Healthy Fall Soup Recipes

One of the easiest ways to feed your family is to make up a batch of soup. If you keep your pantry stocked with basic items, such as, beef, chicken or vegetable broths or stocks, boullion cubes, canned or frozen vegetables, tomato or vegetable juices and leftover pieces of meat from last night's chicken, roast or turkey---you have all the ingredients needed for making soup. The rest is adding whatever seasonings you want to accompany whatever goes in the pot. It is my opinion that there are no unhealthy soups. Soup is easily made just by using leftovers. I have made great "stuffed pepper soup", "spaghetti soup", and my children's favorite: "macaroni and cheese with hot dogs soup". There is really no need to run to the store for the ingredients.

Potato Dumpling Soup: 1 1/2 cup chopped celery; 1 1/2 cup chopped carrots; 1 cup chopped onion; 1/4 cup chopped parsley; 2 Tbsp. salt; 4 quarts hot water; 1/2 cup melted butter; 1/2 cup flour; 1 1/2 tsp. paprika; 1/2 tsp. onion salt; 1 can chicken broth; 1 (6 oz) can tomato juice; 4 cups diced, peeled potatoes. Combine first six ingredients in an 8 quart kettle. Make a paste of butter, flour, paprika and onion salt. Add to kettle mixture and bring to a boil. Add chicken broth and tomato juice; cook and simmer for 1 hour. Add potatoes and simmer for 2 more hours. Assemble Dumpling Ingredients: 2 eggs; 1/2 tsp. salt; 3/4 tsp. baking powder; 1 cup flour; milk. Mix the dry ingredients with enough milk to make dumplings. Drop from teaspoon into bubbling soup and cook, covered for 15 minutes; uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Beef Barley Soup: 14 cups hot water; 6 short ribs of beef; 1 cup corn; 1 cup chopped celery; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1/3 cup barley; 3 large diced carrots; 3 large diced and peeled tomatoes; 1/4 cup dried split peas; 1/4 cup dried lima beans; 1/4 cup dried northern beans; 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley; 1 Tbsp. salt. Bring water and ribs to a boil in an 8 quart kettle. Remove with a strainer until broth is clear. Add remaining ingredients and lower the heat. Simmer 3 1/2 to 4 hours with lid tipped to let steam escape. Remove meat from bones, shred and return to soup. (You can also use stew meat which is boneless and already cubed for you and just use beef broth as the base in place of half the water.)

Hearty Vegetable Soup: 2 cups dried beans; 6 cups water; 1 chopped onion; 1 cup chopped celery; 3 Tbsp. soy sauce; 3 Tbsp. vinegar; 1/2 cup sliced carrots; 1 cup chopped cabbage; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup uncooked rice or barley; 1/2 lb. hamburger browned; 2 Tbsp. cornstarch. Soak beans overnight in water to cover. In the morning pour off the water and add the 6 cups water and remaining ingredients, except cornstarch. Simmer on low to medium heat until the veggies and beans are tender. If you wish---thicken with cornstarch.

Lentil and Beef Soup: 1 lb. lean stew meat; 3 Tbsp. flour; 2 tsp. salt; 1/4 tsp. pepper; 3 Tbsp. oil; 5 cups water; 2 cups sliced celery; 5 medium carrots, sliced; 2 large onions, chopped; 1 cup lentils; 1 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1 1/2 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. thyme. Combine flour, 2 tsp. salt and pepper; dredge meat. Brown beef in oil in a dutch oven or soup pot. Add water, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, covered for at least an hour or until done.

Chicken Gumbo: 3 chicken breasts; 1 cup uncooked rice; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 cup chopped onion; 1 Tbsp. flour; 1 Tbsp. oil; 1 Tbsp. file powder (gumbo seasoning); 2 quarts canned tomatoes; 1/2 cup okra, sliced thin; 1 can cream of chicken soup (optional). Simmer chicken until done in 6 to 8 cups of water; bone and shred. Cook rice in three cups of water until done, Place chicken in a large soup kettle with broth, onion, flour, oil, file powder, tomatoes and okra. Simmer 45 minutes, stirring often. The last ten minutes add the cooked rice and cream of chicken soup.

Oyster Artichoke Soup: 1 bunch green onions, chopped; thyme, cayenne and salt, to taste; 3 bay leaves; 2/3 stick of butter; 2 Tbsp. flour; 1 can chicken broth; 2 cups oyster water; 2 cups oyster, cut up; 1 can artichoke hearts, chopped; 3 sprigs parsley; 1/2 cup whipping cream. Saute green onions, thyme, cayenne, salt and bay leaves in butter. Add flour; whisk well. Add broth and oyster water. Simmer 15 minutes. Add oysters, artichokes and parsley. Simmer 10 minutes; add cream. Serve.