Kitty's Fast and Delicious Pozole

 

 

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes.  I took an unexpected break from blogging, life happens, but here I am again ;).  One of the best things about blogging is finding recipes from other bloggers.  I found this recipe from Kitty where she is the wonderful host of the blog of Kitty's Kozy Kitchen.   I love the chipotle peppers in this recipe, it just adds such interest to the soup, and I love the ease of making it.  Kitty used a rotisserie chicken in her pozole, but I had some leftover pork from a roast that I had made, and was so happy to find the pork worked perfectly in the soup. I just also want to state that I have loved hominy ever since I was a little girls-- love the texture!  Thank you Kitty for such a wonderful recipe.  We will make this recipe over and over!  This recipe makes a lot, and I love that; it serves 10 to 12 portions.

Kitty's Fast and Delicious Pozole

Soup
 1/4 cup olive oil
2 small onions, diced
Kosher salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped -- See note below.
4 (15-oz.) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
2 (32-oz) containers low-sodium chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded -- As noted above I used the leftovers from a pork roast (about 3 cups)

For Toppings
Sliced scallions,
Grated cheese
  Lime wedges
Cilantro leaves, minced
 Tortilla chips

Kitty also used avocado wedges and sour cream to top her soup. 

 Warm oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and cook, stirring until softened, about five minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until soft, about 1 minute. Add chipotles and cook 30 seconds.   If you like a bit hotter soup, you could slowly add a bit more chipotle peppers.  Stir in hominy and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, season with salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in chicken or pork , and cover pot to heat through. Serve with assorted toppings.

NOTE:  You can find the chipotle peppers in the Latin section of your grocery store.  Our local Wal-Mart stocks them.  The extra chipotles can be frozen individually with some adobo sauce on wax paper and then put in a freezer proof bag.

  

 I hope you will try this soup; you will love it.  Thanks

Bonnie's Hotel Utah Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

 

 

 

 

Bonnie's, a fellow blogger, Hotel Utah Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup is my favorite soup to bring to people when they are ill.  I just put it in a quart jar and bring some bread or crackers.  It is also my youngest daughter's favorite soup.  When Bonnie was raising her children she used to bring her children to the famous Hotel Utah in Salt Lake City, and they would order Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup as a starter.  This is Bonnie's wonderful rendition.  Bonnie is the host of the blog City Home/Country Home where she has tremendous talents for handicrafts such as needlepoint, crocheting and knitting, and also is a wonderful cook.  She makes the cutest knitted foxes and bunnies.  I am a "souper, " and if you are a "souper" you will love it too -- rich creamy and so soul satisfying. 

The building that used to host the Hotel Utah, has been renamed, repurposed and beautifully and lovingly restored.  It has been renamed as the Joseph Smith Building,  for the founder of the Latter-Day-Saint faith.  It has three restaurants, rooms for rental, administrative offices, and an LDS chapel.  Here are a few pictures of it around Christmas this year.  I love visiting Salt Lake City any time of the year, but at Christmas it is truly a wonderful experience. 

Before I go any further, I want to say thanks to my Fairy Blog Mother Linda .  I love the wintery window she added.  Somehow, she just knows what I like, and it is so fun to open up my blog and see the changes she makes.

An Incredible Chandelier
 

The Stained Glass on the Ceilings.

An exquisite tree named the "Pearl of Great Price," after our book of scripture.  The exterior of the building is also amazing, but it was dark when we visited.

 

 

Bonnie's Hotel Utah Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

When making Bonnie's soup, the only change I make is to add more half and half.

 

2 teaspoons of chicken soup base (Bouillon)

3 cups of chicken soup stock ( I use canned.)

2 Tablespoons of butter or olive oil (or combination of both)

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery

¾ cup chopped onion

2-10 oz. cans of cream of chicken soup (Campbell's is fine)

2 cups half and half

3 Tablespoons of butter

3 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour

2 cups of cooked diced chicken

4 cups of cooked noodles (I use the wide noodles.)

Salt and Pepper to taste -- I pepper liberally.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Add the carrots, celery, and onions; simmer until the vegetables are translucent.

 

Pour in the stock and soup base and bring to a boil. Add the canned soup and half and half. 

In a small sauce pan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter. Stir the flour into the butter, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not let the flour mixture brown. Add the roux to the Dutch oven and stir to thicken the soup. Let it come to a low boil and cook for 3 minutes more.

 

Add the cooked chicken and noodles and stir  well to distribute.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. 

 

In the tureen waiting to be served.

 

 Thanks for a wonderful recipe Bonnie!  Also thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes!

White Chicken Chili

I know, I know, I should be doing a Christmas post, but I have been making this soup lately, and my children love it so I decided to share this yummy and quick recipe for a warming soup.  During the holiday season it is so nice to have a break from the sweets, don't you think?   It is creamy and soul-satisfying.  Make it with chicken or make it without, or use fat-free half and half if you are watching your fat. 

White Chili Chicken Recipe

 

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

 

In a large stockpot or dutch oven sauté the garlic and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until onions are transparent.

 

Then add the following ingredients:

 

1 can white chicken (12-1/2-ounce)

3 (15-1/2-ounce) cans white beans (Great Northern)

1 can (4-ounce) chopped green chiles

1 can (14-1/2-ounce) chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

 1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

 

Bring the ingredients in the dutch oven or stock pot to a mild boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes.  Then add 2 cups half and half -- nonfat is fine.  Heat the mixture and then add 1 to 2 tablespoons corn starch to 1/4 cup cold water.  Stir cornstarch mixture into soup, and then heat until thickened.  This soup only gets better the next day; it also thickens more. 

 



If desired, garnish with cilantro, green onions, and white cheddar cheese, and corn chips.

I adapted this recipe from my sister Jacqueline.

 



 

 

Have a wonderful day!

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

5.0 3        It is that time of year when there is a chill in the air, there are pumpkins on the porch, and there should be soup on the stove.  That is why Zoulah is excited to share with you a very tasty soup that is perfect for a chilly fall day.  Zoulah and I are "soupers!  This soup  makes up so quickly and tastes like you were working in the kitchen all day!  So Zoulah naturally loved this soup, because she is a super busy witch during 'her season."   The Red Couch daughters also loved this soup, and said they want it on the menu often.  The youngest Red Coucher came home and ate some leftover soup as an after-school snack.  Hope you enjoy it!      

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

2 whole cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups half and half
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans (10-3/4 ounce) condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, minced or 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (the recipe called for 1 tablespoon -- see Zoulah's Notes)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (9 ounce) cheese tortellini -- Zoulah used frozen
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, for garnish
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
 

Saue the garlic in the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until the garlic is golden brown.  Watch carefully as he garlic can burn quickly.  When the garlic is done, add the tomato soup, sun-dried tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock, and the spices.  Zoulah saved the pepper to garnish each bowl.  Bring the ingredients in the stock pot to a simmer.  Once simmering, drop the tortellini into the soup.  Cook the tortellini according the directions on the package.  After the tortellini are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.  Don' overcook the tortellini as it could get mushy, and Zoulah does not like mushy pasta!

Zoulah's Notes:  The recipe was found on Pinterest and posted by the website Key Ingredient.  The recipe called for one tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and Zoulah only put in one teaspoon.  She is a spicy witch, but not that spicy.  You may wish to add that much, but Zoulah thought it would overwhelm the soup.  I used frozen tortellini, and it was good, but I am sure that fresh would be even better. 

Zoulah thanks you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes!

Parmesan Tomato Basil Soup

 

 

Zoulah welcomes you to Red Couch Recipes! 

 

You can tell that  winter is approaching the Red Couch home.  Today I tarped the dog run where the chicken coop is so that the chickens can't get out.  I also winter fertilized the lawn, and pulled away all the dead flowers and greenery that died because of the freezing night temperatures.  Tonight we served a delicious warming soup for dinner.  This soup is so rich and flavorful that even my non-soup lovers like it.  It has four different vegetables that give this soup an irresistible flavor.  I highly recommend it.  This is the second time that Zoulah has made this for the Red Couch family.  It is perfect for a chilly evening.

 

 

I served the soup in these little bakers from Michael's that I bought last year.  I added a few croutons and a bit of pepper; I am a huge pepper fan!

 

 

 

Recipe for Crock Pot Parmesan Tomato Soup

 

 Ingredients

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

 

Directions:
1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Or you can use a large dutch oven on the stove top.

2. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.  If using a dutch oven, bring ingredients to boil and then simmer until vegetables are soft for about 15 minutes.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker or dutch oven.  Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.  If using a slow cooker, you may wish to add more spices because the spices may weaker during the long cooking period

4. If using a slower cooker, cover and cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve. If you are using a dutch oven, just cook until all the ingredients are incorporated, and the soup has thickened.

 

Zoulah's Notes:  One of the Red Couch children is tomato-phobic, so Zoulah took the tomatoes and ran them in a food processor for a few minutes.  She found this recipe on Pinterest which was from the blog Random Thoughts and Thrill hosted by Debbie.  Zoulah has made this for us twice.  The first time she used regular half and half and the second time she used fat-free half and half.  We didn't notice a difference between the two.

It is a tradition of the Red Couch Family to serve spider bread at least once during the Halloween season -- tonight was the night.   Sometimes he comes out looking like a sea turtle with a few extra legs, but we love him.  The head usually is the first thing to go.

 

 

We carved a few pumpkins over the weekend.  This one was carved by Tati.

 

 

I carved the ghost and did the drilling on the "disco ball" one.  My girls kept on spilled it, and it had the effect of a disco ball.

 

 

We made quicky and scary Halloween pumpkins for a church Halloween party.

 

 

 

Please turn your thoughts and prayers towards those in "Frankenstorm's" path. My husband who is living in Northern Virginia was told not to come to work today and tomorrow.  Today they lost power for awhile, but it is back on.  I do not think that Northern Virginia will be hit as hard as other areas.  He said he went to the store to get some peanut butter and bread so he would have something to eat if the stores close down!

 

Thanks for dropping by Red Couch Recipes.

Cheesy Cabbage Ham Soup

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes! 

We woke up to snow this morning!  It was so fun to see the gigantic (or gigantor as I call them) snowballs the kids joined together to make before school!  This Cheesy Cabbage Ham Soup is a wonderful fix for the cold weather.  It is creamy and delicious on a cold weather day.  Are you a soup person?  Some in my family are and some aren't.  I am surely a soup person.  This recipe was taken from a family cookbook that my sister-on-law, Dawnell, and my mother-in-law, Geniel, spent many hours compiling; the recipe book is a treasure.

Chessey Cabbage Ham Soup

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 bag (16 ounces) shredded cabbage

2 cups chopped onion

1-2 quarts water (enough to completely cover the vegetables)

2 cups shredded carrots

2-3 cups diced potatoes

12 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 cups milk

1 quart half and half -- I used fat free.

2 cups grated cheddar.  I used Sharp.

16 ounces cooked, diced ham.

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, saute onion and cabbage in the olive oil.  Add carrots, potatoes, bouillon and enough water to cover (1-2 quarts) the vegetables.  Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add half and half to vegetable mixture.   In a small sauce pan, add butter, flour, pepper, and paprika.  Add milk and cook on medium heat until thickened and add to vegetable mixture.  Stir in cheese.  Allow cheese to melt into thickened soup.  Season with salt to taste.  Enjoy.

Notes:  You could also replace the bouillon cubes with chicken stock and reduce water.  I used canned potatoes.  For a meat-less meal, leave out the ham.  This makes a huge amount of soup!

Slow Cooker Taco Cheese Soup

 

Welcome to my Red Couch where you will want to enter my $75 CSN online stores giftcard giveway.  Click HERE to enter.

Do you like Velveeta?  I am not exactly a cheese snob or connosisseur ---though I did grow up in Wisconsin....  I don't think I remember ever buying or using Velveeta cheese in my married life.   But the other day I found a recipe I had printed out from Yvonne's, Stone Gable, blog.  The soup was an adaptation of a Paula Deen recipe.  Yvonne called it "Paula Deen meet Stone Gable!"   Even though I am not used to cooking with Velveeta, I thought, if it is good enough for Paul Deen and Yvonne, it's good enough for me!  They were right -- it was the best taco soup I have ever eaten. 

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It makes a HUGE batch, so make sure you use a large crockpot, if you go that route. I have some leftover soup tucked away in the freezer for a night when I am too busy to cook; leftovers are like money in the bank!  This is a very hearty soup great for a cold winter evening.

Slow Cooker Taco Cheese Soup

2 pounds ground beef -- I used ground chicken.

2 cups diced onions

2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) jar mild salsa

1 -32 ounce box beef broth

2 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix - use low-salt if desired

1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

1 medium pkg mild mexican velveta cheese, cubed -- I used about 1/2 large package of Mexican mild

Garnishes

Sour Cream

Grated Sharpe Cheddar Cheese

Green Onions, sliced

Cilantro

Tortilla Strips -- See below.

Baked Tortilla Strips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut tortillas in strips.  Place on baking sheet.  Sprinkle with oil and salt and bake for about 10 minutes.  You may want to flip them about half-way through baking.

Directions

Brown the ground beef or chicken and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, beef stock, taco seasoning, velveta cheese and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove (if cooking soup on stove omit cheese and add at the end of cooking time- stir in until it melts) . To serve, top with sour cream, cilantro, cheese, green onions and crispy tortilla strips.

 

 “Come join Soup-a-Palooza with TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers.”

I am also posting this with Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday where the letter of the week is "S" for Slow-Cooker Taco Cheese Soup.  Posted with Foodie Friday, Tidy Mom

Cabbage Patch Stew

Welcome to Zoulah's Bewitchen Kitchen!

The fall weather starts to chill and when that happens Zoulah thinks of soup -- can you believe Zoulah is posting something that is not sweet?  Zoulah has a sweet tooth during Halloween.  When I was first married, my mother-in-law, Geniel, made this soup on a cool Halloween evening.  Ever since then I have always associated this soup with Halloween.

Recipe for Cabbage Patch Stew

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

4 ribs celery, diced

1 large diced onion

1 package of cole slaw or 1/2 cabbage head diced into small pieces -- If you use the cole slaw, use the small package available in produce.
2 cups water

3 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans -- not drained

` 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 large (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

In large sauce pan or Dutch Oven, brown and drain ground beef.  Add onions, celery, cole slaw or cabbage, and water  to beef and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer another 30 minutes. 

Book and Cook: Blueberry Soup and Blueberries for Sal

Welcome to Red Couch Recipes Day Four of Blueberry Week!  Today is Literary Feast Day's:   "Book and Cook Day"!  The instructions are simple.  Snuggle up with a little loved one, your child or grandchild and read the book "Blueberries for Sal," then make the blueberry soup!  Even better, read the book, go blueberry picking, and then make the soup!  This soup is easy enough for little hands to help! 

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY where FIVE lucky winners will each receive 4 bottles of Girard's premium dressing.  Click HERE for the giveaway! 

The first time I was served a fruit soup I fell in love!  I was at Girl's Camp, of ALL places!  Didn't they know that Camp food is supposed to be bad?  The addition of this cranberry juice in this soup makes it SMASHING!   

"Blueberries for Sal," was written by Robert McCloskey in 1948 and won the prestigious "Caldecott Award."  In  the book, Sal and her mother go pick blueberries on "Blueberry Hill."

 "Little Sal picked three berries and dropped them in her little tin pail...kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk!"  She picked three more berries and ate them.  Then she picked more berries and dropped one in the pail-kuplunk.  And the rest she ate.  Then Little Sal ate all four blueberries out of her pail!."

In this picture, Little Sal begins to eat blueberries out of her mother's pail.

The adventure goes on and Little Sal and his mother meet up with a mother bear and her cub who are eating blueberries too and the mothers and "cubs" get a bit mixed up!  It is a fun, short read!  Bears really do like blueberries!

Years ago when my son, who is now 16, was about one we used to go to Apple Hill in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas to a wonderful place called Apple Hill.  There at the Bolster's Hilltop Ranch we picked blueberries.  My husband and I picked them and he ATE them!  This book reminds me of picking blueberries with my own son.  Though hard to tell, he has blueberries clenched in his hands.  Like Sal, he ate and ate!

I really hope you make this soup!  All of us loved it sooo much. If you are leery of the cream, read Pattie's post, from the blog Bramasole yesterday...it's the portion size!  Eat smaller portions!  I served the soup in little ramekins.

Recipe for Blueberry Soup

This is not a Red Couch Recipes Original Recipe; I have had this recipe for years, but do not know the source. 

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries -- Of course I used fresh!

3/4 cups lemon juice -- I wimped and used bottled.

1-1/4cup cranberry juice -- I used 100 percent, no sugar added.

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whipping cream, additional for decorating

Put blueberries in a blender and puree until smooth.  In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, lemon juice, cranberry juice, and sugar.  Stir until mixed together.  Simmer on low heat, covered, for 10 minutes.  Turn heat off and let cool for about 20 minutes.  Gently stir in the whipped cream.  Put the pan in the refrigerator and chill for three hours.  Pour the soup into bowls and decorate with additional whipping cream.  Notes:  I put my cream in a ziploc bag and cut a small hole at the end.  I then put dots of cream on the soup and dragged it with a skewer to get the design.  You could have fun with this and make more complicated designs. 

This book is available at your local library or by clicking below to buy at Amazon:

Thank you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes for Blueberry Week!  Hope you found the couch comfortable and your stay enjoyable!

I have posted this with Tickled Pink at 504 Main.

Tomato Basil Soup and Tales from Nine Mile Canyon

This is the best recipe for Tomato Basil Soup!  You really need to try it and it has only THREE ingredients!  I know, I know, some of you might doubt!  I have made another famed, and complicated, recipe for Tomato Basil Soup and it didn't turn out well!  I talked to my sister and she recommended this recipe that was served at her church function.  Sometimes, easy and simple IS best!  Trust me on this!  It's a cloudy and dismal day today and Tomato Basil Soup would be perfect to serve on a day like today.

As you may know I participate in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.  The letter of the week this week is "T" for Tomato Basil Soup and Tales from Nine Mile Canyon.   I will post the recipe for the soup and then show pictures of our Memorial Day trip to Nine Mile Canyon where petroglyphs are not rare and both ancient and somewhat modern civilizations have left remnants of their lives leaving us to only wonder about the tales they could tell.

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
4 cups Campbell's Tomato Soup -- Just as it comes out of the can.
2 cups non-fat half and half --It is important that you use the non-fat version of half and half.
3-4 tablespoons of prepared basil pesto

Put soup and half and half in a medium saucepan and heat.  When heated, add prepared basil pesto!  That's it!  Note:  You can find basil pesto in the pasta sauce section or produce section of your grocery store.  I also added some freshly ground pepper and some grated Asiago cheese to top the soup.

I am posting this "T" post with Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.

Tuesdays at the Table
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday

Tales From Nine Mile Canyon
On memorial Day we went to Nine Mile Canyon.  It is an area that was at one time inhabited by the Fremont Indians, agriculturalists, that populated parts of the Southwest from approximately 400 A.D. to 1300 A.D.  There is no single accepted theory about what happened to the Fremon Indians after 1300 A.D, however in the Nine-Mile area, they did leave behind lots of petroglyphs (etched) and some pictographs (painted). There are also some dwelling structures and storage buildings still standing.  In Nine-Mile there are also more recently abandoned homes and structures and even an abandoned ghost town named Harper.  The name Nine Mile Canyon is a misnomer as the canyon is more like 45 miles long.  One of the entrances is near Wellington, Utah.  If you go bring water and food and have a full tank of gas; there are no services, aside from the Nine Mile Ranch, in the canyon.

We had a pleasant picnic at Cottonwood Glen Picnic Area.


This is one of the most famous panels in Nine Mile.  It is called the Great Hunt Panel.  One of the reasons that it is famous is because the panel depicts an event, rather just a collection of figures.  To see this panel, if you are coming from Wellington, it is at the end of the canyon.

I like the fingers and toes on this figure.

This is part of the "Buffalo" Panel.

More beautiful rock art!

What are they trying to tell us?

The Fremont Indians tended to depict human-like figures with trapezoidal body shapes.  This petroglyph was a favorite of my children!

This was the only pictograph that we saw, although I am sure there are a lot more!

There are few residents living in Nine-Mile Canyon today.  There is a bunk and breakfast owned by our friend's parents called the Nine Mile Ranch.  We only saw one other occupied home.  You can also see modern historic sites from the earlier settlers in Utah.  There is also the town of Harper, which is a ghost town.

















We liked the wreath on the door!

I wonder who lived here?  What is their tale to tell?















Although we were not geo-caching, my children found a geo-cache.  I wonder what future generations might think if they found a box that contained lipstick, Germ-X, rocks, coins, a cup, and other not so exciting items?  What tale would this geo-cache tell?

Spicy Black Bean Soup

When we used to live in the Sacramento, California area, the caterer Food for Thought, at one time, had a small restaurant attached to their catering business in mid-town.  We absolutely loved this restaurant for the soup!  We would order an entree, but by the time we had their sumptuous soup and bread, we were really not interested in the entree.  Their soup was that good!

This soup reminds me of the type of soup Food for Thought would serve.  The blend of spices and vegetables gives a great full-bodied flavor to this soup.  Top with some grated cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and baked tortilla strips and you are all set!

This recipe was inspired by the Spicy Black Bean Soup recipe printed in the April & May issue of Taste of Home magazine.  It was submitted by Tia Musser from Hudson, Indianna.  I have made a few changes to the printed recipe.

Recipe for Spicy Black Bean Soup:

Soup:
1 large red onion, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, not drained
1 can kidney beans, not drained
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounce) diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, undrained
1 can (4 ounce) chopped green chiles
1/4 cup cilantro leaves -- Use more or less depending on how much you are a fan of cilantro.

Topping:
1/2 cup sour cream
Cilantro leaves to garnish
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In  Dutch oven saute onion and peppers in oil until tender.  Add garlic.  Cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in the beans, broth, tomatoes and chopped green chiles.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes.  Add cilantro and cook about 5 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Place about half of the soup in a blender and cover and process until pureed.  Do not skip the step of pureeing the soup!  Return pureed mixture to Dutch oven and heat until thoroughly warmed.  Top each soup serving with cilantro, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese, and tortilla strips.

Tortilla Strips:
4 corn tortillas
Small amount of olive oil
Scant amount of salt

Cut corn torillas in long strips and coat with a small amount of olive oil and scant amount of salt.   Place on cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy.  Turn strips over several times while cooking.

I am Posting this With Blessed With Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.  Click on the logo below to view other yummy recipes.

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I have also posted this with All the Small Stuff's Tuesdays at the Table.
I have also posted this with Tasty Tuesday.
Finally, I have posted this with Utimate Recipe Swap by My Life As Mom