Category: Soup

Recipes for soups, chilis, etc.

Turmeric-based veggie soup will help you feel golden

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date September 25, 2025

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.

Every time I use turmeric in a recipe, I remember back to the time I ruined the one and only manicure I’ve ever had while using it in a delicious Jamaican recipe.

Knowing it has the ability to stain everything, I have been diligent about wearing an apron when cooking with it ever since (although I’m still very willing to sacrifice my nails for the cause).

This week’s recipe featured turmeric, so I paid careful attention to what I was doing while stirring, watching the broth turn a beautiful yellow color.

I managed to get through the cooking process completely unscathed.

But then, when I sat down with my steaming bowl of soup, I realized that my capacity to make a mess went beyond the kitchen and into the dining room as I managed to spill it directly down my shirt.

So typical.

But also so worth it.

This recipe comes from the blog “Munch Meals by Janet.” You can find the original post at https://munchmealsbyjanet.com/2020/11/09/vegan-vegetable-noodle-soup/. I added extra seasoning, broth and ingredients in the version below.

Vegetable Noodle Soup

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.

Course Main Course, Soup

Keyword bay leaves, carrots, celery, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, oregano, pasta, potatoes, turmeric, vegan, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
4 ribs celery diced
4 large carrots diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
4 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 large potatoes cubed
16 ounces pasta something tubular; I used cavatappi

Instructions

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, celery and carrots, and saute until everything is softened.
Add the garlic and saute for a couple minutes, just until it’s starting to be fragrant, and add in six cups of broth, oregano, garlic powder, turmeric, bay leaves, salt and pepper, potatoes and pasta, and stir to combine.
Cover the pot and raise the heat slightly. Let the soup come to a gentle boil.
Lower the heat to keep the soup at a simmer, and leave the lid on for 14 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.
Fish out the bay leaves and discard them, and then serve.

This had so much flavor. The turmeric added an earthy, peppery flavor, and the combination of all the vegetables in the broth made it an excellent, hearty dinner.

And luckily, my stain treatment managed to slay the turmeric, and my shirt is good as new.

Next time I pull that bottle off my spice rack, I’ll have to remember that I don’t just need my apron—I might need to get a bib, too.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 25, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Tags bay leaves, carrots, celery, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, oregano, pasta, potatoes, turmeric, vegan, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, vegetarian, yellow onion

Main Dish Soup

Think you can’t eat chili in summer? That’s your ‘poblano’

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 22, 2025

Chorizo poblano chili is a great meal year round. Featuring some robust spices like chili powder and paprika, along with a combination of chorizo, ground beef and fresh peppers, this chili is a hearty dish that is a real crowd pleaser.

There is really only one part of winter that I like: getting to eat soup.

But then I realized one day that you really don’t have to reserve having a big bowl of soup, stew or chili to the cold months. Honestly, despite being a warm food, it’s not an awful summer meal.

You don’t have to heat up the kitchen with the oven, you generally get leftovers to put in the fridge for those days you spend all day in the yard and don’t want to cook, and there are plenty of fresh garden veggies around to include.

So, yeah, I’m on board with eating a hot bowl of deliciousness any time of the year.

Obviously, what I’m really after is justifying the fact that I’m sharing a traditionally warm-weather recipe with you in May, but I figure this is my column, and if you’re not impressed, you can just put it in your recipe box to try in the fall.

This comes from the blog “Abras Kitchen” by Abra Pappa. You can find the original recipe at https://abraskitchen.com/chorizo-poblano-chili/. I added extra spices in my version below.

Chorizo Poblano Chili

Chorizo poblano chili is a great meal year round. Featuring some robust spices like chili powder and paprika, along with a combination of chorizo, ground beef and fresh peppers, this chili is a hearty dish that is a real crowd pleaser.

Course Main Course

Keyword chicken stock, chili powder, chorizo, cumin, diced tomatoes, fresh garlic, ground beef, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans, minced garlic, onion, oregano, paprika, poblano peppers, vegetable stock

Ingredients

1 pound chorizo
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
3 poblano peppers diced
1 jalapeno pepper diced (remove ribs and seeds for a milder taste)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
salt and pepper to taste
15- ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
2 15- ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Instructions

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the chorizo and ground beef, cooking until it’s browned and cooked through, and breaking it apart as you go.
Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate over to the side.
Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add in the onions and peppers, and saute until they are softened. Add in the garlic and saute for a couple minutes until the garlic just starts to brown.
Pour in the beans and spices. Stir well, letting the spices toast a bit (about two minutes).
Add in the diced tomatoes, cooked chorizo and beef, and the chicken stock, and scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate any stuck-on bits.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer, and let the chili cook for one hour, stirring regularly, until the liquid reduces to a consistency you like. Add more spices, as needed, and serve.

This was not nearly as spicy as I thought it would be. When I did the “add more spices” step, I added quite a bit more to really punch up the spice level, but it was probably perfect for quite a few folks’ palates.

Combining the chorizo with the ground beef gave this chili a bit more of a robust flavor that we really enjoyed.

And I’m sorry if I was too harsh with those of you who are in the “soup is only for winter camp” earlier. I was probably hungry. But after a big bowl of chili, I am definitely feeling much better.

This piece first appeared in print May 22, 2025.

Tags chicken stock, chili powder, chorizo, cumin, diced tomatoes, fresh garlic, ground beef, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans, minced garlic, onion, oregano, paprika, poblano peppers, vegetable stock

Main Dish Soup

Easy potsticker soup will have you shouting for ‘choy’

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date February 20, 2025

Potsticker soup is a hearty meal, full of delicious Asian flavors, such as bok choy, soy sauce and sesame oil. Combo that with the ease of using frozen potstickers, and you have a fulfilling meal that is quick to prepare.

Just when I think I have explored every part of the produce section, I find something new to try. This time, it was bok choy.

Bok choy, according to the Food Literacy Center website, is considered the oldest green in China, harkening back to the fifth century.

It is sometimes referred to as “Chinese cabbage,” and if you’re unfamiliar with it, that’s probably the best description I could give. Flavor wise, it’s kind of like a less intense green cabbage.

I absolutely loved it, and it added some brightness to the fabulous soup I’m sharing with you this week.

This comes from the awesome food blog “Gimme Some Oven.” You can find the original post at https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/potsticker-soup-recipe/. I put extra garlic in my version and used regular bok choy instead of baby bok choy, since that’s what I could find locally.

Potsticker Soup

Potsticker soup is a hearty meal, full of delicious Asian flavors, such as bok choy, soy sauce and sesame oil. Combo that with the ease of using frozen potstickers, and you have a fulfilling meal that is quick to prepare.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword 30-minute meal, baby bellas, bok choy, chili crisp, easy soup, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, fresh mushrooms, frozen potstickers, green onions, potstickers, quick dinner, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shiitake, soy sauce, vegetable broth

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces baby bella or shiitake mushrooms sliced
5 green onions thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
8 cloves garlic minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
about 20 ounces frozen potstickers
1 bunch bok choy roughly chopped to spoon-sized pieces
2 teaspoons sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven.
Saute the mushrooms and green onions until they are softened, and then add the ginger and garlic. Saute for another couple of minutes until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant, and pour in the vegetable broth and soy sauce scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate any stuck-on bits.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the potstickers and bok choy, and stir to combine. Let everything boil, stirring occasionally, for about four or five minutes until the potstickers are heated through and the bok choy is cooked to your liking.
Turn the heat to low and add sesame oil and pepper. Be sure to taste the broth before adding salt.
To serve, this soup can be garnished with a variety of goodies. We used sesame seeds, soft-boiled eggs and chili crisp in ours.

This was so, so good. We really enjoyed this and decided that this must go into our regular rotation for quick, cold-weather meals. Despite using frozen potstickers, this felt completely homemade, with lots of delicious Asian flavors. It was a really hearty soup, too, with plenty of veggies to fill us up.

I made soft-boiled eggs to go in our bowls, and that added a creamy component that we really enjoyed.

Plus, I can mark a new vegetable off my list. I’m guessing those fifth century farmers never imagined the new veggie in their gardens would be enjoyed over 1,000 years later and 7,000 miles away, but whoever they were, I’m a big fan of their work.

This piece first appeared in print Feb. 20, 2025.

Tags 30-minute meal, baby bellas, bok choy, chili crisp, easy soup, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, fresh mushrooms, frozen potstickers, green onions, potstickers, quick dinner, sesame oil, sesame seeds, shiitake, soy sauce, vegetable broth

Main Dish Soup

There’s ‘snow’ excuse for waiting to try this great soup

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 9, 2025

Creamy parmesan sausage ditalini soup is hearty and full of flavors that stick to your bones. From the sausage to the parmesan, this soup is sure to warm you up on a cold day.

As soon as the weather forecast called for snow this past week, I immediately began reviewing soup recipes I saved over the past year.

It was time.

Joey and I prepared our “get ready to be snowed in” list for the grocery store, and I was thoroughly ready to make some awesome, hearty meals while we were stuck inside.

The soup I’m sharing with you this week absolutely fit the bill for a cold day.

This recipe comes from the website “Belaya.” You can find the original post at https://belaya.info/creamy-parmesan-italian-sausage-ditalini-soup.html. I added extra garlic and pasta in my version below. It ended up creating a much thicker heartier soup/pasta dish, so if you like your soups a little looser, I’d recommend halving the amount of pasta or doubling the liquid listed below.

Creamy Parmesan Sausage Ditalini Soup

Creamy parmesan sausage ditalini soup is hearty and full of flavors that stick to your bones. From the sausage to the parmesan, this soup is sure to warm you up on a cold day.

Course Main Course, Soup

Keyword 30-minute meal, chicken broth, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, ditalini pasta, fresh garlic, fresh spinach, grated parmesan cheese, hearty soup, heavy cream, hot Italian sausage, Italian sausage, minced garlic, onion, parmesan, red chili flakes, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage I used hot Italian
1 small onion diced (I used yellow)
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
4 cups chicken broth
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes drained
16 ounces ditalini or other small pasta
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
2 cups fresh spinach roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. When it’s hot, add the sausage and onions, breaking the sausage apart as it sautes.
When the sausage is cooked through and the onions are soft, add the garlic, sauteing for another couple of minutes or until it is lightly browned and fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and drained tomatoes, and stir to combine. Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a low boil, and add the pasta, stirring regularly to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Boil the pasta for the amount of time recommended on the box or until it’s cooked to your liking.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, and stir in the cream. Then stir in the parmesan. Once the soup thickens and returns to a simmer, stir in the spinach, letting it cook for a couple minutes until it’s wilted. Finally, add red chili flakes (if desired) and salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve the soup with more parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
For the leftovers, you may need to add more broth (or a little water) to get it back to the same consistency. It will likely thicken more in the refrigerator.

Ours was definitely thicker than the original recipe intended, but I just couldn’t see having half a box of pasta sitting in my pantry for who knows how long, so I figured there was no reason to skimp on the carbs.

This was warm, creamy and tasty. I really liked the bit of heat from the hot Italian sausage and chili flakes, too, but I also love that you can leave all that spiciness out and still have an amazing meal.

And it gave us another meal of tasty leftovers for later in the week, once the daily grind resumed. Work day or not, soup days and snow days are best combined.

This piece first appeared in print Jan. 9, 2025.

Tags 30-minute meal, chicken broth, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, ditalini pasta, fresh garlic, fresh spinach, grated parmesan cheese, hearty soup, heavy cream, hot Italian sausage, Italian sausage, minced garlic, onion, parmesan, red chili flakes, yellow onion

Main Dish Soup

With fall ‘fest’ approaching, it’s time for some stew recipes

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date October 17, 2024

Oktoberfest stew includes all the flavors of the traditional celebration, from beer and sausage to cabbage and potatoes. Paired with a thick, crusty slice of bread, it makes for a cozy, warming dinner.

I’m constantly amazed at how quickly we transition from pasta salad to thick, warming stew weather in Kansas.

I can always tell when other parts of the country are starting to move into whatever the next season is, because my Pinterest suggestions suddenly begin showcasing a totally new genre of food. Right now, with Canadian Thanksgiving behind us, temperatures starting to dip and Halloween on the horizon, my feed is punctuated by lots of soups, pies and spooky treats.

I was glad for that shift this week, when I decided it was time to make my first soup of the season: an Oktoberfest-inspired stew that did not disappoint in the least.

This comes from the blog “The Cozy Apron” by Ingrid Beer. You can find her post at https://thecozyapron.com/oktoberfest-stew/. I swapped out the sausage and added extra garlic in my version below. I also doubled what is listed below, and that gave us plenty of leftovers to store in the freezer, too.

Oktoberfest Stew

Oktoberfest stew includes all the flavors of the traditional celebration, from beer and sausage to cabbage and potatoes. Paired with a thick, crusty slice of bread, it makes for a cozy, warming dinner.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine German

Keyword beer, beer brats, bratwurst, cabbage, caramelized onions, caraway seeds, dunkel, fresh garlic, garlic, German stew, lager, marzen, minced garlic, Octoberfest meal, Oktoberfest meal, onion, parsley, potatoes, Russet potato

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion sliced thinly (I used white)
16 to 19 ounces beer brats cut into half-inch rounds
1/2 head cabbage thinly sliced or 10 ounces coleslaw cabbage
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds ground or whole
salt and pepper to taste
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
1 cup Oktoberfest style lager like a marzen or a dunkel
2 large Russet potatoes cut into one-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven with a lid over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and saute until it is soft and starting to caramelize.
Add the sausage, and saute until there is no pink left (no worries about internal temperature, it’s going to get plenty of cook time).
Stir in the cabbage, letting it cook until it’s wilted down and starting to lightly brown.
Add in the caraway seed, salt, pepper, and the garlic, letting the garlic saute for a few minutes, or just until it starts to smell nice.
Add in the lager and stir, letting the mixture marry for about five minutes to let the beer reduce just a smidgeon.
Add the potatoes and stock, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly. Once the stew is boiling, turn the heat to low, and place the lid slightly askew on the pot, letting it cook for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally while it simmers.
When it’s done, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar and dried parsley. Serve alongside a slice of crusty bread.

This stew was delicious. The flavor combinations were out of this world, with the starchiness of the potatoes, the maltiness from the lager and the slight sweetness of the cabbage all complimenting the sausage. I baked a loaf of beer bread to go with our stew, and it paired beautifully.

And with the temperatures dipping just enough to let us turn off our air conditioner and open our windows, we enjoyed a great meal.

I can’t wait to savor this season of recipes for the next few weeks, at least until somebody somewhere starts posting about Christmas.

This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 17, 2024.

Tags beer, beer brats, bratwurst, cabbage, caramelized onions, caraway seeds, dunkel, fresh garlic, garlic, German stew, lager, marzen, minced garlic, Octoberfest meal, Oktoberfest meal, onion, parsley, potatoes, Russet potato

Main Dish Soup

Don’t have time to get ’round to dinner? Make meatball soup.

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date February 15, 2024

Italian meatball soup makes for a really quick and hearty dinner. It would be a great companion to a grilled cheese sandwich or a thick slice of garlic bread.

I was in such a hurry this week, trying to toss together a quick dinner for Joey and I before we headed back out the door for more commitments.

In the moments before I headed home, I popped into the grocery store, a new recipe on my phone, grabbing quick ingredients before trying to get food on the table.

But being me, I strayed a bit from the ingredient list, adding this and that to my basket and internally planning the spice mixture I would throw into the soup I was going to make.

Even for a quick dinner, I just couldn’t keep myself from playing with the recipe.

The one I tried comes from the blog “Girl Gone Gourmet” by April Anderson. You can find the original post at https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/italian-meatball-soup/. I changed it quite a bit from the original, adding quite a few ingredients to my version.

Italian Meatball Soup

Italian meatball soup makes for a really quick and hearty dinner. It would be a great companion to a grilled cheese sandwich or a thick slice of garlic bread.

Course Main Course, Soup

Keyword basil, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, frozen meatballs, fusilli pasta, garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, Italian meatballs, marinara sauce, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, quick dinner, quick soup, red pepper flakes

Ingredients

4 cups chicken broth
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
24 ounces marinara sauce I used a roasted garlic version
26 ounces frozen Italian-style meatballs
8 ounces fusilli pasta
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

In a large pot with a lid, add the broth, diced tomatoes (don’t drain them) and marinara sauce, over high heat.
Stir to combine the ingredients, and when they come to a boil, stir in the meatballs. Once the mixture comes back to a boil, add the pasta, parsley, oregano, basil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir well.
Turn the heat to medium and place the lid on the pot, letting it simmer for five minutes.
Remove the lid and stir, and continue to let the soup cook at a slow boil for six to seven minutes or until the noodles are cooked to your liking.
If the soup is too thick, add additional broth or water until the soup reaches your desired consistency. When the soup is heated back through, serve topped with parmesan.

This turned out really well. It was thick, hearty and full of great Italian flavor. It was perfect for dinner, but it would have been a great option for lunch with a small cup of soup alongside a grilled cheese sandwich or a big slice of garlic bread, too.

I ended up leaving my soup a bit on the thick side, and as it cooled, it turned into more of a pasta sauce than a soup, so my leftovers will be getting more liquid when I reheat them.

But the main thing is that I managed to quickly get a hot meal on the table that we both enjoyed, even while I kept tossing improvised ingredients into the pot. Sometimes being in a hurry means eating something terrible for dinner, but every once in awhile, it makes for a great meal.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 15, 2024.

Tags basil, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, frozen meatballs, fusilli pasta, garlic powder, grated parmesan cheese, Italian meatballs, marinara sauce, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, quick dinner, quick soup, red pepper flakes

Main Dish Soup

Take a ‘leek’ at the recipe for some savory potato soup

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 25, 2024

Leek and potato soup has a velvety mouthfeel from potatoes and heavy cream, along with a deep, delicious onion flavor from freshly sauteed leeks.

Back when I started this column 10 years ago, I thought people would be coming out of the woodwork to offer up recipes for me to try. I signed off each week with a request for submissions.

In that first year, I think I received about five or six.

I learned quickly that people don’t like to share their favorite recipes—at least not with the general, newspaper-reading public.

I get it. Recipes can certainly be something sacred for a lot of us. They’re often more than food—they’re memories. I try to remember that when someone sends me a family favorite, something that they regularly make in their own kitchen. That person isn’t just sending me a list of ingredients and instructions; they’re sharing a piece of themselves, and that’s something special.

If you haven’t guessed, I don’t have a link from a blog to tell you where to find the original of the recipe I tried this week. Instead, this recipe was shared with me by our dear family friend, Jim Kanady. I added garlic to my version, and I used my blender a bit, too.

Potato Leek Soup

Leek and potato soup has a velvety mouthfeel from potatoes and heavy cream, along with a deep, delicious onion flavor from freshly sautéed leeks.

Course Main Course, Soup

Keyword butter, cayenne, fresh garlic, garlic, heavy cream, leek, potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes

Ingredients

2 sticks butter
2 leeks sliced
salt pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
4 to 6 cloves garlic minced
1 quart chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups Yukon gold potatoes diced
2 cups heavy cream
oyster crackers for serving

Instructions

Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot with a lid over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the leeks, salt, pepper and cayenne, and saute until the leeks are soft (10 to 15 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for about two minutes until it is lightly browned and fragrant.
Stir in the cornstarch until it is completely soaked up in the butter, and then pour in the chicken broth, stirring well.
Add the potatoes and turn the burner to high. Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the cream. Place the lid on the pot and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Stir it occasionally while it simmers.
Taste the soup to see if it is seasoned to your liking. If you want it a bit thicker, use an immersion blender or regular blender to partially blend the soup, making sure to leave some potato chunks.
Serve with oyster crackers and some crusty bread on the side.

This was absolutely delicious. It’s a simple recipe, but the leeks give it a deep, onion-y flavor that isn’t harsh at all, and the addition of the potatoes and cream make it thick and hearty.

It heated up really well as leftovers, too, and when we didn’t quite have enough for another two servings after a couple meals of enjoying it, we ate the last bit alongside grilled cheese sandwiches, which was also a winning combination.

And every time I grabbed a delicious bowl, I thought of Jim and his friendship with our family. The only thing that could have been better would have been eating the meal together.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 25, 2024.

Tags butter, cayenne, fresh garlic, garlic, heavy cream, leek, potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes

Main Dish Side Dish Soup

Winter can’t squash my love of fall vegetables

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date November 30, 2023

Roasted butternut squash soup is a fabulous combination of warm, late season flavors that create a delicious side dish for any fall or winter meal.

I know now that we’re in post-Thanksgiving life, I’m supposed to transition to only Christmas-y flavors and foods with tons of sugar and peppermint and red and green food dye, but I have to be honest, I’m still not ready to be finished with fall vegetables.

Luckily, our local grocery store isn’t, either, because I was able to get a huge, beautiful butternut squash this week that I immediately knew needed to become some kind of soup.

I did a search and found a recipe from the blog “Little Spoon Farm” by Amy Duska that was just what I was looking for. You can find the original post at https://littlespoonfarm.com/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-recipe/. I added extra garlic and seasonings in my version.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted butternut squash soup is a fabulous combination of warm, late season flavors that create a delicious side dish for any fall or winter meal.

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Keyword butternut squash, fresh garlic, garlic, pureed soup, roasted vegetables, sage, thyme, vegan, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 butternut squash 3 to 4 pounds
1 medium yellow onion
2 heads fresh garlic
2-4 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 teaspoons dried sage
2 teaspoons dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, but don’t throw them away.
Cut the onion into quarters, and cut just the tops off the heads of garlic.
Put the squash, cut side up, and the onions on the baking sheet. Pour just a touch of olive oil over the top of each head of garlic, sprinkle them a little sage, thyme, salt and pepper, and wrap them loosely in foil. Place them on the baking sheet, too.
Rub a coat of olive oil over the squash and onions, and then sprinkle them with sage, thyme, salt and pepper, too.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 45 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside so the vegetables can cool enough for you to handle them.
In the meantime, rinse the seeds you removed from the squash to get rid of all the goopy strings. Dry them with a paper towel, and then put them in a small bowl, along with one tablespoon of olive oil and salt, to taste. Stir well to coat the seeds in oil and salt.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the seeds and let them brown, stirring regularly (be aware that they might try to jump out of the pan as they roast). Once they are lightly browned, remove the seeds from the heat, and set them aside.
If you have an immersion blender, heat a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat at this point. If not, you’ll want to have the pot ready but first add the ingredients to a blender and then transfer them to your pot after you puree them. (Remember to add a little stock to the blender with each batch so there’s liquid to help the blending process.)
Add the vegetable stock to the pot. Scoop out all the squash, discarding the skin, and put it into the pot, along with the roasted onions. Carefully squeeze as much of the roasted garlic out of each bulb as you can into the pot. Using your immersion blender, blend the soup until everything is smooth, and continue stirring regularly until the soup is hot. Stir in the cream, add any more seasonings, and serve with the roasted seeds sprinkled on top.

This was absolutely delicious. It would make for a perfect meal with a sandwich, but we opted to put ours alongside some steaks. It was one of those soups that warmed you all the way through with all the flavor of roasted vegetables and herbs, and it reheated well as leftovers, too.

Also, this recipe taught me that you can roast squash seeds. I have done pumpkin seeds many times, but I never thought about doing the same thing with the other members of the gourd family. They were a great add, creating just a little crunch and nuttiness in the bowl.

I’m so happy there is still squash on the produce shelves. I’m crossing my fingers they’ll be there through the rest of winter, too, because I definitely want to make this soup again. There are some parts of fall that even Christmas can’t beat.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 30, 2023.

Tags butternut squash, fresh garlic, garlic, pureed soup, roasted vegetables, sage, thyme, vegan, vegetarian, yellow onion

Main Dish Soup

This creamy chicken soup was fabulous, ‘gnocchi’dding

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 4, 2023

Chicken gnocchi soup is a creamy, Italian-style soup that features tons of flavor from fresh vegetables, lots of garlic, chicken and soft, pillowy gnocchi.

This past weekend, Joey found whole chickens on sale and proceeded to put three on his smoker.

I told him I wanted to try a different way to make stock from the bones, once he was done pulling the meat, and he graciously put the pieces into my large crockpot for me.

Normally, we make stock on the stove, but after seeing several people online make it in their crockpots, I wanted to give it a shot, especially since the last time we made stock, our entire kitchen felt a bit like a sauna from all the boiling liquid. That’s a less-than optimum feeling when you’re staring at May on the calendar.

So, I covered the bones in water, snapped on the lid, and let everything cook on high for four hours. Then I set it to low and went to bed.

When I tell you that I woke up to the most beautiful stock I have ever seen, please believe me. It was dark and flavorful and amazing.

I immediately knew that a soup was in order, so I decided to try a recipe I had my eye on that uses lots of fresh veggies—all of which just happened to be in my fridge.

This comes from the blog, “Tornadough Alli.” You can find the original post at https://tornadoughalli.com/olive-garden-chicken-gnocchi-soup/. I added tons more garlic and some other seasoning in my version.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken gnocchi soup is a creamy, Italian-style soup that features tons of flavor from fresh vegetables, lots of garlic, chicken and soft, pillowy gnocchi.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword black pepper, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, creamy soup, garlic salt, gnocchi, minced garlic, onion, parsley, spinach

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion diced
3 to 4 medium carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
16- ounce package potato gnocchi
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 teaspoons dried parsley
garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 pound chicken cooked and shredded
1 cup fresh spinach chopped
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots and celery, and saute until the onions are translucent.
While your veggies cook, boil the gnocchi according to package instructions, drain it, and set it aside.
When the vegetables are cooked through, add in the garlic and saute for just a couple of minutes.
Stir in the flour, and let it cook for about a minute before adding the chicken broth and milk to the pot, stirring well. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get any stuck-on goodies mixed in.
Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low to keep it at a simmer, and add in the seasonings, chicken, spinach, gnocchi and corn starch mixture. Stir well, and keep stirring occasionally until all the ingredients are heated through and the soup is just slightly thickened.
Serve.

This was creamy and flavorful and had lots of great textures between the chicken, gnocchi and vegetables. It also made a nice, big pot of soup, so we were able to put some leftovers in the freezer for another night.

And the best part is I still have eight cups of stock in my refrigerator, ready to go into another creation. After seeing how well my crockpot worked out, I’m not sure if I’ll make stock the old way ever again.

This piece first appeared in print on May 4, 2023.

Tags black pepper, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, creamy soup, garlic salt, gnocchi, minced garlic, Olive Garden copycat, onions, parsley, spinach

Soup

Cannellini beans and garlic make a soup that’s just ‘white’

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date February 17, 2022

Rosemary garlic white bean soup is made with cannellini beans and herbs to create a vegetarian, flavorful dish that is best served with some crusty bread.

Last week, I knew I was going to be doing dinner on my own one evening, because Joey was going to be gone for a bowling tournament.

I immediately combed through my saved recipes on Pinterest, trying to decide what new recipe I’d try while he was away. I originally chose something I knew he wouldn’t like, but when I found myself finishing up at the office after 6 p.m., I decided I better switch gears if I wanted to eat before 8 p.m.

On a second glance of my “recipes to try” list, I found a quick and easy vegetarian soup that I knew would come together quickly and easily, and it did not disappoint.

This recipe comes from the blog “Budget Bytes.” You can find the original post at https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-rosemary-garlic-white-bean-soup/. I added extra garlic and thyme in my version.

Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup

Rosemary garlic white bean soup is made with cannellini beans and herbs to create a vegetarian, flavorful dish that is best served with some crusty bread.

Course Soup

Keyword cannellini beans, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, vegetable broth, vegetarian

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
3 15- ounce cans cannellini beans
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pour one can of undrained beans into a blender or food processor and blend until they are smooth.
In a large pot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about two minutes or until the garlic just starts to get some color.
Drain the other two cans of beans, and add them along with the bean puree, broth, rosemary, thyme red pepper flakes and pepper to the pot.
Stir well, and place the lid on the pot. Turn the heat to medium-high heat to bring the soup to a low boil.
After the soup starts boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered, and stirring occasionally.
Add more pepper and some salt, if desired, and serve with a thick slice of bread.

If your local grocery store doesn’t have cannellini beans on the shelf, you can easily substitute great northern beans instead.

The herbs in this recipe were a great combination with the beans and garlic. My only complaint about it was that it’s probably best as more of a side dish to a sandwich or as an appetizer than as a main dish on its own. It just wasn’t as filling as I hoped it would be. But it did reheat really well and was nice to eat along with a grilled cheese later on.

For once, Joey actually got to enjoy one of the recipes I tried while he was away, and he was happy that he came home to the lingering smell of garlic instead of broccoli, which is normally the case.

Next time he’s out for the evening, I’ll have to make sure to get my work done earlier so I can try something a little more interesting—and something that will ensure I get all the leftovers to myself.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 17, 2022.

Tags cannellini beans, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, vegetable broth, vegetarian, white beans