Uncle Bills Light Vegetable Soup Recipes

UNCLE BILL'S FRESH YOUNG PEA & VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a cooking pot on medium-high heat, melt butter and add olive oil.
• Add chopped onions and saute' on medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and saute' for another 2 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and water and bring to boil.
• Add chicken soup base, cubed nugget potatoes, and cook for 4 minutes.
• Add carrots, dill weed, parsley and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until carrots are just tender, but still firm.
• Add cauliflower, celery, young peas, red pepper, green onion, white pepper, seasoning salt, Idaho potato flakes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Reduce heat and add whipping cream slowly, stirring all the while when adding.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Remove soup from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.

UNCLE BILL'S VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add chopped onion and sauté for 4 minutes or until just lightly browned.
• Add water, zucchini, carrots, canellini beans, celery, basil, oregano salt, pepper, tomatoes and garlic.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add macaroni, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.
• Adjust spices to suit your taste.
• Serve hot.

UNCLE BILL'S INDIAN SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a large cooking pot, add 10 cups of water and bring to boil.
• Add ham bone, bay leaves, peppercorns, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, celery including leaves, green and yellow split peas and red lentils.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 hours.
• Remove from heat and let completely cool until fat gels on the top.
• Carefully skim all fat and discard.
• Remove ham bone and large ham pieces that fall off the bone and set aside.
• Leave small pieces of ham in cooking pot.
• Remove sack of cloves and cinnamon stick and discard.
• In a frying pan, heat olive oil.
• Add onion and garlic and saute' until onions are translucent.
• Transfer cooked onions to cooking pot.
• Add 8 cups of water, curry powder, turmeric, ground cumin, red hot pepper flakes, salt, carrots, and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.
• Puree' soup in batches in a food processor or blender and return to cooking pot.
• Chop ham pieces into bite size pieces and add to cooking pot.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Bring soup back to boil.
• If you prefer a spicier soup, add more red hot pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper.
• Serve soup hot.

UNCLE BILL'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy bottom cooking pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
• Add onions, leeks, carrots celery and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are slightly softened but not browned.
• Add chicken broth, water, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary.
• Bring to boil.
• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and add to soup along with the diced mushrooms.
• Add noodles and bring soup to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve soup hot.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• NOTE: Homemade Chicken or Turkey Stock is so much better than purchased broth.

UNCLE BILL'S TOMATO SOUP WITH FETA CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add garlic and onion and saute' until very tender, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in flour and tomato paste; stir well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring slowly constantly.
• Pour in stock and mix well.
• Add tomatoes including liquid, oregano, basil and sugar and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Puree' the soup mixture in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, then return to the saucepan.
• Bring back to simmer.
• Season with salt and pepper or to taste.
• When serving, sprinkle some feta cheese on top as a garnish.
• Serve Hot.

UNCLE BILL'S BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter.
• Add onions, carrots, garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium size cooking pot, add water and chicken soup base and bring to boil.
• Add precooked onion/carrot/garlic to soup.
• Add broccoli florets, reserving (6- 8 pieces) of broccoli florets to be added near the end of cooking.
• Reduce heat and simmer covered, until broccoli is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a blender or food processor, puree' soup in batches and return to cooking pot.
• Stir in half and half cream and remaining broccoli florets.
• In a cup, mix together flour and 1/4 cup water to form a thin liquid.
• Bring soup to boil; add flour mixture to thicken soup as desired, stirring constantly.
• Add soy sauce, black pepper and stir well.
• Garnish with chopped parsley when serving.
• You can also use some carrot curls for garnish.
• Serve soup hot or cold.