Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

--5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2-inch chunks
--1 teeny onion, diced
--4 cloves garlic, minced
--1 teaspoon seasoned salt
--1/2 teaspoon black pepper
--1/2 teaspoon red pepper
--2 quarts chicken broth
--2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, to add at the end
--crumbled bacon and green onion or chives as garnish (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup, or a hand-held immersible blender. I suppose you can also leave the potatoes in chunks, if you really wanted, but I wanted a smooth soup.

After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion or chives, and I'd assume cheddar cheese would be just delightful.

Tomato-Basil Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped (8-10) or canned whole tomatoes, crushed
• 4 cups tomato juice (or part vegetable or part chicken stock)
• 12-14 basil leaves, washed fresh
• 1 cup heavy cream (or substitute with Evaporated Milk)
• 1/4 lb sweet unsalted butter
• salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. 
   

   Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan.

2. 
   

   Simmer 30 minutes.

3. 
   

   Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan). Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

French Market Soup

2 cups dried beans -- (mixed) washed & picked over
2 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 16 oz can tomatoes
1 large onion -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 chili pepper -- chopped OR 1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 drops liquid smoke flavoring -- (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients except liquid smoke in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours. Turn to high and cook an additional 2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir in liquid smoke flavoring.

White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili

1 lb cubed chicken
1/2 medium onion
1/2 t garlic powder
2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chicken broth
1 can chopped green chilies
1 t salt
1 t oregano
1 t cumin
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 c sour cream
1/2 c heavy cream (may substitute evaporated milk or whole milk)

Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. In a a large stock pot bring beans, broth, chilies, salt, oregano, cumin, pepper, and cayenne to a boil. Let simmer 30 minutes.

Add chicken mixture, sour cream, and whipping cream. Heat through, but do not boil. Serve immediately.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

1 lb white beans, cleaned, soaked and drained
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 tsp. rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 cups chicken or veg. broth
freshly ground black pepper
parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large soup pot heat oil over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots and rosemary until vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes. Stir in rest of incredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gengtly uncovered until beans are tender, about an hour.

Top with parmesan cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Homemade Tomato Soup

1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
30 oz. tomatoe sauce
4 cups crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons Splenda

Heat onion, garlic, tomatoes and sauce in a large pan over medium-high heat. Stir in broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Great with Yummy Bread!

Lentil Soup

2 cups dry lentils
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree
8 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and pick over lentils; set aside. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Add garlic, basil, oregano and bay leaf; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in lentils, tomatoes, vegetable stock and sugar. Raise heat to high. As soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour. Add balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 14 servings (3 1/2 quarts).

Per serving (1 cup), with no added salt: Calories 150, protein 8 g., carbohydrates 25 g., total fat 1 g., sodium 640 mg., fiber 9 g., Weight Watchers POINTS value: 2.

Hearty Potato Soup

Ingredients:
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 6 celery ribs, chopped
• 8 cups water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 cups milk
Directions:
In a large kettle, cook potatoes, carrots and celery in water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid and setting vegetables aside.
In the same kettle, saute onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Gently stir in cooked vegetables. Add 1 cup or more of reserved cooking liquid until soup is desired consistency. Yield: 8-10 servings (about 2-1/2 quarts).

Liz’s Vegetable Bean Soup

A brothy vegetable soup with two kinds of beans, flavored with basil, with chopped spinach added near the end with my substitutions in brackets.

Yield: 6 servings
arenthases

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
3 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery with leaves, diced [entire stock]
1 medium onion, chopped [sweet red onion]
1 clove garlic, minced
7 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked great northern beans [pinto beans]
2 cups cooked red kidney beans
2 cups tomatoes (may be canned)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar [splenda]
1 teaspoon parsley [2 tsp]
10 ounces fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups loose leaves before it's chopped, or about 6 cups coarsely chopped)
salt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
2. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, basil, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until carrots are tender and flavors are well-spread throughout the soup.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in spinach. Cook and stir until spinach is wilted. Add salt to taste.