Really Good Soup Recipes for Cold Days

Clean Out the Fridge Soup

Start with 1 lb of ground lean meat and a chopped onion or two. Brown in a little oil. Drain well. Put in big pot with a lid. Add: 1 can Minnestrone soup, undiluted, 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (this is a VERY important flavor), 1 can tomatoes, 1 or 2 cans Ranch beans or kidney beans, 1 can of corn, several pieces of chopped garlic, cubed potatoes, cut carrots, and whatever else you’ve got in the fridge you need to cook. Also good: celery, leftover peas, green pepper, or even some left over spaghetti and sauce!! Simmer covered for about 20-25 minutes. No salt needed. Add a few swishes of Tabasco to kick start the flavor. Cool and divide into freezer containers. It will be thick but don’t add water. You’ll add the water when you get ready to heat it up. I have kept packages in the freezer as long as 3 months, and the flavor is still absolutely great. In fact, this soup is actually better after it has “set” for a day or two.

Purple Soup

4 1/2 cups Kemp’s black beans, including liquid

1 to 2 cups water

1 1/2 T Sherry (cream or medium-dry), or to taste

1 T fresh lime juice, or to taste

Purée black beans in batches in a blender or mash by hand and transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in 1 cup water, Sherry, lime juice, and salt to taste, then thin soup, if necessary, to desired consistency with additional water. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Soup can be made ahead and chilled, uncovered, until completely cooled, then covered up to 5 days, or frozen 3 months. Reheat over low heat, thinning with water as necessary. Serve with warm corn bread.

Italian Sausage Soup

This soup has that simmered-all-day flavor but takes just minutes to prepare.

8 oz hot or sweet turkey Italian sausage

2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano

1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta

2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves

2 T grated fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese

2 T chopped fresh basil

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan, and cook about 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan. Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Remove from heat; stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and basil. Serve it with hot crusty bread. Yield: 4 servings

Leftover Chicken & Rice Casserole Soup

Use leftovers from your nights Chicken & Rice Casserole dinner. Cut up the chicken and empty the casserole dish into a soup pot. Add 1 container of chicken broth and heat through. Add 1 can of Veg-all (or other mixed vegetables), if desired. The starch from the rice thickens the broth and it has a completely different taste and texture from the casserole. Can let it sit overnight to eat the next day. It’s so easy and terrific!

Vegetable & Pea Soup

Soak 1/2 bag green dried split peas and 1/2 bag of yellow split peas (or any combination of peas) overnight in water. Rinse well and drain. Saute chopped onions, one leek and a bunch of scallions in olive oil in a stock pot. Add cut up pieces of carrots and a few cloves of garlic to taste. Sweat vegetables for 5-10 minutes, then salt and pepper to taste. Add the peas to the vegetables and add one large can of chicken or vegetable broth with 3-4 cups of water, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of hot sauce. Add a few slices of pork with the bone in, smoked turkey wings, or ham, if you want soup with meat. Bring to a boil, stir often and simmer for 4-6 hours. Add water if it becomes too thick and season again if needed with salt, pepper and hot sauce. This can also be made in a crock pot overnight. This is a very tasty soup that gets better the next day. It freezes well.