A Good Soup Recipe Makes For A Beautiful Meal

Soup is an excellent choice for a delicious meal. Soup is filling, with most varieties containing a wide range of nutrients capable of potentially staving off flu, colds and diseases. Vegetable soup is healthy and chicken soup has long been a remedy for colds and both are ideal options for weight loss. Many people consider soup to be comfort food and nothing tastes better on a cold or stormy night.

Soup can be served as lunch to help ensure there is enough energy to last for the remainder of the day. Adding a biscuit, roll or small salad makes for a tasty dinner. Soup is readily available at restaurants, cafes, supermarkets or can be easily prepared with broth, stock or bouillon cubes. Unlike many of the other options for meals, the assortment of flavors and textures are nearly endless.

A Tasty Vegetable Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• Two tablespoons olive oil
• One and one-quarter cups celery (chopped)
• One and one-half cups yellow onion (chopped)
• Two cups carrots (peeled and chopped)
• Four garlic cloves (minced)
• Two cans of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
• One-third cup fresh parsley (chopped)
• Four cans of vegetable broth (14.5 ounces)
• Three medium potatoes (peeled and thick diced)
• One-half teaspoon dried thyme
• Two bay leaves (average size)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Salt (to taste)
• One and one-quarter cups fresh or frozen corn
• One and one-half cups fresh or frozen green beans (chopped)
• One cup fresh or frozen peas

Take a large pot, put in the olive oil and cook on medium-high heat. From there, add celery, carrots and onions, then saute for four minutes. Add garlic, then saute an additional 30 seconds. Add broth, potatoes, bay leaves, tomatoes, parsley and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil. Add green beans. Cover the pot, then simmer on medium-low heat for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The potatoes should be tender before removing from heat. Serve and enjoy. For more flavor, include basil, rosemary, Italian seasoning, oregano or marjoram. Essentially, this soup can be altered to fit the flavor preferences of anyone. 

The Classic Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• One tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• Two large carrots (sliced thin)
• Six garlic cloves (minced)
• One yellow onion (diced)
• One tablespoon ginger (fresh grated)
• Two stalks of celery (chopped roughly)
• One teaspoon ground turmeric
• Six cups of chicken broth
• One pound chicken thighs or breasts (skinless and boneless)
• One-half teaspoon salt
• Black pepper (to taste)
• One teaspoon rosemary (freshly chopped)
• One teaspoon thyme (freshly chopped, removed stems)
• Two cups peas (frozen)
• One cup of couscous

Take a large pot or dutch oven and place it over medium-high heat. Put in the oil and cook until hot. Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Continue cooking until the onion is translucent. Add the turmeric and ginger, then saute for 30 seconds. This is enough time for the spices to begin cooking. Add the chicken, chicken broth, thyme, rosemary and salt. Season to taste with pepper. Bring the contents of the pot to a full boil, then add the couscous. Stir until thoroughly mixed. The chicken should be completely covered by the soup so make certain the pot is stirred all the way to the bottom. Decrease the heat to medium-low, add the peas, then allow to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes uncovered. The soup is cooked when the chicken is thoroughly cooked all the way through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken. Put the chicken back into the soup, mix well and serve.

Hearty New England Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• Four slices of bacon (diced)
• Four cups potatoes (cubed and peeled)
• One and one-half cups onion (chopped)
• One and one-half cups water
• One and one-half teaspoons salt
• Pepper (to taste)
• Three tablespoons butter
• Three cups half & half
• Two cans of minced clams (10 ounces each)

Take a large stockpot, add bacon and place over medium-high heat. When the bacon is nearly crisp, add the onions. Cook for five minutes. Add potatoes, water and salt. Season with pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to boil, then cook for 15 minutes uncovered or until the potatoes are tender. Add butter and half & half. Drain the clams, but add one-half of the liquid to the pot. Add the clams and let cook for another 15 minutes but do not boil. Serve and enjoy this wonderful addition to the incredible soup recipes listed.