Soups for Large Crowds
Fall is the time of year when you start thinking of comfort foods. The neighborhood block party, church bazaar, your children’s groups, clubs and sport teams. Any large group you need to feed. The perfect fit all fall to winter food is the big pot of soup. Cook and freeze days in advance.
All you need is plastic cups, bowls, and plastic utensils, lots of paper towels. Below are the most popular soup recipes? Cook and enjoy.
Navy Bean Soup For Large Groups:
6 stalks of chopped celery
4 large carrots
4 yellow or white onions chopped
2 cups of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp. dried thyme
4 bay leaves
2 lbs smoked ham hocks
1 ½ gal water
1 ½ lb navy beans soaked overnight or canned
1 lb diced ham
2 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
1 lb of potatoes chopped fine
Add all of the ingredients except he parsley into a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 hours or more until the beans and ham hocks are tender. When the hocks are ready, take them out of the soup and when cool enough to handle, cut the meat from the bone. Add this back into the soup with the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Yield: 42.6 fl.oz. Servings
Vegetable Soup For Large Groups:
3 medium onions (1 ½ lbs.) chopped (4 cups)
1 lb. carrots sliced
2 large cloves garlic, crushed with garlic press
4 large stalks celery sliced and diced
2 cans (28 oz. each) whole tomatoes in juice
½ small head green cabbage (1 lb.) thinly sliced (6 cups)
¾ lb. green beans, trimmed and cut small
1 can (48 to 49 oz.) chicken broth
6 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
3 medium zucchini (1 ¼ lbs.) sliced and diced
2 bags (6 oz. each) baby spinach leaves.
Prepare a large 12-quart stockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Over medium high heat, add carrots, onions, celery, and garlic; cook until all vegetable soften and stir occasionally.
Add tomatoes with their liquid, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Add cabbage, green beans, broth, and water. 1-teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; heat to boiling over high heat, stir occasionally.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stir occasionally increase heat to high, stir in zucchini and spinach and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until all vegetable are tender.
Makes: 28-cups Cook Time approx 1 hr.
Chili for Large Crowds:
6 pounds dried pinto beans or canned
3 tablespoons salt
20 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 quarts canned peeled and diced tomatoes in juice
2 quarts tomatoes paste
1 1/3 cups chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
Water, beef broth can be used if extra liquid is needed
Preparing Chili:
Bean prep: Wash and sort beans, Bring 3 gallons of water to boil in a 6-gallon pot. Pour in beans, return to a boil cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. Stir in salt and simmer until tender, 90 minutes. Drain and set aside. Or substitute can beans.
Brown beef with onions and garlic over medium high heat or brown in oven at 350degrees until pink is gone, up to one hour. Combine, chili powder, cumin, pepper. Add to meat mixture, tomatoes, tomato paste and cooked or can beans in 6-gallon pot, stir, and cover.
Simmer one hour, stirring occasionally. Add liquid to obtain desired consistency, amount varies by cooking method and beans used. May also be cooked covered in the crock-pot 18-quart crock-pots, for about 3-4 hours at 300-325.
Yields: 6 gallons just less than 100 cups feeds 80 people
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes
Enjoy all three favorite soup recipes for large groups. Easy and delicious.
