Avocado Soup with Chicken and Lime

Thin strips of chicken breast are simmered in broth with jalapenos, onion, garlic and lime and then combined with avocado and topped with crisp corn tortilla strips in this spicy soup.

Ingredients

• 4 (6 inch) corn tortillas, julienned

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 white onion, sliced thinly

• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 4 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

• 8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips

• 1 quart chicken broth

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 1 tomato, seeded and diced

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Arrange tortilla strips on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion, garlic and jalapenos in olive oil until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in chicken, chicken broth, lime juice, tomato, salt and pepper. Gently simmer until chicken is cooked, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in avocado and cilantro and heat through. Adjust seasonings.

4. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with tortilla strips to serve.

Rutabaga Stew

The rutabaga is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. Rutabagas tend to be an underrated vegetable today. You just don’t see many recipes that utilize their amazing flavor. This soup is warm and earthy. Perfect for a cold day.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken, diced

• 4 rutabagas, peeled and diced

• 4 medium beets, peeled and diced

• 4 carrots, diced

• 3 stalks celery, diced

• 1 red onion, diced

• water, or to cover

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir chicken in hot oil until completely browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add rutabagas, beets, carrots, celery, and red onion to the pot. Pour enough water over the vegetable mixture to cover completely.

3. Reduce heat to low and cook at a simmer for at least 4 hours, adding water as needed to keep vegetable submerged.

Slow Cooker Belgian Chicken Booyah

This is a booyah recipe that is adapted from originally a 50 gallon recipe cooked in large 55 gallon cast-iron kettles with a wood fire, most often at church picnics in northeastern Wisconsin.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 pounds red potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces (optional)
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cut carrots
• 1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces diced onion
• 8 ounces diced celery
• 8 ounces diced green bell pepper
• 8 ounces cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons celery salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 packet concentrated vegetable base

Directions

1. Mix chicken, potatoes, beef, corn, carrots, green beans, chicken broth, beef broth, diced tomatoes, onion, celery, bell pepper, cabbage, salt, basil, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, and vegetable base in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on Low for 6 hours.

Beef Barley Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
• 1/2 cup barley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 4 cups water
• 4 cubes beef bouillon cube
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, cook chuck roast until very tender (usually 4 to 5 hours on High, but can vary with different slow cookers). Add barley and bay leaf during the last hour of cooking. Remove meat, and chop into bite-size pieces. Discard bay leaf. Set beef, broth, and barley aside.
2. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and frozen mixed vegetables until tender. Add water, beef bouillon cubes, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chopped stewed tomatoes, and beef/barley mixture. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Mulligatawny Soup

The name originates from the Tamil words millagai and thanni and can be translated as "pepper-water". Due to its popularity in England during the British Rule of India, it was one of the few items of Indian cuisine that found common mention in the literature of the period. The recipe for mulligatawny varied greatly over the years, therefore there is no single original version. Later versions included British modifications that included meat but the local Indian recipe on which it was based did not. Early references to it in English go back to 1784.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 apple, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup white rice
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half - cut into cubes
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, heated

Directions

1. Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
2. Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
3. When serving, add hot cream.

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 4 cups half-and-half
• 3 cups cubed potatoes
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups torn kale leaves (bite-size pieces)

Directions

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into pot; cook and stir until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
2. Stir half-and-half, potatoes, chicken broth, milk, onion, oregano, and red pepper flakes into sausage, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Season with black pepper; stir kale into soup. Simmer until kale is tender, 10 to 15 more minutes.