POTATO SOUP Chop up an onion or two (depending on how big they are) and several stalks of celery, including some leaves. Saute in margarine until soft in a big pot. In the meantime, peel as many potatoes as you like. I usually peel enough to cover the bottom of the pot in a fairly deep layer. Cut the potatoes in half or fourths, depending on how big they are. Cover with water and simmer until the potatoes are done. Take a potato masher and mash the potatoes until they're reduced to bite-sized pieces. You'll get some chunks and a nice, thick broth. Add one or two cans of evaporated milk (again, depending on how big your pot is). Salt and pepper to taste. A nice touch is to add very crisp bacon, crumbled up, to the finished soup in the last few minutes of cooking. Garlic croutons are mandatory. POTATO SOUP#2* 2 smoked ham hocks or 3 links of sausage 1/2 gallon water 6 bay leaves 8 medium potatoes, diced salt and pepper to taste Mix ingredients together and cook about 30 minutes on medium heat. Cut up potatoes and add to mixture. Cook until potatoes are done. Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1 pint whipping cream and blend until smooth. Add to the soup mixture. Let simmer until smooth and well blended. Note: You may want to half this recipe for a smaller amount of soup. TOMATO POTATO SOUP * 10 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 can tomato paste 4 to 5 tblsp flour 3 tblsp sour cream milk salt to taste Cover potatoes with water. Add a little salt and boil until tender. Dilute tomato paste with a little water and add to potatoes. Mix in a small bowl or cup, flour and just enough milk to form a paste. Stir until smooth. Add sour cream; stir until blended, then add more milk. Stir and pour into soup. Simmer for 20 minutes. Soups Basic Minestrone Recipe Basic Vegetable Soup Cheesy Broccoli Soup Chicken Vegetable Gumbo Chunky Mushroom Barley Soup Escarole Soup with Tiny Meatballs Gingered Fish Soup Homemade Chicken Broth (Stock) Italian Wedding Soup Old Fashioned Beef Stew Savory Squash Soup Scallop Leek Soup Basic Minestrone Recipe 1.In a large pot, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 chopped onion; cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. 2.Add 4 cups mixed vegetables (cabbage, carrots, green beans, zucchini, broccoli, etc.), 4 cups shredded greens (escarole, Swiss chard, spinach, etc.) and 4 very ripe peeled, chopped plum tomatoes (or 2 beefsteak-type). 3.Season to taste with chopped fresh basil and oregano (or dried). 4.Add 4 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1/2 hour until vegetables are tender. 5.Add 1 can beans (kidney, garbanzo or white navy) or 2 cups cooked pasta (ditalini) and top with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Basic Vegetable Soup 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 pound Italian flat beans or green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup Shortcuts Matchstick Carrots, thinly sliced 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/4 pound each, broccoli and cauliflower florets 2 cups packed thinly sliced cabbage 1 can (49.5 ounces) chicken broth 1 can (28 ounces) Italian Classics Kitchen Cut Roma Tomatoes with Basil 1.Heat oil in large soup pot. Add oregano and onion; cover and cook on low 5 minutes. 2.Add beans, carrots, zucchini,florets, cabbage, chicken broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Variations: Add drained, canned beans, precooked sausage, cooked pasta or rice. Cheesy Broccoli Soup 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3/4 pound broccoli, coarsely chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 3 tablespoons flour 2 cups chicken broth 3/4 cup milk 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup extra-sharp Cheddar cheese Black pepper 1.Cook onion and broccoli in oil, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes until broccoli is tender. 2.Mix in flour, then chicken broth, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. 3.Reduce heat and add milk and nutmeg;simmer on low, covered for 4 minutes. 4.Turn off heat. Purée soup in blender or food processor; return to pot. 5.Stir in cheese over very low heat, until melted. 6. season to taste. Chicken Vegetable Gumbo Serves 6 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 4 cups chicken broth 2 (16 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes 1 large leek, sliced (white part only) 1/2 pound okra, trimmed and sliced in 1/2 inch pieces 1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn 1.Combine chicken and broth in a saucepan; simmer 25 minutes until chicken is cooked throughout.Remove chicken from broth; 2. Add tomatoes and leeks and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. 3.Shred chicken. 4.Add okra, corn and shredded chicken; recover and simmer 10 minutes longer, until okra is tender. Chunky Mushroom Barley Soup Serves 4 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 8 ounce package sliced white button mushrooms 2 tablespoons flour 1 bay leaf 3 cups chicken broth 1/3 cup barley Black pepper 1.Heat oil in a large pot. Add mushrooms and onions;cook on med.for 8 min.. 2.Reduce heat to low. Stir in flour. 3.Add broth in a steady stream, mixing continuously to blend with flour. 4.Add barley and bay leaf and simmer on low, covered, for 30 minutes or until barley is cooked. 5.Discard bay leaf and season to taste. Escarole Soup with Tiny Meatballs 1/2 pound Ground Beef 1 egg 3 tablespoons Italian Classics Seasoned Bread Crumbs 1 can (49 ounces) Natural Goodness 1/3 Less Sodium Chicken Broth 6 cups roughly chopped escarole (about 1/2 pound) 1/3 cup rosmarino pasta 1/4 cup Italian Classics Italian Blend grated cheese 1.Combine ground beef, egg and bread crumbs; form into small meatballs. 2.Heat broth in soup pot until boiling. 3.Add escarole, cover; reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. 4.Add pasta; add meatballs, dropping them one at a time into simmering broth. Cook uncovered, on medium-low approximately 8 minutes, or until pasta is just tender. Each cup contains 145 calories, 11g carbohydrate (1g fiber), 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 63mg cholesterol and 713mg sodium. Back to the top of this page Gingered Fish Soup Discover The Orient Gingered Fish Soup Serves 6 Preparation time: 10 minutes 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1-inch piece unpeeled fresh ginger, cut in fine julienne strips 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bunch green onions (whites only), sliced 1/8-inch across 2 cans (25 ounces each) Wegmans chicken broth 4 ounces fresh wonton wrappers, cut in 1/4-inch strips 12 ounces fresh firm white fish (cod, haddock), cut in 1-inch pieces 2 cups snow pea greens 1.Heat wok on high. When hot add oil, ginger, garlic and scallions; stir-fry 10 seconds. 2.Add broth; bring to a simmer. 3.Add wonton strips and fish; simmer 2 minutes. 4.Add snow pea greens and cook 1 minute more. Options: substitute snow peas, cut diagonally in 1/2-inch pieces, for snow pea greens. Each serving (1-1/2 cups) contains 189 calories, 15g carbohydrate (1g fiber), 8g fat (1g saturated fat), 34mg cholesterol and 1155mg sodium Back to the top of this page Homemade Chicken Broth (Stock) Homemade Chicken Broth (Stock) Makes 8 to 10 cups 1 chicken (about 3 pounds) or a combination of chicken parts (legs, thighs, wings) 1 large carrot, halved 1 stalk celery, halved 2 large onions, unpeeled, halved 2 bay leaves 1 bunch parsley stems Pinch of dried thyme 1.Combine everything in a soup pot; add enough water to cover the ingredients by 1 inch. 2.Bring to a boil and skim off the foam that rises to the surface. 3.Partially cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours. 4.Strain liquid through a colander, into a large bowl. If desired, strip chicken from bones and save to toss back into a soup. 5.Refrigerate, uncovered, until cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight. 6.Skim fat from surface and discard. Transfer broth to smaller containers; refrigerate or freeze. (If refrigerated more than 3 days, bring to a boil before using.) Back to the top of this page Italian Wedding Soup Italian Wedding Soup Serves 6 1/2 pound lean ground beef 1 egg 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 small head escarole (about 1/2 pound), washed, trimmed and chopped 4 cups chicken broth 3/4 cup instant rice 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1.Combine beef, egg, parsley and breadcrumbs; form into 1 inch meatballs. 2.In a large microwave dish with lid, combine oil and onion. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes. 3.Add escarole and microwave, covered, for 5 minutes, stirring once. 4.Add meatballs and broth. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring once. 5.Add rice and cook 2 minutes more; let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. Each serving (1 cup) contains 229 calories, 11g fat, (4g saturated fat), 74mg cholesterol, 15g carbohydrates, (1g fiber) and 698mg sodium. Back to the top of this page Old Fashioned Beef Stew Old Fashioned Beef Stew Serves 8 to 10 2 pounds stew beef, cut into bite-size pieces 3 tablespoons flour (optional) 1 tablespoon oil 3 baking potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces 1 pound bag baby carrots 1 envelope Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix 3 cups water 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water 1.Brown the meat (half at a time) in oil on high. 2.Return all meat to pot, add vegetables, soup mix and 3 cups water. 3.Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, until tender. 4.When stew is cooked, add cornstarch and water mixture to liquid to thicken the sauce. For leaner stew, use top round or shoulder instead of chuck. For more vegetables, add one 14 1/2 ounce can stewed tomatoes or one 8 ounce package of mushrooms when adding other vegetables. Add one cup frozen green peas 5 minutes before stew is ready. Each serving (1/8 of recipe) contains 246 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 3g fiber, 55mg cholesterol and 161mg sodium. Back to the top of this page Savory Squash Soup Savory Squash Soup Serves 6 to 8 Preparation time: 30 minutes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped 4 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed 2 tart cooking apples, unpeeled, cored and coarsely chopped 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth 1 tablespoon fresh savory, minced 1.Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion and squash; cover and simmer on Low for 10 minutes. 2.Add apples, broth and savory. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to Low and simmer uncovered, until squash and apples are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. 3.Puree mixture in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Each 1 cup serving contains 77 calories, 11g carbohydrate (3g fiber), 3g fat (1g saturated fat), 2mg cholesterol, and 430mg sodium. Back to the top of this page Scallop Leek Soup Scallop Leek Soup Serves 5 Preparation time: 25 minutes 2 packages (12 ounces each) Crystal Isle Bay Scallops 1 cup flour 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine 2 large (about 1 1/2 pounds) fresh leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced 2 cans (25 ounces each) chicken broth 1 cup half n' half cream Salt and pepper to taste 1.Coat scallops with flour. Sauté scallops in butter over Medium-High in a large 4 quart saucepan 2 to 3 minutes. Add leeks and sauté 1 minute. 2.Add chicken broth; lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. 3.Stir in cream; season with salt and pepper to taste.