Potato and Pea Soup

Its minus 19 where I live today and the snow is deep. This soup is cheap, healthy and hot.

1/2 Ham
6 Cups Water
1 Large Potato
1/2 Onion
1/2 tomato
1 Stalk Celery
2 Cloves of Garlic
1-2 T. Salt or To Taste
Pepper to taste
2 Cups Dried Peas

Put ham in pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Remove Ham. Dice ham. The smaller the better. Reserve.
Add Peas, Potato, Onion, Celery, Garlic, Tomato, Garlic. Bring to a boil. Simmer until potato and peas tender. Add ham. Garnish with green onion.

Lentil Vegetable Soup W/ Homemade Croutons

Their are so many recipes for Lentil Soup but Lucinda Scala Quinn is a genius and this lentil soup... is the best. Thats just my opinion and im allowed to have it cuz this is my blog. You have to make it exactly like she does though or it's not going to be as magical. I know, weird right? But she really has got it down to a science.

She cooks her croutons on the stove and I cook mine in the oven. If you're putting them on soup I think they should start out really crispy. Also she doesnt suggest this, but I think you could garnish it nicely with a bit of cheese, or sour cream, or green onion. Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm. So damn good. Especially on a rainy day like today.

2 1/2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 Cup Onion
3/4 Cup Carrot
2/3 Cup Celery
3 Garlic Cloves
1 T. Coarse Salt
1 Small Tomato
2 Cup Brown or Green Lentils (I used mixed)
1/2 t. Thyme
1 Small Bay Leaf
1/4 t. Pepper
6 Cups Chicken Broth
4 Cups Water
2 t. Red Wine Vinegar


1. Heat large soup pot over high heat and swirl in olive oil. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and 1 t. of the salt. Reduce heat to low and saute until veggies are lightly carmelized. About 5 mins. Add tomato and cook for 2 mins. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 2 mins.

2. Add lentils, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and the remaining 2 t. of salt. Add broth and water bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer until lentils are tender. About 20 mins. Stir in vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CROUTONS (MY VERSION)
1/2 Loaf Day Old Bread
3 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
1/4 t. Coarse Salt

Dice bread. Spread onto baking sheet. Mix olive oil, garlic and salt. Drizzle onto bread. Mix to coat. Cook at 350. Flipping every once in a while until browned and crispy.

Source: Lucinda Scala Quinn "Mad Hungry"

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Italian Wedding Soup

The recipe for this soup was copied directly from one of my favorite Blogstresses Siri. If you haven't been to Siriously Delicious, actually even if you have been, go now.
I had never tried this soup before making it today and what I loved most about it was how beautiful it was. The picture doesn't do it justice as I was without my photographer, but the colors were super bright and vibrant. And the the taste was great too. I'll make this soup again and I won't change anything. I also like how it's italian cuz I often pretend I'm italian. In my head. The recipe is here.


Source: Siri @ Siriously Delicious

Beef Barley Soup

The rockstar is still ill. So he says. I personally think he just wants more soup ;)

Did you know that the intake of barley is likely to help maintain your overall health in the long term? Barley is also considered a whole grain and is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential for our health! It's so exciting!! And tasty....It absorbs all the delicious flavours that surround it and provides a pleasant chewy texture to the soup.



-1 T. vegetable oil
-1 clove minced garlic
-1/2 a pound to 1 pound of stew beef(Cut into smaller pieces)
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1 whole onion-chopped

Cook beef in pot, add and saute celery, onion, garlic salt and pepper.

-1 Litre Vegetable stock (Low-sodium if you can)
-1 Litre of Beef Stock (Low-Sodium if available)
I used vegetable and beef cuz I couldn't decide which would taste better, but you could probably just use one type.
-1/2 Cup hulled Barley
-2 whole chopped carrots
-1/2 cup chopped green beans
-1/4 cup peas

Once beef is cooked, add stocks, barley, carrots and beans(This will need to simmer for 1/2 hour or longer in order for the barley to cook properly. Pearl barley takes less time to cook but is not nearly as healthy). About 5 minutes before done, add peas.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Super Vegetable Chicken Soup

SOMEBODY had too much party this weekend and it obviously wasn't me. So Monday rolls around and somebody is totally run down and comes home from work with a cold. The following soup was created in an effort to heal his inner rockstar.
To do so, I've added a few dashes of cayenne pepper (see health benefits here) and poured the fragrant elixir over a bed of fresh spinach. He couldn't even taste the cayenne and I don't think he even noticed the spinach. He said it was the best soup he's EVER had. Whoa I said.

-4 Cups Chicken broth (Which you might have left over in the freezer from the Chicken Pot Pockets you made about a month ago)
-3 Carrots (Chopped)
-3 Celery stocks (Chopped)
-1 Whole onion (Chopped)
-1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
-1 Clove of Garlic (Minced)
-1 head of spinach
-3 sprigs fresh thyme
-3 sprigs fresh Parsley
-A couple dashes of cayenne pepper
-1 1/2 t. Salt
-Pepper to taste
-Egg noodles (Optional)

Simmer stock, add chicken, herbs and spices. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Add all veggies except for spinach. Bring to a boil. Serve when veggies are still a little crisp. Pour over a bed of fresh spinach.

Wonton Soup

-My Wonton Recipe
-Chicken broth or chicken soup base
-Chopped brocolli
-Chopped carrots
-Chopped Cauliflower
-Chopped green onion
-Rice Noodles(Optional)

Boil Wontons in water until they float to the top. In a separate pot heat chicken stock or chicken soup base until boil. Add wontons. Add brocolli, cauliflower and carrots about 5 minutes before ready to serve so they stay crisp. Garnish with green onion.

Photos:Shawn Campbell