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February might be just an excuse to enjoy more soup. The temperatures warm up, and then the cold temperatures return to let us know winter isn’t over, leaving us dreaming of a hot, hearty soup.

Linda: Soup, salad, and crusty bread might be my favorite winter dinner. Soup is easy and quick to put together, healthy with vegetables, and often inexpensive to make.

Lucy: Soup recipes might be my favorites. I love stuffed peppers, so Stuffed Pepper Soup is high on my list. I think it’s best when made the day before so the flavors really come through. Frozen rice made to cook in the microwave helps save time. 

Linda: I recently discovered a creamy Italian Sausage Parmesan Soup. One of the ingredients is a Portuguese olive oil that is often available in an olive oil store, like Olive and Then Some in Landrum. However, any favorite olive oil will be delicious. I like to have all my ingredients lined up and ready to add when needed. For example, this recipe calls for sliced tomatoes and sliced mushrooms. I have them all sliced before I start the soup. I like fresh Parmesan so I have the cheese grated.

Lucy: Another favorite is Taco Soup. It’s an easy soup to make because several of the ingredients are canned. You just open the cans and add to water and taco seasoning. It’s delicious to serve with some chips and cheese on top, melted in the microwave.

Linda: If I have a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix in my pantry and a can of Mexicorn, it’s easy to mix up some corn muffins to accompany the Stuffed Pepper or the Taco Soup. I just follow the muffin recipe and then stir in a can of the drained corn.

Lucy: I want to tell our readers about a new product that I discovered watching cooking shows. It’s garlic already crushed and frozen, ready to drop in the pot. It comes in a little box that looks like a miniature ice cube tray. Each section is equal to one clove of garlic. I found it in the frozen food 

section in Target.

Linda: I love this. Crushed ginger is also available, which would be perfect for a stir fry. And they have finely sliced onion in these little cubes. I recently made an omelet and added the onion for a little more flavor. Now our readers are ready to cook. Let’s get our recipes.

 

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup                                                                            

Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground beef or turkey

1/4 tsp black pepper

14 oz can less sodium beef broth

10 3/4 oz can tomato soup, undiluted

2 cups chopped green pepper

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes. undrained

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups hot cooked rice (Save time by using a bag of frozen rice and cook in microwave)

 

Directions

Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add beef or turkey; cook three minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.  Add chopped green pepper and onion; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in black pepper, beef broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato soup; bring to a boil. Add cooked rice. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. 

 

Creamy Parmesan Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbs Portugese Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or your favorite olive oil)

 

Directions

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, dried oregano, and dried basil. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Cook until the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy. Add the baby spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Notes: Pairs well with crusty bread or garlic bread for dipping.

 

Taco Soup

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

1-1/2 cups water

1 envelop ranch salad dressing mix

16 oz can mild chili beans, undrained

15 1/4 oz can whole kernel corn, drained

15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes

10 oz can RoTel Tomatoes

4 oz can chopped green chiles, optional

 

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.