Soups and Stews 11

 If you'd like to see all the soups, stews and chowders in this series please check out the soup index, here. 

Split Pea Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb dried split peas, rinsed (this is about 2 cups)
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: 1 ham bone or 1 cup diced ham

To make: heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add your onion, carrots, and celery; saute your veggie until softened or about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute before stirring in your split peas, ham bone/ham, broth, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Now bring all this to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 60–75 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are soft and soup has thickened. Remove the bay leaf and ham bone (if used); shred any meat from the bone and return to the pot.

Carrot Ginger Soup
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: ½ cup coconut milk or cream for richness

To make: heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add your onions and saute them until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for another minute or until fragrant. Add the carrots, stir well and cook for 2–3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until carrots become tender. Using an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender in batches) puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the coconut milk or cream if using and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Chickpea Stew
2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional: ½ teaspoon ground coriander
Optional Garnish: chopped parsley or cilantro

To make: heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and coriander; cook for 1 minute. Stir in chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash some chickpeas for a thicker stew, if desired. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley or cilantro if desired.

Navy Bean Soup
2 cups dried navy beans, soaked overnight and drained (or 2 cans, 15 oz each, navy beans, drained and rinsed)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 cup diced ham or smoked sausage

Note: if using dried beans, place them in a pot with fresh water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 60–90 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

To make: in a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for 1 minute. Add cooked (or canned) navy beans, broth, and ham or sausage if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. You can use an immersion blender to puree part of the soup for added creaminess. Season with salt and pepper.

Rebecca’s Taco Chili Soup by Dollar Tree Dinners
2 cans no bean chili
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 jar salsa
1 packet Velveeta cheese sauce

To make: simply dump everything into your crockpot minus the Velveeta cheese sauce packet and cook for two hours to six hours on low heat. 15 minutes before you are ready to eat add the Velveeta packet. You can serve this over 1-2 packages of Knorr Spanish Rice, made according to the directions. You could also top this with tortilla chips if desired.

💗 Jo