Venison Italian Soup

This is a hearty all-in-one-meal soup which contains vegetables, meat, and pasta. Served with mozzarella-garlic bread, makes a great meal on a cold winter day. This is a perfect soup to utilize delicious venison from hunting season.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground venison

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

• 3 cups water

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons dried basil

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans

• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 zucchini, chopped

• 1/2 (16 ounce) package fusilli (spiral) pasta

Directions

1. Brown venison, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink.

2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and spices.

3. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.

4. Stir in beans, carrots, and zucchini.

5. Simmer soup for 90 minutes.

6. Add pasta, and cook until tender.

7. Top individual servings with grated cheese, and serve.

Healing Cabbage Soup

This soup is a delicious, warm treat to soothe any cold. It is also a warming comfort on a cold day.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 quarts water

• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

• 1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained and diced

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in water, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in cabbage. Simmer until cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes. Return to a boil, then simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring often.

Fall Harvest Soup

Simple Potlatch fare, comes from the fruits of the earth and sea. Here, pureed pumpkin and canned cream corn simplifies the otherwise tedious preparation, and may be spiced up to your liking or left mellow and earthy.

Ingredients

• 1 (29 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

• 1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn

• 1 cup 2% low-fat milk

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

• 1/2 cup apple cider

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 teaspoons butter

• 1/8 teaspoon ground mace

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed

Directions

1. Combine the pumpkin and creamed corn in a blender; pulse to puree the mixture for 1 minute or until smooth.

2. Add the milk and continue to pulse the mixture for another minute, or until well combined.

3. Pour pumpkin mixture into a 3 to 4 quart saucepan over medium heat.

4. Immediately stir in the broth, apple cider, water, butter, and ground mace.

5. Heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add thawed corn kernels and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Chicken Zoodle Soup

Do you have too many zucchinis? Obviously! Anyone who has ever grown a zucchini plant has had too many! Here is a great recipe to use some of your surplus zucchini.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup diced onions

• 1 cup diced celery

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 5 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 cup sliced carrots

• 3/4 pound cooked chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 pinch dried thyme (optional)

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

• 3 zucchini squash, cut into 'noodles' using a spiral slicer or vegetable peeler

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic in hot oil until just tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Pour chicken broth into the pot; add carrots, chicken, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer mixture until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Divide zucchini 'noodles' between six soup bowls; ladle broth mixture over the 'noodles.'

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.