Foodie Friday: Soup Recipes

Beef Barley Soup
Via Jo Cooks
Now that the holidays are over, that winter chill really takes hold.  Do you know what that means?  It's time for some soup!  Soups are perfect to serve for lunch or dinner and are a great way to sneak in some vegetables.  We have found some great soup recipes to warm you up from head to toe!  Enjoy!



Beef Barley Soup

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour 55 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 lb beef stew meat
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, cleaned and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
3 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups low sodium beef broth
3 cups water
3/4 cup barley
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:
Season the beef stew meat generously with salt and pepper. Place the beef in a ziploc bag and add the flour over the beef. Close the ziploc bag and shake until each piece of beef is fully covered in flour. Add more flour if needed.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and cook just until the meat starts to brown. You will have to do this in 2 or 3 batches, since you do not want to crown the meat. Remove the meat from the pot after you're done and set aside.
In the same pot, you will have a lot of brown bits on the bottom, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, oregano and tomato paste to the pot and stir. Add the meat back to the pot, then the beef broth and water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a medium and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to cook this for so long so that the beef becomes tender, it will melt in your mouth.

Add the barley to the pot and cook for another 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked through. Make sure you stir occasionally so the barley won't stick. If you find that too much liquid has evaporated or the soup is too thick add more water as necessary until you get the desired consistency.

Remove the soup from heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.


Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
Via A Spicy Perspective


Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups sliced carrots
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (2 large breasts)
9 cups chicken broth
8.8 ounce package DeLallo Three Cheese Tortellini
1/4 - 1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons packed frozen spinach (1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves (1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Place a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and chopped onions. Saute for 3 minutes to soften. Then add the chopped bell pepper, carrots, and garlic. Saute another 3 minutes.

Add whole chicken breasts, chicken broth, dried thyme, crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper to the pot. Bring to a simmer. Lower the heat a little and simmer 15 minutes, until the chicken in cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on a cutting board.

Turn the heat back to medium. With the broth still simmering, stir in the DeLallo Three Cheese Tortellini. Stir well so it doesn't stick together. Then chop or shred the chicken and place back in the soup.


Once the tortellini is cooked through, about 10-14 minutes, turn off the heat. Stir in 1/4 cup heavy cream, spinach, and parsley. Add a little more cream if desired. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.


Creamy Tomato Seafood Bisque
Via An Affair from the Heart


Creamy Tomato Seafood Bisque

Prep time:15 mins
Cook time: 55 mins
Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
5 Tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons oregano
2 Tablespoons flour
6 cups of chicken broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) brick of cream cheese
2 teaspoons cooking sherry
2 pounds seafood, chopped (I used shrimp and bay scallops, chopped into bite size pieces)
salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish, if desired

Instructions:
In a soup pot, melt butter over high heat.
Add all vegetables and bay leaf. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add flour and cook for another couple minutes, stirring to combine.
Add tomatoes, oregano and broth; stir to combine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add sherry and cream cheese, stir and let cream cheese melt; reduce heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Remove bay leaf. Puree with emulsion blender.
Return to stove; add in shrimp and scallops; continue to simmer for another couple minutes until seafood is cooked.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley, if desired.


Recipe very slightly adapted from A Dish of Daily Life

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