Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

Although the first day of autumn is not quite here yet, my house is starting to scream FALL. My soaps and Scentsy have all been switched out to fun pumpkin and fall smells. With that, I was pleasantly surprised by the dip in the temperature in Southeast Texas. By “dip,” I only mean below 60°F, but none the less I was excited! What better way to celebrate the upcoming autumnal equinox on September 22nd than a delicious spicy soup?!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 lime, half juiced and half cut into wedges for serving
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, for serving (optional)
• 1 small avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese, for serving (optional)
• tortilla chips, for serving

Directions:

Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and then add the onion, garlic, peppers, and jalapeños. Sauté for a 3-5 minutes.

Next add paprika,chili powder, cumin, red pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for about a minute.

Dump in the chicken, corn, tomatoes, broth, and lime juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a  simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes.

When ready, ladle into bowls. Serve warm with cilantro, avocado, cheese, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.

Enjoy!!

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” – Emily Bronte

Red Beans & Rice Soup

Red beans and rice = super nommy. Instead of it being a side dish this time, it’s the star! Adding some  protein and veggies makes this a deliciously delightful soup for the winter.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Red Beans & Rice Soup

10-12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 (20 ounces) of a package cajun style red beans (be sure to get one with a separate seasoning packet)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless, and excess fat trimmed, diced
• 1 cup white onion, chopped
• 1 large carrots, sliced
• 1 stock of celery, sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 6-8 ounces andouille sausage, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced*
• sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• 1.25 cups uncooked rice (I used jasmine rice. Yes, a little of the Asian coming out in me!)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2.5 cups water
• 3 green onions, sliced

*I replaced garlic with 1 large shallot (sliced thinly). Some of the crowd I was cooking for does not care for garlic. But if it was just for me, I’d definitely use the garlic!

Directions:

First start with a little preparation the night before. Pour just the beans into a large saucepan, and cover with water and bring to a boil. (Remember you are just using HALF of the bag of beans.) Once it comes up to a boil, lower the heat and allow mixture to simmer for 30 minutes. Reserve the seasoning packet for the morning. Let the beans cool to room temperature in the water and then refrigerate overnight.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and sausage. (Also add the shallots if you are using them instead of the garlic.) Cook until the meat browns and the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds (omit this step if you are using shallots). Season mixture with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator overnight.

***You can do all of this the night before up to this point.***

The next morning, place your slow cooker lining in your slow cooker, if you like to use them, and spray with nonstick olive oil spray. Drain the beans and rinse, and put into your slow cooker. Sprinkle HALF of the reserved seasoning packet on top. (Reserve the remaining beans and seasoning for another soup or for a side to another meal.)

Add the meat and veggie mixture into the slow cooker along with the rice, chicken broth, and water.

Cook on low for 8 – 10 hours. Give it a good stir in the middle of cooking to combine everything (if you are home).

Serve warm with a garnish of sliced green onions.

Enjoy!!

“Red beans and ricely yours” – Louis Armstrong’s personal correspondence greeting

Creamy Alfredo Tortellini Soup

More soup. This weekend was a particularly lazy one for my husband and me. So lazy, in fact, that I let the slow cooker do most of the cooking for me. This was a cozy way to finish off our wonderful chill-out weekend with minimal work in the kitchen.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Creamy Alfredo Tortellini Soup

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 (1.6 ounce) envelope of alfredo sauce mix*
• 4 cups water
• 1.75 cups chicken broth**
• 6 ounces fresh baby brown mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup white onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 teaspoons Herbes de Provence (can substitute dried Italian seasoning)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
• 1 (9 ounce) package fresh herb chicken tortellini (used Buitoni)**
• 9 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 can (12 ounces) non-fat evaporated milk
• black pepper, freshly ground, for serving
• Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded, for serving

*This usually can be found in the grocery store next to the gravy mixes and taco seasonings.
** If you want to make this a vegetarian soup, you can substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and cheese tortellini for the chicken tortellini.

Directions:

Place your slow cooker lining in your slow cooker, if you like to use them.

Place the first three ingredients into the lined slow cooker. Whisk until the alfredo mix is fully dissolved.

Next, add the mushrooms, onions, garlic, Herbes de Provence, salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and chili flakes. Mix to combine.

Cover the slow cooker, and cook over low heat for 6-6.5 hours or high heat for 3-3.5 hours.

After time has elapsed, add the tortellini and stir. Allow the soup to cook over low heat for an additional 1 hour or over high heat for 30 minutes.

Finally stir in the baby spinach and evaporated milk.

Ladle into bowls, and serve with fresh cracked black pepper and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Enjoy!!

“Anyone who tells a lie has not a pure heart, and cannot make a good soup.” – Ludwig van Beethoven

Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Many things are quite easy to make at home instead of buying it canned and processed. I understand the convenience of ready-made goods, but sometimes I just get the itch to make things from scratch. What better time to get this need than right before Thanksgiving? This can be made year-round and used in multiple recipes.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

Yields about 10.75 ounces (1 can from the grocery)

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup fresh button mushrooms, roughly chopped

Directions:

Place all the ingredients except the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Next, add mushrooms and pulse 2-3 times until mushrooms are chopped to the consistency desired.

Dump the contents into a small non-stick pot and place over medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 5-8 minutes, remembering to stir so nothing sticks to the bottom.

At this point, you can either add some milk or broth and eat it as a meal, use it in another dish, or save it for later. This particular batch is for our green bean casserole for Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!!

“Nature alone is antique, and the oldest art a mushroom.” – Thomas Carlyle

Baked Potato Soup

A good baked potato soup is something that both my husband and I love. This is perfect for those soon to be cold nights as a comfort food. Since it is made in a slow cooker, it requires less effort than normal.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Baked Potato Soup

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced into 2″ chunks
• 1/2 small white onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, reduced fat, cubed
• 3 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled, for serving
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, for serving
• 1 green onion, sliced, for serving

Directions:

Place your slow cooker lining in your slow cooker, if you like to use them.

Layer the potatoes, onions and garlic into a slow cooker. Add in the seasonings and pour in the chicken broth over everything.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Next, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. I prefer mine to be on the smoother side versus the chunky.

After you reach your wanted consistency, add the cream cheese.

Cook on high for 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese has completely dissolved and mixed in. It is important to stir the soup a few times throughout the 30 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve topped with bacon, cheese, and green onions.

Enjoy!!

“My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with.” – Oprah Winfrey

Vegetable Tortellini Soup

SOUP! It’s finally getting cold enough in Texas to start making some comforting soups. We finally have a low of 42°F in October, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This soup is really easy to make, delicious, full of veggies, and is super hearty. You can even make it vegetarian by picking out cheese tortellini instead of the meat filled ones.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Vegetable Tortellini Soup

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (can substitute dried Italian seasoning)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 package (9 ounces) fresh tortellini (can do only cheese filled to make this vegetarian, but I usually like to do ones with some meat in them – used Buitoni’s Sweet Italian Sausage Tortelloni)
• Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, zucchini, and carrot pieces. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Next, add the broth, salt, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the pot. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the flavors to incorporate for about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the pasta and bring the soup back to a low boil. Cook it for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 6 to 8 minutes longer.

Continue to  stir and taste test. Add more pepper if needed. Serve with crusty bread or cheesy garlic bread.

Enjoy!!

“A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting.” – Abraham Maslow