Crock Pot Black Bean Soup

I wasn't planning on posting this to my blog. But I ate these leftovers for days and LOVED them, and the recipe was in a slow cooker, so it was SUPER easy. So yes, time to publish the recipe here. 

Ingredients: 
1 chicken breast
1 can corn
2 cans black beans
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced

1/4 red onion, diced, 

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 can chicken broth
1 cup chedder cheese
tortilla chips as garnish

Directions: 
Dump all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred chicken. Add cheddar cheese, garnish with tortilla chips. 

This soup is delicious and satisfying, and oh so easy. 
Enjoy!

Curry Chicken Leek & Potato Soup

I have been obsessed with making soups lately. I guess that is just an inherent to-do that comes with the changing of the seasons. Even though I live somewhere where it's still relatively warm, I want to get in my cozy sweater and slippers and slurp something to heat up my insides. This soup does just that. Its got just a tiny mild amount of spice. The warm flavors, the creaminess from the potatoes, and just a hint of richness from the protein in the chicken. It was so simple to make, and so simple to devour. I hope you enjoy! 

Ingredients: 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
2 leeks, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry
1 tsp turmeric
4 cans stock 
2 carrots, diced
3 pound bag red potatoes
1 chicken breast, grilled or baked, then cut into 1/4 inch cubes

Directions: 
Warm your oil in a large dutch oven pot, leek, onion, celery, salt and pepper and saute until softened. Add your garlic and cook for 30-60 more seconds. Then add your curry, turmeric, lavender, and stir until fragrant. Add in your stock, then your carrots and potatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and simmer until your potatoes are fork tender. Use an imersion blender until you have reached your desired smoothness. Add your chicken to the soup and stir until warmed through. Season again with salt and pepper as needed. Serve with bread or pita chips for dipping. 

This soup has a warm creamy vibe with just a slight hint of spices. And the best part is, its virtually fat free and almost meat free. It is the perfect way to cozy up this fall. 

Hella Good Potato Leek Soup

My mother-in-law has so many wonderful dishes in her repertoire. Her leek and potato soup has to be my absolute favorite. I could drink gallons of this like a diesel truck drinks fuel. If I could fill a swimming pool with this soup, I totally would. Its creamy and full of amazing comfort flavors. I just keep saying "this is sooooo delicious!" the entire time I'm eating this. It's the perfect cozy fall soup. 

Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons butter

2 slices bacon, chopped

2 large leeks, (the white part only) chopped

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs of thyme 

15-20 peppercorns (can sub pepper to taste)

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup heavy cream (can sub whole milk)

Directions:

In a heavy pan, melt your butter and add your bacon. Cook bacon until crisp and all the fat is rendered off into the pan. Add your leeks and potatoes to the pan and cook until your leeks are soft. Add your wine, stock, bay leaves, & thyme.  Tie your peppercorns in a cheesecloth bundle with the green parts of the leek and add that to the pot too. Simmer until the potatoes are very soft. You can then blend the soup with an emersion blender until its creamy with just a few chunks. Remove from heat and cool slightly before adding your cream (so your cream doesn't curdle) or temper your cream before adding it to the hot soup. Reheat slowly and salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with bread, or the Nelson favorite is to pair this soup with crab. 

I've said it once, but I will say it a million times. This soup is sooooooo good. Creamy, full of comforting flavors, and the perfect velvety texture. Make this today and I dare you not to fall in love with it. Actually, I double dare you. 

Curried Mung Bean

Have you ever cooked with mung bean before? Mung sounds like dung, not very appetizing  right? (Well they are also called moong beans or green grams.) Mung beans are native to India, but are commonly used in dishes all throughout Asia. They can sometimes be a little bit trickier to find, I found mine at a local Afrian market of all places. Don't be scared. Yes its unusual, yes, its green, but yes, its delicious. 

I used our mung bean to make a curried soup. This is delicious served over rice like you would see served somewhere in India or Asia. Its savory and filling, and like most recipes found here, a great divergent away from a typical week night meal. 

Ingredients: 
2 cups dried mung beans
2 1/2 tablespoons beef bouillon 
7 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion
2 garlic gloves
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger 
1 cup coconut milk
Salt and pepper as needed

Directions: 
In a large pot bring your bouillon and water to a boil, add your beans and boil for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer covered for another 40 minutes. You want your beans to be soft to the taste and the consistency of bean vs liquid to resemble a thick soup, almost a paste. Mash just a bit with a potato masher to break up the liquid into more of a paste. Dice your onions and mince your garlic. In a separate pan heat your oil, add your onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Add your curry and ginger. Cook on medium heat until onions soften and are translucent. Add your onion mixture to the bean mixture. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes, then add your coconut milk. Mix together and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve over 

Think of this as an eastern version of a lentil soup. I was delightfully surprised at how delicious this dish was and I will happily add it into our regular rotation. Even my 2 year old asked for a second helping, and we all know how hard it can be to get a toddler to eat. It manages to be a satisfying vegetarian dish with hints of sweetness, and full bodied flavor. Give it a try, you won't regret it. Mung, dung, wrung, lung, sung. 

Enjoy! 

Moroccan Chicken Drumstick Soup

I debated naming this "holy hell this is good" soup, but I figured it wasn't specific enough. I stumbled on this recipe by accident because I had some chicken drumsticks I needed to use in my freezer. This was the perfect application for them. The bones and extra fat add so much flavor to the soup, and since drumsticks are so affordable this is a very inexpensive meal. It's tastes spicy (in a cinnamon way, not a pepper way) and is just a very unique take on a traditional chicken soup. 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil 

2 pounds chicken drumsticks bone in 

Water

4 carrots peeled and chopped 

5 celery stalks chopped 

1 large onion diced 

2 cloves garlic minced 

1 tsp red pepper flakes 

1 lemon 

1 bunch fresh Tyme 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg 

3 bay leaves 

Salt & pepper 

Optional add ins: 

1 can navy beans 

1 cup Acine de pepe or orchiette pasta 

Few sprigs fresh Cilantro for garnish 

Add olive oil to large medium heat pot, then add onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent and carrots are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and bay leaves and fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken plus about 2-3 extra inches of water depending on how much broth you like. Bring to boil then simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut your lemon in half and juice it into the pot. Then throw in your lemon halves. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 2 hours.

Pull your chicken, lemons, and bay leaves out. Take the skin off the chicken and remove the bones and excess fat. Return just the good meat to the soup. Then depending on how much your broth has reduced, you can add your drained beans, or your cooked pasta. Season again with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with cilantro as a garnish. 

I would say this soup serves 4 people. It is delish and a one you should really try. 

Original recipe inspiration: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/chicken-noodle-soup-recipe.html

Lentil Soup

This lentil soup has been a go to fall and winter recipe for us for years. It's easy enough to make on a weeknight, makes plenty of leftovers, and is satisfying without being fattening. And it's affordable! It's a real winner winner not chicken dinner.  

4 strips of bacon

3 medium carrots

1 yellow onion

1 1/2 cup dry lentils

2 tsp dried Tyme 

Salt/pepper 

2 cans chicken broth 

1/2 cup water 

3 garlic cloves 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Chop your bacon into lentil sized peices. In a heavy soup pan crisp your bacon on medium heat. (Non crisp peices will be gross in the soup later, so be patient). Then chop your onion and carrots into lentil sized peices and add them into the pot. Cook until onions are clear. Add salt and pepper. Then add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute. Then add your lentils, cans of stock, Tyme, and salt and pepper again. 

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 45 minutes. If you cook out all the stock you can add 1/2 cup of water later on. Add your vinegar at the end. Salt and pepper again as needed. You can top with Parmesan shavings if you want, but it really doesn't need it. Enjoy!