Carrot Soup

Peel and chop up 8 carrots.
Add to stock (I used chicken because of the flavor but vegetable stock would work too)
Add a chopped up onion and about 1/2 a clove of garlic.
salt and pepper— now and later!
Cook to simmer for 30 minutes.
Add to vitamix, set to Hot Soups and run program.
Add about a tablespoon of lemon juice and a large pour of whole milk or cream.
Salt to taste, and serve!

Delicious— almost buttery in flavor and so easy!

Cauliflower Cheese Soup (add potatoes)

Without delay, the recipe that inspired mine is right here for your perusal, and you can just go straight there if you want to make it like she tells you to...
http://realhousemoms.com/slow-cooker-cauliflower-cheese-soup

• 1 (32-oz.) box chicken broth
• 1 head cauliflower cut into chunks, green part discarded
• 1 cup diced leeks
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Add this at the end

• 3 cups shredded sharp cheese
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt to taste

For serving

• 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• chopped chives
• additional shredded cheese

I'm going to put the recipe into my own words, because usually that increases my chances of ever making it again .... for some reason!

Why didn't anyone tell me that leeks are not only delicious but so beautiful? #firsttimeusingleeks

1. Chop up leeks (like onions), cauliflower, and garlic and put it in the slow cooker with the broth.

mmmmm.... veggies! ;-)
2. Let it cook all day.  On low. :0)

At this point, I added some leftover (pre-cooked) potatoes. Probably a handful or so!

3. Blend using a stick blender- or a regular blender will do!

sidenote>> I was worried/wondering if leeks would be soft enough to blend once cooked for a long time in the slow cooker. Yes, yes they are! :0)

4. After blending, add your milk (or cream), and a handful of cheddar!


YUM-mo.  I actually added about 2 c. of leeks, because I had no idea how powerful their flavor would be.  Now I know! The recipe definitely called for 1 c.! ha.

And... I'm making this again. I think it will be one of my go-to for Fish Friday/Meatless Meals during Lent!!! Just subtract the bacon.

Cheesy Black Bean Soup

My kids love to eat soup. In fact, I think they could live on chicken noodle soup and crackers if I let them!  I have worried so much about finding meals that they will gobble up, no question. Chicken noodle soup is definitely one of those things.

For many years, I have been making some variation of a chili or taco soup, with fritos and sour cream, or with tortilla chips, or sometimes cornbread or cornbread muffins.

Recently I have found a good hack for black bean soup, and it has become our new staple.  It is so tasty and yummy!

Recipe for Cheesy Black Bean Soup

2 boxes black bean soup, from whole foods.
1 can stewed, crushed, or diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, drained
1/2 bag (about 3/4 c.) frozen corn kernels
1/2 finely diced green pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Garlic salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
shredded mexican cheese

Throw everything (except cheese and corn) in the slow cooker on low.  Add frozen corn kernels and green pepper in the last 30 min. of cooking.

Serve with cornbread muffins and lots of butter!
Top with shredded cheese!

Creamy Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

I found this  Fun recipe for butternut squash soup, but decided to tweak it just a little bit. My primary alteration was the addition of a tablespoon and a half of ginger.  This was finely minced ginger, but grated might be preferable.
The recipe I came away with was this:

Creamy Ginger Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash cut in half vertically
1 onion diced
2 tbsp. of butter
1 1/2 tbsp. ginger
2 tsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
2 c. vegetable stock
1 c. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Bake the squash on 400 degrees for about 40-50 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the onion in butter, add garlic and oil and half of the ginger and simmer for a good while. Add chicken stock and cream and simmer until squash in the oven is soft and can be scooped out of its skin.

Scoop it into your soup, then blend in a blender or with a stick blender. Simmer a bit longer to get the juices really cooked in.

If you like fresh ginger, this recipe is gold!

adapted from this recipe

Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup

This soup was amazing. I did something unusual when I was making it, and I don't think I'll be able to go back to making it the original way.

Secret- key- ingredient:

Red Peppers

Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup with Red Peppers

olive oil

diced onion and red pepper

1 12 oz. can Cheddar Cheese soup 

(or if you think that's gross, 12 oz. broth of choice + grated cheese of choice)

2 c. whole milk (give or take depending on how many you're serving)

1 large head of broccoli

Soften onion and red pepper in 1 generous tbsp. olive oil. Add soup and milk, to boiling. Add chopped broccoli. Cook until broccoli is soft.

While your soup is simmering, you can use an immersion blender for a few minutes to make it a smooth consistency.

yum!