A Guest Post from Sara Hayes!

Hello Lots to Ladle readers! I'm so excited Lynnie asked me to guest blog. I've learned a lot from her and this blog, and just like her, I've adapted a Martha Stewart recipe to share today!

Martha has a very easy recipe for tortilla soup with black beans. I added some shredded chicken and left out the tortilla chips for a lighter version. This soup is perfect for an easy dinner. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes in juice

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14.5 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn kernels

course salt and ground pepper

1 cup crushed tortilla chips (optional)

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juices), beans, broth, corn, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

In a separate, smaller saucepan, add chicken breast. Add water or chicken broth so chicken is covered by about 1-2 inches. Season with salt and pepper. Bring water to just under a simmer on medium-high heat. Simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. After chicken is cooked, shred and add to the soup.

Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add to tortilla chips; cook until softened, about two minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and paper. Serve soup with lime wedges and, if desired, more chips.

Potato Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup

Sounds like a lot, right? I couldn't make up my mind...do I want potato soup or broccoli soup so after getting a little inspiration from a couple of food blogs and my cookbooks I decided to go for both potato & broccoli (you know I was using the cheese no matter what the main ingredient was).

This soup came together rather quickly and I was completely satisfied with my decision to use both potato & broccoli. The potato really helped with the overall consistency of the soup; made it more creamy (only had to used 1 tablespoon of skim milk). Spring is right around the corner so I really have to make the most of my winter comfort foods. I think I'll try this again in the near future with potato and cauliflower. I'll keep you posted! I had full intentions of making cheesy croutons for the top of the soup but forgot to get a loaf of Italian bread at the store, silly me!

I can't take credit for this soup but I don't really know who to give credit to. I used Martha, Food Network & Tastespotting to come to a final recipe for this soup.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (you can use olive oil if you're trying to be a little bit healthier)

1 medium size yellow onion

3 small heads of broccoli, chopped

2 medium size Idaho potatoes, cut into small pieces

4 cups of chicken broth (vegetable broth if you want to keep it vegetarian friendly)

1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1-2 tablespoons of skim milk (you can add more or less depending on you preference)

salt & pepper

In a dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent (about 8 mins). Do not burn the onion! Add broccoli, potatoes, chicken broth, & a dash of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are fork tender (about 15-20 mins). Once vegetables are tender transfer to a blender and puree in batches (an immersion blender would do the trick too). Return puree to dutch oven over low heat. Stir in cheese, milk & salt/pepper to taste. Enjoy!

A Soupy Kind of Day: Cream of Broccolli

Another great day for soup. I especially love winter cooking. This was a very simple soup to make and a bit healthier than the broccoli cheddar soup I usually make. You can substitute cauliflower, mushrooms, or asparagus. I'm sure I'll be making it with asparagus in the near future.

The recipe came from Martha's Cooking School Cookbook but can also be found here

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

This is by far one of my favorite soups! I made it a while ago and have been meaning to do a post about it but just got to it now.

You need to try this soup!!! I know many people don't like garlic but roasted garlic has such a sweet flavor and adds great taste to this soup.

This is a time consuming recipe and does make A LOT of soup but I promise you'll be so happy you made it! YUM! It's great if you're having a get together and need to serve a lot of people or if you're looking for a meal that provides for a couple days.

You can find the recipe here

Soup, soup, and more soup

The cold weather had me making lots of different soups. Making and trying out different soups is a fun experience during the cold months of winter; face it there's nothing better to do. Soup is a great meal that is really good for stretching the dollar; you usually get more than one meal out of a pot of soup.

Over the last month I made the following:

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Italian Wedding Soup (with turkey meatballs)

Carrot Soup

Vegetable Chowder

I enjoy making soups on Sundays. This is a great meal when you're looking for left overs. Overall, I enjoyed the chowder. When I reheat it tomorrow I'll be sure to add some extra salt and pepper, which I thought it was lacking. Since corn isn't in season I used frozen corn which also helps save time. I used skim milk to keep it on the lighter side but of course you can use whatever you prefer.

*You can find the recipe here

Chicken Soup (No Noodles) (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

Of course you can add noodles but there's plenty of chicken and veggies that take place of the noodles. I used half the amount of parsnips called for and added red potatoes. This soup was so flavorful!

Serves 8 to 10:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves, stems reserved
5 whole black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 to 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (4-pound) chicken, rinsed
Coarse salt

Directions:
Tie parsley stems together using kitchen twine. Prepare a bouquet garni: Place peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and garlic in a 5-by-5-inch piece of cheesecloth; tie to enclose using kitchen twine.

In a large pot, combine parsley stems, bouquet garni, carrots, parsnips, onions, and chicken, breast-side down. Add enough water to cover; season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Skim any foam that rises to the top and discard.

Remove chicken from pot, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Skim fat from surface of soup, if desired, and discard. Remove and discard parsley stems and bouquet garni. Remove meat from bones; discard skin and bones. Shred meat into bite-size pieces, and return to pot. Cook until heated through; season with salt. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.