Creamy meatball soup

This soup is AWESOME! It's creamy, rich, and packed with veggies (but that doesn't mean it's real healthy...)


Quick and easy recipe:

- Meatballs
- Chopped onion, carrots, celery
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 can Cream of Celery soup
- 1 cup whole milk or cream - we always have whole milk
- 1/2 cup fontina, parmesan, mozzarella, asiago cheese mixture
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup spinach
- Salt
- Pepper
- Basil
- Oregano
- 3 Tbsp. Hot sauce (I used Franks)

1. Start by sauteing your meatballs (not going to lie, I cheated and used frozen No Name wild rice meatballs). Once golden, add your onion, carrots, and celery with some olive oil will onion become translucent and celery/carrots become soft.

2. Add your chick stock, cream of celery soup, and milk. Bring to a boil.

3. Once boiling, melt in your cheese, add seasonings, and hot sauce.

4. Once all the cheese in melted, wilt your spinach. Should only take a few minutes - and you're done!

After eating this for lunch, it would be awesome with wild ride added into the recipe as well! -- Noted for next time :)

Enjoy!

e.l.l.

Spicy Bell Pepper Soup

Each week, I make it a goal to make at least one soup... they're easy enough to heat up for when only one of us is home or when wanting something small for lunch. I'm on a huge soup and sandwich kick!

This bell pepper soup is one of my husbands favorite... here's the recipe :)
- 3 bell peppers
- garlic
- large onion
- olive oil
- serrano or chili pepper
- horseradish
- chicken stock
- milk
- paprika
- basil
- thyme
- Mrs. Dash table blend
- tomato paste - optional
- salt
- pepper 

1. Start by slicing three bell peppers in half,  removing the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil on a baking pan, broil until blacked. Once blackened, throw in a paper or Ziploc bag for 10 minutes 

or so to let the peppers sweat. 

2. While peppers are sweating - dice one large onion, a serrano or chili pepper, and dice your garlic if using fresh cloves.

3. Preheat olive oil in large pot - once hot, add your onion, serrano pepper, and garlic. Saute till onions becomes translucent.

4. While onions are sweating, peel your

 bell peppers. Using a spoon, the skins

 should easily  peel  off. Once peeled, 

dice into small pieces. 

5. Next, add your spices - I used horseradish, paprika,

 basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash's table blend. Use your desired amounts of whichever spices you life the most!

6. After letting the spices sweat with the onion mixture, add approx. 4 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup of milk, and your bell peppers. 

7. Let simmer and blend with an immersion blender. If it's not your desired consistency, add either more stock or milk. If it's too thin - add a table spoon or two of tomato paste!


Just this recipe alone wasn't spicy enough for me - I added a shake or two of red pepper flakes to kick it up a notch! If you have a hot sauce you'd like, that would work as well!

enjoy!

e.l.l.

Butternut squash soup

Allan got me a butternut squash when we were doing our Halloween pumpkins and I left it pretty neglected on our counter... Since we're trying to use up most fresh items in the house now before the holiday's this weekend - it was time for it to be used. I've made an acorn squash soup before and wanted to try and curry/ginger butternut one without a recipe and throwing what I wanted into it.

Not in the picture that was used: Paprika, broth, and the squash :)

I started by roasting the squash - cut it in half, brushed with olive oil, and added salt and pepper. Roasted the squash in a 400* oven for about 40 minutes or until tender.

While the squash is cooling,

cut up your onion, celery, and carrots.

 I have about

 1 1/2 cups of celery and

 carrots and used 1 medium 

onion.

Warm up a large pot with approx 2 Tbls coconut oil, 

adding in your desired amount of

 ground ginger and minced garlic. 

Once warm, saute the vegetables until soft.

I like to add my seasoning when sauteing - 

I added salt, pepper, ginger, curry powder, and paprika.

When the squash is cool to the touch

 you scoop out the center,

 leaving the skins,

 into the pot.

 Let the squash saute

 with the vegetables.

Once mixed well, add 1 cup broth (your flavor of choice - I used beef broth as it's all we had but would've preferred chicken broth) and 2 cups milk. Adding more of either to get your desired amount of thickness.

In the process of blending - doesn't look the MOST appetizing, but I assure you it's good :)

After bringing the pot to a boil, turn down and use an immersion blender till smooth.

It ended up being a fairly "sweet" soup - Next time I would add a little more spice to kick it up a notch, possibly Sirracha or red pepper flakes :)

Enjoy!

e.l.l.