Healthy Clam Chowder

In my mind creamy Clam Chowder has also seemed to be one of the most indulgent soups you can eat. I imagined it to be full of heavy fats and sodium and that making a good for you version was basically going to amount to flavorless seafood in a bowl of skim milk. I couldn't have been more wrong. 

This soup is creamy while still being really good for you. I added extra potatoes, carrots and celery to bump up the amount of veggies in it and cut down on the bacon to just a sprinkle. (it really doesn't need it)

Our local seafood counter didn't have fresh clams, so we used the canned ones and it wasn't a problem at all. It did take a while at the grocery store to find the clam juice since I was sure it was buy the tuna fish and canned seafood and the store clerk was sure it was on the juice aisle. (NOT on the juice aisle people!)  Be sure that you read the label for sodium, you don't need it for taste or flavor and lots of brands add a ton to theirs. We had no trouble finding one that didn't have any sodium added. 

Easiest Black Bean Chili

I just love Chili.  I could happily be a chili cook-off judge and live a very enjoyable life. 

But sadly, there is only one other person in my family that feels the same way as me. 

But all my family members like refried beans and hummus (so mashed beans) and nearly everyone of them will eat black beans. -  I have No idea why black beans are the exception to the rule of, "I don't like beans"  but they are.  So this chili recipe with just black beans was something everyone in my family enjoyed. 

This recipe is made with a few cans from the pantry and staples like onions, garlic and spices. If you don't have ground turkey on hand, you can use ground beef or leave it out all together and have a meatless chili. It is going to be delicious either way.  

Golden Lentil and Rice Soup

It is almost a guarantee that if a recipe calls for ginger, it becomes one of my favorites, and I am starting to feel that way about Turmeric. The base and familiar taste of the basic curries that we love, it is becoming very popular around the natural / health food scene.  I just think it tastes good, if it is going to be good for me as well, that just makes it a win-win!

I made this soup for a lunch meal and planned on taking half to my parents, since it was so heavy in the "bean" dept, I didn't plan on giving Joseph any of it at all. But as it was cooking, he began to wander into the kitchen, "whatcha making?"  code for  - -  "I think I want some of that"

I said, "Lentil and rice soup, but don't worry, you don't have it eat it".  I guess once the pressure was off, that made it okay to try. So after I blended it smooth (and I did the entire soup, not just half), I dished him up a bowl with a scoop of brown jasmine rice (also brown rice isn't his favorite).  There was no way he was going to like this soup - absolutely no way. 

(Which are the last words of every kitchen chef who thinks that they know everything)

He LOVED it, he kept saying to me, "We need to eat like this All the time" 

For a vegetarian soup, it is very hearty and creamy. With the addition of the brown rice, you won't need a huge bowl to feel really full. And you'll stay full and have tons of energy that lasts without having that "Oh my gosh!, I am So full" feeling.  

If it is too thick for you once you have it blended, go ahead and add a bit more water to thin it out, of you can add chicken or vegetable broth if you want.  

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili

I was anxious to try this recipe thinking that my kids would not be fans of it. When I served it, I just said, "chili" and left out of the pumpkin part.  All my kids loved it. It is very mild and doesn't have the spice that some chilies are famous for. 

It has a sweetness from the pumpkin and the spices are perfection. And honestly the pumpkin adds a thickness to it that makes it feel like you are eating a really substantial stew. 

It has the added benefit of being all vegetarian, and you can make it with cans that you can have on hand in your pantry. It can make a great stand-by meal that you can have on your menu, just in case. 

And although it can be made in the crock pot, you don't have to make it that way, you can easily just add the ingredients and heat it up on the stove. 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium pepper, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 15 oz. cans pumpkin

2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

15 oz. can Great Northern Beans

1 tbsp. maple syrup

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 oz. cream cheese

Directions

Heat olive oil in medium sized sauté pan.  Sauté onions and peppers until translucent, about 4 minutes. 

Add sautéed onions and peppers to crockpot. 

To crockpot add all ingredients except the cream cheese.  

Cook 2-3 hours on high, or 7-8 hours on low. 

Before serving, stir in cream cheese until melted. 

Creamy Tomato Soup

If you are someone who makes tomato soup from a condensed can (ME!) I highly recommend that you try this recipe. It is easy as can be, can be made with things you already have in your pantry and how a taste that you just won't believe!

I'm feeling like today is the day you make some tomato soup from scratch. 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup onion (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

3 cups low-sodium diced tomatoes (canned)

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, approx 3 minutes.

2. Add chicken broth, water, and tomatoes, bring to boil. Lower heat and cook uncovered for 25 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.

3. Remove from heat. Blend in a blender until smooth, if you’d like. Soup can be smooth or chunky. Return to pot and heat over medium heat until soup is hot.

4. Stir in milk and black pepper.

11 Winter Soups to Keep You and Your Budget Cozy

I love soups. I miss them during the warmer months and I love every second that I am making (and eating) them during the fall, winter and spring.

Something that I love about soups is that it can take as long or as little amount of time as you have.  You can toss your ingredients in the slow cooker and have your soup simmering all day long, or you can open a few cans, stir the ingredients around in a pot and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

If I have a lot of time during the day, maybe I will make fresh bread or rolls. If I am in a rush, I sometimes have Joseph pick up a loaf of french bread for 99 cents at the grocery store on the way home.

Soup makes - Amazing! leftovers, take it for lunch, or warm it up again and have a half a sandwich the next night for dinner.

Here are some of my favorite soups that will keep you full and toasty all winter long, and as a bonus, they are all as easy on the budget as they are to throw together.

Roasted Pepper Chicken Chili Soup

You can make this with any type of fresh pepper - Anaheim and pablano are my favorites.  This is a very rich brothy soup, so it is very nourishing. You can make it super spicy to clear up a cold or keep you extra warm.  Here is the Link (as well as above)

Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup in the Crock Pot

To get the creaminess you put the soup in the blender (broccoli and all) It was so strange to make for the first time, but I trusted the process and it turned about amazing. It is not one of my kids' very favorite soups. You won't regret making this one. Here is the Link.

Lasagna Soup 

I love this easy twist on the traditional Lasagna. Let's all be honest, although lasgana is super delicious and we all love it, it is really a lot of work. This soup give you all the flavor and absolutely none of the work. It is one of the blog's most popular posts and you'll be happy to have it in your recipe book. Here is the Link. 

Chicken Noodle Soup with Ginger and Root Vegetables

I always feel like some kind of culinary genius when I make this soup. The flavors are familiar and yet the ginger makes them perfectly different. Not to mention that if you are making chicken noodle soup because someone is sick, ginger is a great health booster. This recipe is next level chicken noodle soup. Here is the Link.

Potato Soup 

This potato soup recipe is a great one to add to your skills.  You can always make a potato soup fancier if you have the ingredients, but it is delicious and complete on its own.  Potatoes are a great winter food and you can pick up a bag of them for just a few dollars. Here in the Link.

Green Chili Enchilada Soup

This soup is one of my family's most favorites. I can toss it together in almost no time, and by the time it has heated up, I will have my boys wandering around the kitchen asking when it will be ready. I can also guarantee that the leftovers will get eaten up, and no wasting is always always a great idea for the budget. Here is the Link. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

Although this soup has a kinda fancy name, it is basically leftover stew.  I hope that doesn't turn your off of making it, but a little bit of chicken, a little bit of ham and you have a fancy soup.  My kids love the flavor combination of this and it is different that what we have a lot of times.  Here is the Link. 

Tortellini Soup

When you make this, you can use boxed or fresh tortellini. It makes it lots different than the pasta that you are used to using. I always am able to cram lots of veggies into it - I especially love using zucchini or summer squash. Plus if you have some frozen from the summer, you won't even notice that it has been in the freezer for a few months. Here is the Link. 

Irish Beef Stew

Beef stew has got to be on of the kings of comfort food. This one is a simple recipe with just potatoes and carrots. You don't have to use a ton of beef to make it, and when I want it to go a little further, I will serve the stew over mashed potatoes as gravy.  Here is the Link. 

French Onion Soup

You can make this in the crock pot and then broil your cheese on your bread separately in the oven.
Here is the Link. 

Pantry Noodle Soup

This recipe uses canned chicken and big egg noodles. It has carrots and celery from the back of the fridge but everything else is from the pantry. You can keep the ingredients for it on hand and use as one of your menu planning Go-To recipes. The simple chicken and noodles with familiar vegetables is always a comfort around our house. Here is the Link.