Souper Woman

Happy New Year! Yes, I'm a little late, with that greeting, but I've been on (a self awarded) winter break, lounging in my pajamas, hanging out with family and playing with my son. I haven't picked up my camera since Christmas except to snap a few photos of the sunset or Hayden and it's been quite nice. I'm ready to get back in the kitchen though and start playing with sugar and flour again-- so many recipes, so little time. 

I came up with this recipe awhile back and I've made it several times. My hubs is not a soup lover so we don't eat much of it, but he actually requests this one often. Sometimes, he doesn't even say anything, he just jots down the ingredients on our grocery list and I know he's having a craving. My 17 year old brother even liked it so much, he ate 2 1/2 bowls of it and kindly requested I write the recipe down for him (on his iPhone) so he could replicate it. If that's not a sign of a good recipe, I don't know what it. Of course, he had my mom make it and was no where to be found when she was in the kitchen, but he had the best of intentions :-).  There are few ingredients in this soup, but it's so flavorful. Served with crusty bread, this is a hearty, but healthy meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. 

Sausage, Spinach and Tortellini Soup from Monica h

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• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 9 ounces fresh Buitoni cheese tortellini
• kosher salt to taste

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Add the sausage to the pot, breaking it up into crumbles; cook thoroughly. 

Add the diced tomatoes, spinach, chicken broth and water. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. 

Bring the mixture to a boil then add the fresh pasta. Cook according to package directions (5-10 minutes) or until pasta is tender. Season with salt to taste. Serve. 

Olivia's Croutons Review and Soup!

I was recently given the opportunity to sample and review Olivia's Croutons. But I didn't want to just use them as toppers on a salad. I envisioned them floating in a bowl of creamy tomato soup nestled cozily with a dollop of pesto and fresh Parm shavings. Folks, I made it happen and it was everything I thought it could be.

I don't make soup very often because Mr. H claims he doesn't like it. I threatened to make this for a few days and every time I brought it up he'd snarl at me. But faced with a big hearty bowl of soup, he'll eat it, happily. Cause he ain't gonna get nothing' else. ha ha! Truthfully though, he liked this soup- we all did. I took this soup and all the fixin's over to my in-laws' house and my father-in-law went back for seconds! The Olivia's Crouton floaters were a hit and added a nice balance of textures to this creamy soup.

This soup was thick and creamy, a bit garlicky and had great tomato flavor. It was simple and satisfying and so were these croutons. I was sent 2 different flavors- Parmesan Pepper and Butter & Garlic, their two most popular flavors. What I liked about these croutons is that they actually tasted like bread and olive oil and seasonings. They aren't doctored up with anything artificial and don't contain any preservatives. They also received awards for winning taste 2 years in a row. This is no ordinary crouton people.

Olivia's Croutons were originally made at home in their kitchen in Vermont. As the popularity of their croutons increased and their business grew, they were forced to find a larger commercial space to produce their products. That eventually led them to the big beautiful historic barn where they set up kitchen and the house in which they call home. All this on 50 acres of land--I think I'm in love! Did I mention that on this land they also grow their own wheat for their croutons? Yeah you read that right, THEY GROW THEIR OWN WHEAT! So not only are the croutons essentially homemade, but they're home grown! Isn't that impressive?!

If you happen to make this soup I suggest you top them with Olivia's Croutons. If soup is not your thing, toss them into your salad or make one the recipes found on Olivia's Croutons website. Either way, I hope you'll give Olivia's Croutons a try and taste a little bit of "wholesome, all natural, uncomplicated" taste. Place your Order Here.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup from Monica H

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or sliced
• 2- 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained (reserve the liquid)
• 1 Tbsp. basil puree or fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup reserved tomato liquid (from the cans)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper

Garnish:

• Olivia's Croutons
• basil pesto
• fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large pot over medium high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook til translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for another minute til fragrant. Add the drained diced tomatoes, basil and thyme and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes until the flavors meld together.

Add the reserved tomato liquid and chicken broth. Stir and lower the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. In small batches, puree the chunky soup in a blender or use an immersion blender til the desired consistency is achieved. Stir in heavy cream til well incorporated. Re-season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Garnish with basil pesto, Parmesan shavings or Olivia's Croutons if desired.

Thank you Francie for giving me the opportunity to try Olivia's Croutons!

Can I Have Some More Please?

I like soup. I like many kinds of soup. My husband does not. It has to snowing before he'll eat soup, which here in Texas doesn't happen very often. He does like chili, but that's a manly dish, potato soup is not. So I had to dress it up to his liking by adding (more) cheese, bacon and chives for a hearty baked potato feel. It was a hit. In fact my husband said (his exact words), "This soup is so good. I'm gonna get some more, want some?"

Cheesy Potato Soup with Toppings

recipe slightly adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

• 7 c. potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 c. potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 c. chopped celery
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 qt. (4 cups) chicken or vegetable broth or water*
• 1 qt. (4 cups) half-n-half
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1 c. freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Place cubed potatoes, onions, celery and salt in a large pot. Cover potatoes with broth or water (you may need a little more than 4 cups) and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes up to an hour depending on how tender you like your veggies. Place shredded potatoes in a separate pot (just covered with water) and boil til tender.

Once cooked to your liking, put in blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade and puree until smooth.

Return to pot then add half-n-half, butter, shredded potatoes, parsley and cheese. Stir and simmer until piping hot, but do not boil. Top with bacon pieces, cheese and chives- yum!

NOTE: If you have an immersion blender, I suggest using it. It's one less thing to clean up and easier than transferring hot veggies from pot to pot.

Also, I used dried parsley because I didn't have fresh and reduced the amount to 2 tbsp.

*The original recipe called for water to boil the potatoes in, but I used chicken broth for more flavor. Use what you have or like.