2 Sisters 2 Cities

Image Map

Minestrone Soup

Posted by on

Delicious Minestrone Soup

I know it’s getting towards spring, but it is still cold in parts of the country so I am sharing my new favorite recipe for minestrone soup.  It’s not actually cold where I live…it was actually 75 degrees last weekend and in the 80’s this weekend.  You still got to have soup though!   I made this soup twice in the last few months.

Minestrone Soup

My boyfriend loves minestrone soup so I am always experimenting with new recipes and versions.  I, on the other hand, can take it or leave it.  I usually enjoy minestrone soup the first time around, but then I am over it by leftover time.   I loved this minestrone soup recipe the whole time probably because of the addition of pancetta and pesto.  I whipped up my super quick recipe for French bread for the side and it was some happy eating.  I happened to have enough leftover pesto in the freezer for both batches I made.  It also gave me an excuse to use my new Le Cruiset Dutch Oven I won in a raffle at my work’s sample sale.  Woot woot!  She’s a beauty, isn’t she?Chopped Veggies for Soup

Print
Minestrone Soup
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 4 oz. pancetta, diced
  • 1½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups diced carrots
  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 2½ cups diced peeled butternut squash
  • 1½ tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
  • 6-8 cups chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1½ tsp. fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 15-oz. can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup uncooked small pasta, like tubetti
  • 8-10 oz. fresh baby spinach
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoon store-bought pesto
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Next add in onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic and thyme, cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened.
  2. Add diced tomatoes, 6 cups of chicken stock, a bay leaf, salt, and pepper into the pot. Bring soup to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Cook pasta in a separate pot according to package directions.
  3. Throw out the bay leaf. Add in cooked pasta and beats and allow them to heat up in the soup. If the soup gets too thick, add in additional chicken stock. Add spinach to soup and stir until spinach starts to wilt. Stir in white wine and pesto. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with warm fresh bread. Enjoy!

Source– Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

More Soup Please!
sisterk (2)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Posted by on

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

As we approach June (my due date,) I am on the hunt for recipes for easy to prepare meals.  In addition to quick preparation, they also must be really tasty, healthy, and also easy to clean-up afterwards.  Most slow cooker recipes I come across usually fulfill three of those four criteria.  I find that sometimes either taste or healthiness is sacrificed.

This recipe for slow cooker chicken tortilla soup meets all my requirements.  I pulled it together in less than 15 minutes, the whole family loved the soup, it’s pretty healthy and packed with veggies, and the only pan to wash was the crock pot insert.  (It does call for a can of cheddar cheese soup which some may consider to be an unhealthy option given the loooooong ingredient list on the soup can- I think an easy swap for this ingredient would be 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of half & half.  I ended up using the canned soup this time, but would consider swapping this out for my alternative suggestion next time I make it.)

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

I feel like I was pretty prepared mentally for parenthood while I was pregnant with Baby T, but I have to admit the one thing that really surprised me was how many things there were to get done in a day and how little time there was to do them.  In my head, once I had 50+ hours freed up from not working anymore, I would have oodles of free time.  I quickly realized a few weeks into motherhood that my free time was more scarce and more precious than ever.  I’m starting to come to terms that whatever projects I don’t get finished by June will probably have to wait for a year or two (especially since this time around I will have a two-year old to tend to as well.)  I do love everyday of being a mom and having the opportunity to stay home with my little guy, but it’s amazing to think of the number of diapers changed, messes cleaned up, meals served, and loads of laundry washed that I have done over the past 2+ years.  Fortunately, recipes like this one help make life a little easier.

slow cooker chicken tortilla soup

Print
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
Soup
  • 1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with Green Chiles
  • 8oz can tomato sauce (The can of tomato sauce I used was 14.5 oz.- I poured in about half of it and froze the remainder in an ice cube tray for future use)
  • 32oz container of low-sodium chicken broth or stock
  • 10.75oz can cheddar cheese soup (alternative: sub soup out for ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese and ½ cup half & half)
  • 2 cups carrots, chopped
  • 8 oz. frozen corn
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons chili powder
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
Toppings (use all or any combination)
  • Shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or a Mexican blend)
  • Sliced avocados or guacamole
  • Tortilla chips
  • Sour cream
  • Green onions, chopped
  • Limes, squeezed into soup
Instructions
  1. Combine all soup ingredients (not toppings) into a slow cooker. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  2. To serve the soup, lay out all toppings in bowls and allow everyone to add garnishes to their soup as they see fit.

Source: Slightly adapted from The Crockin’ Girls

Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe that helps make getting dinner to the table a little easier?

sister m signature

Soup’s On at Panera Bread

Posted by on

When I was growing up, my family had dinner together every night.  We all had very busy schedules but we always made an effort to have dinner together.  Now that I am on my own, I try to emulate this tradition with my boyfriend.  Most nights I try to make dinner because we try to eat healthier and it fits in our budget.  Making dinner every night can be tough because when I get home at night it’s 6:30-7 after a full day of working I am often tired, hungry, and not in the mood to cook.  This is why when I plan our menu for the week, I try to pick simple and healthy recipes and leave one day open for Panera Bread.  We love Panera because it fits into both our diet plans and is very affordable.

My favorite pick at Panera is their Broccoli Cheddar soup.  I feel like this soup gets a bad reputation because it’s so creamy and delicious that it seems unhealthy.  When you get the soup in a Pick Two combo with a Salad, it easily fits into my diet plan.  I use the Panera website beforehand to look at the nutrition calculator and determine what I can order that is within my calories left for the day.  Most days, I order the Pick Two with the Broccoli Cheddar soup and the Half Greek Salad.   For sides, I switch it up between an apple, Baked Lays, or occasionally the oh, so delicious French bread.

Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My boyfriend’s dinner of choice is the Pick Two with a half sandwich and the French Onion Soup.  He usually has the Sierra Turkey Sandwich, but recently he has been getting the Big Kid Grilled Cheese with Bacon.   He is a big fan of Panera’s French onion soup.   He likes that the French Onion Soup is not as heavy with cheese like when you get it at a diner or restaurant.

Panera French Onion Soup

The great thing about Panera Bread’s soups is that the combinations are practically endless.   With Panera having different soups available every day of the week, you can try a different type each day.   Haven’t been in a while?  Check out their soup page and daily soup menu.  What’s your favorite soup at Panera?

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Panera Bread.  However, all opinions are my own.

sisterk (2)

French Onion Soup

Posted by on

It’s a SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset!  Come join the fun by linking up and adding a soup recipe.   Go to either of TidyMom or Dine and Dish site to read the rules.

My boyfriend and I love French Onion Soup.  We order it when we are out at restaurants all the time so we have experienced an array of flavors and different ways of having it served to us.   I have developed my recipe over time from a mixture of recipes to get what we consider the best French onion soup.   It’s so easy to make, I often whip it up at least once every two weeks for lunch on the weekend.  Also with the addition of reduced fat Swiss, we can make this recipe a little bit more healthy.

French Onion Soup
Ingredients
4-5 cups of halved then sliced onions
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon of sherry
1 tablespoon of worchestire sauce
4 slices of stale or toasted crusty bread ( French or Italian)
4 slices of Swiss cheese

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions and stir to coat with butter.  Place cover on pot and allow onions to caramelize, stirring occasionally.  This process will take about 15-20 minutes.  Once the onions are caramelized and golden brown add in broth, sherry and worchestire sauce. Bring to a simmer and keep it there for about ten minutes.  While the soup simmers, take out 4 oven proof bowls and prepare bread and cheese.  Place bowls on a baking sheet and turn on your broiler on the oven.  Ladle soup into 4 bowls evenly.  Top each with a crusty piece of bread and a piece of Swiss.  Place baking sheet with bowls of soup into the oven and allow the cheese to melt and the bread to toast up.  Keep an eye on them because they melt/toast quickly.  When ready, serve ( with oven mitts and warn who you are serving it to that the bowls are hot!) Enjoy!

Weight Watchers PointsPlus- about 5 depending on the size of your bread and cheese

*K’s tip*-  I keep a loaf of sliced Italian bread in my freezer to serve a quick piece of garlic bread with pasta or to top my French onion soup.  This stops us from over-eating the bread and it last us a few months.  Wrap bread in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.  I take out the bread before I start cooking and it is thawed by the time I need it.

Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...