Happy Halloween! I’m getting over a wicked cold, just started a new job, there’s been a big drop in the weather and my daughter has decided that she doesn’t need to take naps anymore! There’s nothing I want more than COMFORT FOOD!! This Kale Pumpkin Sausage Soup is really easy, really hearty and takes almost no time. If you don’t like spicy food, swap out the hot Italian sausage for mild/sweet Italian sausage. Whichever you decide to use, RUN to make this soup! It’s so comfortingly creamy while not being too thick, the kale gives it a nice bite and the sausage gives so much flavor to the broth.

Kale Pumpkin Sausage Soup

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Creamy kale pumpkin sausage soup that is low carb and perfect comfort food for chilly weekday evenings.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1.25 lb hot Italian sausage links
• ½ Vidalia onion, diced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 8 oz whole baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 4 tbsp butter
• 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Remove sausage from casing and chop up onion, garlic, mushroom and kale.
2. Add ingredients to a deep soup pot with butter and Italian Seasoning.
3. Cook on medium high heat until sausage is browned, approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently to break up the sausage.
4. Add pumpkin puree, chicken broth and heavy whipping cream and cook for an additional 10 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 800 Fat: 64.6 Saturated fat: 27.7 Trans fat: 0.3 Carbohydrates: 18.7 Sugar: 5.9 Sodium: 1942 Fiber: 4.8 Protein: 37 Cholesterol: 191

3.5.3208

Gather up:

• 1.25 lb hot Italian sausage links
• ½ Vidalia onion, diced
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 8 oz whole baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 4 tbsp butter
• 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Remove sausage from casing and chop up onion, garlic, mushroom and kale.

Add ingredients to a deep soup pot with Italian Seasoning and butter.

Cook on medium high heat until sausage is browned, approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently to break up the sausage.

Add pumpkin puree, chicken broth and heavy whipping cream and cook for an additional 10 minutes for the flavors to meld.

I like to serve this with a little shredded parmesan cheese on top.

This recipe has been around for a long time in various forms. Once you get the general concept down, it’s really easy to swap out ingredients to better suit your tastes. My absolute favorite tomato-based soup is the vegetable soup at Medieval Times. It’s packed with vegetables and so flavorful, but everything is finely diced so that you can sip it instead of needing a spoon. (Eating utensils are not allowed at Medieval Times!) Well, I am absolutely never in the mood to finely dice a bunch of vegetables, so I hesitated to try to replicate the soup… until I heard of this recipe. What do we frequently buy that has tons of chopped veggies and is loaded with flavor?? Salsa! Add some chicken broth and a bit of simmering on the stove and you have a lovely bowl of warm vegetable soup. I add plenty of butter and sort of sauté the salsa first to make sure the veggies are nice and soft. Butter enhances the tomato flavor and gives the soup a great mouth feel. I’ll show you the steps for this 3 Ingredient Hearty Tomato Vegetable Soup and then chat a bit more about what else you can do with this recipe.

5.0 from 1 reviews

3 Ingredient Hearty Tomato Vegetable Soup

 

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Cook time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Warm and hearty tomato vegetable soup, using just 3 everyday ingredients.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 16oz Salsa
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 32oz. Chicken Broth

Instructions

1. Pour the salsa in a medium saucepan and drop in the butter.
2. Simmer on medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes, until the onions are starting to get translucent.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and turn the heat to medium.
4. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until butter is melted and soup is nice and hot.
5. Taste the soup and, if necessary, season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 169 Fat: 13 Saturated fat: 8 Carbohydrates: 8 Sugar: 4 Sodium: 1483 Fiber: 2 Protein: 7 Cholesterol: 31

3.4.3177

• 16oz. Salsa
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 32oz. Chicken Broth

I use Herdez salsa, which is all natural. If you want to chop your own veggies, just spin around your salsa jar to the ingredients list to see what you need to replicate it.

Pour the salsa in a medium saucepan and drop in the butter.

Simmer on medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes, until the onions are starting to get translucent.

Pour in the chicken broth and turn the heat to medium.

Cook for approximately 5 minutes, until butter is melted and soup is nice and hot.

Taste the soup and, if necessary, season with salt and pepper.

I ate this alone, but served it for my husband with some cheese quesadillas using low carb tortillas.

The easiest things to start experimenting with here are the spice level and the texture. If you prefer a spicy soup, use an extra hot salsa with lots of jalapenos in it. If you like very chunky soup, use an extra chunky salsa. You could make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Here are some other ideas:

• Use Salsa Verde instead of regular salsa for a lighter, tomatillo soup
• Add shredded chicken, frozen meatballs or canned potatoes to give the soup more heft
• Top with cubes of fresh avocado (I was not fond of the idea of warm avocado until I was served an avocado omelet once. Ohhhh, you have to try warm avocado at least once in your life! Sooo good in an unexpected way!)
• Swap out the plain butter for a savory, flavored butter like garlic butter or miso butter
• Add 1 ½ cups of rice and cook on low for an additional 15-20 minutes to end up with a seasoned Mexican rice side dish
• Forget about eating it as soup altogether and use it as a nice braising liquid for short ribs or oxtails

The weather is cooling down here in Charleston and I am really grateful to have a simple, quick soup recipe that I really enjoy!

A couple of weeks ago, I was incredibly sick. My throat felt like sandpaper and I could barely breathe out of my nose. I despise being sick and I was desperate for some relief. This soup was awesome. The butter, egg and cheese make sure this coats your whole mouth and throat. The cream helps fill you up when it’s impossible to keep heavier foods down. Alternate between bowls of this and whiskey with honey and lemon and you will be back on your feet in no time!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Quick Relief Chicken Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Creamy, silky chicken soup loaded with flavor and perfect for soothing a scratchy throat.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 ½ lbs shredded chicken
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 32 oz chicken stock
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Dried basil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Sauté the garlic and onion in butter on medium heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
2. Add the cooked chicken, heavy cream and tomatoes to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the stock and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.
4. Combine the egg and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
5. Remove the soup from the stove and wait 5 minutes. If the soup is too hot, you will end up with scrambled eggs in your soup when attempt the next step. So, wait for it to cool down a bit.
6. Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture while stirring the soup.
7. Season to taste with salt, pepper and dried basil.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 636 Fat: 43 Saturated fat: 24 Carbohydrates: 8 Sugar: 4 Sodium: 1077 Fiber: 2 Protein: 56 Cholesterol: 279

3.3.3070

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 ½ lbs shredded chicken
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 32 oz chicken stock
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• Dried basil
• Salt and pepper

Set out all of your ingredients.

Sauté the garlic and onion in butter on medium heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken, heavy cream and tomatoes to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes. You want to marry all the flavors in the pot for a little bit before you dilute the mixture with stock.

Add the stock and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.

Combine the egg and parmesan cheese in a small bowl.

Remove the soup from the stove and wait 5 minutes. If the soup is too hot, you will end up with scrambled eggs in your soup when attempt the next step. So, wait for it to cool down a bit.

Slowly drizzle in the egg mixture while stirring the soup. I learned this from Giada’s Italian Wedding Soup recipe. It adds a nice thickness to any soup.

Season to taste with salt, pepper and dried basil.

The weather here in Charleston has been all over the place. Hot one day, cold the next. Running the air conditioner and then running the heat. It’s a perfect storm for getting sick. One of the ways I ward off a cold is by drinking lots of soup.

This is actually 2 recipes in one. First, we’re going to make chicken feet bone broth. Bone broth is packed with nutrients like gelatin to help your joints, anti-inflammatories to control stomach acids, and marrow to boost your immune system. You can read more about the benefits of bone broth here at Paleo Leap’s Eat This: Bone Broth post. After we make the bone broth, we are going to use it in a hearty Jamaican style soup.

The traditional version leaves the chicken feet in and uses a dry packet of chicken noodle soup for flavor. I got around using the packet by adding chicken breasts to the stock. Breasts and necks add the most “chickeny” flavor to broth. The feet add body to the broth and allow the broth coat the entire inside of your mouth and make you feel satisfied after eating it.

You’ll need:

• 1 lb chicken feet
• 1 lb chicken breasts (2 breasts) or chicken necks
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 5 quarts of water
• 3 stalks of scallion, tops and ends removed
• 1 turnip root, chopped
• ½ cup pumpkin or butternut squash, chopped
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 7 dutch golden baby potatoes, peeled
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 tbsp whole allspice berries
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper

Prepare the feet by cutting off the nails. This helps to release the gelatin into the water more quickly.

In a large pot, add feet, breasts, thyme, garlic and water.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium high and simmer gently for 2 hours.

Strain the soup and discard the feet and breasts.

You might be tempted to keep the breasts. Don’t. If you taste a piece, you will see that it has given up all of its flavor to the broth.

You can stop right here if you want. Sipping on a cup of this bone broth with a little salt and pepper is divine and so, so good for you!

If you want to continue, return the broth to the pot. If you enjoy chicken feet, you can add those back in the pot with the strained broth. I typically give the pot a quick wipe to get rid of any scum along the sides. I don’t spend time straining off scum as the broth cooks because according to Serious Eats, it isn’t necessary as you long as you strain your broth.

Prepare the remaining ingredients and add them to the pot.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on medium high heat for approximately 45 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through.

Discard the scotch bonnet pepper and serve.

Jamaican Chicken Foot Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

2 hours 45 mins

Total time

2 hours 55 mins

 

Chicken foot bone broth used to make a comforting Jamaican soup with potatoes, turnips, carrots and seasoning.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken feet
• 1 lb chicken breasts (2 breasts) or chicken necks
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 5 quarts of water
• 3 stalks of scallion, tops and ends removed
• 1 turnip root, chopped
• ½ cup pumpkin or butternut squash, chopped
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 7 dutch golden baby potatoes, peeled
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 tbsp whole allspice berries
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the feet by cutting off the nails.
2. In a large pot, add feet, breasts, thyme, garlic and water.
3. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium high and simmer gently for 2 hours.
4. Strain the soup and discard the feet and breasts. Stop right here if you are just cooking bone broth.
5. If you want to continue, return the broth to the pot. I typically give the pot a quick wipe to get rid of any scum along the sides.
6. Prepare the remaining ingredients and add them to the pot.
7. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on medium high heat for approximately 45 minutes, until vegetables are cooked through.
8. Discard the scotch bonnet pepper and serve.

Notes

The nutrition information does not include the chicken feet and chicken breasts because they are not consumed in the final dish.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 231 Fat: 6 Saturated fat: 4 Carbohydrates: 44 Sugar: 5 Sodium: 133 Fiber: 6 Protein: 5 Cholesterol: 15

3.2.2885

It’s a super special Halloween edition! Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love all the scary movies, the creepy ghost stories, seeing teeny tiny kids dressed up in costumes. Love it! Instead of candy or a dessert, why not whip up a unique pumpkin soup for your Halloween soirée? This version is grown and sexy. What makes it grown and sexy? This guy…

COGNAC.

It adds so much more flavor than the traditional white wine.

Gather together:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp dried rubbed sage
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1/4 cup of Cognac
• 28oz can of pumpkin puree
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 ham steak, cubed
• Salt and pepper

Chop the onion and celery.

Add them to the butter, sage and ginger in a large pot.

Cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent, approximately 10 minutes.

Pour in the cognac…

the pumpkin puree…

and the chicken broth.

Make sure that you are using 100% pumpkin, like the picture below, and NOT pumpkin pie mix!

They are usually right next to each other in the grocery store baking aisle. Pumpkin pie mix is already mixed with lots of sugar and spices. That’s not what we want here.

Bring the mixture to a boil.

Turn the heat down to medium-high and simmer for 15 minutes, giving the flavors a chance to meld.

Cube the ham.

Add the ham to the rest of the soup and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until ham is warmed through and the vegetables are fully cooked.

Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve in a warm bowl.

Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Ham

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Creamy pumpkin soup with sage and ham, spiked with a little cognac.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp dried rubbed sage
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• ¼ cup of Cognac
• 28oz can of pumpkin puree
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1 ham steak, cubed
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Chop the onion and celery.
2. Add them to the butter, sage and ginger in a large pot and cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent, approximately 10 minutes.
3. Pour in the cognac, the pumpkin puree, and the chicken broth.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-high and simmer for 15 minutes, giving the flavors a chance to meld.
6. Cube the ham.
7. Add the ham to the rest of the soup and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until ham is warmed through and the vegetables are fully cooked.
8. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and serve in a warm bowl.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 349 Fat: 16 Saturated fat: 8 Carbohydrates: 26 Sugar: 9 Sodium: 1732 Fiber: 7 Protein: 20 Cholesterol: 61

3.2.2802

Have you ever gone down an internet rabbit hole? That’s where you stumble across something on the internet and it unexpectedly captures ALL of your time and attention.

When I was in college, I used to post on a website called Fametracker. It was a place to go and discuss/skewer various celebrities and movies and things of that sort. The moderators were known to be very, very strict.

I came home from class one day, logged on, and saw all of these outlandish thread titles in the celebrity section. I quickly learned the website was shutting down and the boards were going to be un-moderated until the site closed. Thread title after thread title ripping into the mods, religion, society, you-name-it!

My eyes got as big as dinner plates and a huge smile spread across my face. DIS GON B GUUUD!!! I grabbed my jacket and ran out to get the ingredients to make chili – tomato sauce, ground beef, bell pepper, onion, and spice packet. I dashed back home and I spent the rest of the night eating bowl after bowl of chili and reading each delicious little thread.

It is the perfect food for curling up in front of your computer and getting lost in something!

This one, inspired by Ed’s Chicago Cocoa Chili, has a sweet and tangy twist thanks to the flavor combination of chocolate, ginger, and orange. I came up with it after consulting my Flavor Bible.

You’ll need:

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground allspice
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and Pepper

Chop your bell pepper, onion, celery, and jalapeno.

Juice your orange.

Get your cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground thyme, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.

In a large pot on high heat, brown your ground beef.

Drop the heat down to medium.

Toss your chopped vegetables into the pan…

… and cook until onions are partially translucent (approximately 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add in your bowl of spices, cocoa, and sugar.

Stir the pot to make sure the spices are coating the meat and vegetables.

Add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and the orange juice.

Partially cover your pot with a lid and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

A big bowl would go wonderfully with any of the following really interesting, long articles: The Welfare Queen; The Long, Fake Life of J.S. Dirr: A Decade-Long Internet Cancer Hoax Unravels, and The Child Exchange: Inside America’s Underground Market for Adopted Children.

Chocolate Ginger Orange Chili

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Hearty chili infused with the flavors of chocolate, ginger, and orange. It's sweet, spicy, savory and incredibly comforting.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 28-oz cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground allspice
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Chop your bell pepper, onion, celery, and jalapeno.
2. Juice your orange.
3. Get your cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, ground allspice, ground ginger, ground thyme, dried basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
4. In a large pot on high heat, brown your ground beef.
5. Drop the heat down to medium.
6. Toss your chopped vegetables into the pan and cook until onions are partially translucent (approximately 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
7. Add in your bowl of spices, cocoa, and sugar.
8. Stir the pot to make sure the spices are coating the meat and vegetables.
9. Add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and the orange juice.
10. Partially cover your pot with a lid and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 317 Fat: 12 Carbohydrates: 24 Sugar: 13 Sodium: 596 Protein: 27

3.2.1303