Tag: Soup

Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

Gosh my friends, I love me some soup season. I do believe that I could eat soup every week without complaint, even in the heat of the summer. But this time of year? When fall is sneaking up on us and it’s sweatshirt season but the sun is still warm in the afternoon? That’s just about the perfect time of year. Around our house, it’s all the time we start thinking about clearing out our freezer because hunting season is just around the corner. Right now, our freezer is full of our Italian sausage inspired venison and we are using it in so many ways, including this awesome kale and white bean sausage soup. 

This soup was also inspired by one of my oldest friends. We don’t talk too often, but when we do, it often begins with a text about the food one of us is cooking. About a month ago, he texted me to say he loves cooking in cast iron for soup; that he often makes the soup in the morning, puts the cover on it, and lets the flavors meld together for a few hours. This time, it was a bean, roasted tomato, and artichoke soup. Well, needless to say, the pictures looked amazing!

Of course I needed it in my life

I switched it up a bit, adding the sausage and extra beans. When I described a kale and white bean sausage soup to my kiddos, they were immediately sold. I’ll be honest, I was a bit surprised they were ready for the kale as they don’t love cooked greens, but excited kids means mom has to make the soup pronto. 

When it was done, my babies ate multiple servings and I had to say that I was planning on leftovers for lunch the next day so they would stop. I hope your family loves it as much as mine did. It will definitely be a dinner one repeat at our house, I’ll tell you that! Let’s start cooking!

Your Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (We use ground Italian venison. It’s great!)
  • 3 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5 cups chicken stock 
  • 1 cup diced onion, about two small onions
  • 1 cup diced celery, about two ribs
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 ½ cups diced potatoes (I prefer Yukon gold) 
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups kale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese, optional 

Your Steps to Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

Begin to heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and brown. (Option to add a bit of oil to the pan before you add the sausage. I find that it helps keep the sausage from sticking.) 

Meanwhile, dice the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Additionally, drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Combine 1 ½ cans of beans and about 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend with a stick (immersion) blender. I like to do this in a wide mouth mason jar. 

Once cooked through, remove browned sausage and drain. Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium. Once hot, add the diced onions, celery, and carrot. Cook until soft, about 7-10 minutes, stirring periodically. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes, beans, pureed beans, and remaining chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Add the kale and perhaps some shaved Parmesan as well as salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, 

Serve with crusty bread, a salad, and additional shaved Parmesan.

All the ingredients for Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup
Simple ingredients, great soup!
Soften them up.
Vegetables cooked down for soup
Veg and bean puree!
Nearly there.
Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup
Serve it up! Delish!

Tools of the Trade

I love all things from the The Lodge Cast Iron, but most of all, I love my Dutch Oven; so much so that I actually own three of them! They are great for soups and stews as well as bread baking. They can go straight in the oven from the stove top and hold heat so well. A stick blender is awesome in this recipe as well!

Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

This Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup is a nutritious and hearty dish that is perfect for the fall season. It is sure to warm you up on a cold day.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 3 cans cannellini beans rinsed
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup diced onion about two small onions
  • 1 cup diced celery about two ribs
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 ½ cups diced potatoes I prefer Yukon gold
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups kale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese optional

Instructions
 

  • Begin to heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and brown. (Option to add a bit of oil to the pan before you add the sausage. I find that it helps keep the sausage from sticking.)
  • Meanwhile, dice the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Additionally, drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
  • Combine 1 ½ cans of beans and about 1 cup of chicken stock. Blend with a stick (hand) blender.
  • Once cooked through, remove browned sausage and drain. Add the olive oil to the Dutch oven and heat over medium. Once hot, add the diced onions, celery, and carrot. Cook until soft, about 7-10 minutes, stirring periodically.
  • Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes, beans, pureed beans, and remaining chicken stock.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Add the kale and shaved Parmesan (optional) as well as salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the kale is soft.
  • Serve with a salad and crusty bread.
Keyword cannellini beans, cast iron, cast iron cooking, comfort food, dairy free, fall eats, Italian sausage, Italian venison, kale, Potatoes, soup, white bean
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Check out my cooking page for all sorts of dinner inspiration! Or perhaps some of my favorites will tickle your fancy.

JessLeave a comment

Cheesy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

It’s no secret that if you asked me about my favorite category of food, I would say soups and stews without hesitation. I love the creation of them; the chopping, the fact that you don’t really have to measure, the slow cooking on the stove that you get to walk over and lovingly stir throughout the cook time. I love all of it. So when the temperature really began to drop and our evenings got a little less chaotic, I immediately set out to create a new soup recipe: Cheesy Kielbasa and Potato Soup.

I didn’t grow up eating kielbasa. Looking back, I don’t know why because it seems like a perfect meal for our little family of four. However, the Mr. did; so when we got married, it quickly became a staple every couple weeks. It’s great because it keeps well in the fridge so you can grab it at the grocery store and save it for the hectic nights. And my kids LOVE it. 

Generally speaking, if we aren’t eating it with scalloped potatoes and green beans (my kid’s favorite), we are mixing it up in this Kielbasa Quinoa Bowl (SO DANG GOOD!), and now we will add this recipe for Cheesy Kielbasa and Potato Soup to the list of go to kielbasa recipes. 

Think of this soup as your traditional potato and ham soup with a twist. The kielbasa adds another layer of flavor with its own unique spice blend. Let’s get cooking!

Your Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • ¾ cup diced onion
  • 4 cups diced potato (I leave the skin on)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chicken stock 
  • 2 cups diced kielbasa
  • ½ teaspoon pepper 
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 ½ cups milk 
  • 1 ½ -2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese 
  • Salt, to taste 

Your Steps to Cheesy Kielbasa and Potato Soup 

In a large dutch oven (Bring on the cast iron. I love it so much!), heat the olive oil over medium. Once hot, add celery and onion. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes, giving some color to the potatoes. Slowly add chicken stock and pepper, cooking until the potatoes are soft, approximately 10 minutes. 

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a saucepan. Cook the diced kielbasa until just crispy, about 5 minutes. Kielbasa can be oily, so this will pull that excess oil rather than adding it to the soup. Remove the sausage from the pan, and place on a paper towel. Reserve the grease and add enough butter to reach 2 tablespoons of fat. Stir in flour and whisk until the roux starts to bubble. Continue to whisk for about 2 minutes over medium heat.

SLOWLY stir in the milk, ⅓ of a cup at a time, whisking the whole time. Once the milk has been incorporated, stir it into the simmered vegetables. Add freshly shredded cheese (This matters. Pre shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well) and the kielbasa. Cook over low-medium heat until the cheese has incorporated. Serve it up with some fresh bread, a salad, and top with parsley if you choose! 

Chopped onions, potatoes, and celery
Chop, chop, chop.
Softening the vegetables.
Soften up those veggies!
Adding color to the kielbasa
Crisp up that sausage.
Gotta love a beautiful roux.
Cheesy kielbasa and potato soup
Perfection. Let’s eat!

Cheesy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

Grab your dutch oven and cook up a batch of this comforting and cozy cheesy kielbasa and potato soup for you and your family!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • ¾ cup diced onion
  • 4 cups diced potato I leave the skin on
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups diced kielbasa
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 ½ cups milk
  • 1 ½ -2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium. Once hot, add celery and onion. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and garlic and cook for an additional 5 minutes, giving some color to the potatoes. Slowly add chicken stock and pepper, cooking until the potatoes are soft, approximately 10 minutes. 
  • While the potatoes are cooking, heat a saucepan.
  • Cook the diced kielbasa until just crispy, about 5 minutes. Kielbasa can be oily, so this will pull that excess oil rather than adding it to the soup. Remove the sausage from the pan, and place on a paper towel.
  • Reserve the grease and add enough butter to reach 2 tablespoons of fat. Stir in flour and whisk until the roux starts to bubble. Continue to whisk for about 2 minutes over medium heat.
  • SLOWLY stir in the milk, ⅓ of a cup at a time, whisking the whole time. Once the milk has been incorporated, stir it into the simmered vegetables.
  • Add freshly shredded cheese (This matters. Pre shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well) and the kielbasa.
  • Cook over low-medium heat until the cheese has incorporated.
  • Serve it up with some fresh bread, a salad, and top with parsley if you choose!

Notes

Note: If you or someone you love is gluten free, you can totally skip the roux. Simply add the milk (preferably 2% to thicken the soup up a bit) to the chicken stock and skip the flour and butter. 
Also, if you want to thicken your soup without the flour and butter, an option is to hit the soup with an immersion blender for just a bit before you add the kielbasa and cheese. This is a great way to given the perception of a creamy soup without adding the extra stuff. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Oh the Soups you can make!

If you dug this soup, I have a few more favorites that you may want to try!

JessLeave a comment
Corn and Pancetta Chowder

Corn and Pancetta Chowder

If you’ve been around for any length of time, you know that I live for comfort food. Can it be cooked low and slow or as a bake? Then I am here for it. Specifically, soup season is my absolute favorite. I love all the things that come with creating a soup: chopping the veg, stirring periodically with love, and then smells that take over the house. It pairs so well with some homemade bread (I bake sourdough!) and a salad. All my favorites. So when I suddenly got to thinking about corn chowder, I looked in my fridge and pantry and this delicious corn and pancetta chowder was the result. 

Now you may be asking, “Why pancetta?” Friends, until a couple months ago, I had never cooked with it. A recipe I was trying out for a collab I do on Instagram called for it, and I gave it a try. And my goodness. It has quickly become a staple for cooking in my house. It’s just that good. If you want to skip the pancetta, you can totally do bacon instead. But I dare you to cook up some crispy pancetta and NOT want to eat the entire container. 

The rest of the ingredients are completely pantry items. You don’t even need heavy cream or half and half (which I have on hand maybe 30% of the time). The half blending of the simmered vegetables creates a creamy and thick chowder that’s divine. 

Ready to get cooking? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients for Corn and Pancetta Chowder 

  • 4 ounces pancetta (or thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup) 
  • 2 celery ribs, diced (about ¾ cup) 
  • 3 cups diced potatoes (I left the skin on)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups chicken stock 
  • 2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 ½ -3 cups milk, divided 
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • Salt and dried thyme, to taste
  • Olive oil 

Your Steps 

Add a small amount of olive oil (2 teaspoons or so) to a soup kettle (I love my cast iron Dutch ovens). Once hot, add pancetta and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove cooked pancetta and allow it to drain on a paper towel. Reserve ⅔ of the fat from the pancetta to cook the vegetables.

Meanwhile, dice onions, celery, and potatoes. Over medium heat, cook the onions, celery, and garlic in the pancetta fat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add potatoes and allow to cook for another 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and pepper. Heat to a low boil and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. 

While the potatoes are cooking, spray a small frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat to a medium, high temperature. Add corn and cook until just charred (this is optional, but will enhance that flavor!). 

Once the potatoes are soft, add 1 cup of corn to the kettle. Then use an immersion blender to break down the vegetables about 50% of the way. I leave it in the kettle and just go by feel but you can remove 50-60% of the veg and do it in another container. Stir in the corn and pancetta to the kettle (reserving some if you care to garnish the top of your soup). 

Finally, slowly stir in milk, ½ cup at a time, reserving 1 ½ tablespoons of it. Combine the reserved milk with the cornstarch and whisk together. Bring the soup just to a boil and stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until the soup thickens, about 3 minutes. 

Serve it up with some crusty bread, a salad, and garnish with reserved pancetta and corn (if you care to). 

It’s just fun!
Not pretty, but getting good!
Oh that pancetta!
Mixing it in!
So dang good!

Tools of The Trade

When I am making a soup or a stew you can bet I’ll be cooking in my cast iron Dutch oven. There’s just something special about it. I adore my flexible cutting boards and Orrington Broth Base is the best for quick chicken stock.

Corn and Pancetta Chowder

Corn and Pancetta Chowder

Thick and creamy, this corn and pancetta chowder is all you can ask for in a comforting bowl of soup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 ounces pancetta or thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 1 yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 celery ribs diced (about ¾ cup)
  • 3 cups diced potatoes I left the skin on
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups corn fresh or frozen
  • 2 ½ -3 cups milk divided
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • Salt and dried thyme to taste
  • Olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Add a small amount of olive oil to a soup kettle. Once hot, add pancetta and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove cooked pancetta and allow it to drain on a paper towel. Reserve ⅔ of the fat from the pancetta to cook the vegetables.
  • Meanwhile, dice onions, celery, and potatoes.
  • Over medium heat, cook the onions, celery, and garlic in the pancetta fat until softened, about 8 minutes.
  • Add potatoes and allow to cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Add chicken stock and pepper. Heat to a low boil and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, spray a small frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat to a medium, high temperature. Add corn and cook until just charred (this is optional, but will enhance that flavor!).
  • Once the potatoes are soft, add 1 cup of the corn to the mix.
  • Use an immersion blender to break down the vegetables about 50% of the way.
  • Stir in the corn and pancetta to the kettle (reserving some if you care to garnish the top of your soup).
  • Finally, slowly stir in milk, ½ cup at a time, reserving 1 ½ tablespoons of it.
  • Combine the reserved milk with the cornstarch and whisk together.
  • Bring the soup just to a boil and stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until the soup thickens, about 3 minutes.
Keyword comfort food, corn chowder, pancetta, Potato Soup, soup, soup and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Interested in other soup Recipes?

Check out some of the recipes below (or just head to my cooking page!)

JessLeave a comment

Potato Soup with Rosemary and Thyme

Recently my little one was home, sick. Okay, she isn’t really little. She’s almost 8, but the Mr. and I will likely always call her little one. She was home, sick, and didn’t have much of an appetite at all. Dinner rolled around and our plan had been to pick up sub sandwiches for the busy night ahead. However, her request was, “Can you make me some potato soup mama?” Who says no to that? So I set out to create a new little recipe for her and also for all of you. A simple and quick recipe (she hadn’t eaten all day!) with flavor. Out came some delicious and simple potato soup with rosemary and thyme. 

While she napped, I had worked on updating my blog and found that I had 18 (eighteen!) soups already. So when she requested potato soup, I wanted to mix it up. Most of my potato soups have cheese in them. Being sick, I figured cheese wasn’t the best choice. I also wanted to add some herbs I don’t normally add. Thyme seemed a good fit, and rosemary always pairs well with potatoes. 

So here is my mini me’s potato soup. It sat well with her tummy and she ate it all. I hope you enjoy the comfort in it as well!

Your Ingredients for Potato Soup with Rosemary and Thyme

  • 3 cups diced potatoes (peeled or not, your choice)
  • 1 ½ cups diced celery
  • 1 cup diced onions 
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic 
  • 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil 
  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock 
  • 2 cups milk 
  • ½ teaspoon pepper 
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ¼-½ teaspoon rosemary
  • salt, to taste

Your Steps to Potato Soup with Rosemary and Thyme

In a large soup kettle, heat olive oil. Once hot, add onions and celery. Saute over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Once soft, add potatoes, garlic, and chicken stock. Raise to medium-high temperature and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft, 10-15 minutes. 

Once soft, remove 2-3 cups of the mixture and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. The amount is dependent on how creamy or brothy you want your soup. Stir smooth vegetables back into the soup with milk, pepper, thyme, and rosemary. Allow to simmer over low heat for an additional 5-10 minutes. 

All the vegetables
Simmered up.
Add in the blended vegetables.
Creamy and perfect.

My tool of the trade?

I adore my Kitchen Aid immersion blender. I use it for ALLLL the cooking and creating. It’s worth being the extra tool in your kitchen.

Potato Soup with Rosemary and Thyme

This potato soup with rosemary and thyme is the ticket if you need a quick and simple meal that's full of flavor!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups diced potatoes peeled or not, your choice
  • 1 ½ cups diced celery
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups milk
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ¼-½ teaspoon rosemary

Instructions
 

  • In a large soup kettle, heat olive oil. Once hot, add onions and celery. Saute over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes.
  • Once soft, add potatoes, garlic, and chicken stock. Raise to medium-high temperature and bring to a boil.
  • Cook until the potatoes are soft, 10-15 minutes.
  • Once soft, remove 2-3 cups of the mixture and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
  • The amount is dependent on how creamy or brothy you want your soup.
  • Stir smooth vegetables back into the soup with milk, pepper, thyme, and rosemary.
  • Allow to simmer over low heat for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Keyword Potato Soup, Potatoes, rosemary, soup, thyme
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great recipes?

JessLeave a comment

One Cookbook Three Recipes

Normally, I spend a fair amount of time experimenting in my kitchen and garden. Creating recipes of my own or reading others and then expanding and making them my own. However, I have recently been fortunate enough to become involved with a group of collaborators who each choose a cookbook from their bookshelf. Maybe one they love. Maybe one they have never used before and it’s been collecting dust. Regardless, with that one cookbook, three recipes are chosen and we cook throughout the month, sharing the results every Tuesday. 

As for me, I had just recently inherited a number of cookbooks. You see, my grandpa was a fabulous chef. His father, his brothers and he ran a restaurant for some time called “Sam and Sons.” His father has immigrated from Sicily so the Italian blood runs deep. This was evident in the cooking that my grandpa did as the head chef at the restaurant for the 5-10 years that they owned it. 

But back to the cookbooks. My grandpa passed away in August 2020, and one of the things we were able to do was go through his cookbooks to take a piece of him with us. As a sourdough baker, I totally took all the books on bread. I found one on Charcuterie boards. But the one I felt especially drawn to was The Talisman Italian Cookbook by Ada Boni. A book I later learned is no longer in print and is considered THE Italian cookbook.

The Talisman: My one Cookbook, Three Recipes Book

This is the book I chose for my first in the one cookbook, three recipes collaboration. It was so fun that I wanted to share my adventure with all of you. Note that the book has very simple instructions with zero pictures. You have to decide by ingredients rather than images, which is new for me. 

When cooking, I tried to follow the recipe to a T. No going rogue and adding extra spices. I did have a substitution or two, but that was only because I didn’t have the exact ingredient on hand. You can jump to each recipe by clicking the images below!

Biscotta Al Pignoli

Chicken Cacciatora

Potato Soup Italian Style

The Talisman
Biscotta Al Pignoli
Chicken Cacciatora
Potato Soup Italian Style

Recipe One: Biscotta Al Pignoli (Biscuits with Pine Nuts)

I am a baker at heart so of course I scanned the cookie recipes first. I wanted something simple with ingredients I generally have on hand, so I went with the Biscotta Al Pignoli. It was a little unique as I had to incorporate the sugar and eggs using a double boiler, something that I have never done baking cookies. They turned out very reminiscent of meringue cookies, light and crisp. The recipe read:

Your Ingredients: 

  • 1 ½ cups sugar 
  • 4 eggs 
  • ¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 ¼ cups pastry flour 
  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Place sugar and eggs in top of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, and beat until egg mixture is lukewarm. Remove from over the water and continue beating until foaming and cool. Add lemon rind and flour slowly and blend in gently. 

Drop by teaspoonfuls on buttered and floured baking sheet, leaving a space of 1 inch between them. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and pine nuts. Let stand 10 minutes and bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 15 minutes (I recommend cooking for 10 and then checking them. My first batch was a little overdone). This recipe makes about 40 cookies. 

Hit up the double boiler
Mix it up with some zest!
Onto the cookie try with pine nuts!
Baked delights!

Recipe Two: Chicken Cacciatora

I am not going to lie, I needed to cook my second recipe and didn’t have any picked out yet. I grabbed my cookbook on the way to our grocery store and started scanning. What was special about this one? I was drawn to the simplicity of the chicken cacciatora recipe and the fact that I had all the ingredients besides the marsala wine. 

I was tempted to add other spices and things, but again, stuck with the recipe as written. And OH MY GOODNESS. I was in awe of how amazing this dish was. It was the kind of food that makes you eat with your eyes closed, savoring every bite. It was cooked in my Lodge Cast Iron Skillet, which is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I served the chicken and sauce alongside some lightly seasoned polenta, which I had never cooked before either. 

Simply put, this is out of this world good. A MUST try.

Your Ingredients

  • 4 pound spring chicken, cut into pieces (I used 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs) 
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup fat
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped fine
  • ¼ cup chopped carrot 
  • 3 sprigs parsley
  • 1 basil or bay leaf 
  • 4 cups tomatoes 
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Dash pepper
  • ¼ cup Marsala, sherry, or white wine (I did Marsala)

Dredge chicken in flour, sprinkle with salt, and brown in fat until golden on all sides. Place in a covered dish in a warm place. Brown onion, garlic, carrot, parsley and bay leaf or basil in fat left in frying pan. 

Strain tomatoes (when strained you should have 2 cups pulp). Add tomato pulp to browned vegetables in frying pan, add 1 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper and bring to a boil. Add chicken and wine and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Serves four.

As a side to the chicken cacciatora, I made four servings of polenta. It got cooked according to the directions on the back of the package, using chicken stock as my liquid.

Again, out of this world good. A must try! 

While prepping the chicken.
So close to finished!
Perfection

Recipe Three: Potato Soup Italian Style

I love soups as much (if not more) as I love baking sweet treats. So when I saw that The Talisman had a whole chapter dedicated to soups, I knew that had to be where I drew from for my third recipe. Again, I searched for a recipe that had ingredients that I mostly had on hand. (It’s my favorite way to cook!) My family loves potato soup, so when I found Potato Soup Italian Style, I thought, “this is it!”

It was unique to me because I generally wouldn’t through potatoes and tomato sauce in the same recipe. I also thought it was interesting that the potatoes got boiled skins on, and then peeled and pushed through a sieve. But after some research, I learned that this is the way all the best chefs make mashed potatoes. I pushed mine through a metal strainer like this.

My family enjoyed this soup more than I thought they would. Again, I stuck to the original recipe, not adding any extra spices or seasoning, although I wanted to. Definitely something they would like me to make again!

Your Ingredients:

  • 4 large potatoes (about 2 pounds) 
  • 3 tablespoons butter 
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • ½ clove garlic 
  • 2 carrots, diced 
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Boil potatoes until thoroughly cooked, peel and put through a sieve. While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in soup pan, add onion, celery, parsley, garlic, and carrot and brown gently. Remove garlic, add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, warm water and strained potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4. 

Sauting the veg.
Breaking down the potato.
Almost ready!
Potato Soup, Italian Style

That’s it. That was my adventure as I explored using one cookbook, three recipes. I loved thinking that my grandpa was with me as I cooked from his book, sitting at his old dining room table. It was a special experience, for sure.

Looking for each of the recipes from One Cookbook, Three recipes?

You can find them below with a link or two to my favorite kitchen gear I used to create these delicious Italian Recipes.

Biscotta Al Pignoli

A light Italian cookie reminscent of merague cookies with pine nuts
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 40 cookies

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 2 ¼ cups pastry flour
  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Place sugar and eggs in top of a double boiler over hot but not boiling water, and beat until egg mixture is lukewarm. Remove from over the water and continue beating until foaming and cool.
  • Add lemon rind and flour slowly and blend in gently.
  • Drop by teaspoonfuls on buttered and floured baking sheet, leaving a space of 1 inch between them.
  • Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and pine nuts. Let stand 10 minutes.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Keyword Cookies, drop cookies, Italian cookies, pine nuts
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Chicken Cacciatora

A meal known as "hunter's style:" Chicken Cacciatora has a rich sauce and tender chicken that is simple to throw together.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pound spring chicken cut into pieces (I used 6 bonelss skinless chicken thighs)
  • ½ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup fat
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove of garlic chopped fine
  • ¼ cup chopped carrot
  • 3 sprigs parsley
  • 1 basil or bay leaf
  • 4 cups tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Dash pepper
  • ¼ cup Marsala sherry, or white wine (I did Marsala)

Instructions
 

  • Dredge chicken in flour, sprinkle with salt and brown in fat until golden on all sides.
  • Place in covered dish in a warm place.
  • Brown onion, garlic, carrot, parsley and bay leaf or basil in fat left in frying pan.
  • Strain tomatoes (when strained you should have 2 cups pulp). Add tomato pulp to browned vegetables in frying pan, add 1 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper and bring to a boil.
  • Add chicken and wine and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

Notes

A great side for this dish is polenta, to soak up all the juices. Cooking according to directions on package.
Keyword cast iron, chicken, tomatoes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Potato Soup Italian Style

"Riced" potatoes make the base of this potato soup creamy and the addition of tomatoes make it unique! A fun Italian take on potato soup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large potatoes about 2 pounds
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • ½ clove garlic
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups warm water
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Boil potatoes (skin on) until thoroughly cooked. Allow to cool slightly and then peel and put through sieve (a metal strainer works great).
  • While potatoes are cooking, melt butter in soup pan, add onion, celery, parsley, garlic and carrot and brown gently. Remove garlic, add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, warm water and strained potatoes and simmer 15 minutes.
  • Serve with Parmesan cheese.
Keyword potato, soup, tomatoes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Chicken Noodle Soup

I have tried to write down my chicken noodle soup recipe countless times. I would start chopping the vegetables, cooking the chicken. The next step is grabbing the measuring cups and spoons so I could get exact measurements. The thing is, I couldn’t get to that step. I don’t measure when I make chicken noodle soup; it’s a “go by feel” kind of thing. Everytime I tried to measure, it was painful. Couldn’t do it. 

Then a friend of mine said she usually doesn’t measure, but she finally wrote it down, in her own handwriting, so that her kids would have it and would be able to duplicate it if/when she was gone. 

That hit me hard. Chicken noodle soup is my son’s favorite meal. He has had it for his birthday meal countless times (I mean, he’s only eleven, but I can’t tell you how many times he asked for it, so I am calling it countless. HA!) What if he wanted to make my soup and could never get it right? I had to write it down. 

Also, what kind of comfort food food blogger would I be if I didn’t have chicken noodle soup on my blog? Especially one that declares soup one of her favorite meals? And so, here it is! I ACTUALLY measured everything. I taste tested. My son double checked it all and gave it two thumbs up. I hope you love it as much as we do! 

Let’s get cooking! 

Your Ingredients for Chicken Noodle Soup

  • 1 pound cooked chicken (about 2 ½ cups), cubed or shredded 
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 2 ½ cups chopped carrots (about 2-3 large) 
  • 2 ½ cups chopped celery (about 3-4 stalks)
  • 1 ½ cups chopped onion (about 1 large) 
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper 
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon thyme
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic 
  • 6 cups chicken stock, see note
  • 4-6 cups water, see note
  • 1-2 teaspoons broth base and seasoning (I ADORE Orrington Farms), optional, see note
  • 3 cups egg noodles 

A couple notes before you get started

A couple notes before you get started

  • The chicken I use depends on my time. Sometimes I cook a couple breasts in a cast iron pan, starting on the stove and then putting it in the oven at 400 degrees until cooked to 165 degrees. If I have more time and bone in chicken, I will make stock while cooking the chicken.  
  • To make a stock, cover the chicken with water in a stockpot. Add a stalk of celery, a carrot, and an onion, all quartered. Add some pepper, salt, and a clove or two of garlic. Bring it to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Strain out vegetables and chicken. Skim off the foam. Broth can be used right away or frozen for later! That’s what I used in this recipe. Allow the chicken to cool, peel off the skin and shred chicken.
  • I love Orrington Farms Broth Base and Seasoning because I can control the flavor and sodium in my stock. Depending on the stock you use (homemade or from a box), you will have a different depth of flavor. This allows you to add a little more if needed. You can totally use a cube of bouillon or whatever you favorite broth base is. The bottom line is this for you to find YOUR taste. 
  • About the water: The egg noodles will absorb liquid as the soup sits. If you are serving the chicken noodle soup right after you finish cooking it, stick with the 4 cups of water. If you are meal prepping and serving it a day or two later, you will likely have to add an additional cup or two, depending on how you like your soup. You do you friend.

Your Steps To Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup 

If you have not already, begin with cooking the chicken you plan on using. Short on time? Season a couple chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat an oven safe pan over medium heat with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, add chicken. Flip after 5 minutes, searing both sides. Once done, stick in a 400 degree oven, cooking until 165 degrees, about 14 minutes. Once cooked, cube it up and set aside. Alternatively, you could pick up a rotisserie chicken and measure 2 ½ cups of meat. (If you do this, DO NOT throw the bones away. Make a stock for later!

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a soup kettle (I dig The Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven) over medium heat. Once hot, add carrots, celery, and onion. Season with pepper, thyme, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken stock, 4 cups of water, and chicken. Increase the heat, bringing to a boil. Add egg noodles, lower the heat to medium and cook for seven minutes, cooking noodles to al dente. 

Almost there!

At this point, give the soup a taste. If you want more salt and chicken flavor, add the broth base, 1 teaspoon at a time. I also like to check the pepper level here but know that pepper sinks in the soup. If you add too much, the end of the soup kettle will be on the peppery side. 

Again, the noodles will absorb liquid over time. If you are serving this soup right away, 4 cups of water should be perfect. If you are serving it hours later or the next day, be prepared for a thicker soup. You may want to add that additional water. 

I am a firm believer that a good kettle of soup should be served with a salad (I love my homemade french dressing!) and sourdough bread (get the details here!). It hard to get something better 💕

  • The beginning of any great soup or bake
  • Cubed, perfect chicken
  • Add that broth (Mine was frozen in a mason jar!)
  • Season as you like!
  • Right after it’s finished. Perfection.
  • After its cooled and absorbed liquid. Still good though!
  • Pair it with fresh sourdough. A match made in heaven.

Tools of the Trade

I keep all the flavors of Orrington Farms broth base on hand. It keeps well and allows me to season my soups and stews with just the right amount of flavor.

parts is that they go from stove top to oven so easy and you can even bake bread in them! And

And my flexible cutting boards are a go to item in the kitchen. If I am shopping for a wedding registry, I will buy them even the couple doesn’t have it on the list because I figure they just must not know how wonderful they are!

Chicken Noodle Soup

A classic soup recipe that will keep everyone coming back for seconds (and thirds!)
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound cooked chicken about 2 ½ cups, cubed or shredded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 ½ cups chopped carrots about 2-3 large
  • 2 ½ cups chopped celery about 3-4 stalks
  • 1 ½ cups chopped onion about 1 large
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon salt to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon thyme
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 6 cups chicken stock see note
  • 4-6 cups water see note
  • 1-2 teaspoons broth base and seasoning optional, see note
  • 3 cups egg noodles

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in a soup kettle over medium heat.
  • Once hot, add carrots, celery, and onion. Season with pepper, thyme, and garlic.
  • Cook over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
  • Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in chicken stock, 4 cups of water, and chicken.
  • Increase the heat, bringing to a boil.
  • Add egg noodles, lower the heat to medium and cook for seven minutes, cooking noodles to al dente.
  • Check the flavor profile of your soup. If needed, add broth base or bouillon, 1 teaspoon or cube at a time. Add additional pepper to taste.

Notes

  • The chicken I use depends on my time. Sometimes I cook a couple breasts in a cast iron pan, starting on the stove and then putting it in the oven at 400 degrees until cooked to 165 degrees. If I have more time and bone in chicken, I will make stock while cooking the chicken.  You could also shorten time by using a rotisserie chicken and shredding the meat, discarding the skin.  
  • To make a stock, cover the chicken with water in a stockpot. Add a stalk of celery, a carrot, and an onion, all quartered. Add some pepper, salt, and a clove or two of garlic. Bring it to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Strain out vegetables and chicken. Skim off the foam. Broth can be used right away or frozen for later! That’s what I used in this recipe. Allow the chicken to cool, peel off the skin and shred chicken.
  • I love Orrington Farms Broth Base and Seasoning because I can control the flavor and sodium in my stock. Depending on the stock you use (homemade or from a box), you will have a different depth of flavor. This allows you to add a little more if needed. You can totally use a cube of bouillon or whatever you favorite broth base is. The bottom line is this for you to find YOUR taste. 
  • About the water: The egg noodles will absorb liquid as the soup sits. If you are serving the chicken noodle soup right after you finish cooking it, stick with the 4 cups of water. If you are meal prepping and serving it a day or two later, you will likely have to add an additional cup or two, depending on how you like your soup. 
Keyword chicken, chicken noodle, soup, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment

Italian Sausage and Orzo Soup

At our home, we try to do only one grocery store trip a week. Yes, we may need more bananas or perhaps some milk, but overall, we can make it on one trip. If we haven’t meal planned for the week, this also means we purchase random proteins and roll with them. A few weeks ago, ground Italian sausage was one of those proteins. It’s what I would call a staple at our house. While we don’t always have a plan for it when we purchase it,  I am always down for embracing my Italian roots. For this go around, I put together an Italian Sausage and Orzo Soup, and it’s a winner! 

Honestly, this soup was born from both “We have to use this protein up before it goes bad” and “What else can I combine with this sausage to make a great soup without going shopping?” If you know me, I am also about sneaking in all the vegetables possible…and then pairing a salad with the meal for good measure. It’s how I roll and a joke around our house: “Look at mom, adding MORE vegetables to the meal.” But I promise, no one will be complaining about the vegetables in this Italian Sausage and Orzo Soup because the flavor is just that good. 

Okay, we’ve talked enough. You want to get cooking right? Let’s go! 

Your Ingredients for Italian Sausage and Orzo Soup

  • 1 pound Italian sausage⁠
  • olive oil , about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon
  • 1 cup diced onion⁠
  • 1 cup diced carrot⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed⁠
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • t teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper⁠
  • 1 cup chopped frozen spinach⁠
  • 1 can chick peas, rinsed (half of the can pureed)⁠
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock⁠ (I love Orrington Farm’s Chicken Stock. They also make a Vegan option! How cool!)
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes⁠
  • 1/2 cup dried orzo⁠
  • salt, to taste⁠

Your steps to Great Soup!

In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add onion, carrot, garlic, fennel, basil, and oregano. Cook on medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add pureed chick peas, stirring often. Slowly add chicken stock, stirring after each addition. 

Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, and browned sausage. Bring the soup to a boil and add orzo. Cook according to package directions. Allow to cool slightly and serve!⁠

browned sausage
Brown up the sausage…
cut veggies
…and cut up the veggies (my favorite!)
saute
Saute with some seasoning
Looking good!
at chick peas
Get the chick peas to thicken it up!
broth
Before we get to the spinach and orzo…
spinach and orzo
…and after!
Perfection
Let it simmer and you get this glorious, thick soup!

Tools of the Trade

I talk about using a cast iron Dutch oven all the time. I can’t help it, it truly is something I could not live without in my kitchen. Besides a Dutch oven, also talk about the Orrington Farm stock often enough. I always have at least two flavors at home. And now I see they have a vegan option. How cool is that? Finally, I just really dig a flexible cutting board. Those are my favorites, friends! Happy cooking!

Perfection

Italian Sausage and Orzo Soup

Pantry items abound in this veggie-ful soup that is sure to please all the eaters at your house
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil ⁠
  • 1 pound Italian sausage⁠
  • 1 cup diced onion⁠
  • 1 cup diced carrot⁠
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed⁠
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper⁠
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil⁠
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano⁠
  • 1 cup chopped frozen spinach⁠
  • 1 can chick peas rinsed (half of the can pureed)⁠
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock⁠
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes⁠
  • 1/2 cup dried orzo⁠
  • salt to taste⁠

Instructions
 

  • In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Add onion, carrot, garlic, fennel, basil, and oregano.
  • Cook on medium heat until softened, abut 8 minutes. Add pureed chick peas, stirring often.
  • Slowly add chicken stock, stirring after each add.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, spinach, and browned sausage.
  • Bring the soup to a boil and add orzo. Cook according to package directions.
  • Allow to cool slightly and serve!⁠
Keyword Italian sausage, orzo, soup
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Looking for other great recipes?

Check out my cooking page for savory inspiration or click below to add a dessert or two!

JessLeave a comment

Hearty Lasagna Soup

It’s Sunday morning and I don’t have a plan for dinner yet. See, Sunday’s are generally a low key day for me. I might have a long run to do if I didn’t get it done on Saturday, but more often than not, my workouts are more minimal and I often spend the day creating in the kitchen. But sometimes I am not feeling overly experimental. When those weekends happen, I find myself falling on my two go tos: soups and stews or Italian. Recently, I merged the two together in a hearty lasagna soup. 

I adore all things Italian. First of all, pasta. Am I right or am I right? I know it’s a thing to cut all the carbs and gluten from your diet, but I am here to say I embrace them, but simply go in moderation. Second of all, Italian food is quite possibly the biggest comfort food for me. And finally, it ALWAYS pairs well with a salad and I am all about the salad life. 

So when I had some ground beef and ricotta in my fridge, but wasn’t in the mood to actually put together a true lasagna, I tried my hand at this soup. It was easier to make than I suspected it would be and honestly, I loved eating it over a few days as the noodles absorbed some of the liquid. It became more of a casserole over time, and I wasn’t complaining. It’s like two different meals in one! 

Now, I used ground beef in the initial recipe, but I definitely think I will use ground Italian sausage from here on out, and that’s the route I am going to go in this recipe. Also, if you don’t have ground Italian sausage on hand, you could totally use actual Italian sausage sliced up or with the skins removed. Also, my family said they would have liked the noodles a little smaller; I liked them the way they were, but you can find your own jam. 

Ready to get cooking?! Let’s put together some Hearty Lasagna Soup!

Your Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 4 Tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan

Or skip these ingredients and substitute premade meatballs, but you know I’m all about made from scratch

  • 8 lasagna noodles, broken apart and then cooked according to package directions
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cups beef stock (My go to is this Orrington Farms Broth Base and Seasoning)
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • ½ cup diced onion 
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¾ cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil 
  • ½  teaspoon black pepper (or red pepper flakes if that’s your jam!)
  • ¼-½ cup grated parmesan 
  • ¼ cup heavy cream 
  • Salt, to taste
  • Ricotta, for topping 

Your Steps to Hearty Lasagna Soup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil for less clean up. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, Italian sausage, and Parmesan cheese. Shape into one inch meatballs and place on the jelly roll pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through. 

While the meatballs are baking, you have a few tasks. First, cook the noodles to al dente if you have not already. Drain and set aside. 

Then begin to heat olive oil in a large dutch oven (I love my Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven so much!) over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute six minutes, until just translucent. Add mushrooms and cook an additional two minutes, until softened. Stir in tomato sauce, oregano, and pepper. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, beef stock, parmesan cheese, meatballs, and salt, if necessary. Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Finally, stir in cooked noodles and heavy cream. Cook until heated through. Serve with a dollop of ricotta on top, a side salad (of course!), and perhaps some garlic bread for good measure. 

I don’t know about you, but that sure sounds like comfort food at its finest. And it’s so much easier than prepping a lasagna! 

  • Baked the meatballs
  • Chop up some mushrooms and then
  • get that cast iron going! and add some
  • Add the tomato ingredients
  • And some meatballs and noodles
  • Let them simmer for a while.
  • And so good!

Looking for other dinner inspiration? Check out my cooking page by clicking the button below!

Cooking

Hearty Italian Soup

Any season is soup season and this hearty lasagna soup combines two of the best comfort foods: soups and stews and Italian. Doesn't get much better!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 8 lasagna noodles broken apart and then cooked according to package directions
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes undrained
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ¾ cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper or red pepper flakes
  • ¼-½ cup grated parmesan
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • Salt to taste
  • Ricotta for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil for less clean up. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, Italian sausage, and Parmesan cheese.
  • Shape into one inch meatballs and place on the jelly roll pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.
  • While the meatballs are cooking, cook the noodles to al dente if you have not already. Drain and set aside.
  • Begin to heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Add onions and garlic. Saute six minutes, until just translucent.
  • Add mushrooms and cook an additional two minutes, until softened.
  • Stir in tomato sauce, oregano, and pepper. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add diced tomatoes, beef stock, parmesan cheese, meatballs, and salt, if necessary.
  • Simmer an additional 15 minutes. Finally, stir in cooked noodles and heavy cream. Cook until heated through. Serve with a dollop of ricotta on top.

Notes

Feel free to skip making your own meatballs and use pre made, frozen meatballs. 
Depending on if your tomato produces are salt free or not, you will need to add additional salt to bring out all the flavors. Be sure to taste test!
Keyword lasagna, lasagna soup, soup, soup and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

JessLeave a comment
Minestrone Soup Cover Photo

Thick and Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup

Welcome to that strange time between New Year’s and Christmas. For some, this is a time to continue to reflect, rest, and reset. Others are continuing to indulge in the leftover cookies, cocktails, and creations from meals. Yet others are feeling sluggish from the over indulgent food, ready to workout and eat right. Do you live in the eat right category? Then man, have I got a nutrient dense, delicious recipe for you in this Minestrone Soup. 

I usually live a little in each school of life this week. I love the cookies (oh man, I am all about the ginger snaps this year!). As a school teacher, I want to reset before we hit January and cabin fever. But I am also a big fitness gal, so I am focused on my goals set for the year, whether that be in instructing barre or hitting my 1000th mile of running (Christmas Eve Eve baby!). 

I try to enjoy all the good foods of the holidays in moderation. Seriously, they only come around once a year, it’s okay to enjoy them!  But man, after a holiday get together or two, my body is screaming at me, “Get back to the usual diet Jess!” That usually means adding 2-3 more servings of fruits and veggies, cutting back on the meat intake, and skipping the wine for a week or two. 

I love that soup can be made for a small army and tastes just as good (or better!) in the days that follow as it did the day you put it together. Measurements are mere suggestions. I don’t know that you can break a soup (besides the occasional over pour of pasta or pepper). This Minestrone Soup fits all the bills: its filling, comforting, and full of nutrient dense food to keep your body happy. 

Your Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 2 cups chopped carrots (about 3 large)
  • 1 ½ cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
  • 1 ½ cups diced onion (about 2 yellow onions)
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic 
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil 
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • ¾ teaspoon fennel seed 
  • ¼ teaspoon caraway seed 
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper 
  • 2 ½ cups diced zucchini, skin on
  • 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups chopped kale, ribs removed 
  • 1 cup orzo (or small pasta of your choice)
  • ¼ cup grated or fresh parmesan 

Your Steps to Fulfilling Minestrone Soup 

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, fennel, caraway, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. 

To soften vegetables, add zucchini and tomatoes. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in both cans of rinsed beans, beef broth, and kale. Lower heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring periodically. 

Once the vegetables have mingled 30 minutes, increase heat to medium high and stir in orzo. Cook for 8-9 minutes, until al dente. Remove from heat, stir in grated parmesan and be ready to serve! Note: This will thicken over time. You may want to have some additional beef broth on hand if you don’t dig a stew and plan on eating it over the next few days.

Classic cutting board picture. Because why not?!
Saute and season. One of my favorite smells.
Zucchini and tomatoes to up the veggie game.
Kale and broth. Looking thin now, but once the orzo is added it will be perfect.
Kettle of beauty. Dang good.

Tools of the Trade

I truly believe every home kitchen needs a selection of good cast iron pans. We cook everything in them, from corn bread to chicken, from sourdough bread to soups and stews. They can go from stove top to oven and create beautiful food. I also love flexible cutting boards. I am telling you, if you don’t have some, check them out! Finally, this beef broth base is ALWAYS in my kitchen. I can’t imagine cooking without it.

Thick and Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup

Over twelve cups of vegetables combine with beans and orzo in this thick and hearty Minestrone Soup. Perfect for a "clean out the fridge" or winter night meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped carrots about 3 large
  • 1 ½ cups chopped celery about 3 stalks
  • 1 ½ cups diced onion about 2 yellow onions
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¾ teaspoon fennel seed
  • ¼ teaspoon caraway seed
  • ¾ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 ½ cups diced zucchini skin on
  • 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes undrained
  • 6 cups beef broth
  • 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups chopped kale ribs removed
  • 1 cup orzo or small pasta of your choice

Instructions
 

  • In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, fennel, caraway, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
  • To softened vegetables, add zucchini and tomatoes. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
  • Stir in both cans of rinsed beans, beef broth, and kale. Lower heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring periodically.
  • Once the vegetables have mingled 30 minutes, increase heat to medium high and stir in orzo.
  • Cook for 8-9 minutes, until al dente. Remove from heat, stir in grated parmesan and be ready to serve!

Notes

This soup will thicken over time. You may want to have an extra cup or so of beef broth handy if you don’t love a thick stew and plan on eating it over a few days.
Keyword Italian, minestrone, soups and stews
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great soups?

Check out the links below!

JessLeave a comment

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

My darling son is ten years old. For about as long as I can remember, chicken noodle soup has been his favorite. So much so that he has requested it for his birthday meal for the last four years, regardless of where we are celebrating. Then I put together this creamy chicken and wild rice soup. I think his favorite meal changed. He makes this glorious face when he eats food he loves: closing his eyes, taking in the flavor, all while a small grin spreads across his face. His first bite brought on this expression, telling me we had a winner of a recipe. 

What I love about this creamy chicken and wild rice soup is that it has all the creamy goodness all while leaving out the heavy or processed ingredients found in many creamy soups. It eats like a soup the first day and more like a stew the second, as the rice absorbs more liquid. 

Usually from scratch soups are reserved for cozy weekends, but I recently made this soup on a weeknight. The weather had changed from warm fall days to chilly winter, complete with some snow. I don’t know about you, but those first snow falls just call for a kettle of soup. It took me exactly one hour start to finish, including cooking the chicken. Is it a great weekend recipe? Absolutely. But is it doable on a weeknight? Sure!

Enough talking! Let’s get cooking! 

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup long grain brown rice, uncooked
  • ½ cup wild rice, uncooked
  • 2 ½  cups water
  • 2 cups diced cooked chicken 
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cups sliced carrots
  • 1 ½ cups sliced celery
  • 1 ½ cup diced onion 
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk (I used skim)
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • ¾ teaspoons dried thyme
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon pepper, to taste
  • ½  teaspoon salt 

Before we begin cooking…

If you don’t have cooked chicken on hand, you can 100% start cooking it when you start the rice and your timing will be just fine. I seasoned two chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cooked them over medium heat in a cast iron skillet (I just love cast iron. I have the Lodge Skillet). If you would like to do like me, cook them for about 8 minutes on each side. Then put in a preheated 400 degree oven. Finish them in the oven, cooking to 165 degrees.

YOUR STEPS FOR CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP 

Start by bringing water to a boil in a saucepan with a cover. Add rice (and maybe a little salt and pepper if you are so inclined), cover, and lower temperature to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring periodically. Once complete, leave the rice, even if there is remaining liquid. We will add it all to the soup. 

While the rice is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Add olive oil to a soup kettle (again, I adore my cast iron Dutch oven for soups), and heat over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until they are beginning to soften. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. 

Remove vegetables from the kettle. Lower the temperature slightly. Add butter and allow to melt. Once melted, add flour, creating a roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. SLOWLY add milk, about ⅓ cup at a time, stirring the whole time, allowing the mixture to just begin to boil before you add more. (Be patient here. I have gone too fast too many times to count, and then you miss the creaminess!). Add the chicken stock in a similar nature. Add thyme, salt, and pepper.  

From here, stir in the rice from the saucepan, including any remaining liquid. It will help keep the soup thick. Reincorporate the vegetables and stir in the chicken. Allow to cook an additional 10-20 minutes if you have the time. The flavors will mingle and simply get better if you can wait 🙂 

  • Cutting board pictures make me smile!
  • Get them cooking!
  • All that goodness
  • Pan roasted chicken. Simple.
  • Patience is key on a good roux!
  • Perfection.

Looking for other dinner ideas? Check out my cooking page!

Cooking

Tools of the Trade

I truly believe every home kitchen needs a selection of good cast iron pans. We cook everything in them, from corn bread to chicken, from sourdough bread to soups and stews. They can go from stove top to oven and create beautiful food. These are some of my favorites!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A hearty belly warming recipe full of fresh roasted chicken, vegetables and perfectly cooked rice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup long grain brown rice uncooked
  • ½ cup wild rice uncooked
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 2 cups diced cooked chicken
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 2 cups sliced carrots
  • 1 ½ cups sliced celery
  • 1 ½ cup diced onion
  • ½ tablespoon minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • ¾ teaspoons dried thyme
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Bring water to a boil in a saucepan with a cover. Add rice (and additional salt and pepper, to taste), cover, and lower temperature to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring periodically.
  • While the rice is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Add olive oil to a soup kettle and heat over medium heat.
  • Once oil is hot, add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until they are beginning to soften. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 4-5 minutes.
  • Remove vegetables from the kettle. Lower the temperature slightly. Add butter and allow to melt.
  • Once melted, add flour, creating a roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Slowly add milk, about ⅓ cup at a time, stirring the whole time, allowing the mixture to just begin to boil before you add more. Add the chicken stock in a similar nature. Add thyme, salt, and pepper.
  • Stir in the rice from the saucepan, including any remaining liquid. Reincorporate the vegetables and stir in the chicken. Allow to cook an additional 10-20 minutes.
Keyword chicken, chicken and wild rice soup, chicken soup, from scratch
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Jess2 Comments