Our Favorite Soups

You already know that soup is my fave. I make it every week during the colder months so duh. But there's one thing I've done the last two years. My first month making soup again, I always make the same four recipes. Our favorites that I know so well, I have trouble writing down the ingredients because I can throw it together. This month, though, I dedicated my Mondays to being more observant about my soup cooking so I could share MY recipes with you. You know, the ones with the secrets that make life easier. So you'll have to forgive the estimates... because the smell of good soup is very distracting.

Zuppa Toscana

Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Spicy Breakfast Sausage
- 1 half Red Onion, Diced
- 1/4 cup bacon bits
- 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 3 Medium Potatoes
- 1 quart Water
- 3 cubes Chicken Bouillon
- 2 leaves Kale, leaf separated from large stem
- 1/2 cups Heavy Cream

- Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:
- Cook sausage in a large pot. Once there is no pink, add onions and bacon bits and cook until onions are clear. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and cut into slices.
- Add warm water, bouillon cubes and potatoes to the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are done.
- Add kale and cream and let simmer for a few more minutes until everything is hot.
- Serve with fresh biscuits.
(Adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Please May I Have Some More Soup

Makes 8 servings
Ingredients (estimated):
- 2 14oz packages Smoked Sausage
- 3 small brown potatoes, chopped
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 cups cabbage, chopped
- 3 chicken boullion cubes
- 8 cups water

Directions:
- Chop up all veggies and put in large pot.
- Slice and add sausage.
- Add boullion cubes and water.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are soft and the cabbage is translucent.
- Serve with buttery beer bread.

French Onion Soup

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:

-  A couple tablespoons butter
- 5 Large onions, thinly sliced (I've used yellow, sweet and brown and haven't noticed a difference)
- 2 Bay leaves
- A dash of thyme
- 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 32 oz Beef stock
- 2 Tsp mustard powder
- Salt and pepper
- Croutons
- Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:
- Melt the butter in a pan. Add thyme, garlic and bay and stir gently for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add the onions and cook on medium heat, stirring often, until browned.
- Stir the mustard powder into the onions.
- Pour in the stock and simmer on a relatively fast bubble for about 20 minutes.
- Take off heat and put soup in bowls. Serve with croutons and mozzarella.
(Adapted from Appledrane)

Crock Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

- 1/3 cup butter, sliced
- 1 chopped yellow onion
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper
- 2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
- 5 cups chicken broth
- florets cut off of two broccoli crowns and diced
- 1/8 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 oz parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until they begin to soften.
- Add garlic, flour and season lightly with salt and pepper then cook, stirring constantly, until onions are translucent.
- While whisking, slowly pour in evaporated milk and whisk until smooth. Cook mixture, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken.
- Pour mixture into a slow cooker along with chicken broth, diced broccoli and thyme.
- Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
- Turn heat to warm (or off) and stir in heavy cream, then add in shredded cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese and stir to blend.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with buttermilk bread.

(Adapted from Cooking Classy)

Can I just say that I'm super proud of these pictures? The little cabinet bench in my kitchen turns out to be the perfect place for food photography. The lighting is perfect! Until the time change that is... Anyway, I hope you enjoy these! Let me know if you discover anything to improve them!

(Top image via Maori Sakai)