Recipes

[beach-mom]

Monday's soup - March 24, 2025

Crockpot Lasagna Soup by Amanda Stanfield

10 Servings

1-1/2 pounds 93/7 lean ground beef

1-1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion 

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons table salt, divided

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

6 cups beef broth

1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce (such as Rao's)

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (6-ounce) can basil, garlic, and oregano tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish

8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles, broken into 1 3/4-inch pieces (About 8 to 9 sheets)

2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese

freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Combine ground beef, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink and onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Stir in broth, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until combined.

Cover and cook on LOW until soup is just slightly thickened, 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2 hours.

Stir lasagna noodles into crockpot until sheets are submerged in liquid. Cover and cook on HIGH until pasta is al dente, about 30 minutes.

Stirring in spinach the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Serve with a dollop of ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with crushed red pepper.

NOTES:

We loved it! It's definitely one of the best I've tried!

I halved the recipe and we still have some left.

I used beef Better Than Bouillon for the broth.

I did use "almost" the whole portion of lean ground beef, just because it's the way our market packages it. I used 1.12 lbs. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly.

 I cooked it on high.

*Enjoy if you make it!

[beach-mom]

Monday's Soup - March 31, 2025

@JeanLouiseFinch - This one is similar to yours, which I still plan to try!

Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup by Tina Verrelli 

Take 55 minutes, 4 Servings 

Ingredients

For Cauliflower & Broth:

 

8 cups finely chopped cauliflower (from 1 large head)

4 tablespoons olive oil divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup shredded carrot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

48 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

For Cheese Sauce:

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 cups whole milk

3 cup shredded white cheddar (approx. 3/4 pound)

garnish with some fresh chopped parsley if desired

Instructions 

Prepare the Cauliflower:

Arrange oven racks to accommodate two sheet pans. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.

Cut the cauliflower head into fourths from the top through the stem.  Trim off the tough center stem.

Cut the florets from the stalks and cut them all into small pieces (1/2" - 1") or use a food processor to pulse the stalk pieces, then the florets.

Place the chopped pieces in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper.

Spread on prepared baking sheets and roast for 30 minutes, rotating halfway. The cauliflower should be browned on the edges when finished.

While the cauliflower is roasting prepare the broth and cheese sauce.  

For the Broth:

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to a large pot (4-quart or larger) over medium heat.

Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf and stir for a minute.  Add the broth and bring to a simmer.

For the Cheese Sauce:

Melt the butter in a saucepan (2-quart or larger) over medium heat.

Stir in flour, salt, pepper, dry mustard and white pepper. 

Cook stirring constantly for about 3 minutes or until bubbly.

Whisk in milk, little by little, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. (Don't allow to boil.)

Turn off heat and stir in cheese.

Stir until melted.

Add the roasted cauliflower to the broth.  Stir the cheese sauce into the broth. Cook the soup on medium for about 5 minutes or until hot and steamy, but do not simmer hard or boil. (the cheese can separate making a grainy texture.)

NOTES:  Can be made ahead and reheated.  Do not boil when reheating.

MY NOTES:

I  could not find my thyme, so I substituted rosemary.

 As usual my broth was chicken Better Than Bouillon.

Very, very good - we both think it's definitely a keeper! 

[JeanLouiseFinch]

It sounds tasty, @beach-mom.  I can give it a tweak, to fit our lifestyle.  I'll try it before it gets too late for soup.  Thanks.  

[beach-mom]

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@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

It sounds tasty, @beach-mom.  I can give it a tweak, to fit our lifestyle.  I'll try it before it gets too late for soup.  Thanks.  

---

@JeanLouiseFinch - I'll be anxious to see what you will do with it! 

I know - spring is here and I probably will cut back on soup. But there are some cold soups I want to try, and DH loves my gazpacho! 

I know I will probably take a break for a few weeks until after Easter. I'm going to have a lot to do and I won't have a whole lot of time!  

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@beach-mom wrote:

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@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

It sounds tasty, @beach-mom.  I can give it a tweak, to fit our lifestyle.  I'll try it before it gets too late for soup.  Thanks.  

---

@JeanLouiseFinch - I'll be anxious to see what you will do with it! 

I know - spring is here and I probably will cut back on soup. But there are some cold soups I want to try, and DH loves my gazpacho! 

I know I will probably take a break for a few weeks until after Easter. I'm going to have a lot to do and I won't have a whole lot of time!  

---

@beach-mom -  I will use Kettle & Fire chicken bone broth.  I do not use regular all purpose flour and we don't use whole milk.  I would use xanthan gum as the thickener (measured in smaller amounts) and I would probably do a 50/50 combo of heavy cream and plain, unsweetened almond milk as the whole milk replacement.   I just noticed the recipe yield is 4 servings.  Just doing some quick estimating, it seems they will be very hearty servings.  I will amend the portion size and probably freeze some for a later date. 

Right now, my plan is to make it next Monday.  We have medical appointments Tuesday morning so it'll be ready to warm up for lunch when we get back home.  

[beach-mom]

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@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

---

@beach-mom wrote:

---

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

It sounds tasty, @beach-mom.  I can give it a tweak, to fit our lifestyle.  I'll try it before it gets too late for soup.  Thanks.  

---

@JeanLouiseFinch - I'll be anxious to see what you will do with it! 

I know - spring is here and I probably will cut back on soup. But there are some cold soups I want to try, and DH loves my gazpacho! 

I know I will probably take a break for a few weeks until after Easter. I'm going to have a lot to do and I won't have a whole lot of time!  

---

@beach-mom -  I will use Kettle & Fire chicken bone broth.  I do not use regular all purpose flour and we don't use whole milk.  I would use xanthan gum as the thickener (measured in smaller amounts) and I would probably do a 50/50 combo of heavy cream and plain, unsweetened almond milk as the whole milk replacement.   I just noticed the recipe yield is 4 servings.  Just doing some quick estimating, it seems they will be very hearty servings.  I will amend the portion size and probably freeze some for a later date. 

Right now, my plan is to make it next Monday.  We have medical appointments Tuesday morning so it'll be ready to warm up for lunch when we get back home.  

@JeanLouiseFinch - Although she did say 4 servings it made a lot more! We each had 2 servings and there is plenty left to have good portions again.

I liked learning about your keto substitutes. I don't know much about the Keto diet, but I hope to learn more !

I look forward to reading what you think of the soup!    

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[JeanLouiseFinch]

@beach-mom - I made the soup yesterday afternoon, in advance for today's lunch.  We had appointments this morning and wanted something quick and easy when we got home.  Let me tell you, this cauliflower cheddar cheese soup is fantastic!  My tweaks worked out great.  The soup texture was lovely and it was very flavorful.  I like it better than my original recipe.  Definitely a keeper.  I paired it with a small chicken Caesar. Which we really didn't need.  The soup alone would have been plenty.  I ended up getting six 1.5 cup portions from the batch.  We will have more tomorrow and two portions are in the freezer for another time.  Thanks for sharing the recipe.  I'll make it again - spring, summer, fall, winter! 

[beach-mom]

@JeanLouiseFinch - I'm glad you like it! I am still going to try your version too. I think either one is just delicious!

I'm late because I was exhausted when I got home last night. DH got takeout. So my "Monday's" soup is actually on Tuesday. I had a meeting tonight too, so I'm late posting. It's a good one!

Monday's Soup - April 7, 2025

Lima Bean Soup by Kathleen Olsack

*This soup was a winner at the Lima Bean Festival in Cape May, NJ! 

Makes 3 quarts 

3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

2 cans (15-1/4 ounces each) lima beans, rinsed and drained

3 medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 medium Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled and diced

2 small sweet red peppers, chopped

2 small yellow or white onions, chopped

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1/4 cup butter

1-1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup half-and-half cream

3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine the first 12 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-35 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add cream; heat through but do not boil. Sprinkle with bacon just before serving.

NOTE:  The sweet red peppers in this recipe complement the mild veggies with their juicy texture and grassy taste once cooked. Want to go one step further? Try caramelizing the peppers before adding them to the pot, or opt for a jar of roasted or fire-roasted red peppers for heat.

MY NOTES:

As usual, I used chicken Better Than Bouillon.

 I did caramelize the red bell peppers. I poured olive oil in a stainless pan and stirred them around for about 15 minutes until they were soft. 

I didn't have marjoram, so I substituted more oregano.

This was another winner - we loved it!  

[beach-mom]

No soup this week. It's a busy week. I will be making a favorite for our Soup Supper and Maundy Thursday service.

San Antonio Chili

2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

3 (16 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 (4 oz.) cans whole green chilies, cut in large pieces

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground oregano

1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth

1 cup water

Cut chicken in one-inch pieces and brown if desired (I don't brown.). Put all ingredients in Crock Pot and stir to mix. Cook on low for 10 hours, high for 6 hours.

[beach-mom]

I didn't make any soup last Monday because I was exhausted after Easter week services. 

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, which we celebrate, so my soup will have to wait another week!

I have found some interesting spring recipes I want to try!