Spicy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Nothing is better in January than some piping hot, homemade soup. This is a favorite of mine, but maybe that's just because I like spicy. You may reduce the amount of jalapenos in it to meet personal or family preference. It comes together quickly and is perfectly healthy.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 large carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno (canned or fresh)

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 tsp Bon Appetit seasoning

3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

3 cups cooked long grain and wild rice mix

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or large sauce pan over medium high heat. Stir in onion, carrot and celery. Saute for 5 minutes. Add jalapeno and green chilies and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Sprinkle with Bon Appetit seasoning and slowly stir in chicken broth. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and continue simmering until heated through.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Breadstick Bones

Ooo Scary! Actually there is nothing scary about these recipes - they are both easy and perfect fall comfort foods. For the breadstick bones I took a can of purchased breadstick dough and stretched each piece slightly. Tied a simple knot in each end to create that bone look. Bake as directed on package. Perfect for dipping in this velvety, mild-tasting squash soup or shall I say "bisque" because it's thick and warms one up on those crisp autumn nights.

Roasting the squash brings out the flavor. A must when cooking with autumn/winter squashes. I used two butternut squash which will yield 5-6 cups of roasted squash and this is what is needed for this recipe. To roast, simply slice each clean squash in half lengthwise. Cut off tops and bottoms of vegetable and scoop out the seeds. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place cut sides down on a baking pan and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours or until squash is tender and mashes easily. Discard the squash skin.

2 large carrots, diced

2/3 cup chopped onion

3 Tbsp butter

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

5-6 cups roasted butternut squash

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute carrots and onion in butter for 8 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook until carrots are tender. Add marjoram, cayenne pepper and roasted squash. Reduce heat and add cream cheese. Simmer until cream cheese is melted. Using an immersion stick blender or food processor, puree soup until smooth. Season to taste. Serve with breadstick bones or other favorite bread.

Favorites: Cream of Tomato Soup with Homemade Garlic Croutons

Unfortunately my picture taking abilities do not do this dish justice.


Tomatoes could very well be one of my favorite foods. I love their refreshing flavor and slightly acidtic flavor. Maybe they are an acquired taste because I certainly didn't care for them as a child. Perhaps, it was when I first tried a homegrown version that I fell in love. Maybe it wasn't until I had the opportunity to visit Italy and ate one delicious plump red fruit after another that I became smitten. Whenever it was, my love has never waned since. I've become somewhat of a tomato soup connoisseur. Campbell's is out - WAY too sweet and several other versions have let me down. Why would you want to throw a bunch of sugar with those delicate red beauties? Their natural flavor is what is so appealing.

When I found this recipe, I was immediately skeptical. But after simmering a large pot of it, I knew I was onto something. It has become a family favorite. It's simple to make and forget about crushing up some saltines, you must try the homemade garlic croutons.

Homegrown tomatoes are perfect for this dish but if you do not have this option, canned tomatoes are a great alternative. Canned tomatoes are vine ripened and then immediately processed for canning while tomatoes in the produce section are typically picked far before they receive their ripened red flavor from the sun.

1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth
1 (29 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
Pinch baking soda
2 cups half and half (fat free version works great here)
Dash cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cornstarch and cold water to thicken, about 1 Tbsp of each (optional)

In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan, saute onions in butter for 5 minutes. Slowly stir in vegetable broth and tomatoes. Add pinch of baking soda; stir. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat. At this point, place soup in a food processor or use stick immersion blender to puree tomatoes to desired consistency. Return to low heat and slowly stir in half and half. If you want a thicker soup, whisk in cornstarch dissolved in water and cook until thickened. Season to taste with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. To serve, generously garnish with Homemade Garlic Croutons.

Homemade Garlic Croutons
4 slices (1" thick) french or Italian bread
4 Tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
Dash salt

Cut bread into 1" cubes. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add dash of salt; stir. Fold in bread cubes and stir until thoroughly coated with butter. Spread evenly onto a shallow baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically to ensure even browning.