For a website dedicated just to meatball recipes, click here.

• ½ lb. ground turkey meat (dark)
• ½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp. finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 minced, 2 thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• 1 large egg, whisked
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 leek sliced thin, white and pale green parts only
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup small pasta
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese for topping

In a medium bowl, mix turkey, breadcrumbs, finely grated parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves minced, chopped chives, egg, salt and pepper to taste.  Form into ½” diameter meatballs.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat.  Cook meatballs until golden brown all over.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  Add sliced leek to the pot, increase heat to medium and cook stirring often until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add sliced garlic, cook for 1 minute.  Add broth and 2 cups water, bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta and carrots.  Simmer until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.  Add meatballs and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Add spinach, stirring until wilted.  Serve immediately in large soup bowls with freshly grated parmesan.

Serves: 4

Total time: 1 hour

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Updated from the recipe archive back in 2009…..I’ll be making this again tonite for our sunday night supper!!

We made this hearty tuscan vegetable soup last night, and it was not only really good, but also very comforting on a cold March evening.  I found this recipe from my Sunset magazine but decided to change it up a bit by adding the sausage, and doubling the amount of Swiss chard, which made this sausage, bean, and vegetable soup so satisfying all on it’s own!  The sausage I picked was a Saag’s brand, smoked chicken with parmesan, of course you can use whatever you prefer.  Cannelini beans, a popular bean used in tuscan cooking, is a large and creamy white bean.  If you cannot find cannellini beans, you can substitute with a white navy bean.  And just so you know, Swiss chard is chock full of nutrition, click hereto learn about the amazing benefits.

This hearty soup was very easy to prepare and is ideal for a weeknight meal.  Please enjoy!

For more recipes using sausage, bean, and vegetables, click here.

• 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 4 sausages (of your choice), cut in half, then cut into half coins
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped into ½ in. pieces
• 3 stalks celery, chopped into 1-in. pieces
• 4 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, with juice
• 4 cups chopped Swiss chard
• 2 tbsp. each chopped fresh parsley and cilantro
• Fresh parmesan grated (optional)

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil to medium high, and brown sausage until golden, remove and set aside.  Add onion, and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.  Stir in broth and beans, then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes.  Add tomatoes, chard, and sausage.  Simmer another 15 minutes, covered.

Divide among serving bowls and top with parsley, cilantro, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves: 4

Total time: 60 minutes

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For more Thai soup recipes, click here.

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 box Swansons chicken broth
• 6 ¼ inch slices ginger
• 2 stalks lemon grass cut into 1-inch slices
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tsp. honey or sugar
• 2 tsp. sirancha or to taste
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce (we like the red boat fish brand)
• ½ cup cilantro

In a large soup pot heat over medium, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil.  Add your chicken and sauté until browned.  Remove and set aside.  To your pot add the coconut milk, chicken broth, ginger, and lemon grass.  Bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes or so.  Strain soup to remove the lemon grass and ginger.  Add mushrooms, lime juice, honey (or sugar), sirancha, fish sauce, and chicken.  Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Add your cilantro and serve immediately.

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My neighbor Betty shared her recipe for clam chowder with me.  I love clam chowder but have never attempted to make it.  It was fun, easy and really creamy, yummy good!  Chowder is just a generic name for many different varieties of seafood or non-seafood stews that are usually thickened with milk and or cream, potatoes etc.  In the past chowder was considered to be a poor mans stew, with it’s history dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries.  Click here to learn more about chowder and it’s history.  

Nothing like a nice big bowl of clam chowder and popovers!  Please enjoy!

Check out this link here for a website dedicated to chowder recipes.

• 6 slices thick cut bacon
• 2 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1- inch cubes
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 4 tbsp. Butter
• 6 tbsp. Flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1-10 oz. Can whole baby clams, with liquid
• 1-6.5 oz. Can minced clams, with liquid
• 1 tsp. Fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boiling and cook potatoes until tender.  Cook your bacon until crisp in a large non-stick pan.  Set bacon aside.  Wipe out excess bacon drippings from pan.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Set aside.  When potatoes are tender, drain and set aside.  To your large pot add the butter over medium heat until bubbly.  Gradually whisk in flour and continue cooking until slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes.  Add your onion and stir completely.  Add your potatoes and stir completely.  Add your milk slowly while stirring.  Add your clams, thyme and cayenne.  Break your bacon into bits over your chowder and bring to a slight boil while stirring.  Bring heat to low and cover for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally until desired thickness.

 Serves: 4

Total time: 1.5 hours

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For more quick and easy soup recipes, from eatingwell.com, click here.

• 3 italian sausage links
• 1 hot italian sausage link
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1-32 oz. container reduced chicken stock
• 2-8 oz. box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 2 cups water
• 1-bunch chard (I used red)
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Remove casings from sausage and cut into small chunks.  Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage stirring occasionally, scraping all the bits until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the broth, water and artichoke hearts.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, uncovered.  Add chard by handfuls while stirring until all of your chard is in the pot.  Cover pot and continue simmering for about 5 minutes until chard is wilted.  Serve immediately in large soup bowls with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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For more bean soup recipes, click here.

• 1-20 oz. bag of 15 bean soup
• 4 cups water
• 1–lb. ham hocks
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes

In one pot add 4 cups water and the 15 bean soup (rinsed).  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, skimming foam off top, adding water if needed.  In a second large soup pot add 2 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, and ham hocks.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.  Meanwhile in a large non-stick pan add your olive oil over medium heat.  Add the remaining ingredients except the diced tomatoes.  Cook your vegetables stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.  To your vegetables add the diced tomatoes and continue cooking at a low simmer until your beans are ready.  Add your beans to your vegetables, stirring for about 2 minutes.  Add your beans and vegetables to the broth and ham hocks pot.  Bring to a simmer and continue cooking uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove ham hocks and cool.  Cut meat off ham hock, discarding the fat.  Cut ham into small bite size pieces and put back into soup.  Continue cooking for 1 hour uncovered.  Serve in large soup bowls.

Serves: 8

Total time: about 4 hours

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Summer is gone, fall has arrived!  It’s time for some soup………….updated from the recipe archive originally posted February 2009.

This was a quick and easy 15 minute (to prepare), hearty soup that is perfect for a weeknight!  Steak and vegetable soup creates a hearty magic that will warm up old man winter himself, according to my source for this recipe, Gourmet.com.  This recipes only serves 2, so if your preparing for more than 2 people, you will have to adjust accordingly.   I picked this recipe because of all the fresh vegies; carrots, onion, celery, yukon gold potatoes, garlic, fresh thyme, and kale.  Kale, considered a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidants is high in vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamin K, and calcium.  It also contains sulfurophane (a chemical believed to have anti-cancer properties), according to this link here.  I also added about 1 cup of fresh button mushrooms that were left over from the night before.  Please enjoy!

Looking for more soup recipes, click here.

• 1/2 lb. boneless loin steak (New York strip), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots thinly sliced
• 2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. finely chopped thyme
• 1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup diced tomatoes with some juice (from a 14-oz. can)
• 1-3/4 cups beef broth
• 2-1/4 cups water
• 2 cups chopped kale leaves
• 1 cup medium egg noodles
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pat steak dry.  Heat oil in a 4-to 5-qt heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.  Cook steak until browned on all sides and medium-rare, about 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate.

Cook onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 8 minutes.  Stir in potatoes, tomatoes with juice, broth, and water and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in kale, noodles, and steak.  Simmer uncovered, until kale and noodles are tender.  Add salt, and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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A couple things to note, first if your not into really spicy foods, cut back on the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp.  I used 1/2 tsp.  and there was definitely a kick!  Secondly, this particular recipe does not contain rice.  I made brown rice and served the gumbo over it. 

This shrimp and andouille gumbo was an easy dish to prepare that was much better I thought, for left overs.   Please enjoy!

For more gumbo recipes, check out gumbocity.com 

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1 each red and green bell pepper, diced
• 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
• ½ lb. ok into ½” pieces
• 2 celery stalks, stems included, chopped
• 2½ quarts Chicken stock, heated until hot
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh garlic
• 1 tsp. each paprika and Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp. each garlic powder, black pepper, crushed red pepper, chili powder and thyme
• ¼ to ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 package Niman Ranch Andouille Sausage, sliced ½” thick
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Cooked white or brown rice

Make a roux: Melt butter in a large stock pot.  Whisk in flour and cook over medium-low heat until foaming.  Cook on low heat , stirring often, until nut brown in color, 20 to 30 minutes.

Add peppers, onions, okra, and celery and cook until onion and peppers soften, about 10 minutes.  Whisk in the heated chicken broth and all remaining ingredients except shrimp.  Simmer 45 minutes (or more), skimming fat if necessary, until thickened slightly.  Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp turns pink.  Serve immediately over rice.

Serves: 8

Total time: 90 minutes

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For more recipes with lentils, click here.

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. hot Italian sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 large parsnips, peeled, and chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 2 ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 lb. brown lentils
• 3 qts. Chicken broth
• 1 5-oz. package, baby spinach

Heat oil in a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, and cook sausage until browned and crumbly.  Set aside using a slotted spoon.  To pot, add onions, carrots, parsnips, celery, and Italian seasoning.  Blend to drippings in pot; cook until onion is translucent and vegetables begin to soften, stirring often, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add lentils, stir to coat, add 3 qts. Broth.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by ¼ cup, if soup is too thick, 20 to 30 minutes.  Add sausage to soup and simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors blend, 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in spinach.  Cook until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.  Serve with grated fresh parmesan cheese.

Serves: 4

Total time: 50 minutes

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For more recipes with cauliflower, check out this link to eatingwell.com

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 3 medium size yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½ “ dice
• 1 head cauliflower, finely chopped
• 32 oz. container vegetable stock, or water
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1 cup thawed frozen peas
• 1 16oz. bag, winter blend cauliflower and broccoli
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped Fennel fronds
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 italian fennel sausages

Heat butter in a large soup pot.  Add the fennel, and sauté over low heat until golden.  Add the potatoes, cauliflower, and enough stock (or water) to cover.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. 

Remove from heat.  With a slotted spoon, transfer half into food processor or blender.  Process until smoothly pureed.  Stir back into the remaining soup.  Slowly add milk while stirring.  Stir in the peas, cauliflower-broccoli blend, and fennel fronds.  Return to low heat and bring to a gentle simmer.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese in small amounts at a time, stirring in until thoroughly melted each time.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, remove casings from sausage and brown in a large nonstick pan while breaking up the sausage into small pieces.  Remove sausage and drain onto a paper towl.  Once the soup is heated through, stir in sausage and ladle into your bowls.  Sprinkle with fennel fronds and more parmesan cheese, and serve immediately. 

Serves: 8

Total time: 60 minutes

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