soup du jour

It's drizzling outside, a bit chilly, and overcast. Don't you just love a good soup day? A nice hot pot of soup always hits the spot! Below are a couple of soups I've made in the last 2 weeks that were very successful as comfort food goes.

wellsphere

Simple Potato Soup 
(serves 8. I cut recipe in half and served 8 in mugs)

My husband's Grandma Bobbie used to make potato soup so he always finds it quite comforting. Lucky for me it's SO easy to make! I used red potatoes since they are nice and creamy, but you can use whatever you've got. I also added fresh garlic and then grated parmesan over the bowl instead of cheddar. Here is the recipe straight from the compilation my mom-in-law gave us.

Peel about 5 lbs of potatoes and place in a large pot and cover with water. Add to this 2 chopped onions and a cube of butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Boil until tender and drain a little of the liquid off. Mash the potatoes and onions slightly. Add milk to desired consistency. Heat through again. May be served with shredded cheddar cheese.
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One day last week I was looking for something to make for lunch. The following recipe is what I ended up putting together with what I had available in my kitchen. Lo and behold, my finicky 3 year old gobbled up an entire bowl full.

Homemade Chicken Soup 
(serves 4)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 carrots
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
1/4 red onion
1 lb. chicken meat (I used breast but it can get dry)
chicken stock
pasta (I used farfalle)
spinach
salt & pepper to taste
fresh parsley (optional)

patent and the pantry

Chop up the carrots, celery, garlic and onion then sauté in large soup pot or dutch oven on medium heat in olive oil. Season with salt and cook until tender and sweating, around 5-7 minutes. Cut the chicken into 2" pieces while your veggies cook. Turn up the heat a bit and add the chicken pieces, tossing every couple of minutes to brown all sides. Add chicken stock (and water if you don't want it too rich) to cover the ingredients and give your pasta a bit of room to swim. Bring to a boil then add a cup of pasta, cook until tender. Add spinach and cover for a couple of minutes. Serve with a sprig of fresh parsley and freshly ground black pepper.