Pasta e Fagioli Soup

 

Who remembers the Pasta e Fagioli soup from Olive Garden? That was my go-to over the other soups (but of course the salad is most popular). I was having a craving for the soup, but didn't feel like leaving the house :) So I did a little research and came up with this one! I know spring is (hopefully) in the air, but you can still enjoy this anytime!

Pasta E’ Fagioli Soup

Ingredients:
¾ cup whole wheat ditalini or macaroni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and slices into ¼ inch thick circles
3 stalks celery, diced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or great northern beans
½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil

Instructions

 Cook the whole wheat pasta till al-dente. Drain and set aside.
 In a large deep skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the lean ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery, continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir while adding in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring the stockpot to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer covered for 15 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, beans and basil, let heat through.  Serve immediately or freeze for a later meal. You could also store personal sized portions in mason jars for a quick on the go meal.

Three Bean Chicken Taco Soup

Taco SOUP? Sure! I like taco night as much as anyone else, but in the dead of winter I'm still all about soup (with the exception of the salad I posted to the blog last week :) ) This soup is SO FLAVORFUL! The secret? I cooked the chicken with the taco seasoning on it, THEN added more to the soup as it was cooking. I love my homemade taco seasoning that way I can control the ingredients; no artificial ingredients or preservatives! Don't worry; I included it at the bottom of the recipe so you can make your own to have on hand for your future taco nights. ENJOY!

 Three Bean Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients: 

~2T Olive oil

~1 medium onion, diced

~3 Stalks of celery, diced

~1 red pepper, diced

~1 green pepper, diced

~3T of taco seasoning

~One 32 oz. container of chicken broth or stock

~2 cans of petite diced tomatoes

~1 28 oz can of crushed pureed tomatoes

~1 can of black beans

~1 can of kidney beans

~1 can of pinto beans

~1 ½ cups Frozen corn kernels

~2 lb chicken breast, lightly coat in taco seasoning, grill and cube

DIRECTIONS

Sprinkle taco seasoning to cover chicken breasts, grill, cube, and set aside. In a large soup pot over medium heat add olive oil, onion, celery, and peppers. Sautee until soft and onions are translucent. Add 3T of Taco Seasoning, chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, corn, and chicken breast. Heat till warm. Top with your favorite taco toppings such as: shredded cheese, cilantro, green onions, avocado.

Enjoy!

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe (makes one jelly jar sized container of seasoning)

~1/2 cup chili powder 

~1/4 cup cumin 

~4 tsp paprika 

~4 tsp salt (less for a low sodium version) 

~2 tsp garlic powder 

~2 tsp onion powder 

~2 tsp dried oregano 

~Combine all of the above.  You will only use a portion of this jar for the above recipes.  You can save the rest for anytime you want to make taco meat.  Use 2T of mix with one pound of chicken breast, lean ground turkey, ground beef, or a can of black beans.

Butternut Squash & Chicken Quinoa Soup

 

 

 

Ingredients:
-2 pounds Butternut Squash, peeled & chopped in 1” cubes
-¼ cup olive oil, divided
-2 medium onions, finely chopped
-5 carrots, finely sliced
-5 celery stalks, finely sliced
-8 cloves of garlic, minced
-4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
-2 lbs grilled chicken breast, chopped in 1” cubes
-2 cans of chick peas, rinsed
-2 32 oz. containers of chicken broth
-1 cup quinoa (not cooked)
-1 large bunch of kale, cut out stems and chop leaves

 

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl combine 2T of olive oil
and chopped squash. Pour in a single layer on a greased
cookie sheet and lightly salt. Roast 20-25 minutes, until tender
and browned.

2. In a large soup pot, combine remaining 2 T of olive oil, celery,
onion, carrots, garlic, and salt. Saute’ until the vegetables begin
to soften. Stir in Rosemary. Saute’ for 2-4 more minutes.
3. Add chicken broth and quinoa to the soup pot. Simmer for 15 minutes until
quinoa is cooked.
4. Add roasted squash, chick peas, chicken, and kale to the soup pot.
{If soup is too thick add more water. For individual use, store in 1 ½
cup servings in Mason Jars or store in larger family size portions in
the fridge or freezer. Based on US FDA Standards soup can be
frozen for 2-3 months. Enjoy now or later!}