Parmesan Tomato Soup

I made soup for the very first time tonight! My mother-in-law gave us her blender, so I'm going to be putting it to good use- starting with this soup! It has a very mild flavor, thanks to the cheese and half and half, so it's less acidic (and therefore much nicer for me to eat) than store-bought tomato soup!

Parmesan Tomato Soup (serves 6-8)


What You'll Need: 

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 finely diced onion
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups broth (we prefer using vegetable, but chicken would also be a good choice)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup grated or shaved Parmesan
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper

How to Make It: 

Add the tomatoes, carrots, onion, tomato paste, broth, and herbs to a slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 5-6 hours. When there are about 30 minutes of cook time left, melt the butter in a saucepan. Slowly add the flour, and whisk constantly about 10 minutes to make a roux. Very slowly and carefully, add 1 cup of the soup to the roux and whisk- it will make a paste, but it will also let off a lot of steam, so watch your hands! After the soup is incorporated and a thick paste has formed, add another three cups of warm soup to the mixture, and whisk to combine. Return this thickened soup mixture to the slow cooker, and stir it in. Add the half and half, Parmesan, salt ,and pepper to taste, and stir everything to combine it well. Before serving, blend the soup with an immersion blender or a standing blender (you may have to do this in batches if you're using a regular blender) and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the slow cooker and set on "warm" until you're ready to serve it!

Broccoli Salad

This is adapted from a recipe from Pat, a friend in my Bible study group. I normally don't like broccoli, but I can't get enough of this stuff. And my husband even said "I like the salad" when I served it, which means it must be good because he rarely says anything about what I make, except for "mmm" when it's chocolate.

What You'll Need:

2 large broccoli crowns, chopped

1 heaping cup shredded Italian blend cheese

1 heaping cup shredded casserole blend cheese

1 package real bacon bits

Golden raisins, optional (I used three of those snack-sized cartons)

2 cups Miracle Whip

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp white vinegar

How to Make It:

Combine the broccoli, cheeses, bacon pieces, and raisins in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together Miracle Whip, sugar, and vinegar until creamy. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine completely. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. The salad may need to be stirred again before serving, as the dressing tends to settle into the bottom of the bowl.

Turkey Chili

This recipe makes a LOT of chili- it will generously serve six to eight people.

What You'll Need:

4 tbsp butter

3 lb ground turkey

Salt and pepper

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped*

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1 13.5 oz can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can navy beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

How To Make It:

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and saute until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and set the turkey aside. Pour out the grease from the turkey (if there is any) and melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic and saute until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add turkey, sauteed vegetables, and remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Turn the heat on low and cook 3-4 hours.

*I am not a fan of cooked celery, so I usually omit it from recipes that call for it. If you choose to leave the celery out, the chili will turn out just fine.