Four Favorite Soup Recipes

January may be my new favorite month, as it is both national oatmeal and soup month.  As a mom, I love soup for two reasons: 1. it freezes well and 2. kids cannot pick it apart, so all the veggies get eaten.  So load up your pots and warm up your family with some of our favorite soups and stews.

Everyone loves Chicken Noodle Soup, and this recipe makes it too easy to serve homemade soup for dinner.  If you want to add a pop of color and nutrition boost, consider adding chopped, fresh organic spinach leaves.

Want a creative and nutritious twist on classic chili?  This amazing Vegetable Chili calls for summer squash for a taste that is over the top.  A whole wheat biscuit to dip or crumble is always a great addition to chili; make it more savory by adding a sprinkle of cheese to your biscuit dough. 

Thick, hearty and packed with lean protein, our Brunswick Stew recipe is the best that you will find (note: this recipe makes about three to four meals worth of food, but needs to cook all day).  I love serving this with a hearty bran muffin.

Finally, there is my favorite, which I pair with a crusty whole wheat bread.  It does call for a small amount of wine, which you can always replace if serving to children.  This recipe does require some time, so invite over some friends this weekend and enjoy a bowl in good company.

Butternut Squash White Bean Soup

324 calories per serving

3 lean bacon slices (we do a few more)
Remove slices and crumble. Reserve 2t of drippings.

1c chopped onion
2/3 c chopped celery
3 garlic cloves minced
4c (plus some!) cubed and peeled butternut squash

(no need for intimidation: Using a sharp, large knife, cut the squash into slices about 1in thick. Stack two slices and cutting straight down, work around the squash removing the peel. It sounds far more troublesome than it is.)

¼ c dry white wine (always add a little extra)
4c chicken broth
1t ground cumin
¼ t ground red pepper (we like it hot and add more)
1/8 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
¼ c whipping cream
1T chopped oregano1t salt
¼ t ground black pepper
2 15oz cans Great Northern beans rinsed and drained
3T toasted pumpkin seeds

To drippings, add onion, celery, and garlic and cook three minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add squash and cook another three minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in chicken broth and add cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, and cloves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until squash is tender (5+minutes). Stir in cream, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans and again, bring to a boil.
Allow soup to stand for as long as possible (you will understand when you have the leftovers!). Serve each bowl with pumpkin seeds and bacon sprinkled on top.