LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING TURKEY CABBAGE SOUP

Ingredients:
Onion, chopped fine
Celery, chopped fine 
Green Pepper, chopped fine
2 T Minced Garlic
Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey, shredded
1/2 Head Cabbage, chopped
2 Carrots, sliced
3 14.5 oz. Cans Diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 Cans Chicken Broth
1 Can Water (use tomato cans to rinse out flavors)
1 T Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Thyme
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Saute first four ingredients in olive oil in Dutch oven until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer approximately 30 minutes until cabbage and carrots are tender.

Recipe Notes:

This is a recipe I made up using leftover Thanksgiving turkey and leftover trinity (onion, celery, green pepper) so the amounts of those are unknown - just add to your taste. Very tasty and very low fat - should be a WW happy recipe!

TOMATO BASIL BISQUE

Ingredients:
3 T Butter
1 lg. Onion, diced
2 Celery Ribs, finely chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
4 C Chicken or Vegetable Broth
3 14.5 oz Cans Tomatoes--(if using fresh 6-8 large tomatoes)
1 sm. Can Tomato Paste
1 tsp Sugar
1 T Parsley Flakes
½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 C Fresh Basil
1/2 C Cream (I use half and half)
Salt/Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery—sauté until onion is translucent, approximately 4 minutes, then add garlic and tomatoes. Add all of your spices (including peppers, see note below) except salt and pepper to the pot. Simmer until tomatoes are heated through - then add the tomato paste & chicken broth and bring to boil. Turn heat to medium - simmer for 10 minutes. In a blender or food processor, carefully remove and puree 1/2 of the soup --return to pot.* Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with croutons, parmesan, fresh basil & tomatoes if desired.

*Rather than chopping the tomatoes after they have cooked, I puree about 3/4 of the tomatoes in my Ninja from the beginning. Saves the mess of processing or blending after they are hot. I do leave about 1/4 of them cut up because I like a chunkier soup.

Freezing Note: I quadruple this recipe and cook in my big stock pot to process for freezing. I also put a handful of various peppers (jalapenos, cayenne, chiles, etc.) from my garden and a small can of green chiles in my Ninja and chop very fine. This adds extra "bite" to the soup. Quadrupling the recipe makes about 3-1/2 gallons to freeze.

This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law, Judy Caldwell. She found it on a news website and it is absolutely delish! It is a great recipe to make a lot of and freeze for yummy winter time soup!

HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP

Ingredients (my variations in italics):
1 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian stewed tomatoes (used 2 cans)
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce (I forgot to use this!)
1 cup frozen Italian vegetables (used 2 bags)
3/4 cup julienned green, sweet red and/or yellow pepper (chopped green)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth (used 3 cans chicken broth)
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced fresh parsley (didn't have)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (used 1.5 tsp.)
1/8 tsp salt (to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper (to taste)
Also added garlic pepper salt and white pepper to taste

Directions:
In large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Drain sausage; add to soup and heat through.

Recipe found in Simple & Delicious (Nov/Dec 2007) magazine.

PAULA DEEN'S COLD NIGHT SOUP

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
2 19-oz cans hearty vegetable soup
1 15-oz can lima beans
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 11-oz can whole kernel corn
1 10-oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles

Directions:
In a large skillet, combine ground chuck and onion; cook over medium heat until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. In a 6-quart electric slow cooker, combine beef mixture and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

My variation (I made a HUGE stock pot of this so I used a lot of ingredients).

Ingredients:
3.5 to 4 pounds ground chuck
1 onion
3 cans Progresso vegetable soup
1 can Progresso southwest vegetable soup
2 cans lima beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel
2 cans yellow & white corn
1 can white beans

This recipe was featured in January/February 2008 Cooking With Paula Deen magazine. Amy Davis insisted that I try it and it certainly is a keeper!

WEIGHT WATCHER'S 0 POINT TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients:
1 C onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 (12 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
4 C low-fat chicken broth
1/3 C salsa
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3-4 celery ribs, chopped
1/3 C fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp basil
4 T fat free sour cream
4 T flour, to thicken

Directions:
Simmer onions, garlic and green onions in a pan until tender. Put all ingredients in a pot, simmer until all veggies are tender.

Note: you can add chicken but divide the points by 9 servings.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken, cooked & shredded
1 15 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed (I used diced tomatoes)
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 med. onion, chopped
1 4 oz. can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C water
1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 10 oz. frozen corn
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil

Directions:
Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles and garlic in crock pot. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Tortilla Strips:
Preheat oven to 400 deg. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut into strips then spread on baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle tortilla strips over individual servings of soup.

Recipe shared by Julie Noonan. Our family loved it!

BEEN DREAMIN' OF A WHITE CHILI?

Ingredients:
Six cans of Great Northern white beans (no one will know so don’t tell ‘em!)
5 nice-sized chicken breasts with the skin on (no nekkid ones please!)
¾ extra large white onion, chopped (nope, not a large one)
6 garlic cloves, chopped fine (don’t cheat and use the “stuff” in the jar!)
1 7 oz. can chopped mild green chilies
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (be careful here!)
6 cups chicken stock (you get this for free from those not-so-nekkid chicken breasts!)
1 block of Monterey Jack cheese w/Jalapenos (if you’re the chicken, get the cheese without jalapenos!)
Optional (if you’re fussy and try to impress), you’ll need Sour cream, Salsa, and a few Tortilla Chips

Directions:
Wash your chicken like it ain’t had a bath in ten years. Scrub it hard! You’ll know when you’ve washed it enough when one of your family members has to make you stop.

Put chicken breasts in large saucepan. Add cold water near top and cook until done (about 15 minutes).

Now clean and clean and clean the sinks, counter, etc.!

Remove chicken from chicken stock and let cool on cutting board. We will be using the chicken stock so don’t discard! (If you do, you’ll be sorry!).

Remove skin from chicken and cut chicken into big strips or cubes.

In 6 qt. crock pot (Don’t have one that big? Get a new one!), add six cans of Great Northern White Beans, chicken stock from saucepan, and chicken strips. Dice your onion and garlic and add to crock pot. Add green chilies, 2 tablespoons of oregano, 2 tablespoons of cumin, one tablespoon pepper, 2 tablespoons of salt, ½ tablespoon of cayenne pepper.

Cook in crock pot on low for several hours (like 5! Like 7!) for a super, great and wonderful flavor.

One hour before serving, add one block of Monterey Jack Cheese w/Jalapenos by cutting in small pieces when adding to chili. Stir. Smells yummie, eh?

Add a dollop of salsa and sour cream on top when you serve. Top with two tortilla chips!

Recipe shared by Dawn (Liz) Holt. Isn't she a hoot???

TACO SOUP

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck, browned, drained
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans (large can)
1 can mexican corn
1 can yellow hominy
1 can green chili peppers (small can), chopped
3 cans tomatoes (mexican flavor, if available)
1 onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch salad dressing

Directions:
Brown ground chuck and drain. Add remaining ingredients (do not drain canned items). Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Recipe shared by Kim Caldwell.

RED LOBSTER CHICKEN FAJITA SOUP

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1/2 C onion, chopped
1 tp minced garlic
1 envelope fajita seasoning mix
2 cans chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can rotelle
2 C milk
1 bag tortilla chips
2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a non stick skillet over medium heat cook together the chicken, onions and garlic. Remove from heat and chop the chicken into bite sized pieces, scrap the onions and garlic into a large saucepan or soup pot. Add the chicken and the envelope of fajita mix. Toss to coat the chicken. Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium for around 40 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Break up tortilla chips into largish pieces to make 2 cups. Place 1/2 cup of chips in each of 4 bowls, and 1/2 cup of cheddar in each of 4 bowls. Ladle on the soup and offer more chips and cheese at the table if you wish.

TATER TOT SOUP

Mix the following together in a soup pot or Dutch oven:

1 pkg. Hash browns or Tater Tots (30-32 ounces)
1 can chicken broth
1 can water
2 medium onions, chopped

Bring the above to a boil.

Mix together:
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
2 cans Milk

Add to the potato mixture and continue to cook until it appears done (I cooked it for about 30 more minutes)

I serve it with Bacon pieces (I bought the kind already cooked) and Sharp Cheddar Cheese on top.

Recipe shared by Amy Davis.