Soups

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

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This tomato basil soup is creamy and dreamy! One of our new favorite family recipes. We had this soup all the time at Dean & Deluca restaurant and it closed so I really wanted to recreate the same tasting soup at home. Of course, I did just that! This recipe requires minimal ingredients and is fast to make. The creamy tomato basil flavor will give you a taste of summer all year round!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

sofiyababinov
This tomato basil soup is creamy and dreamy! One of our new favorite family recipes. We had this soup all the time at Dean & Deluca restaurant and it closed so I really wanted to recreate the same tasting soup at home. Of course, I did just that! This recipe requires minimal ingredients and is fast to make. The creamy tomato basil flavor will give you a taste of summer all year round!
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Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4-5 Tomatoes (Peeled & De-seeded) peeled & de-seeded
  • 1.5-2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 6 Cups Tomato Juice
  • 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp Basil Leaves Spice
  • 1 TBS Dried Basil Leaves and more to garnish soup
  • 2 TBS Unsalted Butter
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • Oyster Crackers optional, to top

Instructions
 

  • Peel the tomatoes using a peeler. Cut them into quarters and de-seed them. Put tomatoes into a medium pot, add in the 4 cups tomato juice. Bring to a boil, then cover with lid and let it simmer for 25-30 minutes.
  • Puree the cooked tomato and tomato juice mixture with an immersion blender or in a blender, until it turns into a puree/smoothie consistency.
  • Turn the heat up to low-medium and add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Add the 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp basil leaves spice and 1 TBS dried basil leaves. Then add 2 TBS butter. Sprinkle salt/pepper according to your preference, you don't need much salt because the tomato juice already has salt in it. Mix, everything together and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, but don't let it come to a boil.
  • Serve hot. Sprinkle each bowl of soup with a little bit of dried basil leaves and some oyster crackers for garnish.
Keyword easy, Italian, restaurant, soup

Wonton Soup

dscn4271-2This is the best Wonton soup that my hubby and I have ever tried. I have literally been making this for dinner 3 nights in a row now. It is so tasty I could probably eat it every single day lol. It took me a lot of experimenting and finally, through trial and error I came up with this wonderful recipe. Surprisingly, this Wonton soup is very easy and quick to make. Perfect for busy weekday evenings and great to make ahead as you can make and freeze the wonton’s and make the broth any time you are ready to cook the soup. This is the perfect comfort food for such cold evenings as now, delicious and nutritious! The best part is you can find all these ingredients at any grocery store, so no need to go to international or Asian stores. I am excited to share this recipe with you all!

Wonton Soup {Makes 2 servings}:

Ingredients:

For the soup

  • 2 3/4 Cups Water
  • 2 3/4 Cups Chicken Stock OR Water with 3 teaspoons of Better Then Bullion Chicken Flavored broth paste (That’s what I always use).
  • 2 Green Onions, Cut in halves
  • 3 Garlic Cloves, Cut thin
  • 2 to 3 inches Fresh Ginger, Peeled and Cut into thin slices
  • 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
  • Green Onion & Cilantro (For Garnish)

For Wontons

  • .50 LB Ground Turkey
  • 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons Sherry Cooking Wine
  • 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
  • 2 Green Onions, Finely Chopped
  • 1 Garlic Clove, Pressed
  • Wonton Wrappers. I use the Nasoya Brand, (Makes 25 Wontons) for 2 servings but there is enough to make the soup twice (About 50 Won Ton Wrappers) in the pack. I bought the Wonton wrappers in the fridge at our local grocery store by the veggies/salad.
  • Salt/Pepper to taste

dscn4284Directions:

1) Start making the broth first. Make the Better then bullion chicken broth in a pot. You do that by boiling 2 3/4 Cups water and adding the 3 teaspoons of Better Then Bullion Chicken base paste. Turn burner off. Then add the other 2 3/4 Cups water, green onions, ginger, garlic, Soy Sauce and set on High heat until it comes to a boil. When it comes to a boil, close the pot with a lid and cook on Low setting for 15 minutes, then turn off. Let it stand so flavors can blend. *Mean while start working on Wontons.

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2) To make wontons, first mix together all the wonton meat filling ingredients.

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3) Set up a wonton making station. I use a sheet of foil. Put all the wonton dough sheets on the sheet of foil. Have a small cup with water. And a brush (optional) to wet edges of wonton sheet with water. This will make cleaning a much faster process afterwards!

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4) How to make wontons: Put 1 teaspoon meat filling onto wonton dough sheet. Wet the edges with water using the brush (or your finger). Fold the sheet into a triangle. Wet the ends with a dab of water using your finger and stick both ends together, sealing tighly. Set wontons aside, I use a paper plate for easy cleaning.

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5) Open the pot with the broth. Take out the green onion, ginger, and garlic using a slotted spoon and discard. Bring the broth to a boil on High heat. When it comes to a boil, throw in the wontons one by one carefully, then gently mix so they don’t stick. Turn heat down to 7 and cook for 10 minutes.

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Garnish each bowl of soup individually with finely cut cilantro and green onion. Now the Wonton soup is ready to eat!

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Ukrainian Borscht Soup (Red Beet Soup)

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This is my recipe for the Ukrainian Borscht Soup. When I just got married, I was very intimidated to try this recipe. It looked so complicated that it scared me. But looking back now it sounds silly because it is so simple to prepare. Borscht is a very classic soup that most Russian and Ukrainian people grew up eating. I remember in my childhood my mother made it like every other week, it was a staple at our house. There are many great recipes for this soup, and I have tried a lot, but this is the best Borscht recipe, tried and tested by my family. Feel free to play around with it, add or change anything that you would like, and make it your signature family recipe. I’d love to hear anything different that you do with this recipe. My husband and son love to eat it with a dab of Sour Cream although I prefer it plain. Enjoy!

Ukrainian Borscht Recipe {Makes a big pot, 10-12 Serving}

Ingredients: 

  • 1.5 to 2 LB Beef (With a little bit of bone and fat)
  • 3 Medium Beets
  • 3 Medium Russet Potatoes
  • 2-3 Carrots
  • 1 Medium Onion
  • 1 (6 oz.) Can Tomato Paste
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
  • 1/2-3/4 Small head Cabbage
  • 1 (8 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 teaspoon White Sugar
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • Mrs.Dash Seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon
  • Vegeta Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon (or seasonings of choice)
  • 1/2 Bunch Parsley
  • 1/4 to 1/4 Bunch Dill (Optional but recommended)
  • Sour Cream (For topping)

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Directions:

1) Do the prep work first. That way, you get all the hard work out of the way. Wash the Beef and set aside in a plate. Wash, Peel, and Shred the beets. Wash peel, and dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch. cubes. Wash, peel and shred the carrots. Wash and cut the cabbage into very thin, long, strips. Set everything aside in separate plates.

2) Put the Beef into a big pot, fill a little over half way with water. Bring to a boil on High heat. Lower the heat setting to an 8. Add some salt to the water. Skim off any foam and impurities that rise to the top, into a bowl nearby.

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3) When the beef cooks through, about 15 to 20 minutes, take it out and set it aside to cool down in a plate. Add the shredded beets. Cook until beats loose their color, about 5 minutes. Then add shredded carrots. In about 10 minutes add the diced potatoes. DSCN3858      DSCN3861

4) In 15 minutes add the cabbage. Then drain out the water from the can of diced tomatoes, and add the diced tomatoes into the pot. Once the beef has cooled off, cut it into 1/2 in. cubes, cutting out and getting rid of fat or bones. Then add the pieces of beef back into the soup pot.

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5) Heat a skillet on Med. heat (I did 5) with 1 Tablespoon of Canola Oil. Add the diced onion to the skillet and mix often so it does not burn. When the onion gets tender, add the can of tomato paste and mix. Then add 1 Cup of water to the skillet and mix everything again well. It should now look like a tomato sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of white sugar and mix to incorporate it.

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6) Turn the Soup down to a lower heat setting, I did 4. Add the tomato paste and onion mixture from the skillet into the pot. Add 3 garlic cloves, pressed. Then add some more salt, pepper, and spices of choice. I added 1/2 teaspoon of Vegeta Seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon of Mrs.Dash Seasoning. Lastly, add the chopped parsley and dill into the soup pot. Mix the soup very well, turn off the stove, close the lid and let the soup stand for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy plain or with a dab of Sour Cream on top.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

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It’s soup season again! This soup is a family favorite and I make it often, even my 3 year old son asks me to make this soup all the time and he is hard to impress. It is the best chicken noodle soup that you will ever eat, guaranteed! I have made this soup for many  friends who were either sick, or recovering from an illness or surgery and everyone really loved it and in fact this is my go to recipe whenever I have to bring someone a hot, tasty, comfort meal. I get asked for this recipe too often and many people have been waiting for this post, so here it is. The recipe for the fastest, easiest, and most delicious chicken noodle soup!

Chicken Noodle Soup {Makes a big pot. Serves 8-10}

Ingredients:

  • 4 Chicken Thighs (Organic Chicken tastes best!)
  • 1/2 LB Rotini Pasta
  • Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base ( 5 teaspoons) OR 5 Cups Chicken Broth ( I use Better Then Bouillion though)
  • 12 Cups Filtered Water
  • 1 Onion
  • 3 Celery Sticks
  • 3 Large or 4 Small Carrots (I prefer to use all organic veggies!)
  • Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons) for saute
  • 1/2 Bunch Fresh Dill
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Mrs.Dash Seasoning (or another salt free seasoning)
  • 1 Garlic Clove (minced)

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Directions:

1) Wash the carrots and celery sticks. Chop the onion into small pieces. Dice the celery into small pieces. Shred 1 and 1/2 carrots and the other 1 1 /2 carrots cut into thin circles. Set all the cut veggies aside.

2) In a large pot, bring 5 cups of filtered water to a boil. When it comes to a boil add 5 teaspoons of the Better Than Bouillion Base OR bring 5 cups of Chicken Broth to a boil. Then add 12 cups of filtered water to the pot and bring to a boil on high heat,and add 1 Tablespoon Salt. Meanwhile thoroughly wash the chicken thighs.

3) When it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to 7.0 and add the chicken thighs to the pot. Then cook the chicken thighs for about 25 to 35 minutes, have a cup and spoon nearby to skim off any impurities (white foam) that rises to the top. While chicken thighs cook, heat a skillet with 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil on Medium-High heat (I did 7.0). Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, then add the diced celery, and shredded carrots. Mix often so it doesn’t burn. Cook until veggies are soft and well cooked through.

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4) When the 25-35 minutes go by, using a slotted spoon, take out the chicken and set it aside on a plate to cool down.

5) Add the sauteed veggies to the pot of soup. Then add the sliced carrots and rotini pasta to the pot of soup. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is soft and cooked through.

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6) Take off and discard the chicken thigh skin. With a small knife cut out the bone and cut the chicken thigh into small strips or you can take it apart with your hands. I prefer to use a small knife. Add the cut chicken thigh pieces back into the soup pot.

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7) Wash and finely cut the dill. Add it to the pot. Mince the garlic clove and add it into the pot. Then add 1 teaspoon of Mrs.Dash seasoning. Turn the stove off and move the pot of soup off the hot burner. Mix well and the soup is done! See, Told you it was an easy recipe. 😉

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Bread Copycat)

Finally, the perfect recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup that tastes just like Panera Bread! This recipe has been in the making for a few years now because I could never get it to taste just right, just like Panera. There were times that I literally made a whole pot of soup and would end up throwing out the entire pot in trial and error. This is definitely our family favorite Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe and I’m super excited to share it with you all!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Bread Copycat)

Finally, the perfect recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Soup that tastes just like Panera Bread! This recipe has been in the making for a few years now because I could never get it to taste just right, just like Panera. There were times that I literally made a whole pot of soup and would end up throwing out the entire pot in trial and error. This is definitely our family favorite Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe and I'm super excited to share it with you all!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Bowls

Ingredients
  

  • 6 TBS Butter divided, 1.5 TBS and 4.5 TBS
  • 1 Small Onion
  • 2 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 2 Cups Half & Half
  • 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • .75 LB Fresh Broccoli about 1.5 cups, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 Carrot shredded
  • 10 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded, I shred my own

Instructions
 

  • Finely dice the onion. Set a pan on medium-high heat and add 1.5 TBS butter. When the butter melts, add the diced onion to the pan and sauté, stirring and cooking until the onion is soft and translucent, but not burned. Set this pan with onion aside.
  • Set a medium sized pot on medium heat with 4.5 TBS butter. Once the butter melts, add in the 1/4 cup flour, one spoon at a time, mixing immediately as you incorporate the flour so it doesn't burn but turns into a thick, pasty texture for about 4 minutes.
  • Immediately add the chicken broth to the pot and stir constantly to mix well with the flour/butter mixture. Stir well so you won't have any flour lumps. Then add the half and half. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile wash and cut the broccoli into 1/2-1/4 inch pieces, and shorten the broccoli stems. Wash and finely shred the carrot.
  • Add the chopped broccoli, shredded carrot, and sauteed onion into the pot. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the broccoli and carrots are soft.
  • Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Then add half the shredded cheese into the pot. Mix well to incorporate the cheese and let it melt, this only takes a few seconds.
  • Add the rest of the shredded cheese into the pot and let it melt. Turn heat off. Mix well to incorporate everything. Serve hot!
Keyword easy, Panera, restaurant, soup

Mama Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup (Carrabba’s Italian Grill Restaurant)

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One of my favorite restaurants is Carrabba’s Italian Grill. Every time I go there I always order this soup with my entree. It is one of my most favorite soups ever. Yes, as you can probably tell by now, I LOVE soups!!! This soup does take a long time to cook ( About 2 hours total cook time, and about 1 hour prep. time) so make sure you make this soup on a day that you have time as this is definitely not one of those quick weeknight dinner recipes. But it is all worth it, and you will know what I mean once you taste this amazing soup! I always make a big pot of it and we eat it for 2 days. It tastes just as great on the 2nd day as it does on the first. I got the recipe from a cook book, but after making it several times I have adjusted some things to perfect this soup and make it taste exactly like it does at Carrabba’s. I always make this soup when someone in my family is sick, it is the most comforting soup to eat if you are sick, and according to legends, this soup has restorative powers. If you love this soup at Carrabba’s then you will enjoy it just as much at home. Actually no…you will enjoy it much more because you can eat as much of it at home as you want and not have to pay by the bowl! Lol.  😉

Mama Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup {Serves 10-12}

Ingredients:

  • 1 Whole Chicken (About 3.5 to 4.5 LB)
  • 4 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Can (14.5 Oz.) Diced tomatoes in juice
  • 3 Green Bell Peppers
  • 4 Medium baking Potatoes, Russet or Burbank
  • 4 Celery Ribs
  • 1 large yellow Onion
  • 3 Carrots
  • 1 small bunch (or 1/2 cup chopped) Flat Leaf Parsley
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 Cup Ditalini or other “Soup Pasta” (I used little shells)

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Directions:

1) Wash the Carrots, Green bell peppers, Celery ribs, and Potatoes and put it all in a large bowl. (This just makes things faster and easier.) Get a cutting board and cut all of the veggies. Cut the Celery ribs into 1/4 – inch dice, cut off the white parts on the ends. Cut the Green bell peppers into 1/4- inch dice, make sure to wash it inside, and get all the seeds out, also cut out the white parts of the peppers inside. Peel the Carrots and cut them into 1/4- inch dice. Peel the Potatoes and cut them into 1/2- inch dice.

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2) Remove the giblets from the Chicken. To do this, put the chicken with its legs up, then take a spoon and remove the giblets from the hole in between. Throw the giblets out, you will not need them for the soup. Once the giblets are removed, thoroughly wash the chicken both outside and inside. Place it on a  pasta colander in a big bowl to drain excess water.

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3) Get a large pot. Put the chicken in the pot first, with the breasts facing down (Kinda like the Chicken is face down, back up). Then put all your cut vegetables on top of the Chicken. Add the can of diced tomatoes AND their juice on top. Then add enough cold water to cover everything by 1 inch.

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4)Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the top with a big spoon, into a small bowl. Add in the finely chopped parsley, Garlic (using a garlic press), 1 Tablespoon Salt and 1 teaspoon Pepper.

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*That’s a picture of the foam that rises to the top, and needs to be removed!!!*

5) Reduce the heat to Medium-Low ( I had it on 3.5). Partially cover the pot, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through well and almost falling off the bones, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours. (I did an hour and 40 minutes, and my chicken was 5 LB cuz that’s the smallest one I found in the store.)

6) In a separate small pot boil water and cook your soup pasta according to the package instructions. When it is ready, drain out the water and set it aside. Fill about half a tea kettle with water and bring it to a boil, you will need this boiling water soon.

7) Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large bowl and let it cool for about 15 Minutes. Its okay if some parts of the chicken such as a leg or wing break off in the pot, just take out the broken pieces using a big slotted spoon. Keep the soup in the pot simmering.

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*I know, it looks beautiful doesn’t it? Lol JK! But Trust me, it tastes really good in the end.*

8) Add the boiled water from the tea kettle to the soup pot, I added between 1/4 to 1/2 a tea kettle, Until the soup was a little more then half of the pot. *You do not have to add extra water if you don’t want to. But I HIGHLY recommend it, because if you don’t the soup will be just way too thick and makes much less servings!*

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9) When the Chicken has cooled down, remove the meat, and discard the skin and bones. Be careful not to mangle the meat much, but keep it in neat pieces. Tear or pull the Chicken into large bite-sized pieces. I prefer hand -pulled chicken to chopped chunks. Put the pieces of chicken into a small bowl.

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10) Using a potato masher or large slotted spoon, mash some of the potatoes in the soup pot, to lightly thicken the broth. Add the cooked soup pasta to the pot. Then add the large bite-sized pieces of Chicken to the pot. Let it heat through on Medium heat, for about 10 Minutes. *Best when served hot!*

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* I forgot to take a picture of the pot with the end result. So this is a close up of the soup and how it looks in the pot. Sorry, I’m still new to this!*

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Zuppa Toscana Soup

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Today we have snow in Charlotte. Third day in a row. In February! It is freezing cold outside and the snow just keeps piling up. This soup is the perfect soup to warm you up on such a day as today, So I made a big pot of it for my family. This soup is famous in the chain Italian restaurant, Olive Garden. So of course I had to try to make it at home. There are many different recipes for this amazing soup, but this recipe is my own. I have been making it this way since we got married. The way I came up with this recipe is by putting together all the things that I tasted in the soup when I tried it at Olive Garden. It came out great and I have been making it that way for many years now and anyone who has ever tried it, Loved it. My grandmother from Massachusetts always requests me to make this soup when she comes to visit us. So I decided to put this yummy recipe here so that others can try it, and for those that already have tried it and loved it, to be able to make it for their own families. 🙂

Zuppa Toscana Soup {Serves 10-12}

Ingredients:

  • 1  1/2 LB Italian Sausage (Mild)
  • 7 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon
  • 4-5 Redskin potatoes
  • 12 Cups Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Oil
  • 4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
  • 1 1/2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 Large onion
  • 1/2 OR 3/4 teaspoon, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (Depending on how spicy you like your soup. I do 3/4 teaspoon because we like it with a little spicy kick)
  • 1/2 a Bunch of Kale
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

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Directions: 

1) Get the ground meat out of the Italian sausages. I do this by holding the sausage with one hand and with the other squeezing out the ground meat. I shape the ground meat into little round balls. Then set it aside in a plate.

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2) Cut your slices of Bacon into little pieces. (As pictured below.) Set aside in a plate.

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3) Finely chop your onion.

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4) Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large pot on Medium-High heat. (I did a 7.5) Throw in the Italian sausage and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix the sausage every once in a while so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add in the garlic powder.

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5) When the sausage is a little cooked through, add in the bacon pieces and chopped onion. Don’t forget to keep mixing.

6) Saute everything until the sausage and bacon is cooked through and the onion is soft and translucent.

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7) Then add the water to the pot. Bring it to a boil.

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8) Meanwhile cut your potatoes. *Leave the skin on! Note that this will not taste as well with regular potatoes, only Red Skin Potatoes. But when I had to substitute with regular potatoes I peeled off the skin.*

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9)When the water boils, add the cubes of chicken bouillon. *I Cut my cubes so that they dissolve faster.*

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10) Then add the potatoes into the pot.

11) Cook until the potatoes are soft. About 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile wash and chop the Kale. Only cut the leafy part of the kale, Into about 1 inch pieces. Cut off the stem completely because you will not need it, you can throw it out.

12) Then add the heavy whipping cream to the pot. cook until it is thoroughly heated.

13) Add in the pieces of Kale. Stir well. Once the Kale is soft and the heavy whipping cream has heated through, your soup is ready! If you have to add salt/pepper you can do so. *My soup was perfect so I did not add any. Probably because the chicken bouillon cubes have salt in them.* I serve this soup with Hot fresh bread sticks, or take and bake bread. It tastes best hot out of the oven to go with this soup.

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Meatball Soup

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Hot fresh home made soup Mmmm there is nothing more comforting to eat after a long, cold day. This soup is so easy to make and not as time consuming as most other soups. It’s a very traditional Russian/Ukrainian soup. I make it for my family at least once a month. Even my 2 year old son enjoys it, well mostly he picks out the meatballs lol but I don’t blame him because that’s my favorite part of the soup too. I usually use ground Turkey for this recipe but some people preffer pork. There won’t really be a big difference. I just preffer turkey because we don’t eat much pork. Next time you are in the mood for some yummy home made soup that is easy and fast to make, this is the recipe you are looking for.

Meatball Soup  {10-12}

Ingredients for the soup:   

  • 16 Cups filtered water
  • 1 Large onion
  • 3 Carrots
  • 8 potatoes
  • Dry or Fresh Dill (I use Trader Joe’s dry dill, 1 1/4 teaspoons or 1/2 bunch fresh dill)
  • 3 Celery ribs (1 cup), finely diced
  • 2 Tablespoons of Vegetable oil
  • 3/4 Cup of pasta (I use regular Spaghetti)
  • 1 Tablespoons of Salt                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Ingredients for the Meatballs:
  • 2 LB Ground Meat (Turkey or Pork Or mix half and half of both)
  • 1 Egg
  • Mrs.Dash Original seasoning, 1 teaspoon
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of Salt

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Directions:

1) Fill a large pot with 16 cups of filtered water. Put the pot on High heat and bring it  to a boil.

2) While the water is coming to a boil, peel, wash, and dice the potatoes.

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3) Add the potatoes to the pot. Then when it comes to a boil, add the 1 Tablespoon of salt in and mix.

4) Then wash, peel, and thinly cut your carrots. As soon as you are done add them to the pot. Lower the heat to Medium-High (I had it on 8.0)

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5) Finely cut your onion and divide it in half. You will need half to put into the meat mix and the other half to go into the soup. *Do NOT throw the onion in the pot just yet*

6) Put about 3/4 Cup of pasta into the pot. *I usually use regular Spaghetti, and I break it into 3 so that there wouldn’t be long strands of spaghetti but neat little pieces*

7) Put the ground meat into a big bowl. Add the egg, 1 teaspoon Mrs.Dash, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 of your chopped onion, and 2 teaspoons salt.

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8) Mix the meat mixture very well.

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9) Then make the meatballs. Take the meat mix and roll it into little balls. I make mine bouncy ball size. You can put the meatballs into the pot as you roll them or you can make them all and throw them in a few at a time. *I have always thrown them in as soon as I roll them to take less time and less dishes*

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10) Heat the 2 Tablespoons of Vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the chopped celery and onion. Cook it for about 7 minutes, Mixing continually or until the onion and celery is soft.

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11) Add the onion/celery mix to the pot of soup.

12) Lastly, add the dill to the soup.* I add Trader Joe’s dry dill, 1 and 1/4 teaspoons* … Try it. If you need to add more salt, pepper, or Mrs.Dash then do so. *I usually add 1 teaspoon of Mrs.Dash, and sprinkle a little salt and pepper in it.

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