Complete Meal In A Bowl

What a great way to top off the month of January, National Soup Month, with discussing the vast varieties of soups to accommodate taste and meal of choice. Soups can be eaten as an appetizer, a side dish, or as a main course for dinner.

Adding protein and carbohydrates can create a wonderful, tasty meal. Along with a variety of vegetables, adding chicken, beef, beans or shrimp can make soup a tantalizing dish. Incorporating rice, noodles, or barley will make the soup thicker.

Enjoy a complete meal in a bowl.

Beef Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 lb beef stew meat
2 large diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
1 large onion chopped
1-2 large carrots chopped
1 medium stalk celery chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
1 carton beef flavored broth
1 teaspoon dried basil or oregano
2 cups frozen cheese-filled tortellini (bite size)
1 cup frozen cut green beans

DIRECTIONS:
Add the first 8 ingredients in a pot, cover pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook slowly for 7-8 hours (until beef is tender). Add the remaining ingredients during the last 25 minutes of cooking, cover and cook using high heat (until beans are tender).

Soup…Healthy Soup

I’m humming the tune to “Food, Glorious Food”...When you make your own soup from scratch, you are in the driver’s seat. You can avoid choosing ingredients with artificial flavors, preservatives, and all those other unhealthy things that you probably can’t even pronounce.

Here’s a little more about the healthy benefits of soup…
Vegetables and nutrients
The American Heart Association recommends adults consume eight or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. That's 4 ½ cups. Soups can contribute to that total. Almost any vegetable lends itself to use in soup. Fresh or frozen vegetables added to canned soups increase the servings of essential vitamins and minerals. Fresh or freeze-dried herbs and spices add flavor. Beans and lean meats such as fish provide protein. Beans give you fiber, and tomatoes are a source of lycopene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant.

Low-fat yet filling
Fat-free broths and lean meats in soups reduce fat content. For creamy soups, skim milk, or pureed white beans can be used to thicken soup. Because of the water content of soup, soup fills you up, but with fewer calories.

Vegetable Soup Recipe
Ingredients
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (11.5 ounce) can tomato-vegetable juice cocktail 1 cup water
1 large potato, diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 fresh diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels
salt and pepper to taste
Creole seasoning to taste

Directions
In a large stock pot, combine broth, tomato juice, water, potatoes, carrots, celery, undrained chopped tomatoes, green beans, and corn. Season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.

The Case For Soup

January is National Soup Month. Soup is very comforting and tasty for this time of year, and January is a wonderful time to make soups because of the cold weather. There is nothing like a steaming bowl of soup when coming in from the cold. Additionally, soup helps to prevent disease because of the many nutritious ingredients that can be added to the pot.

Soup is also economical – It is cheaper to make your own than to purchase (Remember that you are paying for packaging, shipping and advertising of commercially sold soup.) Homemade soup can be made from leftovers. Another economical benefit of soup: It freezes well for later consumption.
Hope you enjoy the potato soup recipe!

Ingredients

2 thick slices bacon, preferably applewood smoked, diced
1/2 cup chopped sweet or yellow onion
1 (14 ounce) can reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups 2% milk
1 large bakng potato, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups Shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar, divided
Chopped chives optional

Directions

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel; set aside. Cook onion in drippings in same saucepan 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, milk, potato, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Turn off heat; add 1-1/2 cups cheese, stirring until melted. Ladle into shallow bowls; top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and reserved bacon. Garnish with chives, if desired.