Creamy Wild Rice Soup

8 ounces fresh button mushrooms
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 onion (for about 1 cup chopped)
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth or 2 cups homemade chicken stock
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 box (6.2 oz) fast cooking long grain and wild rice blend
black pepper to taste

1. Rinse, pat dry, and slice mushrooms, discarding any tough stems.
2. Heat oil in 4 1/2 qt dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Peel and coarsely chop onion, adding it to pot as you chop. Raise heat to medium high. Cook for 1 minute, stirring from time to time. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, til mushrooms release liquid, about 3 minutes.
3. Add broth, cream of mushroom soup, and 2 cups water (or however much water is called for on the box of rice). Add rice and seasoning packet. Stir well, cover pot, and raise heat to high. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir well. Cover and cook at a simmer til rice is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and serve.

*The long grain and wild rice blend doesn't need to be the 5 minute type. Just simmer for as long as the box directions tell you to. I've done both and have had excellent results either way. Also, my husband doesn't like mushrooms, so I've left them out and the soup still tastes great. Freeze dried mushrooms also work. Just add them when you add the broth and water, no extra liquid required.

Creamy White Chili

...because Melanie Zimmerman said this is a must try!!!


Creamy White Chili

l lb. boneless chicken breast cubed
1 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T Veg. Oil 

Saute chicken and above ingredients in a large saucepan and set aside.

2 cans Great Northern Beans (rinsed and drained) {I prefer 4 cans)
1 can chicken broth
2 cans chopped green chili's
1 t. salt
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. whipping or heavy cream

In a large pot combine chicken, beans, broth, green chili's, and seasonings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 min. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream. Serve. 

Chicken and White Bean Chili

From Tammy Hokanson:

3 cups diced or shredded garlic roasted chicken
2 tsp oil
6 cloves garlic
1 cup chopped onion
3 (15 oz) can great northern beans
3 (14 1/2) oz can chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh jalapeno
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp cold water

Mash 1 can beans with 2 cloves garlic. Heat oil and saute onion and remainder of the garlic. Add chicken and all of the beans (2 can plus the mashed beans). Add chicken broth, jalapeno, cumin, and lime juice. Heat over medium heat for 25 minutes. In separate container stir together corn starch and water. Add to the chili. Top with cilantro. Other toppings could include sour cream, cheese, corn chips, additional lime juice and/or additional cilantro.

Creamy Enchilada Soup

Straight from the kitchen of Melanie Zimmerman:


1  big can of shredded chicken (you can buy them at Costco)
1 can corn with juice
2-3 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 container sour cream (16 oz.)
Add enough milk to thin to desired consistency.
1 can diced green chilies
(puree a bell pepper to add a veggie)  it is really good! (optional)
8-12 corn tortillas cut up in strips.
Mix all ingredients together.  Place crock pot and cook on high until warm.  Or you can cook it on the stove and warm it until it is hot enough to eat. 

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 lb. hamburger

3/4 c. chopped onion

3/4 c. shredded carrots

3/4 c. diced celery

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. parsley

4 T. butter, divided

3 c. chicken broth

4 c. peeled, diced potatoes

1/4 c. flour

8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 1/2 c. milk

salt & pepper

1/4 c. sour cream

Brown beef, drain, set aside. In 3 qt. saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 t. butter until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour, cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly (mine never bubbles, but that's what the recipe says...). Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt & pepper, cook and stir until cheese melts. remove from heat, blend in sour cream. Makes 8 servings.

Tortellini Soup

1 lb. Italian Sausage (I usually use a tube of frozen pork sausage, can also sub. hamburger)
1 c. chopped onion
5 c. beef broth
4 Med chopped tomatoes or 1 can diced (use the cans with green chiles for more kick. yum!)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic - diced
1/2 c. water
1 c. sliced carrots
8 oz. can of tomato sauce


1 c. sliced zucchini OR 1 cup green beans (canned beans when fresh veggies not in season)
2 c. frozen cheese tortellini
1/2 c. chopped green pepper

Bring the first 9 ingredients to a boil and cook 30 minutes. Add green veggies and tortellini and simmer another 35 minutes very low. Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Baked Potato Soup

In my family this is the meal all the girls get together and have when the guys go to Priesthood session.

Baked Potato Soup
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
Cook together until flour starts to brown.
4 large baked potatoes, diced and skinned
12 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 green onions
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
7 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
 Mix all ingredients together and simmer until cheese is melted and all is hot.

When I make this soup I start by browning my flour in the butter and then I take my blender out and make 7 cups of powdered milk. While the blender is still going I dump the clumping flour into the blender because I HATE clumps and otherwise I seem to spend forever trying to stir the clumps out. I empty my blender into the pot and throw everything else in and call it good.

 A little hint... this meal is best finished with a hot brownie and ice-cream on top!!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

This recipe comes from the kitchen of Shellee Draper. Her son is in my cub scout den. One week we were talking about our favorite foods and this boy said "My moms Tomato Basil Soup". Now let me tell you... if a 10 year old boy puts his moms soup over pizza you know it is going to be good. Shellee says:


When we have it at home, I make ham and cheese sandwiches and we dip them in as we eat it.  Just so you know!  

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

2 cups onions chopped

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 dried basil

3/4 c butter divided

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cans (1 pound 15 ounches each) Italian tomatoes

4 Tablespoons tomato paste

4 c chicken broth

1-4 c flour

1 c heavy cream

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute onion, thyme, basil in 1/2 c butter and olive oil until onion wilts.  Add tomatoes and paste, simmer for 10 minutes.  In a separate bowl, mix 5 Tablespoons broth to flour until smooth.  Stir flour mixture into soup.  Add remaining broth and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.  Put soup through blender, food processor or hand blender.  Soup can be prepared ahead of time up to this point.  just before serving, add sugar, cream and 1/4 c butter, salt and pepper to taste.  

SO, I basically follow the recipe on this, but here are a couple of hints:  Since you do have to blend the soup at the end, I chop up my onions very carelessly.  :)  When you do blend, do it in small batches.  Don't fill up your blender more than half way, unless you enjoy a red ceiling.  Sometimes I will let it cool a bit before I blend it.  Just be careful doing that.  The only other thing is that sometimes if I'm feeling like NOT dying an early death, I will half the butter and use half and half.  Most of the time I make it full throttle though!  It's so yummy!  Enjoy!  

Zucchini Soup

From the kitchen of the FABULOUS Becky Rollins.

3 cups slice zucchini
1/2 cup water
3 Tbs fresh chopped onion (or 1 Tbs dried)
1 tsp season-all
1/2 tsp parsley
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
1/8 tsp white pepper (or salt and pepper to taste)
1/2 cup light cream

Combine onion, water, season-all, parsley and bouillon with zucchini in a pot. Cook 5-10 minutes until tender. Puree in blender.
In a separate pot, melt butter and flour as roux, add milk and pepper, simmer until it all melts and thickens. Combine your two pans of deliciousness and add cream.
Top with a dollop of sour cream and paprika.

Taco Soup

Contributed by Ashley Taylor.

1 lb ground meat

chopped onion to taste

2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 can black beans

2 can kidney beans

taco seasoning

Brown meat with onion. In a pot combine cans. Do not brain the juice. Add meat. Simmer. Serve with chips, cheese, and sour cream.

Cream of Zucchini Soup

I love this recipe. It is an easy one to pull out frozen zucchini for- or use it fresh from the garden!

1/2 cup butter
3 T. flour
1/2 t. pepper
1 pint cream
2 large or 3 medium zucchini
1 T. dried onion
1 T. parsley flakes
2 chicken bullion cubes
a dash (or two) of cayenne... but that is just because I love cayenne in soup.

Melt butter. Stir in flour and pepper. Blend in cream, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Wash and slice zucchini. put in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook until tender. Drain. Puree with a stick blender or in a stand blender. Add to cream mixture.
Add onion, parsley and bullion. Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Heat and serve!