Category: Soups

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How to Make Chicken or Turkey Stock

chicken or turkey stock

Make the most of your leftover chicken or turkey. Don’t just throw away that rotisserie chicken or Thanksgiving turkey! This homemade chicken stock recipe is easy to make. Here’s how to make chicken or turkey stock.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. I earn commission at no additional cost to you.

Homemade stock ingredients:

  • Chicken or Turkey carcass
  • 2-3 celery stalks with leaves
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 2-3 garlic cloves
  • 1-2 carrots
  • 2-3 Quarts of water
  • 1.2 teaspoon peppercorns, optional
  • Herbs of your choice, optional (For example: bay leaf, rosemary, or cilantro stems)

How to make stock

Place your leftover chicken or turkey carcass into a large pot. Add the celery, onion, garlic, carrots and optional seasoning of your choice. Cover the carcass with water.

Turkey stock simmering

Bring the pot to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 4 hours, adding additional water as needed to keep the carcass covered.

Strain the stock to remove all solids. I use a large colander over a second large pot. Pour the warm stock through the colander and catch it into the second pot.

turkey strained
Turkey
Stock ready to cool
Stock

Allow the solids and liquid to cool separately. Once the stock is cool, all of the fat will be easy to scrape off the top if desired.

Cooled stock
Cooled stock
Scraping fat of the top
Scraping fat off the stock.

Strip the remaining meat off the bones once the chicken or turkey is cool enough to handle. You may be surprised how much meat will remain on the chicken or turkey you were ready to toss. Use this extra meat in soups or to make chicken salad.

Extra meat for soups or salads.
Extra meat for soups or salads.

How to use Homemade Stock

Homemade chicken or turkey stock can be used in any recipe that calls for chicken or turkey broth or stock. Chicken stock is found in many homemade soups, casseroles and pasta dishes. Try some of these great recipes:

How to store homemade stock

If you do not use the homemade stock immediately, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or you can freeze it in soup containers.

Printable Stock Recipe

Homemade Chicken or Turkey Stock RecipeDownload

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Healthy Recipes Recipes Soups

Best Homemade Tomato Bisque Recipe

Best Tomato Bisque

If you love tomato bisque, you should definitely try making it homemade. It’s so much better than canned. This is the best homemade tomato bisque recipe. This soup is also a great meatless meal.

This post may contain affiliate links. I earn commission at no additional cost to you.

What is the difference between tomato soup and tomato bisque?

Bisque is a French word for a creamy soup made of pureed vegetables. Tomato bisque is made with pureed tomatoes. Tomato soup is also made with pureed tomatoes, but tomato soup could still have chunks of tomato in it. Bisque is by definition pureed to a smooth texture, however it could be garnished with chunks of tomato. Ultimately, they are very similar.

Best Tomato Bisque Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1 Onion, diced
  • 2 Carrots, diced
  • 3 Sprigs Thyme, stems removed
  • 1-10 ounce jar roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 Cup Sundried tomatoes, minced
  • 28 ounces of canned diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2- 14 ounce cans of vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Tomato Bisque Directions

Sauté the onions and carrots in the butter until softened.

sauteed onions and carrots

Add the Thyme, peppers, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Mix and bring to a simmer.

tomato bisque before blending

Add the seasonings, sugar, cream and parmesan. Blend with an immersion blender.

blending tomato bisque
blended tomato bisque

Serve with fresh bread, crackers or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Can you freeze Tomato Bisque?

Yes you can! Just make sure you allow the soup to cool to room temperature or refrigerate before freezing. Use a freezer safe soup container for best results.

Can you reheat tomato bisque?

Yes, tomato bisque is perfect for packed lunches. I use a Mug Pop-in to take it to work. It has a vented BPA free lid, perfect for reheating your soup in the microwave at work or school.

More great Soup recipes

Recipe By kristin
Course: soup Cusine:French Difficulty:Easy

Servings

6 minutes

Preparing Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

20 minutes

Calories

kcal

INGREDIENTS

  1. 2 Tablespoons Butter

  2. 1 Onion, diced

  3. 2 Carrots, diced

  4. 3 Sprigs Thyme, stems removed

  5. 1-10 ounce jar roasted red peppers

  6. 1/4 Cup Sundried tomatoes, minced

  7. 28 ounces of canned diced fire roasted tomatoes

  8. 2- 14 ounce cans of vegetable broth

  9. 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  10. 1 teaspoon onion powder

  11. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  12. 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

  13. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  14. 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  15. 1 teaspoon sugar

  16. Salt to taste

  17. 1 cup heavy cream

  18. 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTION

  1. Sauté the onions and carrots in the butter until softened.

  2. Add the thyme, peppers, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Mix and bring to a simmer.
  3. Add the seasonings, sugar, cream and parmesan.
  4. Blend with an immersion blender.

NOTES

    Serve with fresh bread, crackers or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Best Tomato Bisque RecipeDownload

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Healthy Recipes Recipes Soups

Easy Ratatouille Lentil Soup Recipe

Ratatouille soup

This easy ratatouille lentil soup is a perfect way to get more vegetables in your diet. This soup is vegetarian and vegan. It also makes great leftovers for packed lunches and is freezable for later use.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. I earn commission at not additional cost to you.

Ratatouille Lentil Soup Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 zucchini, sliced and quartered
  • 1 summer squash, sliced and quartered
  • 1 medium onion, roasted or diced
  • 2 Roasted peppers, canned or fresh
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 2 quarts vegetable broth
  • 1- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup uncooked dried lentils
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Ratatouille Lentil Soup Directions:

Roast the peppers. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the peppers on parchment paper lined sheet pan. Roast for 10 minutes, flip, then roast for another 10 minutes. Cool, then peel the peppers. Dice the roasted peppers. Alternatively, you can use canned roasted peppers.

roasted peppers

Slice the eggplant and salt the slices on both sides. Allow the salted eggplant to sit for 15 minutes. This will draw out the bitter flavor. Rinse the eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

eggplant
salted eggplant

In a large stockpot, sauté the eggplant until just starting to soften. Add the diced onion.

chopped eggplant

Add the zucchini and summer squash, add additional oil if needed to prevent sticking. Sauté until slightly softened.

zucchini and summer squash

Now add the in the crushed tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Season with garlic, basil, and oregano. Mix well.

roasted peppers in ratatouille soup

Use a mesh strainer to rinse the lentils.

rinsing lentils

Mix in the broth and lentils. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until lentils are tender, approximately 40 minutes.

Ratatouille soup

Lastly, add the vinegar and fresh ground pepper.

Ratatouille soup

Serve with crackers or fresh bread.

Can you reheat Ratatouille soup?

You sure can! Ratatouille soup makes great leftovers for packed lunches. I like to pack it in a Mug Pop in, find it here.

Mug Pop in

This mug is perfect for packing soup and other leftovers for lunch. The BPA free lid is vented, so it keeps the microwave clean!

Can you freeze soup?

Yes! You can freeze soup. Just make sure you cool it to room temperature or refrigerate it first. Then put it in a freezer safe container. Warm it up on another busy night!

Can you use chicken stock instaed?

You sure can use chicken stock. If you do, this recipe will no longer be vegetarian or vegan.

More Great Soup Recipes

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Easy Ratatouille Lentil Soup Recipe (1)Download

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Recipes Soups

Easy Chicken and Orzo Soup with Lemon

Chicken and orzo soup with lemon

Do you need quick idea for dinner tonight? Try this easy chicken and orzo soup. You can even make it easier by using a rotisserie chicken. It has a fresh flavor but still warms you up. It’s really a great soup for any season.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. I earn commission from qualified sales at no additional cost to you.

What tools do you need to make chicken and orzo soup?

This soup does not require many tools. Most of these items you probably already have on hand.

Chicken and orzo soup ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts cooked and diced (you can use rotisserie chicken)
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 1 cup orzo
  • Juice of one lemon
  • zest of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper (optional)

How to make chicken orzo soup

Start by sautéing the onions, carrots and celery in the olive oil.

When the carrots are softened, add the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Add the stock and chicken. Bring to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 10 minutes.

Chicken and orzo soup with lemon

Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and peppers. Remove from heat and enjoy! Serve with crackers or fresh bread.

Can you make soup ahead of time?

You sure can! This soup makes amazing leftovers. It makes a great packed lunch. I Recommend a mug Pop in for packed lunches. These containers are great for packing and reheating leftovers. They are ceramic with BPA free vented lids. They keep the microwave at home, work or school clean while warming up your lunch.

Mug Pop in

Find this great microwavable mug here.

Can you freeze soup?

Yes, you can freeze chicken and orzo soup. If you don’t finish it all during the first meal, you can chill the remainder in your refrigerator overnight. It is important to chill the soup before freezing it. Then transfer the soup into single servings and freeze for a quick and easy meal later! I try to save sour cream and other similar containers for this purpose but you can also purchase freezer soup containers.

More great soup recipes:

Are you looking for another great soup to serve for a quick and easy dinner? Try one of these delicious options.

Chicken-and-Orzo-Soup-with-LemonDownload

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Healthy Recipes Recipes Soups

Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup

This easy cream of broccoli soup recipe is a great way to get more vegetables into your diet. It pairs well with a salad or sandwich for a quick and easy meal. This soup makes great leftovers for packed lunches.

This post may contain affiliate links. I ear commission of qualified purchase at no additional cost to you.

What special tools do you need to make this soup?

  1. Immersion blender
  2. Large Pot
  3. Chef’s Knife
  4. Cutting Board
  5. Can opener
Easy Cream or broccoli Soup with a sandwich

Cream of Broccoli Soup Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • 1 Pound Broccoli
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 1 15-ounce can of peas, drained
  • 5 celery sticks, diced
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • 1 Tablespoon golden balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Broccoli Soup Directions:

Sauté the onions and celery in the olive oil until slightly softened. Then, add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Toss in the broccoli and sauté a couple minutes until slightly softened. Finally, add the broth and canned peas. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Use an Immersion blender to cream the ingredients until smooth. Stir in the cream, vinegar and peeper.

Nessie serving cream of broccoli soup

If you need some extra cute in your life, this Nessie Ladle is a great addition to get kids more interested in eating this delicious and healthy soup. Our Nessie served up so much soup, we hardly had any leftover!

Cream-of-Broccoli-SoupDownload

Recipe By Kristin
Course: Soup Cusine:American Difficulty:Easy

Servings

6 minutes

Preparing Time

15 minutes

Cooking Time

15 minutes

Calories

kcal

INGREDIENTS

  1. 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

  2. 1 medium onion, diced

  3. 1 pound broccoli

  4. 3 cloves garlic

  5. 1 15-ounce can of peas, drained

  6. 5 celery stalks, diced

  7. 1 cup heavy cream

  8. 1 quart vegetable broth

  9. 1 tablespoon golden balsamic vinegar

  10. 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTION

  1. Sauté the onions and celery in the olive oil until slightly softened.

  2. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
  3. Toss in the broccoli and sauté a couple minutes until slightly softened.
  4. Finally, add the broth and canned peas. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes.<br>
  5. Use an <a href="https://amzn.to/3wI765c">Immersion blender</a> to cream the ingredients until smooth. Stir in the cream, vinegar and peeper.

NOTES

    You can peel and slice the broccoli stems and add those too.

More soup recipes:

Easy Pumpkin Apple Soup Recipe
Easy Leftover Turkey Enchilada Soup
Zuppa Toscana – Better than Olive Garden
Quick and Easy Chili

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Easy meals Recipes Soups

Quick and Easy Chili

easy chili

Sometimes even those of us who enjoy cooking just don’t have time to cook. Sometimes we need to get dinner on the table as quick and painless as possible. If you ever have a busy day and need a quick and easy dinner, this chili recipe is for you. This is not an award winning recipe, but it wins many compliments at my house and makes great leftovers for packed lunches.

This post may contain affiliate links. I earn commission on qualified purchases at no additional cost to you.

Quick and Easy Chili Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 4 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15.5-ounce can chili beans, with sauce
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

How to prepare quick and easy chili

Start by browning the ground beef. Once it is fully cooked, drain it and set it aside. Next sauté the onion in the olive oil. When the onion is softened, add the tomato sauce and mix well. Add the drained meat, beans and diced tomatoes, mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Continue to heat until warm and bubbly. Taste and add additional seasoning if desired. Simmer on low for about 20 min.

Garnish with cheese and chopped onion if desired.

Serve with crackers or fresh bread.

easy chili with bread
Quick-and-Easy-ChiliDownload

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Categories
Recipes Soups

Easy Pumpkin Apple Soup Recipe

pumpkin apple soup

Try this easy vegan pumpkin apple soup for a meatless Monday meal or for a Friday during lent. It is so delicious and warms you up in the winter. This soup is loaded with healthy vegetables and makes great leftovers for packed lunches. It’s a great way to get more vegetables into your diet.

This post may contain affiliate links. I earn commission on qualified sales at no extra cost to you.

Pumpkin Apple Soup Ingredients

  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 sweet potatoes cubed
  • 1 large apple diced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 15 ounce can of diced tomato
  • 15 ounce can pumpkin puree ( or 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree)
  • 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 Tablespoons Jerk Seasoning
  • pumpkin seeds for garnish

How to make Pumpkin Apple soup

Sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Grate the garlic on a plate grater.

Garlic grated on a plate grater.
Garlic grated on a plate grater.

Add the sweet potatoes, apple and garlic to the pot and cook for one minute.

Stir in the stock, tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, and jerk seasoning. Find a great homemade jerk seasoning recipe here. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

Serve with pumpkin seeds.

Is Pumpkin Healthy?

Yes, pumpkin is loaded with vitamins and is a low calorie food that is great for filling you up without excess calories. Pumpkin is a good source of vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, iron and folate. Unfortunately many pumpkin recipes include tons of sugar and fat because it is so delicious it ends up being included in many desserts and lattes. If this is how you plan to enjoy your pumpkin, then the health benefits may not be as great. Pumpkin apple soup, however, is a very healthy way to enjoy pumpkin.

Easy Pumpkin Apple Soup Recipe

Recipe By Kristin
Course: main Cusine:American Difficulty:Easy

Servings

6 minutes

Preparing Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

25 minutes

Calories

kcal

INGREDIENTS

  1. 1 large onion, diced

  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil<br>

  3. 3 sweet potatoes cubed<br>

  4. 1 large apple diced<br>

  5. 4 cloves garlic<br>

  6. 4 cups vegetable stock<br>

  7. 15 ounce can of diced tomato<br>

  8. 15 ounce can pumpkin puree ( or 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree)<br>

  9. 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<br>

  10. 2 Tablespoons Jerk Seasoning

  11. pumpkin seeds for garnish

DIRECTION

  1. Sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Grate the garlic.

  2. Add the sweet potatoes, apple and garlic to the pot and cook for one minute.
  3. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, and jerk seasoning. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.<br>
  4. Serve with pumpkin seeds.

NOTES

Printable Recipe:

Easy-Pumpkin-Apple-SoupDownload

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Categories
Recipes Soups

Easy Leftover Turkey Enchilada Soup

easy leftover turkey enchilada soup

If you are searching for a great way to use up your leftover turkey, search no more. This quick and easy leftover turkey enchilada soup is sure to please. It’s simply a twist on the more traditional chicken enchilada soup. Certainly better than Campbells or chili’s chicken enchilada soup. As long as you have the stock prepared, you could be enjoying this soup in about 20 minutes.

How do you prepare turkey stock?

Start by boiling the leftover turkey carcass in a pot of water for 4-5 hours. You can add a few cilantro stems to the pot to enhance the flavor. Strain the stock while it is still warm. Then allow the meat to cool a bit before stripping the remaining meat from the bones.

What is the secret to the best enchilada soup?

The first secret ingredient that makes the best enchilada soup is masa harina. It is the flour used for making corn tortillas. Turns out it is also the best flour to use when thickening your enchilada soup.

The second secret ingredient is Monterey Jack cheese shredded from the block. If you by the block of cheese and shred it yourself it will melt into the soup creating a creamy broth. Do not try to melt pre-shredded cheese into your soup. It does not melt well and will always have little strings of not quite melted cheese in the broth.

Leftover turkey enchilada soup ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2/3 cup masa harina
  • 5 cups turkey stock
  • 3 cups leftover turkey, cubed or shredded
  • 3 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce (mild, medium or hot)
  • 1 (7-ounce) can of green chilis or hatch chilis
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-ounce) can corn
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • tortilla strips
  • 3 avocados, diced
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

How to make leftover turkey enchilada soup

  • In a large pot, heat up the avocado oil, add the onion and sauté until starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
  • Then make a roux by adding the masa harina until the onions are garlic are evenly coated.
  • Add the stock 1 cup at a time while stirring.
  • Once the stock is warm and slightly thickened, add the enchilada sauce, cumin, turkey, chilis, tomatoes, beans, and corn.
  • Optional: Stir in the shredded Monterey Jack cheese. If you choose to do this, I would recommend using cheese shredded from a block rather than pre-shredded cheese.
  • Top with Shredded Monterey Jack cheese, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro and cubed avocado.
leftover-turkey-enchilada-soupPrint recipe

If you like this soup, try my better than olive garden Zuppa Toscana recipe.

Categories
Recipes Soups

Zuppa Toscana – Better than Olive Garden

Zuppa Toscana
Zuppa Toscana - Sausage Kale and potato soup

I’m not intending to share an Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana copy cat recipe, because I really like their Zuppa Toscana. However, I feel my homemade Sausage Kale and Potato soup is better than Olive Garden. I’m sure you will too.

This soup has been a favorite at my house long before I even tried the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana. It all began with a recipe for Sausage and gnocchi soup, that I modified and modified until it became in my opinion, perfect!

Read on and you will find directions for my version of Zuppa Toscana, but if you prefer I also have a link to a video and a printable recipe below.

Zuppa Toscana (Creamy Sausage Kale and Potato Soup) Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Pounds ground bulk Italian sausage

8 medium potatoes peeled

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups chicken stock

2 cup heavy cream

1 bunch of kale, stems removed

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown the Italian sausage in a frying pan until cooked through.

Set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain, because you will not want all that grease in your soup. Meanwhile sauté the onion and peppers with the olive oil until slightly tender.

Add the chicken stock and potatoes to the pan.

Put the drained sausage back into the pan and, bring to a boil.

Reduce to simmer until potatoes are tender.

Add the half and half.

Rip the kale into small bite size pieces, or chop with a chef knife.

Add the kale to the soup and simmer for 3-5 min. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Enjoy!

If you would prefer to see these directions in a video, you can find it on my YouTube channel.

Zuppa Toscana RecipePrintable

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