Wild Mushroom Bisque

Last summer, I ordered this Wild Mushroom Bisque at Zupas. It's fantastic and ever since, I've been determined to recreate it. I think this recipe is pretty darn close!

I found these dried wild mushrooms at Costco and they are perfect for this recipe. Anything similar to these would work great.

Wild Mushroom Bisque

4 c. dried wild mushrooms

hot water

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

5 c. good quality chicken broth (I use either homemade or Swanson)

1/2 t. dried thyme

3/4 c. heavy cream

salt and pepper

Place mushrooms in a large mixing bowl and cover with lots of hot water. Let soak for at least 10 minutes. Drain (and reserve) the mushroom liquid, squeezing mushrooms of excess water. Roughly chop mushrooms.

In a large pot, heat oil and butter. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, but not browned (3-5 minutes). Add chicken broth, thyme, mushrooms, and 2 cups of the mushroom liquid. Simmer with pot half covered for about 30 minutes. Pour about 3/4 of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste. (Add more mushroom liquid if soup is too thick.)I absolutely fell in love with this soup and I am dying to make it again. Enjoy!

Chicken Soup

After I make Roasted Chicken, I always save the carcass and the leftover meat to make this great soup.Using the leftover chicken bones really makes this soup delicious. Chicken Soup

1 leftover chicken carcass, cut up

2 carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 t. dried parsley

1-2 t. salt

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. dried oregano

1 bay leaf

10-12 c. water

2 c. cooked, chopped chicken

Chop chicken and set aside.In a large pot, combine everything but the cooked chicken.Simmer for about an hour. Remove chicken carcass pieces and bay leaf. Add cooked chicken last.This is one of my favorite comfort foods. Enjoy!

Tortellini Soup

This italian style soup is great for any weeknight meal. It's adapted from a recipe in one of my cookbooks and my family really enjoyed it.

Tortellini Soup
12-16 oz. fully cooked chicken sausages, sliced
2 T. olive oil
1 T. dried minced onion
3 t. garlic powder
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 c. water
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (18 oz.) package cheese tortellini (refrigerated or frozen)
1 (6 oz.) package spinach
1 t. dried basil
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat oil, sausage, dried onion, and garlic powder. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add broth, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook for 5-7 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Add spinach, basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook just until spinach wilts. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Broccoli Chowder

Okay, so it's June, right? Where we live it's still been in the 50's and 60's all week. Not exactly summer weather, but whatever. It's a good excuse to make soup. This soup is adapted from Kitchen Daily. My family loved it. My husband just told me that I need to make it more often. Score!

Broccoli Chowder

1 T. oil

1 onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1-2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. flour

1/2 t. dry mustard

2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen broccoli

1 c. grated cheese

1/2 c. sour cream, plus more for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat oil and add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until tender (about 5-6 minutes.)

Add potatoes, garlic, flour and mustard. Cook about 4-5 more minutes.

Add chicken broth and broccoli. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until veggies are super tender.

Mash with a potato masher.

Add cheese, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a little sour cream.

This was a hit. My kids and hubby all ate their soup ALL GONE! Not kidding. I was more than amazed. Anyway, enjoy!

Clam Chowder

It's been kind of rainy lately so I decided to make a big pot of clam chowder.

Clam Chowder

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 medium potatoes, cubed

2 cans chopped clams (juice reserved)

1 cube (1/2 c.) butter

1/2 c. flour

1 quart (4 cups) half & half

salt and pepper to taste

Combine celery, onion, potatoes, and clam juice in a pot. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until veggies are tender.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add flour. Stir briskly to create a white sauce. Add half & half, a little at a time and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Add half & half mixture to veggie mixture. Stir in clams and heat until thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This soup was great even as leftovers. Enjoy!

Bean & Bacon Soup

Canned bean with bacon soup was my favorite when I was little. A few years ago I was really in the mood for some but we didn't have any. So I made my own! This is the recipe that was born:

Bean & Bacon Soup

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use turkey bacon or regular)

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

1/2 c. chopped onion (optional)

1 1/2 (15 oz.) cans refried beans

2 c. frozen corn (or 1 can, drained)

1 t. onion powder

1 t. garlic powder

sprinkle of pepper

grated cheese for garnish

In a pot, combine broth and onion. Bring to a simmer.

Stir in refried beans.

Add corn, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and most of the crumbled bacon (reserve some for garnish, if desired.) Cook on medium-low for about 20 minutes, stirring often.

Serve with cheese and crumbled bacon for garnish.

Yum! I am a big fan of hearty soup. Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

Okay, so this recipe is not really homemade, but it's quick, yummy, and versatile. I was in the mood for tomato soup and I had some fresh basil on hand and this is what was born.

Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans tomato soup

2 canfuls water

2 T. fresh basil, minced

grated cheese

1 can diced tomatoes (optional)

cooked noodles (optional)

canned beans (optional)

any vegetables (optional)

cooked chicken or pepperoni (optional)

I used fresh minced basil because I love it. You could also use 2 t. dry.

I used fresh mozzarella for my cheese. It's available at most grocery stores and it has a very mild, creamy flavor.

I just cut it up in small squares instead of grating it.

Prepare soup with water. Add basil (and any additional ingredients you like) and heat thoroughly. To serve, put a handful of cheese in the bottom of each bowl and top with hot soup. Garnish with more basil or black pepper. The cheese gets all melty and yummy! Mmmmmm.

I am a sucker for tomato soup. It's filling and healthy! I didn't add any extras to mine this time, but I will in the future. This is such a fun shortcut recipe and you could really add anything you want. Enjoy!