Roasted Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Yes, I know it's almost the middle of May, but if you're from the Chicago area, you know how freezing cold it has been!  I decided it was the perfect time to make a soup.  Looking at the ingredient list, there really is a lot of ingredients, but you practically just throw it all together and there isn't much else to do.  This was really yummy with some bread and beef manicotti!  Try it this summer! (If you're from Chicago)



Source:  Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

2 whole Zucchini, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
2 whole Summer Squash, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Stems Removed And Quartered
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
2 Tablespoons (additional) Olive Oil
2 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced (not Peeled)
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 stalks Celery, Sliced (leaves Included)
8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 cans Cannelini Beans, Rinsed
1 cup (heaping) Cut Green Beans, Fresh Or Frozen
1-½ cup Medium Or Small Pasta Shells, Uncooked
1 can (14.5) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
Salt And Pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoons Turmeric (optional)
Parmesan Cheese, Shaved

Directions:
 
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Toss cubed zucchini, squash, and mushrooms in a bowl with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Arrange onto two sheet pans (to avoid crowding) and roast in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until brown and black parts begin to show. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and celery and stir to cook for 3 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.

Add cannelini beans and green beans. Cook on low for five minutes. Add pasta and cook for an additional five minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir, and cook for an additional five minutes on low heat. Check for seasonings, adding salt, pepper, and turmeric.

Add roasted vegetables at the very end. Stir and allow to simmer and heat for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to check seasoning! Add more broth if necessary to increase liquid amount.

Serve with Parmesan shavings and crusty Italian bread.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

This was a new recipe to try that was requested by my husband. He loves broccoli and after eating a cream of brocolli soup that we had eaten at my work's holiday banquet, he asked if I would make a similar recipe. This soup turned out really well and depending on your mood, you don't even need to add cheese. This soup is definitely perfect for a Sunday dinner during the winter.

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (I used Kraft mild cheddar)

Directions:

Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Zuppa Toscana

This recipe was outstanding. I LOVE the Zuppa Toscana soup from Olive Garden, and this recipe tasted exactly the same, if not better. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe. I definitely plan on making this at least once a month. In this recipe I cut the potatoes in chunks, but next time
I want to slice the potatoes thinly with the skins still on them. Also, I recommend removing some of the grease from the sausage after you brown it. I used the grease to help sautee the onions, but when the soup was finished, the red grease floated to the top and I had to spoon it out.

Source: Annie's Eats (adapted from Recipezaar)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup white wine to deglaze the pan (I used Sauvignon Blanc wine)

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

2 russett potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks

2 cups fresh kale, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

2.5 cups water

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Place a large stockpot or Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until well browned. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl; set aside. Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for a minute more, just until fragrant. Add the wine to the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth and water to the pot. Return the sausage to the pot.

Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer on medium-low. Cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and cooked through. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.