Miso soup (Winnie Chang)

Ingredients:
Miso Paste - 2 Tbsp
Chicken broth - 1 Can
Water - 3 cups
Soft tofu - cut into small cubes
Green onion - 1 stalk, chopped finely

Cook:
Put all the ingredients together except for the green onions and let it boil. Then put the chopped green onions in the pot.

You can buy the miso paste at the Asian market off of oracle and orange grove...it's a small place right across from Bed bath and beyond.

The miso paste is in the refrigerator and it contains NO MSG.

Easy Ground Beef Stew (Teresa Horton)

1 pound of browned ground beef (if not lean, drain fat)
4 peeled and chopped potatoes
4 peeled and chopped carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped onion
3-5 cloves of garlic
1 can of corn (with liquid)
1 can of tomato soup or dices tomatoes(with liquid)
1 3 inch sprig of fresh rosemary
3 3 inch sprigs of fresh thyme
1 3 inch sprig of fresh sage
3 dashes of worsteshire sauce
Fresh ground pepper

**Throw all of the above into a crock-pot and cook on high 3hrs Or on Low for about 4-5 hours.

The great thing about this dish is that you can put any left over veggies you have into it.

Baked Potato Soup (Robin Bringhurst)

1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) chicken broth
2 cans (12 oz. each) evaporated milk
4 large or 6 medium baking potatoes, cubed and boiled
salt and ground pepper to taste
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 min. or until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Take about half of potatoes and mash them, add to pot. Cook over medium heat just until it comes to a boil. Take off heat. Add in diced potatoes, salt, pepper, cheese, and bacon.

Pumpkin Soup (Laura Martin)

2 t Olive Oil
2 C leeks (white parts only) washed well and cut into 1 in chunks
½ Medium Onion, chopped
2 medium Carrots, chopped
1 medium green apple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
2 16 oz. cans unseasoned pumpkin puree
1 sprig fresh thyme or ½ t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 t salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t ground allspice
1 t ground cinnamon
7 C vegetable stock or water
¼ C frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 T nonfat yogurt, for garnish
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced for garnish

1) In large pot heat oil, add leeks, onion, carrots, apple, pumpkin, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper, allspice and cinnamon. Cover and cook 10 min. stirring occasionally.
2) Stir in stock. Bring to boil, simmer for 30 minutes (or until vegetables are tender). Let cool slightly. Discard bay leaf.
3) Working in batches puree soup in blender or food processor. Pour back into pot and heat on medium until flavors are well blended. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in juice. Garnish with apples and yogurt.

Rachael Ray’s Green Minestrone (Laura Martin)

2 T Extra Virgin olive Oil
4 slices of pancetta ( I use canned chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 medium zucchini, chopped into chunks
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 can white beans
1 can garbanzo beans
8 C chicken broth
1 C mini pasta
½ lb. green beans or can of green beans
10 oz. fresh or frozen chopped spinach
½ C parmesan cheese
12-16 leaves of fresh basil

Sauté – pancetta (if using) in olive oil. Add onions,
celery, bay leaf, garlic, zucchini, and Salt and Pepper.
Sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add – beans and Broth, cover and bring to boil.
Add – Pasta and green beans – cook 8 minutes
Stir- in spinach, 1 minute
Stir – in grated cheese and top with basil

Chicken Tortilla Soup (Kristy Cook)

4 chicken breasts
4- 15oz. cans of beans
-2 pinto
-1 kidney
-1 black
2- 15oz. cans of Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 c. salsa
1- 7oz can chopped green chilies
1- 14.5oz. (or 2- 80z. cans) tomato sauce (roasted garlic is good)
Some cumin

Put chicken in bottom of crockpot. Combine ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours. Before serving, remove chicken and shred it and stir it back in. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and lime tortilla chips.

Tortilla Soup (Karina Andersen)

-2 cans great northern white beans
-1 medium onion chopped
-1-2 crushed garlic cloves
-1/2 cup butter
-1/4 cup flour
-2 cups chicken broth
-1 cup milk
-1 1/2 tsp paprika or chili powder
-1 tsp cumin
-3+ chicken breasts
-2 small cans green chilies
-1 small bag frozen corn
-salt and pepper to taste
-monterey jack cheese

Boil chicken. In large pot mix butter and flour. Mix in garlic and onion. Add liquids, let simmer about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer about 15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, monterey jack cheese, cilantro, tomatoe, avocado, and whatever else you like.

Tom Kha Soup (Kristi Hansen)

2 Tbls. oil

3 cloves garlic -- crushed

4 Tbls. green onion

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 stalk lemon grass cut into 2-inch lengths -- or 1 tsp. ground

1 inch fresh ginger cut in 1/4 inch pieces -- or 1/2 tsp. ground

1 tsp. Red curry paste -- (adjust for desired heat level)

1 inch dried or fresh galangal -- or 1 tsp. ground

3 cups water

1 1/2 lb. chicken breast -- sliced thin

2 Tbls. cornstarch

1/4 c. fish sauce

1/8 c. lime juice (about 1-1/2 limes)

1 can coconut milk (14 fl. oz.)

1 can straw mushrooms (15 oz.) -- drained, or fresh white mushrooms, sliced

6 Tbls. fresh cilantro

In a medium-sized pot with oil, stir-fry the garlic, onions, lemon grass, ginger, curry paste, and galangal for 2 minutes.

Add the water and bring to a boil. Coat the sliced chicken with cornstarch and add it to the boiling soup. Cook for 4 minutes.

Add the fish sauce, lime juice, coconut milk, and mushrooms and simmer for 2 more minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro. (Lemon grass, ginger, and galangal chunks should be strained out or avoided when serving.)

My family likes to eat this with a scoop of basmati or jasmine rice in the bottom of our bowls. (Any rice is good.) This makes it a complete meal.

Everything can be thrown in the crock pot in the order listed and cooked all day if you like. When I do that, I leave out the oil and I put in frozen chicken breasts, which I shred before serving.