Japanese Onion Soup

This is the basic Japanese soup that's given out as an appetizer at most Japanese restaurants. Very mild, a bit salty, and a touch of tang. It's a very improvisable recipe; most of the ingredients' quantities can be changed according to taste. Use your favorite mushrooms in this recipe.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1/2 carrot, chopped

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

• 2 tablespoons chicken stock

• 3 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

• 1 cup chopped fresh shiitake mushrooms

• 2 quarts water

• 1 cup baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

Directions

1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the celery, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and a few of the mushrooms. Add chicken stock, beef bouillon, and water. Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil. When the mixture reaches boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes.

2. Place all of the remaining mushrooms into a separate pot. When the boiling mixture is done, place a strainer over the pot with the mushrooms in it. Strain the cooked soup into the pot with the mushrooms. Discard strained materials.

3. Serve the broth with mushrooms in small porcelain bowls, and sprinkle fresh chives over the top. Use Asian soup spoons for an elegant effect.

Mushroom Lentil Barley Stew

This crock pot recipe is easy to assemble and needs no attention while it cooks. The flavors blend nicely to give it a wholesome earthy flavor that is unbelievably vegetarian. Serve with garlic bread.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts vegetable broth

• 2 cups sliced fresh button mushrooms

• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, torn into pieces

• 3/4 cup uncooked pearl barley

• 3/4 cup dry lentils

• 1/4 cup dried onion flakes

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons dried summer savory

• 3 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• salt to taste

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, mix the broth, button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, barley, lentils, onion flakes, garlic, savory, bay leaves, basil, pepper, and salt.

2. Cover, and cook 4 to 6 hours on High or 10 to 12 hours on Low. Remove bay leaves before serving.

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.