Fall soups

Now that the weather has finally turned fall, I'm in the soup mood!!

I made Swistle's Autumnal Soup last week and have been enjoying it ever since. It's a vegetable soup and it was really simple (no cutting!!) and really yummy. Of course, as with most soups, better reheated the next day.
Swistle's Autumnal Soup

• 1 pound or so of ground beef or ground turkey (I use ground turkey, which at our store comes in 1.3 pound packages, and I use the whole package)
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I like Contadina)
• 15 oz can tomato sauce (I like Contadina)
• 4 c. water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 16 oz package frozen mixed vegetables (I like Birdseye classic blend: carrots, beans, peas, corn)
• 8 oz frozen broccoli (I like to thaw it a little and then snip it with kitchen scissors into smaller pieces)
• 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
• 2 t. salt (or to taste--I love love love salt so maybe start with less than I use)
• 1 t. crushed red pepper (optional, for spicier soup)

Swistle says, "Fry up the ground meat and drain off as much grease as you can. Put the meat into a big pan--at least 6 quart or you'll be a sorry, sorry cook later on. Add everything else and stir it. Heat to boiling, then reduce it to a simmer and cover it. Let it simmer for half an hour, stirring it occasionally if you feel like it. It's okay to eat right away, but I think it's better reheated the next day.

Delicious accompaniment: garlic toast.

One thing I like about this recipe is that it's flexible. You don't have to use broccoli and classic-blend vegetables, you can instead use up the little half packages of vegetables nobody liked as side dishes, or fresh vegetables that are in danger of going bad in the fridge, or a bag of Italian blend vegetables if you're feeling really wild and crazy. One summer William grew some green bean vines but didn't want to eat the green beans, so I snipped some up into my soup every time I made it. Oooh, and lima beans are good.

It freezes GREAT.

Incidentally, if you do Weight Watchers Core Plan, this soup is a freebie. Well, unless you get all tight about how many grains of that 1 tsp. of sugar are in each portion."

Next up, is a soup I have yet to make this fall, but LOVE IT!

Curried Butternut Soup
You can make this rich soup with any kind of squash, or even sweet potatoes.

• 8 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash (about 2lbs)
• Cooking spray
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 (14oz) cans chicken broth
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400*
Arrange squash in single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 45 min or until tender.
Melt butter in a dutch over over medium-high heat. Add apple, onion, celery, and bay leaf; saute 10 minutes. Stir in curry powder and garlic; cook 1 minute stirring contantly. Add squash, broth, ad salt; stir well.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Partially mash mixture with a potato masher until thick and chunky; stir well. Top each serving with cheese.


And another recipe I picked up last winter that we love around here,
Chicken Tortilla Soup

• 1lb shredded cooked chicken
• 1 15oz can tomatoes
• 1 10oz can enchilada sauce
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 4oz can chopped green chili peppers
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups water
• 1 15oz can chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 10oz package frozen corn

Put all ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. (or high 3-4 hrs)
For serving:

• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• broken tortilla chips
• limes cut into 8ths
• shredded cheese
• sour cream

Add ingredients to top each serving.