Chicken & Vegetable Soup

I found this recipe for Chicken & Vegetable Soup in a recent copy of Cooking Light magazine. I made a few changes based on what was in my kitchen. It is a super simple recipe and I used frozen green beans and carrots from our summer garden. On this cold January day, I long for summer!

Chicken & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 64 ounces homemade chicken stock or store bought
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• ¾ cup uncooked orzo
• 1 cup cut frozen green beans
• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
• Parmesan - optional

Directions

1. Over medium heat, add olive oil to a soup pan. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and seasonings. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until carrots and onions are softened.

2. Add the broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

3. Add the orzo, green beans and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Optional - Sprinkle Parmesan on top of each serving.

Print recipe for Chicken & Vegetable Soup.

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This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday.

Turkey Noodle Soup {Leftover Turkey Recipe}

Here's a super easy soup recipe to use your leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. Serve with homemade artisan bread and a salad.

Enjoy!

Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks, chopped. I include the tops because they hold so much flavor.
• bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings or your favorite seasoning - You can be creative here.
• 2 quarts of homemade turkey stock - You can use store-bought too.
• 6-8 oz egg noodles - I used about half of the bag.
• 2 cups shredded or diced cooked turkey
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Over a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a soup pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Stir until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the turkey stock, bay leaf, and Italian seasonings. Bring to a boil.

3. Add the noodles and simmer about 5 minutes.

4. Add the turkey and simmer for a few more minutes.

5. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Discard bay leaf before eating.

Print recipe for Turkey Noodle Soup.

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Ham and Bean Soup (Made with Ham Hocks)

What is a ham hock, you ask? I didn't know either when my mom bought two for me at an Amish farmer's market. In quick terms, it's a joint in a hog's leg. (You can look it up on Wikipedia for a more descriptive definition, if you are so inclined.) What you really need to know is that a ham hock makes for a flavorful and hearty soup.

The initial recipe that I found online called for the ham hocks to be simmered with dried beans, but my mom suggested that I roast the ham before making the soup as the roasting enhances the flavor. So instead of using dried beans, I used cooked beans that I had in the freezer, but you could also use canned beans.

This soup takes awhile to pull together, so make sure you set aside 4-5 hours to make it, but I assure you IT IS WORTH THE WAIT!

Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 large ham hocks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups cooked Great Northern beans or 2 (14.5 oz) cans, rinsed and drained
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon cracked pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place ham hocks in a large dutch oven and add about a ½ inch of water. These ham hocks were very large. My dutch oven is 6 3/4 quarts and you can see that they fill the pan. (It's important to use a pan that can go from oven to stove top, like a dutch oven.)

Roast ham hocks for about 2 hours. Warning: Your kitchen will smell amazing.

3. Remove the dutch oven and transfer to the stove top. Turn the stove to low heat and add the onion, celery, and garlic. The bottom of my pan looks burned in the below picture, but it's not. It is the fat and the flavor from the ham. Saute the the vegetables until they are softened, mix the vegetables in with the flavor on the bottom of the pan.

4. Add water to cover the ham, about 6-8 cups. Add the beans, bay leaves, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 2 hours.

5. After 2 hours, remove the ham hocks and pull the meat off the bone and shred. Add the shredded ham back to the the soup. Discard any fat, the bones, and the bay leaves.

Enjoy this rustic, hearty soup with a garden salad and some artisan bread.


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This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways at Frugally Sustainable, and Your Green Resource at The Greenbacks Gal.

Vegetable Freezer Bags for Homemade Chicken Stock | Kitchen Economics

Roasted chicken in one of my all time favorite meals. And if I'm roasting a chicken then you can be certain that I will also make a batch of homemade chicken stock. I cook with it quite a bit and try to keep it in my freezer at all times.

Homemade chicken stock is super easy to make and you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to roast a chicken, how to make your own chicken stock, and some additional recipes for the roasted chicken leftovers in my latest post at Money Crashers, How to Roast a Whole Chicken - 4 Recipes to Save Time and Money.

As I wrote in the article, I stock up on whole roasting chickens when they are on sale. A few weeks ago, Aldi had a great sale on 3 main ingredients in my chicken stock recipe: 2 lb. bag of carrots for 79 cents, 3 lb. bag of onions for 99 cents, and one celery stock for 79 cents.

Those are some pretty good prices, so I took advantage of the sale. I cleaned and chopped up the vegetables and divided them into 6 freezer bags. Each bag has the portions that I need for one batch of stock: 1 quartered onion, 2-3 carrots and 2-3 celery stalks. I cut the carrots and celery into large chunks to fit into the bag. The cost of each bag totals 43 cents.

When it's time to make stock, I'll dump the contents of one bag into my crock pot, along with the chicken carcass, salt, pepper, parsley from my garden, and garlic. It really is that easy.

Do you make your own chicken stock? Do you shop at Aldi? Let us know in the comments.

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This post is linked to Frugal Friday at Life as MOM and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways at Frugally Sustainable.

Chunky Potato and Leek Soup

This Chunky Potato and Leek Soup is super easy to make and so yummy that your kids just might ask for seconds...or thirds.

Chunky Potato and Leek Soup

• 5-6 Cups of cubed, unpeeled potatoes - I used Yukon Gold from my CSA.
• 2 leeks - cleaned and chopped into small pieces. I ran through the food processor to chop.
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• water
• 2 Cups whole milk
• 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

Saute leeks in the olive oil until soft.

Add potatoes, salt and pepper. Cover with water and bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.

Use a hand masher and mash potatoes until desired consistency. Add milk and cheese and stir until well-blended.

Easy peasy and very yummy!

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Your Green Resource at The Greenbacks Gal and Sunday Night Soup at Easy Natural Food and $5 Dinner Challenge and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.

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Broccoli Cheese Soup ~ Slow Cooker Recipe

I am a bit ashamed to admit, but this is NOT a real food recipe. Rarely do I post recipes like this, but this is a family favorite that I serve when I am hosting a big crowd, as in 20+ people. That probably only happens once or twice a year and if the gathering is during the fall or winter, this soup is most likely on the menu.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

(from my mother)

Ingredients

• 16 oz Cheese Whiz
• 4 cans Cream of Celery Soup
• 1 quart half and half
• 4 (10 oz) packs frozen chopped broccoli

Directions

Combine all four ingredients in a crock pot (at least 6 quart) and cook on low for 5 hours. Stir well and cook on low for an additional hour. This recipe can be cut in half for a smaller crowd.

Some day I'm going to experiment and create a recipe using real food and not cheese whiz and canned cream soup. But right now this recipe is so simple and perfect for big crowds and I have never had a single complaint. There are rarely leftovers.

Print recipe for Broccoli Cheese Soup.

This recipe is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as MOM.

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Italian Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup

Here is another delicious soup to add to your recipe binder: Italian Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup. My daughter loved this soup so much that she claimed the leftovers for her school lunch. Thankfully, her school can accommodate lunches that need to be heated. My daughter's teacher was so impressed by her lunch that week that she even asked for the recipe.


Italian Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• ¾ cup shredded carrot
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 (16 oz) cans of white beans
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped fine
• ½ tsp pepper

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, onion, carrot, and garlic. Break up the sausage into small pieces and cook all the way through.

Add the chicken stock and seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir in the beans, kale, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Print recipe for Italian Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup.

This post is linked to Hearth and Soul Tuesday Blog Hop and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways at Frugally Sustainable and Your Green Resource at The Greenbacks Gal and Sunday Night Soup at Easy Natural Food.

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25 Hearty Soup Recipes

There is nothing like a bowl of hearty, hot soup to take the edge off the crisp winter air. I serve homemade soup at least once a week in the winter and I need some new recipes and inspiration. Hopefully something on this list inspires you too!

• Barbecue Chili with Corn at Big Bear's Wife
• Beef and Lentil Stew at Budget Saving Mom
• Broccoli Cheddar Potato Soup at Crumbs and Chaos
• Broccoli Cheese Soup at Big Bear's Wife
• Cheesy Ham Chowder at Contented at Home
  
• Cheese Crusted Lasagna Soup at Finding Joy in My Kitchen
• Chicken Corn Soup at Family Balance Sheet
• Chicken Taco Soup at Covenant Homemaking
• Chipotle Turkey Chili with Apples and Cheddar at Loving My Domestic Life
• Chunky Potato and Leek Soup at Family Balance Sheet
• Creamy Corn Chowder at Big Bear's Wife
• Cream of Roasted Tomato at Family Balance Sheet
• Crock pot Beef Stew at Eastern Panhandle Moms
• Crock pot Chicken and Rice Soup at The Coupon High
• Frugal Freezer Chicken Vegetable Soup at 2 Make Ends Meet
• Ginger Chicken Soup at Moneywise Moms
• Hamburger Vegetable Soup at Contented at Home
• Loaded Baked Potato Chowder at Big Bear's Wife
• Pasta e Fagioli at Family Balance Sheet
• Santa Fe Chicken Soup at My Favorite Finds
• Texas Black Bean Soup at My Blessed Life
• Tomato Basil Soup with a Pepperoni Cheese Sandwich at Big Bear's Wife
• Tortellini and Zucchini Soup at My Homemade Happiness
• White Chicken Chili at Once a Month Mom
• Winter Squash and Apple Soup at Cooking with Sara

Do you make your own stock for soups? Chicken stock is very easy to make in the crock pot or on the stove top .

What is your favorite soup? Leave the link in the comments.

Calling all bloggers: My next themed round up will be Thanksgiving Recipes and it will run Thursday, November 17. If you have a recipe to share, email me your link at familybalancesheet at gmail dot com.

This post is linked to Frugal Friday at Life as MOM.

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How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock on the Stove Top - Kitchen Economics Link Up

Homemade chicken stock is an easy way to stretch your grocery dollar, especially when you buy your whole chicken at your buy price. My buy and stock-up price is .79/lb.


I make chicken stock two ways, depending on how I intend to cook the chicken. When I roast a chicken, I make chicken stock in the crock pot. It cooks overnight and in the morning, your kitchen smells wonderful.

But when you want or need stock and you don't have a lot of time, my second method is very easy. It is also my preferred method during the warmer months, when I don't want to turn on the oven.

Homemade Chicken Stock on the Stove Top

• 1 whole roasting chicken (5-7 lbs), giblets removed
• 1 large onion, outer paper removed, quartered
• 2 carrots, cleaned, cut into large chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cleaned, include leaves if available
• 1 whole garlic bulb, outer paper removed, cut in half
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 15-20 sprigs parsley

1. Place all of the above ingredients into a large stockpot. Fill pot with enough water to cover about 1-2 inches over the ingredients, probably about 3 quarts.



2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, uncovered, for about 1 ½ - 2 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Skim off any foam that might form and rise to the top.

3. Carefully, remove chicken from stock pot and place in a large pan. Keep stock on a low simmer. When chicken has cooled down enough to handle, remove meat and use as desired. Place the bones back into stock pot and cook for another hour or so. If time is a concern, this additional cooking time can be skipped.

4. When stock is finished simmering, carefully strain through a fine sieve or colander into a large 4.5 - 5 quart pot or bowl. Discard the bones, vegetables, and herbs.



5. Stock can be used immediately, or once stock has cooled completely, place in the refrigerator overnight.



The next day, skim any fat that has risen to the surface. Stir well and place in freezer containers. Will last about one week in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.



The stock can get very gelatinous and thick and that is a good thing. Do not be alarmed. When you cook the stock in your soup or dish, it will thin out.



I reuse 8 or 24 oz glass jars to freeze the stock.



Print recipe for Homemade Chicken Stock on the Stove Top

Do you make your own chicken stock? How does your method/recipe differ from mine? Let us know in the comments.

Welcome to the Kitchen Economics Link Up ~ Cost Cutting Tips to Help You Save Money in the Kitchen. A few Link Up guidelines:

• Please link a your cost-cutting kitchen tip. If you are not a blogger, please let us know your tip in the comment section.
• Please post the link to your tip post, NOT to your homepage. To do this, click on your tip post, copy and paste the whole url address into the Link up widget.
• I also ask that you post a link back to Family Balance Sheet in your article or grab the badge that is in the top left of the site.
• If you are reading this post via a reader or email, you will need to click through to post your link and to visit others who have linked up.

I'm looking forward to reading your tips and saving some money in the kitchen.



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Pasta e Fagioli

It looks like I was a little stingy with the soup in this picture. I wasn't. We all had seconds and we enjoyed leftovers the next day. This soup is DELICIOUS.

This recipe was very pleasing to my 5 year old. She asked for "more, please" which is always a good sign.

Pasta e Fagioli
adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 10 oz turkey sausage, casings removed. I cooked the whole 20 oz package and used half for this recipe and then put the other half in the freezer for a future meal.
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup water
• 16 - 24 oz homemade chicken stock, or store-bought. If 16 oz makes the soup too thick for you, add more until you get to your desired consistency.
• 1 cup roasted tomato sauce, or your favorite brand
• 1 cup uncooked small pasta, such as seashell, but I used orzo because that was in my pantry.
• ½ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 cans (15 oz) cannellini or white beans, drained

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and garlic and cook until sausage is no longer pink. Stir and break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as you cook.

Add the water, stock and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta, ¼ cup cheese, oregano, salt, pepper and beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 8 minutes until the pasta is cooked.

Top with remainder of cheese to serve.

Goes well with a salad, homemade applesauce and homemade bread.

Side note: Next time I make this soup, I am going to add more stock. I used 2 cups and the orzo really soaked it up. My soup had a very thick consistency. Regardless, it was delicious, but I made a note to myself to add more stock next time.

Print this recipe.

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This post is linked to:

• $5 Dinners Challenge
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Six Hearty Soups for Those Blustery Winter Days

When the weather outside is frightful, it's time to warm up with some hearty soup. Add your favorite bread and salad and your meal is complete.

Most of these soups call for chicken or turkey stock. I make my own homemade stock, but you could use store bought. Don't let the idea of making your own stock scare you. It is very easy and it really stretches your dollar.

Chicken Corn Soup




Red and White Chicken Chili



Easy Chicken Noodle Soup



Chunky Potato and Leek Soup



Turkey, Kale & Orzo Soup - The turkey can be substituted with chicken.



Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup


What is your favorite soup to eat on a cold winter day? Let us know in the comments and include a link to your recipe if you have one.

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This post is linked to:

• $5 Dinners Challenge
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Turkey, Kale & Orzo Soup

This is a really hearty soup and a great way to use up Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. My five year old gobbled it up and asked for 'more please'.

Turkey, Kale & Orzo Soup

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced thin
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bunch kale, cut off stems, chopped fine
• 2 qt. homemade turkey stock or store bought
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp Italian herb seasoning
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups Orzo pasta, uncooked
• 2-3 cups chopped cooked turkey
  

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and kale. Stirring often, cook 15 minutes.

Add turkey stock, tomatoes, seasonings.

Bring to a boil and add uncooked orzo. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add turkey and stir to combine.

Serve with a salad and/or homemade applesauce and your favorite bread.

The soup becomes very thick on the second day, but thins out when heated up or you could add some more stock to thin it even more.

Enjoy all of the posts from Turkey Week 2010:

• How Much Turkey Will I Need?
• How To Thaw A Turkey
• Roasted Turkey with Fresh Herbs and Lemon
• To Stuff or Not To Stuff
• How To Make Turkey Gravy
• How To Make Turkey Stock
• Turkey Chili Potpie
• Turkey, Kale & Orzo Soup
• Baked Turkey, Macaroni & Cheese

Thanks for reading FamilyBalanceSheet.

If you would like to receive FREE updates of FBS through your RSS Feed, please click here to sign up. Or Subscribe by Email.

This post is linked to:

• Friday Potluck at Ekat's Kitchen
• Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
• $5 Dinner Challenge
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade

How To Make Turkey Stock

Welcome to Turkey Week at Family Balance Sheet. We will be thawing, roasting, making gravy and stock and of course eating. Enjoy!Homemade turkey stock is easy to make and a great way to stretch your dollars. After you have stripped the roasted turkey clean of any meat, grab your crock pot to make some delicious and homemade stock.

What you'll need:

• Turkey carcass and reserved neck
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 2-3 carrot sticks
• 1 garlic head, remove some of the white papery cover, cut in half crosswise
• 10-12 sprigs of fresh parsley and sage
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt

Place the carcass and reserved neck in a large crock pot. Add the rest of ingredients and fill the crock pot with water.

Turn on low overnight for 12 hours. When you wake up your kitchen will smell wonderful and the stock will be boiling. Turn crock pot off and let stock cool down.


Carefully, spoon or pour the stock, veggies, herbs through a sieve into a big bowl. Press juices out of veggies and herbs.


Discard bones, veggies, herbs.

Stir well and allow to cool down completely. Remove any fat that rises to the top.

I have found turkey stock to be more gelatinous than chicken stock once it has cooled down. Stock will last a few days in the fridge. I like to freeze in 1 cup and 24 oz freezer containers. This recipe made between 2 1/2 - 3 quarts.

Do you make stock from your turkey bones

Enjoy all of the posts from Turkey Week 2010:

• How Much Turkey Will I Need?
• How To Thaw A Turkey
• Roasted Turkey with Fresh Herbs and Lemon
• To Stuff or Not To Stuff
• How To Make Turkey Gravy
• How To Make Turkey Stock
• Turkey Chili Potpie
• Turkey, Kale & Orzo Soup
• Baked Turkey, Macaroni & Cheese

Thanks for reading FamilyBalanceSheet.

If you would like to receive FREE updates of FBS through your RSS Feed, please click here to sign up. Or Subscribe by Email.

This post is linked to:

• Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
• Frugal Friday at Life as Mom
• Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade

Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

I was able to purchase another 19 lb box of organic Roma tomatoes for $6 from our CSA. I made more Roasted Roma Tomato Sauce, but I also decided on a very chilly day that soup was going to be on the dinner menu that evening.


Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

• 4 lbs Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 C fresh Basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp fresh Oregano
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• olive oil
• 24 oz homemade chicken stock or store bought
• 1/2 Cup heavy cream

1. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place flat on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Add the basil, oregano, onion, garlic, salt, pepper to the baking sheet.
3. Coat the tomatoes generously with olive oil.

4. Roast for 45 minutes at 400 degree.
5. Carefully remove from the oven, because the tomatoes get juicy. Allow the tomatoes to cool slightly. With a pair of tongs, remove the skins. Remove as much of the skins as you can, but it is okay if some remain.
   
   
6. Once completely cool, blend the tomatoes, herbs and oil from the trays in the food processor. This will definitely take several batches to do. Place each batch in one big bowl to combine.
7. Heat the chicken stock in a large soup pot. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Slowly add the cream, stirring the entire time to prevent curdling.
9. Bring back to a simmer.
10. Ready to serve.
11. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serve Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup with a fresh garden salad, a grilled cheese sandwich or your favorite homemade bread.

Print the recipe for Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup.

Come join Soup-a-Palooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers

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Chicken Corn Soup

Chicken Corn Soup is a winter staple around our house. I think it has a PA Dutch origin; many fire halls and churches serve it during their fundraiser meals. I grew up on it with the corn coming from my grandparents' corn fields. I think of them every time I eat it. Unfortunately they don't farm anymore, so I have to buy the corn from the grocery store, but this hearty soup is still one of my favorites.

Chicken Corn Soup

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken - Check out my How To Roast A Chicken article for instructions to the chicken that I used in this soup.
• 2 - 1 lb. bags of frozen corn, you could also use canned, but I prefer frozen. My mom always adds a can of creamed corn for some variety.
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 - 3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock. You could also use store bought if you don't have homemade. This makes a very thick hearty soup, so use the amount of stock to suit your desired thickness.

1. Over medium heat, add olive oil to soup pot. Add the onions and celery and stir until vegetables are soft. About 5 minutes.

2. Add the cooked chicken, corn, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

This soup goes well with a salad, homemade applesauce and homemade bread. Enjoy!

** ps: This soup freezes really well. I make this recipe and serve for dinner and then freeze what's left over in 32 oz containers. I also freeze it when it is really thick and then add some stock when I am cooking it at a later date to thin it out a bit.

Come join Soup-a-Palooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers

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This post is linked to:

• 5 Dollar Dinner Challenge
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Tuesdays At The Table at All the Small Stuff
• Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop
• Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
• Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom