Chicken Quinoa Chili

We are loving this chili. I have made it 3 times this month! It is delicious is so many ways. We are quinoa addicts in this house, that’s for sure. I always use it in place of rice, always. We honestly don’t even have rice in our house anymore! This chili is a perfect way to introduce your family to quinoa if they have never had it before. They can still get used to the texture, while the flavor is mixed with a well-known white chili. Make this tonight!

Chicken Quinoa Chili

Printable Version

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked and shredded

2 cans, drained + rinsed cannellini beans

1 quart low-sodium chicken stock

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup half and half

4 ounces monterey jack cheese, freshly grated + more for topping

blue corn chips for crushing on top

lime wedges for serving

Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add in the onion, peppers and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper and stir. Add the in shredded chicken, beans and chicken stock. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in the quinoa, half and half and grated cheese, stirring well until the cheese is melted. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and season additionally if desired. Serve with extra cheese, chips and lime wedges.

Recipe from howsweeteats.com

Serves 4

Curried Sweet Potato Apple Soup

This soup is on my menu again, and I wish I could it eat daily! The perfect tiny kick from the curry, the sweet apple cider vinegar, the fresh cilantro. And, of course, the rich, creamy sweet potato. I can't wait for dinner!!

Curried Sweet Potato Apple Soup

Printable Version

3 medium sweet potatoes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups chunky applesauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Peel and dice 2 1/2 sweet potatoes. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, nutmeg, 1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until toasted, 1 more minute.

Add the diced sweet potatoes, chicken broth and 2 cups water to the pot, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the applesauce. Simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup with a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook, stirring, until browned; remove from the heat and add the vinegar. Top with the curry butter and cilantro.

Recipe from Food Network Mag

Serves 4

White Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Fall has arrived here! I had a crazy baking/cooking day last week and whipped up all sorts of delicious fall-flavored foods. Of course, soup had to be on the list, and I served it along with the best bread I’ve ever made, Homemade Bread. This dinner made me happy, happy! I was “mmmm-ing” after each and every bite. The tart white cheddar gives this creamy soup a different flavor than you are used to in broccoli soup, and it kept me wanting more and more. This soup will be on the menu shortly in the future, and for the coming cold, cold months. It’s a quick fix, and with baby #3 headed our way, I’m going to need a few, or a lot, of these meals!

White Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Printable Version

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 of a large yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. All-purpose flour

2 and 1/2 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup milk

2 cups uncooked broccoli florets

2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded, plus extra for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and saute until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add flour to saucepan and stir until flour has soaked up all the moisture. Cook for 1 minute.

Add stock a little at a time, mixing the soup thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients and work out any flour-onion-garlic lumps that may have formed. When all stock has been stirred into mixture, add the milk and stir to combine.

Bring mixture to a simmer and add broccoli. Simmer over medium heat until soup has thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and break up broccoli and onion chunks using an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender in small batches or use a potato masher. (Make sure not to have the lid on tightly...hot liquid in a vacuum sealed blender=pressure steam burn. Just put a towel over a slightly cracked lid to allow steam to escape).

Return soup to heat and simmer another 5 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and stir in shredded white cheddar cheese. Stir until all cheese is melted. Ladle into bread bowls and serve immediately, garnishing with extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Recipe from www.lifeasastrawberry.com

Serves 3.

Baked Potato Soup

The first soup of the season, and mmmmm it was GOOD! Sometimes I feel like the title to meals just doesn't quite fit...well, this one did. This tasted exactly like a baked, mashed up, loaded potato, in soup form. It was so yummy, and very filling. We will be adding this to our winter rotation!

Baked Potato Soup

Printable Version

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 of a large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 baking potatoes

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 1/2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup bacon bits, cooked and diced

Bake your potatoes either by piercing with a fork and 1) Baking in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour or 2) Cooking in microwave for 6-9 minutes, depending on size of potato, turning half way through cooking.

Remove potatoes and coarsely mash. We like to leave the skins on but you are welcome to peel them!

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 8 minutes.

Add flour and mix until encorporated, then add milk, stirring with a wisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Add mashed potatoes, 1 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with remaining cheese, onions, and bacon bits.

Serves 8.

Mushroom Hummus Soup

Once more, a girly-lunch paid off. I love having free reign on what I can cook...(no offense hubby, there are just A FEW things you won't eat!) it really makes me excited to fix something up. I nabbed this recipe from my food network mag a couple of months ago and held onto it for a girls lunch. Holy moly it paid off! It was hilarious, every single bite one of the three of us would comment on how good, how flavorful, how YUM it was! Totally making this again, soon!


Mushroom Hummus Soup
Printable Version


2 Tbs. EVOO
2 shallots, minced (or a small onion)
1 1/4 lbs. cremini mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. white cooking wine
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 cup hummus
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs. roughly chopped parsley
2 scallions, chopped
greek yogurt, for topping


Heat the EVOO in a medium saucepan over meidum-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the wine and cook 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add the broth and thyme, simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Stir in the hummus into the soup. Transfer the soup to a blender and and puree (make sure to remove the filler cap to let steam escape), then return to the saucepan and simmer for 15 additional minutes. 
While simmering, mix the lemon juice, zest, parsley and scallions in a small bowl.  Remove soup from the heat and ladle into bowls. Top with the greek yogurt and lemon-parsley mixture.


Serves 4 for a main dish, 6 for a side dish.
Recipe adapted from Food Network Mag

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

I am trying to get out my must-have winter dishes before it gets too warm. Unfortunately, it is 70+ this week! This soup is delish even if it is a little bit too warm outside for a hot meal. The flavors come together beautifully, and I love adding a can of cream of chicken soup. It takes the regular brothy chicken noodle soup up a notch! I used a rotisserie chicken which made this meal 10x easier, and the fresh parsley (which is like 50 cents at the store, who knew?!) gives it the perfect fresh taste. I can't wait to make it again...even if it is a little warm!

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
Printable Version

2 cups chicken breasts, cooked, diced or shredded
2 Tbs. EVOO
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, sliced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
6 cups chicken broth
1 heaping tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 Tbs. fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 oz. homemade noodles or store bought "homemade" noodles

Saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic on medium heat in EVOO. Add chicken broth and all spices except the fresh parley. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the soup, fresh parley and cooked chicken and return to a boil.
Add noodles and boil until noodles are cooked, 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley, serve immediately.

Serves 6-8.
Recipe adapted from Ali.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I am so excited...Cody liked this soup! He said that it counted as a 'real meal' because it was actually filling, unlike the normal soups that I make....anyway...My best friend Ali fed me this soup and I am so glad that she did! This is delicious, FILLING, and easy. A perfect meal to make for a large group. MMM I want to make it again right now...it is cold and snowy and this looks yummy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Printable Version

2 boxes uncle ben's wild rice, cooked (I found bags that you put in the microwave for 90 sec- much quicker!)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
Saute veggies in butter. Add flour and stir for 30 seconds. Add broth and parsley flakes. Stir until thickened, then add rice, cream and chicken. Cook five minutes prior to serving. Add additional milk if too thick.

Recipe from Ali

Serves 8.

Curried Sweet Potato Apple Soup

It is soup time again! I wish I could eat soup every day of forever...okay, so maybe not on humid 100 degree days in Nebraska, but any day under 40. We ate this soup for a girls lunch and it was more than perfect. Smooth sweet flavor of apples and sweet potato and a little kick from the curry equals one delicious eat-once-a-week-in-the-winter SOUP!

Curried Sweet Potato Apple Soup
Printable Version


3 medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups chunky applesauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and dice 2 1/2 sweet potatoes. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, nutmeg, 1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until toasted, 1 more minute.
Add the diced sweet potatoes, chicken broth and 2 cups water to the pot, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the applesauce. Simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup with a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon curry powder and cook, stirring, until browned; remove from the heat and add the vinegar. Top with the curry butter and cilantro.

Recipe from Food Network Mag
Serves 4

Asparagus Soup...just try it!

Seriously? GREEN soup? Yep, that is exactly what we thought, until we tasted it! (As you can see, I took this picture after serving myself about 1/3 cup of soup!) I hate, yes HATE potato soup. Something about having the wonderful, creamy flavor surrounding those huge chunks of flavorless potatoes just irks me. But this soup was a different take on potato soup. Everything is blended (which makes it more appealing to hubbs) and the asparagus flavor plays off of the potato in a delicious way. Even my O-SO-PICKY husband went back for seconds! I know you all think that we are crazy, but if you are looking for a healthy, totally filling and YUMMY soup, just give it a shot! (NOT TO MENTION THE 40 CALORIES PER 1 CUP SERVING!)

Adapted From: P90X cookbook

1 1/4 cup onions, diced

1/2 tsp. garlic, chopped

1 1/2 quarts chicken broth

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, chopped

2 medium potatoes (cook until irish, or 3 minutes in microwave)

1/2 tsp. yellow mustard seed(I omitted)

1 dash 17-spice mix (I omitted)

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Saute onions and garlic in 1/4 cup of the chicken broth. Add asparagus, potato, and remaining stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. (instead of simmering, I simply cooked my potatoes to irish and boiled my chopped asparagus prior to adding them to the stock.) Remove soup from heat and puree with a food processor or blender. Return to the pan and season with spices. Serve.

Serves 8.

Mexican Corn Chowder

This was DELICIOUS! Okay, let me rephrase that: I loved it, my husband hated it. Sad day, I know. I love, love, love corn, and chunks do not bother me in the least. My husband loves, loves, loves corn, too...however, he and chunks do not get along. I asked him prior to making it if he thought he would be okay with chunks of corn. He said he would be fine, because, well, he loves corn. It was quite the contrary. There is A TON of corn in this soup, and it was just a bit too chunky for him. If you have a chunky-hater like me on your hands, I would suggest food processing 2 cups of corn instead of only one. I also tried to make it a little less spicy by not adding quite so much onion, green chilies, and cumin. BIG PROBLEM! Don't do that...I think that it would have been even more delicious with the full servings of each of these.

The original recipe did not have potatoes, but we added them. It made the soup a little more hearty and filling, where without it I feel like I would have needed a few bowls to fill me up.

Like I said...I LOVED this soup...I will be eating it for lunch for the next 3 days with no hesitation whatsoever...enjoy!

Adapted From: Kill the Gluten

1 small onion, diced

5 medium potatoes, chopped and boiled
3 (15 oz) cans corn, drained
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk or cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 cups cooked diced chicken
toppings: sour cream, cheese(this was my favortie), salsa, tortilla chips, avocado

Put onion, chilies and 1 can of corn in food processor, or blender, and pulse for 10-20 seconds.  Pour corn mixture into large saucepan. Add chicken broth, milk or cream, cumin, garlic salt, and 2 cans corn. Heat over medium heat until warm. Add chicken and potatoes. Heat and stir for 10 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat. Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, salsa, tortilla chips and diced avocado.

Sante Fe Chicken Soup

This sounds like a tedious recipe, but it wasn't actually that hard-and it is SO SO good! Perfect for a cold day when you need a zesty meal!

Sante Fe Chicken Soup

Printable Version

1/3 cup brown rice(uncooked)
4 portions chicken breast
1 lime, halved
2 tsp. taco seasoning
toritilla chips
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can diced green chilies
6 cups chicken broth
4 Tbsp salsa
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1)Cook brown rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and place in a dish with the lime juice and taco seasoning. Let marinate for 10-20 minutes. Then grill chicken until cooked.

2)Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, saute for about 8 minutes. Add Cooked rice to the pot and saute for 3 minutes. Add green chilies and saute for 2 more minutes. Then pour chicken broth into the mixture and bring it to a boil. Add chicken to pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes.

3)Break tortilla chips and place on bottom of bowls. Spoon soup into each bowl and garnish with a few more broken tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro!

Adapted from Eating for Life

Serves 4.

White Chicken Chili

Cody and I made this today(believe it or not, he is quite the chef!). It is a recipe from someone on his mission, and it is SOOOOOO good!

White Chicken Chili

Printable Version

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 T. vegetable oil

4 15. oz cans great northern Beans, drained

1 14 oz. can chicken broth

1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.