Barbecue chicken soup

For all the recipes I post on this blog, the truth is this: It's rare that I cook from a specific recipe. Almost always I improvise something on the fly, based on my preferences and what I have on hand. Like many of my recipes, I came up with this dish after pulling things together from the cabinet and freezer.


But this soup, with tender chicken, plenty of veggies, and smokiness from some added barbecue sauce, is a keeper! If you love Brunswick stew, you will want to try this one, too. Most cooks probably have these ingredients on hand at any time, so consider this dish when you need a new recipe and you don't want to go to the store.


Barbecue chicken soup


3 chicken breasts, diced
16 ounce bag frozen, mixed vegetables
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 quart water
¼ cup barbecue sauce
½ teaspoon crushed basil
Salt and pepper

In a medium skillet, brown the chicken pieces in oil. Place the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours.

This dish had a great flavor, thanks to the barbecue sauce and the crushed basil. I grew fresh basil last summer, and then dried the leaves for use all winter. Be sure to plant some basil this year, so you can enjoy it fresh all summer (and so you can dry the leaves when the weather turns cold.) Here’s how to harvest and dry basil, step by step.

Magnificent mushroom soup

Many people use condensed cream of mushroom soup as a binder or additive for casseroles or a base for sauces and stews. I’ve used countless cans in casseroles and sauces, but I love to eat cream of mushroom in any form. It’s been a favorite soup of mine since childhood. I happily chose it over chicken noodle (or any other) when my mother would whip up a quick lunch. This was much to my brother’s chagrin – he was not a fan, and of course we had to share whatever can my mom opened.

When I was in college, I worked a variety of waitressing jobs. At one, the cook always made a soup at lunch. I loved eating a bowl of cream of mushroom soup on days that was the special. And it was one of the first homemade soups I made to eat off my wedding china as a new bride.

Canned cream of mushroom soup can be improved significantly with just a few sautéed mushrooms and a splash of sherry. But lately I have wanted to make a large batch to freeze and use for future casseroles. Sometimes I can find condensed cream of mushroom for as little as $1 per (14 ounce) can. This is roughly 2 cups of soup. I aimed this week to compare the cost and taste of making a homemade version.

The short answer: My version yielded about 8 cups of soup and cost about $4 to make. That’s similar to the discount condensed soup at the store. But the flavor of this soup is incomparable. If you love cream of mushroom, to use in casseroles or just to eat, consider making a batch yourself. You house will smell fantastic!

You’ll need:
1 pound mushrooms, sliced (I used white button mushrooms)
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
½ cup white wine
½ onion, diced
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon each, dried basil and oregano
3 cups milk (or cream)

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms and onions in two batches, until they are slightly browned.

Place mushrooms in a 6-quart slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Pour the wine over the mushrooms in the cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and dried basil and oregano.

Stir to combine, cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. Turn the slow cooker off and let the soup mixture cool for about 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup. I left some larger pieces of mushroom, because I love it that way. Stir in the milk and combine thoroughly. This soup is thin, but could be thickened with cornstarch or flour.

I packed the soup in four plastic containers, 2 cups each. The soup can be used immediately, or frozen up to three months.

If you are a mushroom soup fan, give this easy, tasty recipe a try!

New-fangled beef vegetable soup

I have made countless pots of beef vegetable soup, but always used ground beef. Last week, I came up with a revised take on the recipe, using stew beef and a pouch of black pepper seasoning from the spice aisle. This seasoning packs a punch, so I recommend using no more than half the package. Use the remainder to season another dish. The tomatoes with chipotle peppers gives this dish a wonderful smoky heat.

For beef vegetable soup, you'll need:

1 pound stew beef
3 potatoes, diced
14.5 can corn, drained
14.5 can green beans, drained
15 ounce can diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers
4 cups water
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 package cracked black pepper seasoning (or 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper)

Season the stew beef with the black pepper seasoning, then brown the beef in a medium skillet. Add the beef and the remaining ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Yield: 10-12 cups.

Sausage and white bean chowder

Like most people, I try to stretch my food budget and I love developing recipes that are low in cost and big in flavor. Soup is a great way to get high nutrition for fewer dollars; using low cost dried beans is a great way to get added protein.

My family really likes kielbasa – I’ve usually got a pound of the stuff tucked away in the fridge waiting to be part of something delicious. Kielbasa is a wonderful substitute for beef in spaghetti sauce. And it is terrific in soups and stews.

This recipe was a delicious variation on white bean soup, often made with ham.

You’ll need:
1 pound of kielbasa, sliced
½ white onion, diced
1 cup navy beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed
½ cup white wine
14.5 ounce can corn, drained
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon diced jalapenos

Soak the beans overnight, then drain and rinse in fresh water. Add to a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Warm the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the kielbasa and cook for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the kielbasa with a slotted spoon and add it to the slow cooker. Add the diced onions to the skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes. Pour in ½ cup white wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Pour the onions and wine into the slow cooker. Add 3-4 cups water. Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Once the beans have softened, remove about a cup of beans from the cooker and smash them with a potato masher. Return the mashed beans to the cooker; add drained corn and the diced jalapenos. (I buy jalapenos that are diced in the jar. It makes a wonderful addition to recipes that need a little bit of tang and heat.) Cook another hour on low.

To serve: Place a half cup of cooked white rice in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle sausage and white bean chowder over the rice. Top with a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese. Yield: 8-10 servings.

This recipe is smoky and spicy and has a creamy texture without adding cream, thanks to mashing the beans. A great trick!

Hearty Pork Chili, even in summer

I used the best of several different recipe ideas to come up with this creation. It uses white navy beans that my youngest son loves, along with green chilies for some heat. I got a creamier, thicker finish (without adding cream or milk) by removing and mashing some of the beans, then returning them to the pot.

I know the weather is hot – maybe too hot for some people to try this recipe in summer. But I love that you can put a meal like this together without heating up the kitchen. Any season, this one is a winner.

Pork chili

1 pound boneless pork chops
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup dried navy beans; soak them overnight, then rinse and drain before using
½ cup white wine
2 cups corn
4 ounce can green chilies
Salt and pepper
Optional: Shredded cheese to top the bowls

In a medium skillet, heat a teaspoon of oil then brown the pork chops on all sides. I added the onions and garlic and browned all slightly. Season all with salt and pepper.

Once the dried beans have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them.

Then add beans to a 6 quart slow cooker. Add the browned pork chops, onions and garlic to the slow cooker. Return the skillet to the heat, then add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Pour the liquid into the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove the pork to a plate to cool slightly. Also remove about a cup of cooked beans and place in a medium bowl. Mash the beans with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Return the mashed beans to the slow cooker and add the corn.

Shred the pork into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot. Add the green chilies and mix well. Some recipes say to drain the chilies, but I never bother. The spicy vinegar adds to the flavor.

You can use a 14 ounce can of corn, drained, or 2 cups of fresh corn in this dish. I used a freebie from my mother-in-law – a bag of corn from their garden that had been put up on my birthday last year. Kinda ironic, don’t you think?

Let the soup cook another 2-3 hours until the beans are soft and all the flavors have melded. Put a scoop of rice in each bowl, top with a ladleful or two of soup and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. So yummy! This recipe makes about 8 servings.

Here's the step-by-step

Pork chili

1 pound boneless pork chops
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup dried navy beans; soak them overnight, then rinse and drain before using
½ cup white wine
2 cups corn
4 ounce can green chilies
Salt and pepper
Optional: Shredded cheese to top the bowls

In a medium skillet, heat a teaspoon of oil then brown the pork chops on all sides. I added the onions and garlic and browned all slightly. Once the dried beans have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them. Add beans to a 6 quart slow cooker. Add the browned pork chops, onions and garlic to the slow cooker. Return the skillet to the heat, then add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Pour the liquid into the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove the pork to a plate to cool slightly. Also remove about a cup of cooked beans and place in a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork. Return the mashed beans to the slow cooker and add the corn. Shred the pork into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot. Add the green chilies and mix well. Some recipes say to drain the chilies, but I never bother. The spicy vinegar adds to the flavor.

Let the soup cook another 2-3 hours until the beans are soft and all the flavors have melded. Put a scoop of cooked rice in each bowl, top with a ladleful or two of soup and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. 8 servings.

Another Navy Bean Soup

The rain won't seem to quit in Bristol. So despite my excitement over farmers markets and fresh produce, I am making some cool weather comfort food to chase away the cold. I whipped this up this morning with ingredients I already had on hand.

Navy beans are one of my favorites for recipes in the slow cooker. They keep their shape over long, slow cooking and have a mild flavor that even the pickiest eaters (yes, I am talking about my youngest son) will enjoy.

Navy beans are commonly used to make baked beans or in cassoulet. This version of cassoulet calls for another white bean (Great Northern) but any white bean would do – navy, cannellini or others. Navy beans have long fed sailors -- they are inexpensive, easy to transport and can feed a crowd. Here is a Navy Bean Soup recipe from the Department of the Navy. And navy beans are the star of Senate Bean Soup, the dish offered daily at the Senate restaurant in Washington, D.C. The recipe is so simple and satisfying -- and only five ingredients -- that it’s no wonder that it is a perennial favorite.

Navy beans are a great source of protein and fiber and have been shown to help lower cholesterol. They have a high level of saponin, which are antibacterial and antifungal. In some tests, saponion has been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth.

I turn to navy beans for various soups and stews, including a creation I whipped up this morning in my slow cooker. It is an offshoot of a typical ham and navy bean soup, but I added Cajun sausage that I had in the freezer.

Another Navy Bean Soup

1 ½ cups navy beans; soak overnight and drain in morning
½ pound Cajun sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 cup diced ham
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with chipotle pepper
1 cup diced carrots
½ teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups water

Add the soaked and drained beans to a 6 quart slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. You could add some diced onion, but I did not have any on hand this morning. Set cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.

Almost always, I serve hearty soups with rice. Cook one cup rice in two cups water. Yield is 3 cups (Remember 1+2=3)

Cheeseburger soup

I love using my slow cooker for all kinds of obvious reasons – it uses little electricity, it lets me get other things done during the day, it produces great meals for little cost. But sometimes I find recipes that are just plain fun. I got this one for cheeseburger soup from my mother and it was a profound hit with my family. With the addition of potatoes, I suppose it could be called cheeseburger and fries soup.

The recipe includes various burger toppings: Onions, ketchup, mustard and hot peppers. The original recipe called for one Serrano pepper, but I could not find one at my local grocery store. The jalapenos looked elderly, so I chose one of those small, red bird peppers. Not sure how hot it would really be, I added it whole to the pot – like you would use a habenero pepper.

This soup was delicious and quickly devoured. The addition of cheese soup gives a silky texture.

In a medium skillet, cook beef with onions and garlic. Drain excess fat.

Combine the potatoes, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper and hot pepper in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.

Can you tell where I went to the grocery store this week? Add the broth, cheese soup and hamburger meat.

Cook on low for 10 hours. Top each serving with a sprinkle of cheese and a couple of slices of dill pickle.

The cold dill pickle on the hot soup is terrific.

Cheeseburger soup

1 pound ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cups diced potatoes
1 shredded carrot
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Serrano pepper, diced (I used a whole red bird pepper, uncut)
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Two 14 ounce cans beef broth
10.75 ounce can cheddar cheese soup
To garnish: ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, dill pickles

In a medium skillet, cook beef with onions and garlic. Drain excess fat. Combine the meat and all other ingredients, except garnishes, in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 10 hours. Top each serving with a sprinkle of cheese and a couple of slices of dill pickle. Serves 8.

Culinary gold from the freezer

A ham bone in the freezer truly is culinary gold, an investment tucked away for the future that can turn a humble meal into something spectacular. I prepared a spiral cut ham at New Years, complete with black-eyed peas for luck, and then tucked the meaty ham bone in a freezer bag for the future. On Saturday, when snow kept us from a planned trip to visit relatives in Lake City, Tenn., and made going to the store a less than pleasant proposition, I pulled out my little package and set to work.

I put a cup of navy beans in a large stockpot and covered them with cold water. Always sort dried beans because they often contain small pebbles. I brought the pot to a boil, cut it off and left the beans to soak in the hot water and on the burner for about an hour.

I drained the beans in a colander and sorted them again.

I added the ham bone, a quart of water, three bay leaves, and a teaspoon of chopped garlic and set the beans back on the stove to cook.

When the pot came to a boil, I lowered the heat to low and let the whole thing simmer, covered, for about an hour.

Then I removed the ham bone and the large chunks of ham that had become so tender they were literally falling off the bone. I put them on a cutting board to cool (and I took a few nibbles, of course!)

I added about 3 more cups of water to the pot, chopped the meat in large chunks, then added the meat back to the simmering beans.

Because the ham is inherently salty and because dried beans often toughen with added salt, I did not add any salt to this recipe. I did add a liberal amount of black pepper and some coarse ground cayenne.

I fished out the bay leaves and dished up our meal. We also enjoyed some green grapes and bacon-wrapped sandwiches.

I added a bit of parsley for color…

And the soup bowls quickly looked like this:

Navy bean soup

1 cup dried navy beans, sorted
1 meaty ham bone
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
Black pepper
Cayenne
Water

Soak the beans in water to cover overnight or cover the beans in water, bring to a boil and let sit in the hot water for about an hour. Drain and rinse. Place in a large stockpot; add one quart of water, meaty ham bone, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for about an hour. Remove ham bone from beans; place on a cutting board until cool enough to handle. Chop meat into bite-sized pieces, removing fat or gristle. Return ham to the pot. Remove bay leaves. Add more water, if necessary. Add black pepper and cayenne. Simmer another 30 minutes and serve. Serves 6-8.

Black and white chili

I love chili and I have loved making it since I was a teenager; it was a favorite Saturday meal growing up and one I have continued to modify, tweak and share. But I had always made it with kidney beans until my youngest son balked at eating them. He would eat the tomatoes, the meat, even other types of beans. But the kidney beans were a deal breaker. So I kept tweaking -- navy beans passed muster, ditto for black beans. So I settled on something we now call "black and white chili" in honor of the black and white beans. Last week, my husband told me he preferred it over the traditional kidney bean recipe.

Another thing we all love is the addition of tomatoes that have chipotle peppers added. In recent years, most stores carry tomatoes that are seasoned in various ways, especially Italian (with oregano, basil and onions) and Mexican (with chili peppers.) More recently I have found diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers in local stores. Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos -- they give a small amount of smoky heat. All my children love this addition and can eat it. Don't let the fear of too much heat keep you from trying this. It gives a smoky warmth similar to barbecue sauce (something I have also added to chili recipes in the past.)

Eating beans is an excellent source of low fat protein. And the slow cooker was made for the needed long, slow cooking for beans that have been dried. Be sure to drain excess fat from the meat to reduce the amount of fat in the finised dish.

Black and white chili

1 cup dried navy beans, soaked in water overnight, drained
14.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound hamburger, browned and drained
15 ounce can diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers
½ cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
2-3 shakes crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder

Place the drained navy beans in a 6 quart slow cooker.

Cook one pound of hamburger meat. I started with a frozen block of meat:

And cooked it until it was browned; drain any excess fat before adding it to the beans.

Add the canned black beans, drained and rinsed, and the diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers to the slow cooker.

Add the oregano, black pepper, chili powder, red pepper and two small bay leaves. Do not add salt until the beans have finished cooking -- it can make them tough. Add water to cover beans.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Makes 8-10 servings -- and it will go fast.

Chicken and vegetable soup

Certainly I love using my slow cooker year round, but as the weather turns colder I especially enjoy making soups. This recipe is a healthy option; its packed with vegetables -- both fresh and canned -- and I used chicken breast tenderloins, which are low in fat and high in protein.

Chicken and vegetable soup

8-10 chicken breast tenderloins
14.5 ounce can green beans, drained
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
15.25 ounce can corn, drained
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup diced carrots
2 potatoes, diced
4-5 cups water, or chicken stock
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste



Dice all the fresh vegetables (potatoes, carrots and celery) and place them in a 6-quart slow cooker.

You'll go from this... to this...

I used Yukon gold potatoes, which are my husband's favorite. They have a beautiful golden color and are buttery when cooked. Then add the canned vegetables, water or stock and the dried seasonings.

Next, cook the chicken breast tenderloins in a small amount of oil (about 1 teaspoon) over medium heat. Brown the tenderloins slightly, then let them cool.

Don't these look yummy? I let these tenderloins rest on the cutting board for about 5 minutes, then diced the chicken meat and added it to the slow cooker.

Stir to blend all the ingredients, then cook on low for about 8 hours. This soup was delicious (I ate three bowls!). Yield is about 10-12 cups. Plenty of leftovers to enjoy today.

Ham and navy bean soup

There are as many versions to this recipe as there are cooks. I love adding diced tomatoes that include diced chili peppers; it gives the recipe a bit of spice without any extra work. This recipe is super simple and inexpensive -- two great reasons to try it.

Ham and navy bean soup

2 cups dry navy beans; soak overnight in water to cover
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
One 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes with chilis
1 pound cooked ham, diced
1 teaspoon oregano
Water

Serves 8-10.


In the morning, drain and rinse the navy beans.
Dice the ham and carrots and place them in a six-quart slow cooker.

Drain the navy beans and add them to the slow cooker.

Then add the diced tomatoes.

Add three cans of water, rinising out the can that had held the tomatoes. Also add the oregano.

Cook for 8 hours on low. As with most heartier soups, I love to serve this soup with rice. This was dinner earlier this week. Simple and delicious.

Kielbasa and corn

There are so many reasons I love the slow cooker! The dish I fixed Thursday embodies nearly all of them. It used items I already had on hand -- kielbasa, corn, potatoes and tomatoes. It was budget-friendly. And it was so easy and delicious.

Here's how did it. First, dice and brown half a package of kielbasa in a tablespoon of oil.

I added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and garlic powder to the pan as the kielbasa cooked.

I diced three potatoes and added a 12-ounce can of corn and a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes.

I added a teaspoon of dried oregano and a teaspoon of black pepper. Then I cooked it on low for about 8 hours. I also had about a half cup of leftover green beans; I stirred them in before serving.

We love rice with almost any soup, especially a heartier one made with kielbasa. I place about a half cup cooked rice in the bottom of each bowl...

And ladle in the soup on top. It was a hit! The recipe makes about 8 servings and freezes well.

Kielbasa and corn soup

1/2 pound kielbasa, diced and browned in a skillet
3-4 medium potatoes, diced
12-ounce can of corn, drained
14-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
Sprinkle cayenne pepper to taste
Garlic powder, to taste

Brown kielbasa in a skillet over medium heat. Add to a 6 quart slow cooker. Add all other ingredients, plus three cans of water from the diced tomatoes. Stir well. I also added a half-cup of cooked green beans I had on hand, at the end of cooking. Easy and delicious. Serves 8.