Chicken Gnocchi Soup: Secret Recipe Club

For this month's Secret Recipe Club I was paired with Jen of Jen's Journey.  I had many great recipes to chose from on her blog.  She also has lots of great reviews on her blog, I even found a few new books to read while I was there!  This recipe caught my eye because we were expecting 'cooler' weather here in the DC area.  And, by cooler I mean highs were going from the low 100s to the low 80s.  Not exactly typical soup weather, but it worked!

It was delicious -- I made a few changes but nothing drastic.   The tender gnocchi paired well with the sweetness of the carrot.  We did just throw the frozen gnocchi into the soup to cook, so we had to add quite a bit more liquid, I used chicken stock.  We used a leftover grilled chicken breast for the shredded chicken and it added a nice, smoky flavor.  We thought it was tasty and will definitely make it again when it really does get 'cooler' this fall.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup
adapted from Jen's Journey
serves 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion, finely diced

2 minced garlic cloves

4 tablespoons flour

6 cups chicken broth

1 cup carrots, finely shredded

1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1 pound potato gnocchi

1 bag fresh baby spinach
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly grated Parmesan cheeses(optional)

Directions:

• Heat a large pot over medium heat.  Melt the butter and add in the olive oil.  When melted, add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the flour and stir to make a roux.  Cook mixture for 1-2 minutes, until begins to turn a very light brown.  
• Whisk in 4 cups of the chicken broth and turn to medium-high.  Let the mixture simmer until it begins to thicken.  
• Add the shredded carrots, shredded chicken, gnocchi and remaining 2 cups of chicken broth to the pot.  Stir well and allow the soup to simmer again.  Once returned to a simmer, add in the spinach and stir to wilt.  
• Add the half and half, thyme and oregano to the soup and stir well.  Bring back to a simmer then serve.  Top with grated parmesan if desired.  

Cheesy Potato Soup with Mini Ham Sandwiches

This seems like a perfect recipe for a day like today.  The weather forecast calls for day of drenching rain and this is a soup and sandwich pairing that is warm and comforting.  It comes together quick enough for a weeknight and tastes great.  The soup is creamy and cheesy, while still being low fat -- you can't get much better than that!  Definitely use small red potatoes in this dish; they are waxier and won't turn to mush in the soup.  


The mini ham sandwiches that pair with it are cute (who doesn't like a mini sandwich?!?) and tasty.  The chive mayo is the element that really takes them to the next level.  It's a simple step that adds a ton of flavor and makes them not just a typical-thrown-together-with-stuff-in-the-fridge-kind-of sandwich.  I didn't really make any changes to the recipe and the only thing I might change in the future is throwing in a bit of smoked paprika, both in the soup and in the mayo for the sandwiches.  I think it would give a nice smoky hit to both elements and tie them together a bit more. 

Cheesy Potato Soup with Mini Ham Sandwiches
from Cooking Light, January 2012
serves 4


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups 1% milk
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon minced chives
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 slider rolls
4 ounces thinly sliced ham

Directions:

• Melt butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Sprinkle onion with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
• Add potato, milk and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. 
• While soup is simmering, start on the sandwiches.  Combine chives, mayo and dijon mustard.  Place the slider rolls, cut sides up, on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, until toasty and golden brown.  
• When the soup has finished simmering, add the shredded cheese and ground red pepper; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. 
• Once the rolls come out of the ove, spread cut sides with the mayo mixture.  Divide ham even among rolls.
• Top each serving of soup with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green onions, serve.  

Smoky Tomato Soup with Couscous

I found this recipe as I was looking for a new soup to try.  It's January after all, and what better way to warm up at the end of a long, cold day than a delicious, hot soup?  Also, I wanted to participate in a blogging event over at Branny Boils Over.  She's holding a Charity Souper Bowl to raise money to donate to the ASPCA.  I made this Smoky Tomato Soup with Couscous, but before I tell you about the recipe, I'll first dedicate my post to my special animal - Jala.  My family got Jala, a miniature dachshund puppy back in the spring of my freshman year of high school.  She's about to turn 16 and is still my little puppy.  She's slowed down in her old age, but she's still a great friend and dog.  Here she is in her typical winter day outfit - a cute sweater!  Since she's so skinny and has barely any fat (6.5 pounds!), the cold weather leaves her shivering all day unless she wears a sweater.  If only Jala could have some delicious soup to warm her up! 

Okay, now on to the soup.  As soon as I saw this recipe had chipotle peppers in it, I knew it would be a hit in our house.  Both Zach and I love the smoky flavor and spiciness they give a dish.  I found this in the January/February 2011 issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray and thought it would go very nicely with a loaf of our favorite bread.  I did change it a bit, mostly in the preparation method.  After the onions, tomatoes and broth had cooked I chose to use my immersion blender to make a smooth soup.  I really liked the flavors and consistency I got by adding that step.  I also added the topping of Cojita cheese, mostly because we had some leftover in the fridge, but I really loved the salty bite it gave the soup.  The finished soup really reminded me of a grown-up version of spaghettios!  Since the Israeli couscous cooks in the soup liquid, it gets a little pink tint to it that reminded me of spaghettios (seen better in the first picture) but the chipotle and cilantro sour cream make it grown-up.  It was delicious and made for a quick and easy weeknight meal.  

Smoky Tomato Soup with Couscous
Adapted from: EveryDay with Rachael Ray, Jan/Feb 2011
Makes 4 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 large onion, finely chopped
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup Israeli couscous
4 ounces ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
Salt and pepper 

4 ounces Cojita cheese

Directions:

• Using a food processor, pulse the sour cream and 1/4 cup cilantro until smooth; refrigerate. 
• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chipotle chile and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. 
• Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Insert an immersion blender in the soup and blend soup until desired consistency. 
• Add the couscous and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Stir in the ham; season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  
• To serve, top the soup with the cilantro sour cream, cojita cheese and remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Quesadillas

I found this Tortilla Soup with Black Beans recipe in an old copy of Everyday Food.  My mom, aunts and grandma each subscribe to a magazine, then they pass around the copies of the magazines to each other.  By the time this January 2009 issue got to my mom it was Christmas 2009.  I swiped it from my parents house while we visiting over the holidays.  I knew it would get more use with me than at my mom's.  I love my mom and her cooking, but she doesn't regularly try new recipes, so I knew I'd find at least a few things for Zach and I to make.  I really like that the magazine listed the nutrition info since we're following the Weight Watchers program and that makes it super simple to find out the right points for a recipe.  Seeing it would be fairly low points, and a large serving size I was sold!  We also needed a meatless meal for Ash Wednesday and this fit perfectly.  We decided to make the quesadillas to turn it into a mexican inspired version of tomato soup and grilled cheese.  It was very good, and the leftovers made a great lunch. 

Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

From Everyday Food, January 2009

Serves 4 (2 1/2 cups per serving)

WW Points per serving: 5

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

• Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add tortilla chips; cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges and, if desired, more chips.

Quesadillas
serves 2
WW Points per serving:  5

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup 2% mexican shredded cheese

Directions:

• Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to pan, then peppers and onions.  Saute until tender crisp, about 5 minutes.  When done transfer vegetables to a bowl.
• In same skillet, spray with PAM cooking spray and turn heat to medium-low.  Then begin layering quesadillas -- whole wheat tortilla, half of pepper and onion mixture, 1/4 cup of cheese, then a second tortilla.  Heat until bottom tortilla gets browned, then spray the top of the second tortilla with PAM spray.  Next, carefully use either a large spatula or a large plate to help flip tortilla.  Cook until browned on other side. 
• Cut into quarters and serve.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I found this soup while flipping through The Best of Cooking Light and looking for yummy recipes to make over our week of snow days.  I knew we had some bacon to use up and the insides of the baked potatoes we had used to make potato skins for the Super Bowl.  So, it was a perfect way to stay cozy and warm during our snow days and to use up some ingredients.  It was very yummy, both Zach and I liked it a lot.  I found it a little chunkier than I would prefer, but that is easily fixable.  The scallions and sour cream really made it taste like a loaded baked potato and it made great leftovers that we enjoyed all week. 

Baked Potato Soup
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions)


Ingredients
4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

 
 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400°.

• Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.

• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

• Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions, and bacon.

Nutritional Information 
Calories: 329
Fat: 10.8g
Fiber: 2.8g
WW Points per serving: 7 

Kielbasa and Corn Chowder

This is a recipe I had cut out of EveryDay with Rachael Ray. We had what I thought was kielbasa in the freezer, leftover half & half and broth, and a rainy day coming up so I figured this would be a good way to use up some ingredients and stay warm. The kielbasa turned out to be a spicy chipotle beef sausage and the broth was beef instead of chicken, but I think it turned out just fine. Also, I left out the dill since neither of us like it. Because of the type of sausage this soup had a nice kick to it, and was delicious. It's a keeper!


Kielbasa and Corn Chowder
slightly adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray, February 2007

FOUR SERVINGS
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min

8 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (I used a chipotle beef sausage.)
2 onions, finely chopped (I used half a large onion and thought it was more than enough.)
1 tablespoon butter
One 14.5-ounce can chicken broth (I used 2 cups beef broth.)
1 large baking potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used about 4 medium sized red potatoes.)
1 cup half-and-half
One 1-pound bag frozen corn, thawed
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish (Omitted)

Directions:

• Heat a deep skillet or a wide 4- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the onions and butter to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes.
• Add the broth and potato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the half-and-half and corn and cook, stirring, until heated through.
• Using a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup chowder until smooth. (I used a stick blender; I just stuck it into the large pot and blended until it looked like a good consistency.)
• Stir the puree back into the chowder along with the browned kielbasa and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the dill.
  
  

Bacon Jalapeno Corn Chowder

This is one of our favorite soups. We got the recipe from my parents. My mom had cut it out of the newspaper ages ago and made one time when we were visiting them. They had some leftover fresh corn cut right off the cob and used that though the recipe calls for frozen corn. I prefer it with the fresh corn as it is much creamier, but the frozen corn works just as well, especially in the winter. Since she only had a newspaper clipping of just the recipe, I don't have a source to credit really, but I think it's a recipe worth sharing anyway. I did make some changes in terms of preparation methods, but the ingredients are basically the same, with the addition of more bacon.





Bacon Jalapeno Corn Chowder


2 bags (16 ounces each) frozen corn
1/2 pound center cut bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
3-4 cups milk
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

• Cook the corn according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
• In a heavy stockpot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but two tablespoons of bacon fat.
• Saute onion and jalapeno in stockpot until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle flour over the mixture in pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth, corn and 3 cups of milk to mixture. Stir to combine.
• Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until hot and thick.
• Use an immersion/stick blender to create desired consistency. Add more milk, if needed to thin out as desired.

French Onion Soup with an Italian Attitude

This recipe is from Express Lane Meals by Rachael Ray. I thought it had great flavor for a 30 minute soup. Zach would add more balsamic vinegar and onions next time. I thought it was a fun twist on a classic soup and a very filling meal!









French Onion Soup with an Italian Attitude


4 Servings


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 medium onions, thinly sliced
salt and black pepper
leaves from one sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
10 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup grated paremsan cheese
4 thick sliced crusty bread -- I used croutons instead, a big handful for each bowl
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups beef stock
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese -- I used a shredded Italian 6 cheese blend

• Preheat broiler (I used the oven at 450, because that was the highest suggested temperature for my bowls.)
• Heat a deep pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter to the pot. When the butter melts start adding the onions as you slice them.
• Season the onions with salt, pepper and the rosemary. Cook the onions for 15-18 minutes, until tender, sweet and caramelized, stirring frequently. If they start to burn add a splash of water and continue stirring.
• While the onions are cooking, make the topping. In a small bowl, combine the grape tomatoes, basil, grated cheese, salt and pepper.
• Under the broiler toast the bread until golden; rub each side with the garlic clove. (I used croutons so I skipped this step.)
• Once the onions are done, add the balsamic vinegar and white wine, stirring up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. add the stock and over the pot to bring to a quick boil.
• Arrange 4 soup bowls or crocks on a cookie sheet. Once the soup reaches a boil, ladle it into the bowls. Float the brea (or croutons) on the soup and cover with a mound of the tomato mixture. Top with two slices of the cheese. Slide the cookie sheet under the broiler until the cheese melts and bubbles.