Butter Bean and Rosemary Soup with Farmhouse Cheese

This is a classic Scottish soup and no one does soup better that the Scots, well maybe the Germans.

12 oz dried butter beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2 pints hot chicken stock
2 thick sprigs of rosemary
1 3/4 oz grated farmhouse cheddar
pepper
salt

Soak the beans over night, drain and rinse. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 10 minutes then add the beans, hot stock, rosemary and some black pepper, no salt yet. Bring to boil then cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour or until beans are tender. Remove the rosemary and try to get out all of the leaves which will have dropped off the stem; then puree about half the soup in a blender or with a kitchen wand, leaveing some beans whole. Now add the salt and pepper if needed. To serve ladle into warm bowls and top with some cheese.

Butternut Squash Soup

1/4 cup butter

2 Tb vegetable oil

1 small to medium onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium apple, pealed, cored and chopped

1 medium butternut squash, pealed, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes

4 cubs chicken broth

1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
sour cream (optional)
garlic croutons (optional)

Melt butter in large soup pot, add chopped onion, celery, carrots, garlic and apple; cook until tender but not brown. Add squash to pot and enough chicken broth to cover all the vegetables; bring to a boil. Add spices and cover pot, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for one hour or until vegetables are all very tender.

Using a cooking wand or blender, puree until smooth return to pot and add any remain broth to reach desired thickness (I prefer it nice and thick). Bring the soup back to a good temperature and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garlic croutons.

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup (copy cat)

I was so excited to find this. It tastes just like the real thing and sooo easy to make.

3 T. olive oil
1 small minced white onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup frozen cut Italian green beans
1/2 stalk minced celery
4 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
2-15oz. cans red kidney beans, drained
2-15oz. cans great northern or small white beans, drained
1-14oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 T. minced parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups hot water
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup small shell pasta

Measure olive oil into a large pot and heat on medium.

Put the onions, celery, garlic, green beans, adn zucchini into the pot and asute for about 5 minutes or until the onions become see-through.

Add the vegetable broth, drained tomatoew, beans, carrots, hot water and spices to the pot.

Bring to a boil and them reduce heat to a simmer for 20minutes.

Add the spinach leaves and the pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan as garnish. Enjoy!!

Salmon Chowder

INGREDIENTS:
3 TBS Butter
3/4 C Chopped Onion
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 C Diced Potatoes
2-3 C Chicken Broth
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Dried Dill
1 Dried Bay Leaf
32 ounces (approx) Salmon Cubed
12 ounces Evaporated Milk
Frozen Corn (however much you like)
1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese

METHOD:
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Stir in potatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper, dill and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, corn and cheese. Stirring constantly, cook until heated through.
Originally, this recipe called for canned creamed corn, two diced carrots, more cheese, less broth and no bay leaf. It also used 2 CANS of salmon. I feel like I changed quite a bit. I haven't made this lately, but the cold weather has it on my mind.