Zucchini and Dill Soup

I got this recipe from Bon Apetit Magazine back in 1998. I chose it because it looked good, not because it was good for me. However, it's a great recipe for Weight Watchers with only 1 point per serving. It's really yummy and a great way to eat veggies for those of us who aren't huge fans. We use reduced-fat sour cream for the topping, but you can use whatever you like. If you prefer a little creamier soup, you can stir the sour cream into the soup instead of putting it on top. The fresh dill is not an option--it makes a world of difference.
2 TB butter
5 zucchini (about 1 1/4 pounds), thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TB chopped fresh dill
4 cups canned chicken broth

Sour cream
Additional chopped fresh dill

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 4 ingredients and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Puree soup with immersion blender (or work in batches and puree in the blender). Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with fresh dill.

Recipe Source: Bon Apetit Magazine

Sausage Minestra

This is a delicious soup. Nate likes to strain the leftovers and eat it as a pasta dish for lunch the next day. It has a little bit of a kick with the red pepper flakes--Grant thinks it's too spicy, but it's just right for us.

Parmesan Croutons:
3 c baguette, cubed
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

Toast the baguette cubes in 2 TB oilive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Off heat, toss with the Parmesan; set aside.

Soup:
1 lb link Italian sausage, sliced into 1" pieces
2 cups diced onion
1 TB minced garlic
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth (Swanson's Natural is best)
2 cups canned diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup dry orzo pasta
3 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Saute sausage in 2 TB olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned. Add onion, garlic, and seasonings. Cook until onion is soft, about 3-4 minutes.

Deglaze with wine and reduce until almost evaporated. Add broth, tomatoes, and orzo; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach until wilted. Serve soup with croutons on top.

Recipe Source: Cuisine at Home magazine

Tortilla Soup

This was a recipe from a viewer of the Rachael Ray show. She called it "White Chicken Chili," but really it's tortilla soup...so that's what I'm going to call it.

1 32-ounce box chicken stock
3 cans white beans, left undrained
5 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie or boiled)
1 16-ounce jar salsa
1 8-ounce block pepper jack cheese, grated
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Black or white pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely crushed corn chips
Sour cream, for garnish

Place all ingredients except the corn chips in a large pot over medium-high heat until cheese is melted. Add crushed corn chips and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with sour cream and serve.

Recipe Source: Rachael Ray (http://www.rachaelray.com/)

Thanksgiving Soup

This recipe is supposed to be a creative use of Thanksgiving leftovers. The original recipe had a separate recipe for the stuffing dumplings, but it was very time consuming and they weren't very tasty. I found that Stove Top was much easier and tasted much better. Using rotisserie chicken made the recipe even simpler. The first time I made this soup I used heavy cream as called for in the recipe, but it was too rich. We greatly preferred the second time when I used 2% milk instead.

2 TB butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrot, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

2 cups button mushrooms, sliced

1 TB garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup dry sherry

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups rotisserie chicken, cubed

1/2 cup milk

Salt to taste

1 box Stove Top dressing, prepared according to box directions

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with non-stick spray. Scoop prepared stuffing onto sheet using a large scoop or spoon (about 1/4 c each). Bake until brown, about 20 minutes.

Sweat onion, carrot, and celery in butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle flour, thyme, and pepper over vegetables; cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly.

De-glaze with sherry and simmer until nearly evaporated, then stir in broth, chicken, and milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes; season with salt.

Serve soup in bowls with one stuffing dumpling in the middle.

Recipe Source: Cuisine at Home magazine