Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

It's *kind of* cold here in Texas which means it's soup season y'all. It's also new baby season around here. I can name at least 10 of my friends who have had babies in the past 6 weeks which means I've been making a lot of meals for new parents. I love taking soup for baby meals because I can make it healthy and hearty. I made this chicken noodle soup this week, a double batch, one for me and one for a baby meal, and I never want it to end. I used Reames noodles that my grandma makes at Thanksgiving dinner and I'm kicking myself for not using them in a soup sooner. They are delicious and to die for. I made this soup up as I went and boy is it good. 

Ingredients

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

6 cups chicken broth, divided

1 onion, chopped

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

1 bag Reames noodles (see below)

Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Reames Noodles can be found in your freezer section, by the potatoes and frozen veggies at my store. Here is a picture for reference. 

1. Pour 2 cups chicken broth, onions, carrots, and celery into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes until the veggies are soft. 

2. Add additional 4 cups of broth, chicken, and noodles and simmer another 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

3. Season with parsley, salt, and pepper.

Lasagna Soup

Soups are great in our house. Since Jon works from home and I stay home, I am always looking for easy and filling lunches so soups do the trick. When I came across this lasagna soup, I knew it'd be a hit in our house. And it's a heck of a lot lighter than a traditional lasagna but just as delicious!
Ingredients Olive oil 1lb Italian sausage links (or meat of your choice- ground Italian sausage, shredded chicken) 1 medium white onion 1 red bell pepper 1 green bell pepper 3 cloves minced garlic 4 cups (32oz can) chicken broth 1 15oz can tomato sauce 1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes 1/2 tsp salt Sprinkle of crushed red pepper 4 whole lasagna noodles broken up into pieces 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp basil 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. 2. Stir in sausage, onion, peppers, and garlic. Cook 8-10 minutes until sausage is browned 3. Add broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt, and red pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. 4. Add broken lasagna noodles and cook until noodles are tender, about 10 minutes. 5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan, basil, and mozzarella cheese. 6. Serve hot and enjoy!

Bacon Corn Chowder with Shrimp

One of my favorite things to cook around our house is hearty soups. You pretty much can't mess up a soup recipe and it stores great for leftovers. Shrimp and soup may sound like a weird combo but man this recipe was a winner! Oddly enough, I have been wanting shrimp pretty often in this pregnancy. 
Ingredients 6 slices of cooked bacon, chopped into little pieces Olive oil 1.5 cups onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 4 cups corn, canned or frozen but thawed 1 cup water 2 cups chicken broth 1 lb small/medium shrimp, peeled and cooked (I pan seared mine with olive oil over medium heat, took just a few minutes) 1/3 cup half and half 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp salt
1. Saute onions, celery, and garlic in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat. 
2. Add the chicken broth and water to the pot
3. Add corn to the pot and let cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes
4. Add the shrimp
5. Add the half and half and stir until combined
6. Stir in salt, pepper, and bacon
7. Add any additional salt or garlic salt to taste

original recipe, A Zesty Bite

Potato Broccoli Soup with Bacon & Parmesan

Leave it to Chelsea to post recipes on her blog that instantly have my mouth watering. This soup recipe was more than pin worthy... it was, "I have to go to the store NOW so we can make this soup ASAP." I modified the original a bit to make a larger batch and man were the leftovers such a treat. 
Ingredients 2 cups diced carrots 2 cups diced celery 2 cups diced white onion 3 tsp minced garlic 2-4 tbsp olive oil 6 slices of bacon 4 cups chopped broccoli 5 russet potatoes, washed, peeled, and cubed 4 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup shaker Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper
1. Cook the bacon and chop into bite sized/topping sized pieces (my favorite way to cook bacon is in the oven) 2.  Meanwhile, in the bottom of a large pot, saute the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in the olive oil until tender 3. Add cubed potatoes and broccoli and cook until soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add more olive oil if needed. 4. Pour in chicken broth and let simmer over low heat for 20 min 5. Stir in the heavy cream, crumbled bacon, and Parmesan cheese and allow soup to thicken a bit. 6. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Crockpot Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili

I am always on the hunt for new recipes to throw into my crockpot and sometimes, like this one, I use a regular soup/chili recipe and adjust it to cook in my crockpot. As a workin' lady, throwing a bunch of junk into the crockpot is easier than spending 1-2 hours after work in the kitchen. My husband is the king of protein and this chili rocks on the protein scale! And it goes great with the beer bread I posted last week.

Ingredients
3 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
1 whole large white onion, diced
3 cloves chopped garlic
3 large raw chicken breasts
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp chili powder
5 cups chicken broth
1 can (28-ounce Size) diced tomatoes
4 cans (14.5 Ounce Size) White Beans, Cannelini Or Great Northern
2 cans (4 Ounce Size) diced green chilies
Salt And Pepper, to taste


1. Pour all ingredients into crockpot and stir to combine
2. Cook on low for 6 hours, stirring and shredding chicken occasionally
3. Serve warm topped with shredded cheese, cottage cheese, cilantro, etc. 

Soup is hard to photograph!

Italian Turkey Soup

This recipe was the perfect mix of protein, veggies and pasta for carbs. I loved bringing leftovers to work and it would be perfect to take to a family or friend who just had a baby/surgery/etc. 

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 (15 oz) can Italian style tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained

3 (14 oz) cans beef broth

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 cup cooked pasta (rotini, corkscrew, shells)

1 cup diced carrots

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1. Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions, garlic, ground turkey, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until turkey is completely cooked

2. Add canned tomatoes (including juice), beans, carrots, zucchini, broth, parsley and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until zucchini and carrots are tender

3. Add spinach and stir until wilted

4. Add additional salt and pepper to taste

5. Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese 

Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles

When I saw this recipe on Meg's blog, I knew I had to make it. We made it 2 days later :-). Jon and I love making soups but have never made a homemade chicken noodle. It was fun to make the noodles too!

Ingredients- approx. 5 good sized servings

3 small/medium chicken breasts

1.5 cups carrots, chopped

1.5 cups celery, chopped

1.5 cups onion, chopped

1 cup flour

2 eggs

6 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut your chicken breasts into cubs and pan sear them until they are no longer pink. I drizzled mine with olive oil and sprinkled with Seasoned Salt.

2. Meanwhile, chop your carrots, celery, and onion

3. Once the chicken is done cooking, place into a large bowl. Lightly saute the carrots, celery, and onion in the same pan using the juices from the chicken. This should take 3-5 minutes for the veggies to get soft.

4. The ratio for the noodles is 1 cup flour to 2 eggs. Mix together in a medium sized bowl...the dough will be very sticky so you may have to use your hands and add a little more flour.

5. Take the dough and roll out pretty thin (about 1/2 cm). Cut your noodles with a pizza roller about 1 cm wide and a couple inches long.

6. Combine your chicken broth, cubed chicken and softened veggies and bring to a boil.

7. Add the noodles and cook 2-3 minutes until the noodles rise to the top. Once they rise up, you will know they are done

8. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage & Tortellini Soup

I made this DELICIOUS soup for my family on Christmas Eve and you better believe it will become a staple in the Hart household. It is so hearty and filling...not to mention chock full of veggies!

Ingredients

1 pound  ground Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced  carrots
1/2 tbsp  basil leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups green beans 

1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces cheese tortellini pasta
3 tbsp parsley

1. Brown the sausage, drain, and set aside

2. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic in a large pot

3. Once onions are soft, stir in the beef broth, water, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, basil, oregano, tomato sauce and sausage. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes

4. Stir in the green beans and parsley. Simmer covered for another 30 minutes. Add the tortellini during the last 10 minutes

5. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve warm!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Despite living the the hot state of Texas, I am all about warm, hearty soups :-). I concocted this soup one rainy morning and was delightfully surprised by how delicious it was!

Ingredients

2-3 cups diced carrots

2-3 cups diced celery

1 cup diced onions

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

6 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked long grain and wild rice

Garlic salt
1 can cream of chicken soup

1. Chop your carrots, celery, and onion
2. Boil all 3 in the chicken broth until tender, turn off heaat
3. Meanwhile, cook the wild rice according to the package and add garlic salt to taste when finished cooking
4. Pour the cooked rice and cooked chicken into the pot of broth and veggies
5. Turn on low heat and add the cream of chicken soup and stir until fully combined

Southwest Cheese Soup

I've had this recipe saved in my email for over a year and finally got around to making it! It was delicious and kinda spicy but my hubby loves spice!

Ingredients

1 lb Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can Rotel, undrained (I used the Chipotle flavor)

1 cup milk

**I added 4 sliced cooked turkey sausages for protein but they aren't necessary. You could also use shredded chicken or ground beef

1. Mix all ingredients except meat in a large pot

2. Cook on low and stir until cheese is melted and soup is hot

3. Add the meat and stir until combined

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I am a huge fan of broccoli cheese soup but rarely eat it. When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to give it a try because it looked EASY and yummy....and it most definitely was.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, diced

1/3 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups chopped, lightly steamed broccoli (I used frozen)

1. First, you need to steam your broccoli. You can use either fresh or frozen but if you use frozen, I recommend removing the "stumps" before cooking. The broccoli doesn't have to be steaming hot, just soft.

2. Simmer chicken broth and onion for 15 minutes in a small covered saucepan until the onions are soft

2.  Warm the milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes.
3. In a medium-large pot, melt the butter then add flour, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly for 2 minutes then whisk in warm milk.

4. Heat on medium until soup starts to thicken (5-8 minutes)

5. Add chicken broth/onion mixture and stir until blended

6. Add cheeses and stir completely until melted

7. Stir in cookd broccoli

8. Add additional salt and pepper to taste and serve warm

*If your soup is to thick, add more milk or chicken broth. If it is too thin, simmer over low-medium heat and stir until it thickens up.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

What's better than enchiladas for dinner?? Enchilada soup yo! The hubby and I devoured this soup like there was no tomorrow, will be making again!

Ingredients

3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

1-2lbs cooked, cubed or shredded chicken
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 cup tomato paste
Mexican cheese to top

**Optional: cilantro to garnish

1. In a large pot, mix the chicken stock, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper and simmer over medium heat and stir until fully mixed. 

2. Add the tomatoes, jalepenos, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Simmer for 20-25min until onions are soft.

3. Add the cooked chicken, corn, and black beans. Stir over medium heat until fully mixed.

4. Stir in tomato paste and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.

5. Serve in bowls and top with shredded cheese and cilantro to garnish

Black Bean Soup

When I saw this recipe on Mallorie's blog, I knew I had to make it! No joke, I had all the ingredients in my pantry and it took minutes to prepare. We had our neighbors over for chicken tacos and this soup made a delicious side dish. 

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice
2 cups salsa
4 cups chicken broth
1 (15oz) can refried black beans
2 (15oz) cans of whole black beans

1 can rotel, drained (my addition later)

 (I added the rotel as I was making the soup so didn't get to photograph it)

1. Cook the brown rice 

2. Meanwhile, mix broth and refried beans in a large pot

3. Mix in salsa, black beans and rotel

4. Once the rice is cooked, add it to the soup and heat through

5. Enjoy!

Sausage & Gnocchi Poblano Chowder

I can't stop laughing at the title of this recipe because I totally just made it up. As you may know, I love making up my own recipes out of crap I've collected in my pantry. I had been eying the sweet potato gnocchi I bought from Central Market a couple of weeks ago and decided to run with it. This chowder/soup turned out to be one of the best things I've created and I WILL be making it again...soon! Oh and did I mention it takes .025 seconds to make?

Ingredients

1 16oz package of gnocchi (we used sweet potato)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of poblano soup

1 10oz bag frozen corn

12 oz cooked, sliced sausage (we used 1 package of Jenny Os smoked turkey sausage)

1/2 cup water

1. Throw all the ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil

2. Boil for 2-4 minutes while stirring

3. Let cool and EAT!

La Madeline's Tomato Basil Soup

Hi friends! I hope you all had a blessed Christmas because the Harts sure did. I am busy catching up with things back to work today and didn't want to leave ya hanging so enjoy this recipe for La Madeline's delicious tomato basil soup to keep you warm. 

(us on Christmas even, yep Jon is in shorts!)

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Have you ever eaten at La Madeline?? If not...go right now!! It is an adorable little French cafe/bistro and I am pretty sure they are all over the US. One of my favorite things to get there is their tomato basil soup so you can imagine how I pretty much died when I found the recipe here. I am a stickler for straight from the can Campbell's tomato soup but nothing beats the real thing.

Ingredients

2 (28oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp dried basil (or 12 fresh basil leaves)

1 stick butter, unsalted

3/4 cup whipping cream

Salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste

(the elephants are our salt and pepper)

1. Simmer the tomatoes (undrained) for 30 minutes in a deep saucepan or pot

2. Add the basil and puree in small batches in a food processor

3. Return to the pot and add the butter, cream and salt/pepper/garlic and stir over low heat until fully blended

4. You should probably serve your soup with none other than GRILLED CHEESE! yummy

Spicy Tuscan Soup

This delicious recipe reminds me of the Zuppa Toscana soup at Olive Garden. Anyone like that soup?? I had never cooked with kale before and we were SO satisfied with the flavor it added. Jon enjoyed the mess out of this soup.

Ingredients 

1 lb spicy breakfast sausage 

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 whole medium potatoes 

4 cups water 

3 cubes chicken bouillon 

1/2 bunch kale, chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1. Cook the sausage, drain and set aside

2. Chop onion and cook until tender in a pot. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute

3. Cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes

4. Add potatoes, water, and bouillon into the pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender

5. Add sausage and kale. Cook for 5 minutes 

6. Add the heavy cream and stir until fully combine. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper if needed.

7. Serve warm with garlic bread

Baked potato crock pot soup

All I have to say is God Bless Pinterest for this recipe :-)

Ingredients

1 30oz bag of frozen, shredded hash browns

3 14oz cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese (use full fat, fat free won't melt!)

*shredded cheese, green onions, bacon, sour cream----whatever you want to garnish

1. Combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese in the crockpot

2. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.  

3. About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted (stirring helps)

4. Let cool and add your toppings (we used shredded cheese and green onions)

This soup was so delicious and creamy. I loved the shredded potatoes rather than huge chunks of potato and the cream cheese added so much flavor.

Enjoy!