After making this Lasagna Soup and loving it as much as we did I had to get this cookbook. So I bought it as a late Christmas present to myself.  This was the first recipe that really stuck out to me, so I went with it.

The flavors were good but the texture was a little thick for us. Next time I wouldn’t blend it as much and leave some cauliflower chunks in it and then the issue would be solved. The roasted cauliflower and the bacon is a great combo though.

My friend Branny at Branny Boils Over is hosting her Souper Bowl Event again this year. For every soup entry she gets she will be donating $1 to ASPCA. I am submitting this soup for that event. And dedicating this post to our cat Mister. We adopted Mister from a shelter in July 2005. And sadly he left us last year. He was the bet cat you could ever ask for. I still miss his meow, and his cuddle and purring with us at night. We also snuggled right between my husband and I. I would fall asleep to his purring.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Bacon (From: 300 Sensational Soups)

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 T. finely chopped garlic
• 6 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 c. torn french or italian bread
• 1 t. paprika
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 2 t. parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 400.

On baking sheet, combine cauliflower and 2 Tbsp of the olive oil; toss to coat evently and spread in a single later. Roast in preheated oven until soft and brown around the edges, about 20 minutes

In a large pot, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.

Pour off all but 3 Tbsp of the fat in the pot. Add onion and garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower, stock, bread, paprika, and cayenne; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar.

Using an immersion blender, food processor, or blender; puree soup until smooth. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley and bacon.

While planning our menu last weekend I wanted to add a soup. I asked Adam if there was anything at all he wanted he said no. So I went to my new recipe site… Pinterest I typed soup and went for it. The first about 10 recipes that popped up was lasagna soup. It sounded delicious. So I added it to our menu.

And it was, we enjoyed this SOOOO much. I halved the original recipe and it made about 4 portions which were perfect for us. The cheesey goodness in the bowl was wonderful. It was a nice little surprise for Adam who had no idea it was there. I will be making this again and again we really enjoyed it.

Lasagna Soup (Adapted From: A Farm Girl Dabbles, Originally From: 300 Sensational Soups)

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 c. chopped onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 T. tomato paste
• 1 14-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaves
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 cup mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 2 T. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Cheese:

•   6 oz. blended cottage cheese (use immersion blender to blend until smooth)
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

I love split pea soup, but Adam doesn’t. So I haven’t had it since I left home. I had two ham bones in my freezer and decided to make some for myself for lunches. I shared with my Mom too who is a pea soup lover.

This soup was easy as you basically throw everything in the pot and let it go. The recipe didn’t call for a ham bone I just added mine and took it out when done. I think it adds flavor.

Split Pea Soup (Adapted From: Goya)

• 1lb split peas
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1/4 lb ham, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 6 cups water

Sort and rinse peas until water runs clear.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until peas are soft and to desired consistency.

**Add more water if desired.

Adam is one of those poor souls who has to work outside all day, he loves it spring and summer. But winter and summer not so much. Last week we had a morning low of -29! It happened to be the day I planned my menu so this soup really grabbed my attention.

We absolutely LOVED this soup. The broth is creamy and cheesy taste but yet has no cheese in it. It reminds me a lot of beef strognoff which is one of my favorite meals. Although the directions don’t say it I would drain the meat off once cooked as you can see all the extra oil/fat in my bowl.

My blog friend Branny over at Branny Boils Over is hosting a Charity Souper Bowl, and for every post she will donate $1 to ASPCA. So this post is also dedicated to Peanut, our chi-rat terrier mix who we adopted and had been taken from a farm with numerous other animals, all of whom the owner was going to kill because he was going to be going to a retirement center and couldn’t take them. We can’t image our life without this little goon of a dog.

Creamy Beef, Mushroom and Noodle Soup (From: Betty Crocker)

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups)
• 1 1/2 pounds beef boneless top sirloin steak, cut into 2x 3/4x 1/4-inch pieces
• 6 cups beef flavored broth (from two 32-oz cartons)
• 1/2 cup dry sherry or beef flavored broth (from 32-oz carton)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1 container (8 oz) sour cream

In 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms; cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened.

Stir in beef. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is no longer pink. I would drain off the fat!

Stir in remaining ingredients except noodles and sour cream. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in noodles. Cover; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender.

Stir in sour cream. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until well blended.

While planning my menu for the week I decided beer cheese soup sound good. I searched for a recipe and used the first one that pulled up.

We loved this soup, it had great flavor, and was very rich and creamy. And good cheese taste. YUM!

Otto’s Beer Cheese Soup (From: Food Network)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 chopped medium sized yellow onion
• At least 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• At least 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (12-ounce) beer of choice (recommended: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Blind Pig)
• 7 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 7 ounces processed Swiss cheese, shredded
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound smoked sausage

Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Saute until softened. Add flour. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add chicken broth and beer. Heat until it comes to a boil. Slowly add cheese while stirring until just boiling and smooth. Add half-and-half, salt, dry mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until soup has thickened. Cut smoked sausage into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a saucepan. Saute sausage over medium heat until heated through. It will probably take about 5 to 7 minutes. Add sausage to the soup, transfer to a large serving bowl and serve hot.

I learned 95% of my cooking skills from my Mom, she is an excellent cook, and has taught me all our family recipes. My Mom made this soup over the weekend, and although she invited us for dinner we had plans and were unable to make it. She did give us some leftover and this was excellent soup. I don’t know if I have ever had baked potato soup, but it was delicious! Perfect for these cooler fall days coming up.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup (From: My Mom)

• 2 extra large baking potatoes
• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 4 T butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 16 oz carton sour cream
• Cheese and bacon bits to garnish

Wash and pre-bake the potatoes.  Cool completely, then dice into medium size chunks (I left the skins on).

In a soup pot, fry the bacon about half way.  Add the onion and continue to fry until bacon is crispy and the onion is soft.  Remove the onion/bacon mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add the butter to the bacon fat, then mix in the flour to make a roux.  Slowly add the broth to the roux.  Add the salt and pepper (adding more or less to taste).  Add the potatoes, and the bacon/onion mixture back in and stir.  Heat through, then add in the sour cream and stir well.  Garnish with cheese and bacon bits.

Makes 4-6 servings.

I love love french onion soup, it’s my favorite soup hands down. But I am picky. I get it at pretty much every restaurant that serves it, but it takes a special one to be good. Last winter a friend posted on facebook how she was making some, I was excited… why hadn’t I ever thought to make my own. She sent me a rough recipe and I adapted it to what we like/wanted.

This was a great soup, and I was proud of my first time, it lacked some flavor. I think I need to find a spice to add to it. Otherwise it was excellent!

French Onion Soup (From: Myself)

• 8 onions, sliced
• 8 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine
• butter and olive oil
• Provolone Cheese
• French Bread

In a large pan warm butter and oil, once warm add onions.

Stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized about 20-40 minutes.

Place onions, broth and wine in crock pot put on low and simmer for 8-10 hours.

In oven safe bowl pour soup 3/4 way out, place a piece of french bread on top and cover with cheese. We prefer provolone but could use any white cheese.

Put under the broiler and broil until cheesy is melted and bubbly.

Adams favorite soup is hands down Clam Chowder, if we go to a restaurant and he has already decided on a meal, if they come and say the soup of the day is Clam Chowder he HAS to get a bowl. I don’t like it at all, and the smell alone drives me nuts. I never planned to make him homemade clam chowder… But then I saw this recipe and saw it was cooked in a crock-pot. I thought this was great as I could make it for a night when I was going out with a friend and he could come home to fresh soup.

This week was the week, he said it was really good and tasted great. I guess it was a hit.

Crock-pot Clam Chowder (From: Casual. Concoctions)

• 2 cans whole baby clams (20 oz)
• 8 pieces pre-cooked bacon- chopped
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 6 lg. potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 cups half-half

Mix first 6 ingredients into crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for about 5. During last hour of cooking, combine half and half and cornstarch, then mix into crock pot.

We had a very fall feeling weekend here in MN this weekend, with highs around 70 it reminded me of soup. I decided I want to make a creamy soup, but wanted to try a new recipe. When I found this one I decided tomato soup and grilled cheese sounded perfect.

This soup was good, I would of preferred it a little creamier then it was, it was kind of “thick” so I think I would add more broth to it. But it was wonderful with the big old grilled cheese to dip in it.

Tomato Soup (From: The Way the Cookie Crumbles, Originally From: Cooks Illustrated)

• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained, juice reserved
• 1½ tablespoons brown sugar, preferably dark
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large shallots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Pinch ground allspice
• 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons brandy (I omitted)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Adjst an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place a strainer in a bowl and remove the seeds and juice of each tomato over the strainer. Place tomatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Rub with the brown sugar. Bake until the tomatoes are dry and just starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool slightly, then peel them off the foil.

While the tomatoes roast, heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the shallots, tomato paste, and allspice. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the flour, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Stirring constantly, gradually add the chicken broth; stir in the reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover, reduce to heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Strain the mixture into a medium bowl. Transfer the tomatoes and solids in the strainer to a blender; add enough liquid for the blender to work, then puree until desired consistency. Stir the pureed mixture and remaining strained liquid together. Stir in the brandy and heavy cream and serve.

Today was a very rare cool day in Minnesota for May, and with having a horrible cough thanks to a mild case of whopping cough I wanted to make some soup. I didn’t want to have to stop at the store and realized I had everything to make broccoli cheese, but decided I wanted to spice it up and add some potatoes to it too.

This was AWESOME!!! It was light and creamy and had the perfect amount of chunks and broth. I am glad I made this tonight and will be making it again.

Potato and Broccoli Cheese Soup (Inspired From: Emeril)

• 3 tbls of unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/4 yellow onion diced
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of ground pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 glove crushed garlic
• 3 tbls of flour
• 4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen broccoli
• 1 cup diced potato
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 2 cups of shredded colby jack cheese

In dutch oven melt 3 tbls of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook until soft, add garlic. Stir frequently while garlic cooks. Add the flour and stir until thoroughly mixed together. Slowly add the chicken broth while whisking constantly. Add potatoes and broccoli. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened about 20 minutes.

Mix in cream and bring to a low simmer. Add cheese and simmer until cheese is melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Stir until it is mixed throughly. Serve hot.