Recipe(tried): Soups for the Cold Weather Lunch - Potato-Mushroom Chowder, Chicken Noodle Yogurt Soup, Crockpot Country Chicken Rice Soup, Creamy Mushroom Soup, Asparagus Soup

Even though the changes in season are not too noticeable in Puerto Rico, we are already feeling what we call the Christmas time weather, that changes from the usual 85 to 100 degrees to the very comfortable 75 to 68 degrees. I must admit that we eat soup no matter the weather; something very deeply ingrained in our genes. But in this "cool" weather we eat soup.

Yesterday I checked my clippings & notebooks for several soup recipes to be used during this season. I want to share the recipes with my RecipeLink Friends. Buen Provecho!

Potato-Mushroom Chowder
Source: Inez Willenborg

1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 cup light cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Saute onion in butter; add flour and seasonings. Slowly add water, stirring. Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add cream and cheese; heat through.

Chicken Noodle Yogurt Soup
(6 servings)

2 tbsp safflower oil
1 onion, chopped
2 qt chicken broth, (or 2 bouillon cubes and 2 qt water)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp mixed vegetable seasoning
5 sprigs parsley, chopped fine
2 tsp basil
3 carrots
6 oz wide egg noodles
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tbsp arrowroot
2 cups yogurt, plain
7 green onions, chopped

Pour oil into soup pot; add onion and cook 5 minutes. Add broth bouillon cubes, garlic, thyme, soy sauce, salt, parsley, basil, and carrots. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in noodles and cook uncovered 10 minutes; add chicken. In separate bowl, stir arrowroot into yogurt; blend well. Add to soup, stirring as needed. Increase heat to boiling and allow soup to thicken a little. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Crockpot Country Chicken Rice Soup
(8 servings)

3 onions; chopped
4 celery; sliced
salt
pepper
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
20 oz peas; frozen
2 1/2 lb chicken pieces
5 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup rice; raw converted

Place all ingredients, except rice, into slow cooker in order listed. Cover and cook 1 hour on high; reduce heat to low and cook an additional 8 to 9 hours. One hour before serving, remove chicken and cool slightly. Remove meat from bones and return to slow cooker. Add rice. Cover and cook an additional hour on hight.

Creamy Mushroom Soup
(2 servings)

1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp snipped parsley
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp instant beef bouillon
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp dry mustard
dash freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
snipped parsley (opt.)

In a 4-cup measure micro-cook the chopped onion, the 2 T snipped parsley, and butter or margarine, uncovered, on 100% power for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or till the onion is tender but not brown. Stir in the sliced fresh mushrooms. Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power for 2 to 3 minutes or till the mushrooms are tender, stirring once. Stir in cornstarch, beef bouillon granules, worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, and freshly ground pepper. Add water; mix well. Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power 3 to 4 minutes or till thickened and bubbly, stirring twice. Combine hot mushroom mixture and dairy sour cream in a blender container. Cover and blend till mixture is nearly smooth. Pour back into the 4-cup measure. Micro-cook, uncovered, on 100% power about 1 minute or till the mushroom mixture is heated through. DO NOT BOIL! Garnish with additional snipped parsley, if desired. NOTE:
After making Creamy Mushroom Soup, use this quick clean-up method to wash your blender. Simply fill the blender container about 1/3rd full with lukewarm water and add a small amount of detergent. Replace the lid and run the moter a few seconds or till the blender container is clean. Rinse, dry, and return the blender container to it's base.

Asparagus Soup
(4 servings)

2 lb asparagus, diagonally
sliced into 1" pieces
3 leeks, sliced
4 green onion, sliced thinly
1 red potato, chopped small
3 tbsp butter
4 cups water
1 vegetable, beef or chicken
bouillon cube
1 cup cream
2 tbsp tarragon
2 tbsp basil
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp soy sauce

Saute vegetables in butter for 5 minutes. Add water and bouillon cube; Simmer 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes more. Serve.