Simple recipes to save you time over the holidays.
You’re tucked into the couch, cuddled with your baby and a blanket, your baby contentedly nursing. The fire is crackling and you watch as the snow gently falls outside the window. On the stove, a warm dinner slowly simmers filling your home with the most amazing satisfying smells of homemade dinners and time with family. How did you pull off this idyllic Instagram mommy scene? Are the maid, nanny, and private chef just leaving? Nope, you just kept it simple… giving you time to enjoy with your family. These one-pot soup dinners will help to add lots of healthy vegetables to your table and keep everyone in your family happy! And they can be made ahead of time, or the day before, and will be easy to reheat and just as delicious.
Creamy Potato, Kale, and Sausage Soup
Ingredients
1 pkg ground sweet Italian sausage, sliced sausage links can be used as well
1 large yellow onion diced
3-4 russet
1 bag chopped kale
1 cup heavy cream
chicken bouillon paste or cubes
salt & pepper
1. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, brown your sausage over medium heat. If very lean add 1-2 Tbsp oil. If sausage renders more than a few Tablespoons of grease, drain some when cooked.
2. Add onions and stir to combine. Add sliced potatoes and kale, and then add water just to cover the kale, about 4-6 cups. Add 1-1 ½ Tbsp chicken bouillon paste or 1 tsp per cup of water added.
3. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on medium low heat for about 20 minutes. Test potatoes with a fork, they should be tender and break, but still holding their shape, when picked up with a fork.
4. This is the taste testing part! Add ½ cup heavy cream, and ½ tsp of salt and pepper, stir to combine. Check the taste of your broth: it should be rich and creamy and correctly seasoned. If your broth is bland adjust by adding more bullion, more cream, or more salt and pepper a little at a time… taste and repeat until perfect!
*This soup is excellent topped with Parmesan cheese and with a crusty loaf of whole grain bread or some good crackers.
** This can be easily adjusted to be vegetarian by substituting the sausage and the chicken bouillon for vegetable bullion, and vegan by using unsweetened nut milk in place of the cream (add less water when simmering so you can add more nut milk).
Market Basket Vegetable Soup
INGREDIENTS
1 large yellow onion
3 large carrots
3 stalks celery
3 medium potatoes
3 zucchini
1 cup cabbage
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Chicken bouillon paste or cubes
Salt & pepper
1. Peel potatoes and carrots as needed, chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, add olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté. When onion begins to soften add remaining vegetables to the pot.
3. Add water and chicken bouillon, 1 tsp per cup of water, just to cover vegetables. Add can of chopped tomatoes and ½ tsp salt and pepper, stir to combine.
4. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Test vegetables to see if they are fork tender, eat a potato and carrot if you’re not sure. Taste your broth and add additional bullion and/or salt and pepper as needed.
*This soup is wonderful with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches or cornbread and butter.
**Sausage (ground or links) can be added to make this heartier or a can of kidney beans and some pasta shell noodles to make a minestrone (if adding noodles add them with the mixed veggies and some additional water, add the beans at the end).
Light Cream of Potato, Cauliflower, Broccoli, or Mushroom Soup
INGREDIENTS
4 cup potato, cauliflower, broccoli or mushrooms (6 cups)
1 large yellow onion diced
1 cup heavy cream
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Chicken bouillon paste or cubes
Salt & pepper
1. Cook oil and onion until tender
2. Add chopped potatoes (4 cups), or cauliflower (4 cups), or broccoli (4 cups), or mushrooms (6 cups, sauté gently with onions for a bit)
3. Add water and chicken bouillon, 1 tsp per cup of water, just to cover vegetables.
4. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes. When ingredients are cooked, add heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
*Some of the cooked ingredients can be mashed (not mushrooms) to thicken the soup a bit. These are excellent with sharp cheddar cheese on
By Nikai Sullivan
@nikaisullivan
