Mulligatawny Soup

This soup is amazing. It has an amazing flavor. It has a lot of ingredients but don't let that scare you off. Sam asks for this weekly. I don't make it that often but it is definitely a staple year round even in the summer.

This soup definitely has a little heat but you can back off the cayenne if you don't like spice but even for my kids it isn't too spicy.

Mulligatawny Soup

adapted by Cooks Illustrated

4 medium cloves garlic , 2 peeled and 2 finely minced
1piece ginger (about 1 1/2 inches), peeled and grated (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions , chopped medium
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium carrots , peeled and chopped coarse
1 medium rib celery , chopped coarse
1 medium banana (about 5 ounces), very ripe, peeled, or 1 small boiling potato (about 5 ounces), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
Plain yogurt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
Basmati Rice

Place the 2 peeled whole garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of the grated ginger, and the water in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 25 seconds; leave the mixture in the blender jar and set aside. (You will be pureeing the soup right in the blender with the garlic and ginger.)

Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the minced garlic, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons ginger, curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and flour; stir until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly and vigorously, gradually add the chicken broth. Add the carrots, celery, and whole banana to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in the blender with the garlic and ginger until very smooth. Wash and dry the pot. Return the pureed soup to the clean pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm the soup over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute. (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.) Ladle the soup into individual bowls, spoon a dollop of the yogurt over each bowl, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

Creamy White Chili

 The Fall season here hit me like a ton of bricks. One day I was wearing t-shirts and shorts and the next sweater, coats, and scarves. I am not kidding you. It came out of nowhere and usually when that happens we get another week of warm nice weather kind of like an Indian summer. I'm still waiting for that week and I'm pretty sure it's not coming this year. So instead of complaining (more) I decided to get out my soup book and embrace it. 

Literally I hugged my soup book because I love soups. I don't post too many on here because I think they are usually too basic or I eat them so fast that I forget to take a picture. (Notice how the picture above is a half-eaten bowl of soup...) I'm not sure what it is about soups but the scream fall to me and since I am so nice I am going to try (really hard) to remember the blog and "click" then dig in.

This Creamy White Chili makes an appearance on our menu plan probably every other week and sometimes a few weeks in a row. The kids love it. The adults love it. It makes great leftovers for lunch. It has a touch of heat (completely to your liking) which warms you up inside. Plus it's just a great soup. Easy, quick, and delicious. So try it on the next cold day and you will be glad you did.

PS: This is amazing to dip tortilla chips in or a sprinkling of cilantro. I do it on mine and Sam's but the kids eat cilantro as long as they don't see it so much.

White Chili

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder  in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately.

Yummy Delicious Hamburger Soup

Every Sunday we head out to Sam's Parents' house for dinner. It is something I think we all look forward to. The kids get to play with Grandpa and Grandma. I don't have to cook dinner. Sam can watch tv in peace (most of the time).

I also love going over there for dinner because of all the different recipes. One of my favorites and easiest meal is hamburger soup. It is warm, hearty, and so good.

Hamburger Soup
Lennay Crockett

1 jar of spaghetti sauce
2 cans beef broth
1 can tomatoes
1 med. onion
3-4 stalks of celery
1 can corn
1 lb. ground beef
2 bay leaves
Noodles (Egg noodles or pasta works)

Put spaghetti sauce and broth in to a large pot. Fill sauce jar 1/2 full with water and add to pot. Chop onion and celery and add to pot with the bay leaves and tomatoes. Heat until it begins to boil and reduce it to a simmer. Brown the ground beef and add to the pot. Add corn and let simmer for one hour. In a different pot cook your noodles. and add 5 minutes before serving or if you are wanting some for leftovers leave the pasta and soup separate so the noodles don't get too mushy over night.

Creamy Garden Vegetable Soup

My roommate made me this when we lived in Utah and I loved it. It's a great way to use up zucchini because usually by this point in the season I've had enough zucchini whether it's grilled, deep fried, baked, or in some type of dessert but in this soup it gives great texture and AWESOME flavors. I forgot how much I loved this soup until I found it on Recipezaar. I was so excited I had to make it right away. We ate the whole pot!!

Bonus this soup is so easy even Sam can make it and he has very limited privileges in the kitchen due to the chicken-shrimp-pasta a roni debacle of '06. He actually made the soup tonight because I overbooked myself and it was delicious. He might even get his kitchen privileges back.

Creamy Garden Vegetable Soup

3 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (If using dried decrease to 1 tsp.)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 medium tomatoes
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (can use fat-free or low-fat)
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Chop zucchinis and tomatoes to bite sized pieces. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, parsley and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, stir occasionally. Add flour, salt and pepper and stir and cook for one minute. Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice; mix well. Bring the soup to a simmer, stir to prevent anything from sticking, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite to it (I always under cook it since it sits in the pot I really don't want it over done and mushy). Add the tomatoes, evaporated milk, and corn. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the soup and simmer until the corn and zucchini are tender. Stir in the cheese just before serving.

* Notes- When it's just my family (Sam, Wesli, Kellen, and Myself) I halve the recipe because it's not as great to me the next day because the zucchini get a little too mushy.

I usually make rolls or breadsticks with this and it's delicious but I didn't this time.