Soup!

I love to make soup in the wintertime. Love to eat it too. This week i made some soups, that i thought i'd share. Everyone likes them, even the boys.

The first one is Pasta Fagioli Soup, a recipe that came from Olive Garden's website. It makes a lot and freezes well...

1 LB ground beef

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. shredded carrot

1 c. chopped celery

2 garlic cloves

2 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 can red kidney beans, with liquid (15 oz)

1 can great northern beans with liquid (15 oz)

1 12 oz can V8 juice (or more)

1 T vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp oregano & basil

1/2 tsp. pepper & thyme

1 c. pasta

brown beef in large pan. drain, and add onion, carrot, celery, & garlic. Saute for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (except pasta) and simmer for 1 hour. cook pasta for 10 minutes and add to soup.

The second one is a Creamy Turkey soup. you could probably use chicken also.

1 onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

5 T butter

5 T flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. thyme, savory, and parsley (i never used the savory)

1 1/2 c. milk

3 c. cubed cooked turkey

5 medium carrots, chopped

1-2 c. turkey or chicken broth

1 package (10 oz) frozen peas

In a soup kettle, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in the flour and seasonings. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add turkey and carrots. Add enough broth until desired consistency. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. add peas; cover and simmer for 15 more minutes or until veggies are tender. Makes 2 quarts.