Soup Season

Ahh Autumn…jeans, changing leaves, crisp air, apple and pumpkin everything, sweater weather, and football.  There are so many reasons to love this time of year and I’ll give you one more reason to love autumn….I get to use my crock-pot more! I love soups and chilies and chowders and stews and…well, you get the picture. I don’t eat a lot of soup during the warmer months, but I am always excited to pull out the crock-pot for an easy meal on cold days! I thought I would share several of my favorite recipes. Warning: the last of these recipes is NOT healthy, but I only make it once each year. I can’t feel bad about that and it’s just too good not to share!

Southwest Chili

2 lbs. ground meat (beef, turkey, venison, or buffalo, etc.)

1 large onion, diced

28 oz. diced tomatoes

15 oz. tomato puree

15 oz. black beans

4 1/2 oz. diced green chilies

2 tsp. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 cup of water

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 TBSP. chili powder

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. pepper

Directions: Brown the meat and onions. Drain the fat. Return to large pot on the stove or crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients and heat!

French Onion Soup

4 TBSP unsalted butter

2 lbs. yellow onions, sliced into very thin half circles

1 tsp. sugar

1 TBSP all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry sherry

6 cups beef stock

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 tsp. of dried)

Salt and Pepper

Directions: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the onions. Sprinkle with the sugar, cook, stirring just as needed to keep the onions from sticking. Cook until the onions are soft and brown, beginning to caramelize. This takes about an hour. Then sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to coat. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer partly covered for about 30 minutes.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground meat (beef, turkey, venison, or buffalo, etc.)

1 onion, diced

4 TBSP of Taco Seasoning

4 TBSP Ranch Seasoning

1 can of Rotel

1 can black beans

1 cup of corn

1 small jalapeño, chopped and seeded

28 oz. stewed tomatoes

1 can of Rotel

Directions: Brown meat and onion. Drain the fat. Return to large pot or crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients and heat!

Corn Chow-dah!

1/2 stick of butter

1 large onion, diced

3 whole bell peppers, diced (I prefer red, orange, and yellow)

1 can of corn (drained) or 1 cup of frozen corn (thawed and drained)

1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

3 cups of chicken stock

2 cups of half-and-half

1 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 cup of pepper jack

1/3 cups sliced green onions

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Directions: Cook onions, corn, and peppers on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add broth and allow to thicken for 3-4 minutes. Turn heat to low and stir in half-and-half. Cover and allow to thicken for 15 minutes or so. Stir in cheeses. Add salt and pepper if needed. Serve in bowls and top with bacon and green onions.

Enjoy!

-Em