Broccoli Cheddar Soup

6 tbsp. butter, divided
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped or shredded ( I like to use the Matchstick Carrotts that you buy in the produce department)
4 cups small broccoli florets
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ tsp. onion salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots to the pan and cook a couple minutes more. Stir in the broccoli, chicken broth, onion salt and garlic powder. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
In a medium saucepan, melt remaining butter. Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens and bubbles, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture has thickened, whisk in the cheese until completely melted. Remove from the heat and add the cheese sauce to the soup pot. Allow to simmer until warmed through and broccoli is tender. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. If desired, puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth texture.
Source

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken (I used frozen, uncooked chicken breasts)
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed (I used 16 oz. tomato sauce)
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce (I prefer green chile verde enchilada sauce)
1 medium onion, chopped (I used equivalent onion powder-1 ¼ tsp)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used equivalent garlic powder-1/2 tsp)
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn (I used 1 can of canned corn, drained)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (I omitted this, didn’t have any)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn, cilantro, and black beans. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours. If using frozen, uncooked chicken-shred before serving (I recommend using uncooked chicken because it gives the soup better flavor)
To Serve: top with additional ingredients listed below

Additional Ingredients:

Chopped tomatoes, guacamole (see below), shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips.

Guacamole:

Mash 2-3 ripe avocados. Season to taste with garlic salt and onion powder. Add 1-2 T lime juice. Note: I use more garlic salt than onion powder. You’ll want to taste after adding the 1st T of lime juice, increasing if needed.

L’s Chicken Noodle Soup


Four to Six chicken breasts
Cut up into bite size pieces and cook in a large pot of water with one medium chopped onion and 2 Tbsp chicken bouillon. After chicken has simmered for about 30 minutes, add one large container or 2 cans chicken stock/broth. Simmer for another 30 minutes.

To the chicken and broth add:
4 ribs celery chopped,
5-6 carrots chopped
2 tsps salt
½ to 1 tsp pepper
½ to 1 tsp Montreal chicken seasoning (I think it is made by McCormick)
Onion powder (I don’t measure I just put in to taste)
Garlic powder (I don’t measure I go by the taste)
Chives (about ¼ cup)
Let this mix simmer for another 30 minutes and then taste. If you need to add more salt or broth, do so now. As the broth cooks down to cook the chicken, you will need to add more water, especially when you add the noodles. When you do, you will have to adjust the broth by adding more chicken base (bouillon or chicken broth/stock so that the soup base does not taste watery). Sometimes it takes up to 1-2 more TBPS of bouillon or another can or two of chicken broth.
When the chicken soup is the right flavor and the meat is thoroughly cooked, add the egg noodles. You can make the noodles from scratch or add premade egg noodles. Cook until the egg noodles are just tender then serve!