Potato Soup with Ham

We recently bought a 50 pound box of yukon gold potatoes for $16. Score! I canned up most of them, but we still had about 15 pounds left that we could just eat. Matt made us several batches of french fries and then I opted for a potato soup. 

We all loved how this soup turned out. It is amazing! It has layers of flavor, great texture and is a perfect dinner on the soon coming chilly fall evenings! 

If you are wanting a vegan version of this recipe, just omit the ham. The amazing flavor of the soup will remain! 

Ingredients:

8 large yukon gold potatoes

1 cup onion

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 cups vegetable stock (I used Pacific Foods Organic Vegetable Broth)

2 cups water

2 carrots

5 stalks celery

3 teaspoons sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley

Cayenne pepper

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage (the kind from a box)

3 cups cubed ham, already fully cooked (optional)

Dice the onion and toss it into a large soup pot with the extra virgin olive oil. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and water, turn heat down to medium. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-2 inch cubes. Rinse them and then add them to the soup pot. Peel the carrots and then cut into slices. Wash celery and cut into slices. Add both to the soup. Add salt, parsley and a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. 

Simmer on medium-low heat for about 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are soft. Remove from heat. 

Remove half the soup from the pot. Puree it in a food processor, blender or use a separate bowl and an immersion blender. Return pureed portion back into the pot. 

Put back on low heat and add the coconut milk and ham (if using). Stir together and then simmer for another 15 minutes to get the ham hot. 

This soup is easy, fast and tastes great. It makes a large batch and stores great in the refrigerator for leftovers the next day. 

We enjoyed ours with a side of Sorghum Cornbread. 

Crock-pot Tortilla Soup

Last week hubs and I were at Grocery Outlet and found some organic Tortilla Soup Base for $1! I grabbed the only two they had (even though I've never had let alone made tortilla soup) because who can pass up a quart of something organic for $1?

I looked around online and on Pinterest for some recipes and then made up my own from what sounded good. Here it is!

Ingredients:

1 quart Pacific Natural Foods Organic Soup Starter, Tortilla (this is sold at Fred Meyer/Kroger and other natural food stores)

2 lbs organic chicken (I used boneless, skinless thighs)

4 organic corn tortillas 

1 16 ounce can Organic Diced Tomatoes (I used home canned from our garden last year)

1 cup dried black beans

1 cup dried pinto beans

1 sweet pepper

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice from one fresh lime

1 tsp chili powder

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup diced fresh cilantro

Garnishes of your choice:

Avocado slices

Grated Cheese

Sour Cream, etc.

Dice the sweet bell pepper and cilantro

Slice up the tortillas into large, noodle like chunks. 

Then pour everything into the crock-pot. 

That's right, just dump it all in. I didn't cut up the chicken, either, only the cilantro and the bell pepper. Once it is all added to the crock-pot, then add 6 cups of water (use less water if your crock-pot is too full!). 

I cooked mine on HIGH for 7 hours. Basically it needs to cook long enough that the beans are cooked and the chicken is done. When everything is cooked, just use a large spoon and a knife to gently break up the chicken. It basically falls apart on its own because it is so tender. 

Here it is, all done, fresh from the crock-pot and garnished with fresh avocado slices. 

I cooked some rice to go on the side. 

It was amazing!! Plus the house smelled like a restaurant, which is always a plus when hubby comes home from work. 

This will definitely be a recipe we will use regularly!!