Chicken Taco Soup

I first tried Chicken Taco Soup at a luncheon I attended a couple of years ago. I loved it! The lady who had made the food for the luncheon happened to be sitting right next to me and she shared the recipe with me. The recipe below recommends that you make it in a slow cooker. I think you can also cook it on the stove for 1-2 hours and still get a tasty soup!

I made this soup for a winter birthday party and the guests loved it! It's a great one to make when serving a large group of people! Make it in an electric roasting pan.

I follow the Chicken Taco Soup Recipe from All Recipes.com but I don't use taco seasoning. I use a combination of spices recommended in one of the comments for the recipe. I also buy a roasted chicken and shred it. I add the shredded chicken the last hour of cooking.

Here is the recipe I use:

Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1 can of chili beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of whole kernnel corn, drained (or 1 to 2 cups of frozen corn)
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 12 oz can of beer
1 can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles, mild
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 packages of taco seasoning* (SEE BELOW for a make-your-own recipe)
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or about 4 cups of meat from a roasted chicken, shredded)

*Spices to replace using taco seasoning as recommended in a comment:
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Toppings (optional):

-green onions, chopped

-Cheddar cheese, shredded

-corn tortilla chips

-sour cream

Directions
1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, cool, and shred. Add to soup an cook for 2 more hours. If you don't use uncooked chicken breasts, add the cooked roasted chicken an hour before you serve the soup.

3. Serve with the optional toppings and enjoy!

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Leblebi Soup

A good friend shared this recipe with us and we really like it. I especially like that it is protein-packed because of the chickpeas. It easily becomes a vegetarian recipe when you replace the beef stock with vegetable stock!

This recipe is written out in 2 parts, the way I make it and then the recipe given to me by my friend, Tom, with his revisions.

Leblebi Soup

(Claudia)

INGREDIENTS

2 cans of chickpeas

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

7 packets of Herb Ox Low Sodium beef bouillon or Better Than Bouillon (or veggie stock)

9 cups of water

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon of curry
1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional)

1 cup yoghurt
1 lemon

salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.

Saute the onion in the olive oil until soft in a pot.

Add the garlic, carrot, celery or leek, and cook 5-8 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, boil 4 cups of water and then mix with beef bouillon packets.

Add the drained chickpeas to the vegetables along with the 4 cups of broth, 5 cups of hot water, caraway seeds, black pepper, curry, and red pepper (optional).

Cover the pot with lid and cook for 40 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to lift the vegetables from the broth and transfer them to a blender.

Add yoghurt, squeeze 1/2 or a whole lemon into the soup, and as much cooking liquid as necessary to blend to a smooth puree.

Return the pureed mixture to the cooking pot, stirring it into the remaining cooking liquid. (You can also use an immersion blender and puree to your liking.) 

Stir until smooth, adding more water if the soup is too thick.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Garnish and serve with flat bread (like pita or naan).

--------------------------

(Tom)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 chickpeas, soaked overnight

1 tsp baking soda (optional)

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery or leek, thinly sliced

8 cups beef or lamb broth

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1C yoghurt

salt

Garnish: minced cilantro, Hareesa paste and cumin

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak chickpeas overnight in water to cover.

Drain chickpeas and cover again with water and add baking soda.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Drain.

Saute the onion in the olive oil until soft.

Add the garlic, carrot, celery or leek, and cook 3-5 minutes.

Add the drained chickpeas to the vegetables along with the broth, red pepper and caraway seeds.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour.

Use a slotted spoon to lift the vegetables from the broth and transfer them to a blender.

Add yoghurt and as much cooking luquid as necessary to blend to a smooth puree.

Return the pureed mixture to the cooking pot, stirring it into the remaining cooking liquid.

Stir until smooth, adding more water if the soup is too thick.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Garnish and serve by pouring over dry or toasted Arabic flat bread (like pita).

Toms' Revisions:

-To make the garlic more digestible I slice in half (each clove) and remove the green germ/kernel in the middle--you still have the great garlic taste without the indegestion. The 1 teaspoon of baking soda also helps with the digestion and softens the chickpeas.

-Careful with the salt as it is easy to over salt the basic soup mix. For the beef bouillon I use low sodium Herb Ox Very Low Sodium packets. I use 7 instead of 8 (1 packet per 8 oz boiling water).

-I use two 8 oz cans of low or no salt chickpeas with the liquid drained instead the procedure above. You do not need to soak these overnight and you do not need to precook these.

-I use 9 cups of water. Boil 4 cups of water and mix all of the spices in this water and then add 5 more cups of hot water to the pot.

-I add 1 teaspoon of black pepper.

-I add 1 teaspoon of curry powder - more if desired but not more than 2 teaspoons.

-I squeeze one lemon into the pot.

-You can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper for the 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper, if you like.

-I usually add one more carrot and one more celery stalk.

-I cook it all in the pressure cooker for 25 minutes after the valve begins to turn and I turn the heat to medium.

-After cooking and blending with the one cup of yoghurt, mix all remainder of soup with the blended.

-Add salt to please when it is served, if needed.

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Cream of Red Bell Pepper Soup

Another super soup!

Recipe found at Epicurious.

Cream of Red Bell Pepper Soup
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds red bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped shallots
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 3 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sliced fresh basil

Preparation

Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and slice peppers. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and thyme and sauté 3 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and all but 4 slices of roasted pepper. Simmer uncovered until peppers are very soft, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return to same pot. Add half and half, vinegar and cayenne pepper. Rewarm soup, thinning with additional broth, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with reserved pepper strips and basil.

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Cream of Cauliflower Soup

MMM! Delicious!

Recipe found here.
(I didn't have garlic or white wine. I skipped the garlic and used sherry and it was still wonderful!)

Cream of Cauliflower Soup
(makes 6-8 servings)

1 head cauliflower, trimmed of stalks and chopped to pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
2 strips bacon, chopped
1 cup half and half, whole milk or heavy cream (or any combination, depending on desired richness)
2 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons fresh dill or chives, chopped

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over a medium flame. Add the bacon, and stir for a minute. Add the onion, shallot and garlic. Stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Add the white wine, and raise heat to medium-high to bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf, cauliflower and all the stock and season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Once it begins to boil, turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Open and turn off heat. Try to remove that bay leaf. If using a handheld blender, puree until thick and somewhat uniform in texture. I like to keep it a little bit chunky. Or, if you have a food processor, let soup cool for 10 minutes or so, then work in batches to puree. Once the soup has been blended, return to the pot and cook over medium-high heat. Add the cream, half-and-half or whole milk. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Bring soup to just a boil, but don’t let it keep boiling as the milk will burn. Turn off heat and stir in the butter and dill or chives. Serve in bowls and garnish with more of the herbs.

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Gazpacho

I have never made this but heard it was a good recipe. I don't even think I've ever tried gazpacho! Cold soup just doesn't appeal to me but maybe it's great on a hot day? Recipe is from the Food Network site.

Gazpacho

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

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Lebanese-Style Red Lentil Soup

I love to make soup because it's usually a pretty quick meal to put together AND it's always filled with good-for-you ingredients! Here's another super-easy and super-yummy soup recipe from All Recipes:

Lebanese-Style Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound red lentils
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Bring chicken stock and lentils to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir onions into the lentils and season with cumin and cayenne. Continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Carefully puree the soup in a standing blender, or with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice before serving.

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Curried Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup w/ Garbanzo Beans

I really wanted to cook using the Swiss chard from our garden and I found this recipe at Epicurious. I chose this one because of the protein punch from the lentils and garbanzo beans. Charlie and I liked the soup and the kids ate it but didn't rave about it.

Next time I make this recipe I will half it because it makes A LOT.

Curried Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup w/ Garbanzo Beans

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 5 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
• 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches Swiss chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
• 1 pound red lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• Plain yogurt

Preparation:

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 13 minutes. Mix in curry and cayenne. Add broth and chard. Increase heat; bring to boil. Add lentils and garbanzos; reduce heat to medium.

Cover; simmer until lentils are tender, stirring twice, about 10 minutes. Divide stew among bowls. Top with yogurt.

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Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup recipe found on Epicurious was delicious!
I used chicken broth and water and added a bit extra just so that it would be soup not mush.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped peeled carrots
• 1 1/2 pounds smoked pork hocks
• 2 teaspoons dried leaf marjoram
• 1 1/2 cups green split peas
• 8 cups water

Preparation:

Melt butter in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add pork and marjoram; stir 1 minute. Add peas, then water, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot; simmer soup until pork and vegetables are tender peas are falling apart, stirring often, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Transfer hocks to bowl. Puree 5 cups soup in batches in blender. Return to pot. Cut pork off bones. Dice pork; return pork to soup. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover. Rewarm before serving.)

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Big-Batch Vegetable Soup

A simple yet tasty vegetable soup recipe I found on the Martha Stewart website.

I added little star-shaped pasta (the pasta used to make Mexican sopita) and I think it soaked up too much liquid. Next time I make this, I think I will increase the liquid or use less pasta OR I will just reduce the recipe by half. This recipe definitely made a big-batch of soup!

Big-Batch Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions or thinly sliced leeks (whites only)
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 8 cups mixed fresh or frozen vegetables, such as carrots, corn, green beans, lima beans, peas, potatoes, and zucchini (cut larger vegetables into smaller pieces)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions or leeks, celery, and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.
3. Add vegetables to pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Let cool before storing.

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Kabocha Pumpkin Hot Pot (Japanese-Style Soup)

I watched Martha and her guest, Tadashi Ono, make this recipe on her January 5, 2010 show. It looked good and while I may not make it with kabocha pumpkin because I don't know where to find it, I at least have a start to Hot Pot soups. It might be helpful to buy Tadashi's book on Japanese Hot Pot recipes.

The link to her show on the 5th also includes a recipe for Beef Shabu Shabu. Looks good!

Kabocha Pumpkin Hot Pot

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 2 (6-inch) pieces kombu
• 1/2 kabocha pumpkin (about 1 pound), seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 ounces daikon, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 3 small taro roots (about 1/2 pound), peeled and quartered lengthwise (quarters halved if more than 2 inches long)
• 1 medium carrot (about 4 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 negi (scallion), sliced on the bias into 1-inch pieces
• 4 ounces napa cabbage, sliced
• 3 1/2 ounces shimeji mushrooms, trimmed and pulled apart
• 1 pound (2 blocks) frozen, precooked udon noodles, or 8 ounces dried
• Shichimi togarashi, for garnish

Directions

1. Place shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl and add 5 cups of water. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 5 hours.
2. Strain liquid into a large bowl, reserving both liquid and mushrooms. Trim stems and discard; cut caps in half and set aside. Add soy sauce and mirin to bowl with mushroom liquid; set aside.
3. Place kombu on the bottom of a 4 1/2- to 5-quart Japanese clay donabe or cast-iron pot. Top with pumpkin, daikon, taro, carrot, negi, cabbage, shimeji mushrooms, and reserved halved shiitake mushrooms. Add mushroom liquid mixture.
4. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and add noodles; let simmer until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve immediately garnished with shichimi togarashi.

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Chicken Toscana Soup

This is a copycat recipe I found online. I had this soup at Romano's Macaroni Grill and it was very tasty.

Chicken Toscana Soup

Macaroni Grill Chicken Toscana Soup Recipe Clone Ingredients
Makes 2 servings

• olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup cooked chicken, preferably roasted
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 4 ounces packaged gnocchi, cut in half
• 1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
• 3/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil

Cook the onions and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until onion becomes soft and transparent and garlic becomes golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter.

Add chicken broth. Turn up heat and let it come to a boil. After the broth starts boiling, add the precooked chicken, gnocchi, and chopped tomato. Turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Next, add the cream. Add spinach last. Stir spinach until it wilts. Remove from heat.

After putting the Chicken Toscana soup into individual bowls, sprinkle with generous amounts of Parmesan cheese and a little basil.

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Sausage Potato Soup

I found this recipe on my friend's blog. It's a great potato soup recipe. Thanks for sharing, Tommy! (She's also listed a recipe for pomegranate sangria, check it out! If you make it, please invite me over, please!!!)

Sausage Potato Soup
(Copycat) This is a clone of the Olive Garden
4-6 servings
1½ hours
20 min prep

1	lb Italian sausage
2	large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half,and then in 1/4 inch slices
1	large onion, chopped
1/2	can Oscar Meyer bacon bits
2	cloves garlic, minced
2	cups kale or swiss chard, chopped
2	cans chicken broth
1	quart water
1	cup heavy whipping cream

1. Cook sausage in a 300°F oven for approximately 30 minutes.
2. Drain sausages on paper towels and cut into slices.
3. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
4. Add sausage and bacon.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
7. Turn to low heat.
8. Add kale and cream.
9. Heat through and serve.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup

I found this recipe online at this link but am posting it here as well just for easy reference.

Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound regular white mushrooms, cleaned, quartered or sliced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 Tbsp minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
• Minced parsley for garnish

Method

1 In a food processor, coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice.

2 Melt butter in (4-5 quart) sauce pan and lightly sauté shallots on medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears.

3 Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4 Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning and add more lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4. Serve sprinkled with a little parsley.

(adapted from a recipe by Wolfgang Puck)

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Soup

I've decided that one of the best ways to add more veggies to our diets is to make soup. Soup can be a meal or a side and almost always a healthy choice. I'll be looking for hearty soup recipes (meal) in Everyday Food magazines and will be experimenting with a variety of veggies for creamy soups (side).

Creamy soups are quite simple to make and will certainly increase the amount of veggies I offer my family. I made this Cream of Asparagus recipe from Epicurious and it gets two thumbs up from my family.

Cooking onions and asparagus.

Here is a basic recipe for making a creamy soup.
-Cook a chopped onion in butter or oil until soft.
-Add veggie of choice and continue to cook.
-Add broth, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
-Purée.
-Return to pot and add cream.


Recipe for Cream of Asparagus:
Cut tips from 12 asparagus

1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.

Cut stalks and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice and garnish with asparagus tips.

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