Lentil Soup

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 tho minced garlic

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 cup carrot, peeled + chopped, about 3

1 cup celery, chopped, with leaves

2 Tbs Tuscan Blend herb mix (my favourite is from World Market but they didnt have any in March 2023

1 Tbs Adobe

1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp Chili + Lime seasoning (Trader Joe's) or red pepper flakes to taste. Don't go crazy. People can add more hot sauce at the table

1 1\2 cup tomato sauce

7 cups chicken broth, divided

1 1\2 cups lentils, rinsed and drained

1 potato , peeled and diced small

1 1\3 or more cups ham, diced small

The original recipe, from @how-to-feed-a-loon used Italian sausage formed into small meatballs, fried and added at the end. We just happened to have leftover ham steak and it was excellent. The original recipe also used oregano and thyme instead of the Tuscan Blend, and salt instead of Adobo.  It also had pancetta, 2 ounces, cubed and fried right at the start, with the chopped veggies added on top. I skipped it because it is expensive and I don't keep it on hand. They only called for 1 cup of tomato sauce and 6 cups of chicken broth, with a note to add more if it was too thick.  Mine was too thick. it would be vegan if you used vegetable broth and vegan sausage. 

In a heavy a bottomed pot, fry onion, carrot and celery until soft and translucent, 7-10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. 

Add spices and cook 1 minute more. Add ham.  

Add tomato sauce and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and add lentils.  Partially cover pot and simmer 40 minutes. Add more broth if too thick.  Add diced potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes. If using fried sausage mini meatballs, add now. 

Hamburger Soup from Fran

1 lb hamburger, crumbled. and fried
1 onion, chopped and fried
1 quart water, with 3 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in it.
1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and heat to simmering
Add 1/2 box small pasta
Cook until pasta is done, and serve.

Curried Spinach Soup

Recipe from Bed & Breakfast Cookbook
Broad Bay Inn and Gallery, Waldoboro, ME

5-6 Tbl Butter
3 large onions, thinly sliced
2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
4 cans (10 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 1/2 cups milk
salt to taste
1 small bay leaf
1/2 tsp tarragon
1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp curry powder

1 cup heavy cream
Fresh Mint

In a heavy pan, melt the butter.  Saute the onions in the butter until wilted.  Add the potatoes, broth, milk, salt, bay leaf, and tarragon.  Simmer covered until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the spinach and continue to simmer until the spinach defrosts.  Puree in a blender.  Rinse the pan and return the pureed mixture to the pan.  Add the soy sauce and curry powder.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Chill.  Add the heavy cream, and blend well.  Garnish with fresh mint.  Serves 10-12.  Bart and I had this on 6/21/03, and he loved it.

Salmon Chowder

1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  1/2 cup slice or chopped celery
1 quart fish stock (canned clam juice)
1 28 oz can tomatoes with basil
Handful chopped celery leaves
1 Tbl basil
1 Tbl oregano
1 bay leaf
1 Tbl lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 cups left-over cooked salmon

In a large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, and celery.  Stir and cook until the onions are limp.  Add the fish stock, tomatoes, celery leaves, basil, oregano, bay leaf, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Bring all to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes.
    Add the cooked salmon, stir, and simmer for a few minutes.  Serve in large heated soup bowls.
By Chef David Lesh, Gustavus Inn Alaska - from Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, which Renee Boone gave me when I was babysitting for Michael and Nikki. in the early 1990s.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I got this recipe from a Consumer Report magazine in 1993.  They had tested all different brands of CNS, and decided their own was best.  We love it.  Since Bart and I are both sick today, and had to cancel our date plans for dinner and Rochester Philharmonic's Mardi Gras Concert, I made soup and corn bread.

Chicken breast half, with skin
1/4 c. finely chopped shallots
4 c. water
10 1/2 oz can condensed chicken broth, reconstituted, or 2 1/2 c. ready to serve.
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp thyme
pinch black pepper
3 oz medium-width egg noodles

Place chicken, skin side down, in preheated three-quart saucepan.  Brown over medium heat long enough to render out some chicken fat (about 5 minutes).  Remove chicken.  Reduce heat to low.  Add shallots and stir briefly (1-2 minutes).  Do not brown.  Return chicken to pan and add remaining ingredients except noodles.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low simmer and cook 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken.  Cool.  Discard bones and skin.  Dice chicken, and return meat to pan.  (Soup can be refrigerated for future use at this point.)  Just before serving, return soup to boil.  Add noodles and cook for required time (about 8 minutes).  Yield: about 6 1/2 cups.

Souper Soup

This is another recipe we've made for a very long time.  The kids love it, and we make it at least twice a month.  It's especially good after turkey or roast chicken.
Turkey or chicken carcass/bones
chopped onion
chopped celery
poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
water to cover
Boil above to make stock for at least a couple of hours, or use canned chicken stock or water and a bouillon cube.  Strain stock and use or freeze.
Use liquid from above to make rice:
twice as much liquid as you are using of rice.  I generally go with 6 cups stock and 3 cups rice.
When rice is done, add 1 large can of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, bits of chicken if you have them.  You may also add finely chopped celery, and Adobo seasoning to taste.  Put cover back on pot until ready to serve so it stays hot.  The rice will heat the soup.
Bart discovered a recipe similar to this on a can of soup that called for instant rice, and he made it often in college.  We decided later on that we preferred it with regular rice.  We often tweak the recipe depending on the ingredients we have on hand.  Enjoy!