This Is Going To Be A Souper Great Day

Hey, everybody! The big day is here!

CAN YOU EVEN STAND THE EXCITEMENT?

Ahem.

I’ve decided to share three recipes, mainly because I’d already posted a couple of them before and quite frankly I loved the idea of cutting and pasting so that I wouldn’t have to type as much.

My ambition is inspiring, isn’t it? I’m thinking of writing a motivational book. Only I can’t seem to get started.

Anyway, I love these first two recipes, and while I’ve mentioned before that D does not find the cream of zucchini recipe to be very, um, hearty, it is delicious nonetheless. The red beans and rice is incredibly filling (BEANS! AND SAUSAGE!), and I really could eat it once a week. It’s one of our favorites.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

2 medium zucchini, grated
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 13 1/2-ounce cans chicken broth
4 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Place grated zucchini in a colander; sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain well. Saute’ grated and chopped vegetables in butter, until slightly limp. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add chicken broth and stir until smooth. Add grated cheese and stir until melted. Add milk, salt and pepper. Serves 6.

Delta Red Beans and Rice
from Southern Living

1 pound dried red beans
6 cups water
1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced (I use turkey Polska Keilbasa)
1/2 pound cooked ham, cubed
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
Hot cooked rice

Place beans in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water 2 inches above beans; soak 8 hours. Drain.

Bring beans, 6 cups water, sausage, and ham to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 hours.

Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet until tender. Add to bean mixture. Stir in green onions and next 9 ingredients. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Bring bean mixture to a simmer; cover and cook, stirring often, 1 hour. Serve over rice. Serves 8-10.

This last recipe is pretty well-known, but I love it because it can cook all day in the crockpot, it is super simple, and it tastes great. Which has to be some sort of soup trifecta.

Potato & Cheese Soup

2 pounds baking potatoes, cubed (I don’t even peel them; I just wash them really well)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Cook on low 6-8 hours.

After potatoes are tender and you’re just about ready for your meal, add:

1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup green onion
1 pound cooked bacon (OH YES MA’AM)

Stir all ingredients together, then cover and continue to cook on low for 15-20 minutes. Serves 6-8.

If you’d like to share your own soup recipes with the interweb, just sign the Mr. Linky below. Make sure that you link to your SPECIFIC POST – not to your general blog URL.

Have fun, you six other internets who are as desperate for good soup recipes as I am!

I think we will all look back one day and recognize that this souptacular was quite a treasure.

Or not.

But still. We’re gonna have fun.