime juice found in southeast Texas is not the same as in the Yucatan, but it does okay. One of the ex-pats on a Merida, Yucatan, Mexico forum site shared this recipe. I need to put it on a card for my collection before I lose it!
2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large cans chicken broth (42 oz)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped fine
3 sprigs cilantro or equivalent dried
1 T salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4" piece of stick cinnamon (or the equivalent, ground; for the life of me I never knew it had cinnamon in it - you don't taste it)
1 whole clove (or the equivalent in ground)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp oil
1/2 c chopped red onion
1/2 c finely chopped green bell pepper
2 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes
4 whole limes, 3 halved, 1 sliced
fried tortilla strips (optional)

Place the chicken breasts, broth, garlic, onion, cilantro and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, over low heat for 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Strain and reserve the stock. Allow chicken to cool then shred, set aside.

Using a mortar & pestle, grind the cinnamon stick & clove. "Toast" the cumin, cinnamon, clove & oregano in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, then transfer to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved stock and puree. (Okay, this is his recipe; I would use the ground versions, skip the toasting and no blender involvement.)

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the red onion and saute for 2 minutes or until transparent. Add the pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Squeeze the juice from the 3 halved limes over the tomato mixture, cook another 2 minutes. Return the stock to the large pot, add the tomato mixture, the pureed (or not) spices and 2 of the squeezed lime halves. When the broth comes to a boil, add the sliced lime and the shredded chicken. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove lime halves from the stock and discard. Cut a couple of small corn or flour tortillas and fry in a small amount of oil until crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Break or cut into strips.

Serve soup in bowls garnished with a slice of lime and fried tortilla strips. Serve with extra lime wedges and sliced avocado, if desired. Actually, the ones I've had did include slices of avocado in the soup. Usually ordered with salbutes and panuchos which I'll give you in another collection of good eats.

If you see an omission or error in regards to the ingredients, please let me know by contacting me through this website.

My disclaimer: Again I must tell you that I have been collecting recipes well before I was interested in actually being in the kitchen. These have been collected from everyone and everywhere for a very long time. All the recipes in my collection are hand written on 3 X 5" index cards either copied by myself or others. Very few of these cards mention the original or last known source as to an author, publication or date. I doubt that any recipe I have is trademarked or copy-write protected, but if it may be and I have unwittingly publicized it, I apologize for any ignorance of the fact. Some recipes are written with my own spin as to how I have assembled the ingredients and cooked. I tend to cook that way, you see. If a source for the recipe has been noted on my card I will so note for you. I will omit any last name of an individual noted on the card though. This disclosure of sorts will accompany, in some aspect, any and all future publications of recipes that I might add to the wonderful world of public information.