Soup Sunday #4 - Holiday Chili Edition!

Happy last Sunday of 2020! I hope everyone enjoyed a joyous holiday.

I love to learn about different holiday traditions, and it warms my heart to hear about what brings people joy during this time of year.

That being said, I'm cheating a little bit on this final Soup Sunday. I'm also a little late with timing, as this recipe is called Christmas Eve Chili.

For as long as I can remember, my family celebrated Christmas Eve by enjoying dinner with long-time friends in the form of Chili! Even though we couldn't see these dear friends in person this year due to COVID, we still celebrated by having Chili at home. It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without it!

Even though Christmas has come and gone, this recipe would be deliciously perfect for any holiday-eve.

CHRISTMAS EVE CHILI

1. 1 lb Ground Beef

2. 1 Small Yellow Onion - diced

3. 1 Teaspoon Salt

4. 1-2 tsps Chili Powder

5. 1 Bay Leaf 

6. 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

7. 2 32 oz. cans Tomato Sauce

8. 2 16 oz. cans Kidney Beans

DIRECTIONS

1. In a slow cooker, add ground beef, onion, salt, chili powder, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce. Bonus points if you can say "Worcestershire sauce 3 times fast, or at all.

2. Add in tomato sauce and kidney beans. Gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or overnight. Discard bay leaf.

Serve garnished with shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, and enjoy the coziness!

Wishing you all the best for what's ahead in 2021!

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Soup Sunday #3 - The Easiest Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Hi again, friends!

I hope this finds you gearing up for the holidays, and enjoying a little bit of rest & relaxation. 

We can dream, right?

This week's Soup Sunday brings you good old fashioned comfort food. It's just what we all need this time of year!

There's something souper (see what I did there?) magical about letting your slow cooker do it's thing, and having a delicious result.

CROCKPOT CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Recipe adapted from Spend with Pennies

1. 1½ lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - trimmed of excess fat

2. 1 Yellow Onion - diced

3. 3 Large Carrots - peeled and chopped into "coins"

4. 2 Stalks Celery - chopped

5. 4 Cloves Garlic - roughly chopped

6. 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

7. 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

8. 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

9. 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

10. 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary

11. 1 Bay Leaf 

12. 8 oz. Package Egg Noodles - wide or extra wide

13. Fresh Parsley - minced (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

1. To the bottom of a large slow cooker, add trimmed chicken breasts. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper, and bay leaf.

2. Add chicken broth. Gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

3. Remove chicken from slow cooker and place in a large mixing bowl. Shred chicken. Discard bay leaf, and return shredded chicken back to slow cooker.

4. Cook egg noodles al dente according to package directions.

5. Add egg noodles to soup. Cook on LOW for 3-5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Serve garnished with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper.

This one's a classic. Enjoy!

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Soup Sunday #2 - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Happy Sunday!

Today's soup is brought to you by one half of two of my very favorite people ever (that's enough math for today).

Chip & Joanna Gaines!

I'm just discovering what TikTok is about (I know, go ahead and laugh) but this opinion of them is pretty in line with mine! Wait for it...
 

@zzzachariah

Every mom at #target CHRISTMAS EDITION! 🎄☃️✨ #momlife #momsoftiktok #fyp

♬ original sound - Zachariah

Anyway, let's get back to the soup before we all start mindlessly scrolling.

Joanna is the one who developed this recipe, and it's so deliciously easy that it'll knock your socks off. It's perfect for any winter weeknight dinner.

Enjoy!

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Recipe by Joanna Gaines

1. 12 cups Chicken Broth

2. 1 Vine-Ripened Tomato - diced

3. 1 15 oz. can Corn Kernels - drained

4. ¼ Red Onion - finely chopped

5. 1½ Jalapeño - finely minced

6. ½ tsp Salt

7. ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper

8. 1 5.4 oz package Mexican Rice Mix (or similar mix)

9. 1 store-bought Rotisserie Chicken - shredded

10. 1 tsp Cumin

11. 1 Avocado - pitted, halved, and diced

12. 1 13 oz. bag Tortilla Chips - crushed

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the broth, tomato, corn, onion, jalapeño, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and add in the shredded chicken. Simmer until heated through.

2. Stir the rice mix into the soup. Add cumin and simmer for 15 minutes until rice is cooked through.

3. Place avocado and crushed tortilla chips in serving bowls. Ladle in the soup.

Serve immediately.

I hope you have a great rest of your weekend!

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Soup Sunday #1 - Cauliflower Soup

Happy December!

Kids have the best lunch conversations.

True story: while I was eating lunch with my second graders this week, one student said to me, "Hey, Miss Clark! Do you think it would be interesting to hear what I have for dinner every night of the week?"

Naturally, I was intrigued.

He went through the entire week of themed dinners he has with his family: Sauce Sunday, Meat Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wings Wednesday, Tingly Thursday (wings again, but spicy?), Friday is pizza night, and for the life of me,  I can't remember what Saturday was. I'll ask him and update you!

1. This was a hilarious story.

2. It got me thinking, December means that it's soup weather.

So I thought... SOUP SUNDAY just makes sense!

I love to make soup all winter. It's cozy, comforting, and just brings out all of the warm, fuzzy feelings.

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Each Sunday this December, I'm happy to bring you some of my very favorite soup recipes!

First up this week, Cauliflower Soup! It's creamy, savory, and super comforting.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Recipe by The Pioneer Woman

1. 1 Stick Butter - divided

2. 1/2 Yellow Onion - finely diced

3. 1 Whole Carrot - finely diced

4. 1 Stalk Celery - finely diced

5. 1 Whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads - roughly chopped

6. 2 TBSP Fresh or Dried Parsley - chopped

7. 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

8. 6 TBSP All Purpose Flour

9. 2 cups Whole Milk

10. 1 cup Half & Half

11. 3 tsp Salt

12. 1 cup Sour Cream - room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and sauté for a 2-3 minutes, until it softens and starts to turn brown.

2. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional 2 minutes.

3. Add cauliflower and parsley. Stir to combine.

4. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.

5. In a small bowl, mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine.

6. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter.

7. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

8. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add more salt & pepper as needed.

9. Just before serving, place the sour cream in a small serving bowl (or soup tureen if you're feeling fancy!). Add 2 to 3 three ladle-fulls of hot soup into the tureen, and stir to combine with the sour cream. 

This is magical, I swear.

10. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Serve immediately.

Yum.

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While this soup is a delicious meal all on it's own, one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is with Popovers and Fig Jam along the side. It adds a touch of sweetness to the soup's savoriness.

Have a SOUPER Sunday! Do you have any favorite soup recipes? I'd love to hear about them!

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Cozy Popovers and Fig Jam

You know those recipes that just fill your heart with joy?

One of those for me is my Aunt Laurie's Popovers. This recipe conjures up memories of cozy winter visits, warmth from the oven, catching up with conversation, and fuzzy socks.

Delightful.

I digress! Popovers... They're cozy, delicious, and savory. Best served warm, these little guys are the perfect partner for any soup, or simply dressed with a dash of butter or jam.

POPOVERS

1. 4 eggs

2. 2 cups Whole Milk

3. 2 cups All Purpose Flour

4. 1 tsp Salt

DIRECTIONS

*Do NOT preheat the oven.*

1. Grease 12 large muffin tin cups or 12 custard cups.

2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs well.

3. Add milk, flour and salt. Lightly beat until just combined.

4. Fill the muffin tin cups or custard cups three-quarters full with the batter.

5. Place the pan on the center rack in the oven.

6. Set the oven at 450° F and turn it on. Bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door.

Serve warm with butter, jam, syrup, or honey.

Photo (c) Food Network

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One of my favorite ways to enjoy popovers is with fig jam and alongside Cauliflower Soup.

Stay warm!

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