cream soup Archives - The Midnight Baker

Zucchini Sausage Soup

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 10 Oct 2020 23:00:15 +0000

Use up some of that summer zucchini in this delicious and hearty soup.

Use That Summer Zucchini

Still have some of that zucchini left from the summer garden? Or maybe it was a neighbor who unloaded some excess on you?

I’ve heard lots of jokes about zucchini’s abundance. To be honest, my late husband and I never had any success with growing it. One year’s yield was one. The next year we grew a round zucchini variety since it claimed to be a “prolific grower.” The year we grew that, we got two. For us it was prolific.

Since we loved zucchini, we relied on the kindness of others to give us what they couldn’t use. Besides the usual minestrone, I wanted to incorporate it into a nice creamy style soup. Cream soups are my passion.

Sausage Makes It A Meal

I might add at this point that zucchini freezes well after it’s been blanched and dried. When it’s been frozen, it’s perfect for soups.

My husband and I were fond of making soups a meal along with a crusty roll and a salad.

The types of soup I regard as a complete meal are hearty and stick to your ribs. Mind you, this quality isn’t dependent on meat. Adding beans, rice and potatoes are excellent options if you’re vegetarian. I’ll get to the vegans later in the post.

This soup uses meat. Bulk Italian sausage to be exact. Sausage also flavors the soup since it’s full of herbs and spices. That way there’s no complicated seasonings besides the basic salt and pepper.

I used sweet Italian sausage meat in this, but you could use the hot variety or any other specialty variety that your store stocks. If you do use the hot sausage, then omit the red pepper flakes unless you want to make it more zippy. I only used a pinch since my husband was not into “zippy.” A pinch will impart a nice flavor and won’t be hot at all.

For The Vegans

You can use the suggestion in the above paragraph when you don’t use meat at all. And for the cream, nut milks–any variety–would be a great substitute. Vegan butter or olive oil can stand in for the regular butter and a high-quality vegetable stock is a good sub for the chicken stock.

The Recipe

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Zucchini Sausage Soup

Hearty and comforting soup

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: soups that are a meal, using excess zucchini, zucchini soup

Servings: 4

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 medium onions chopped
8 oz sweet Italian sausage meat
2 tbs butter
6 medium zucchini sliced (1 1/2 lbs)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half cream or light cream. See NOTES
1/8 tsp salt
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Thickening:

1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and the onion and cook until the sausage is no longer pink, breaking up into smaller bits as it cooks.
Add the zucchini, chicken stock, salt and pepper flakes. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender.
Add the cream and heat through.
If you wish to thicken the soup, mix the flour and water and gradually stir into the soup. Heat until the soup gently bubbles then cook, stirring frequently, until the flour is cooked--about 5 minutes.

Notes

For UK and EU--"half and half" is equal parts of whole (full fat) milk and single (light) cream.

Nutrition

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Slow Cooker Potato Chowder

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 00:00:36 +0000

Serve this potato chowder soup with a crusty roll and green salad and call it dinner.

Makes A Great Dinner

Well, after a short spell of spring-like weather, we’re back to cold and snow here.

With weather like that, my thoughts turn to a hearty and filling soup for dinner. This potato chowder surely fills the bill.

Serve it with a nice green salad and a hunk of homemade bread (since we all seem to be doing that now that we’ve been told to stay home and supplies are limited) and it’s pure comfort food.

It’s also good-for-the-soul food and a good way to use what you have on hand.

Fast Or Slow

The beauty of this soup recipe is that it can be done low and slow or in a jiffy on the stovetop.

The stovetop method is great for when you’ve been busy or totally forgot to plan something for dinner. Frankly with a lot of us, our minds have been other places lately with this health crisis. Thankfully, it’s a dinner that can be made quickly.

You also could be taking this time away from your job to take care of chores you’ve been putting off. Cleaning the house is usually the first thing. Well, you’re covered there too. You can just throw all of this in the slow cooker then set it and forget it and be off doing your chores.

Cream Cheese

I love cream cheese so I always have several bricks on hand. If you don’t–and for many reasons, don’t go running to the store to buy it–you can substitute other things here.

Do you have Greek yogurt? Use that. It’ll alter the taste a bit because it’s tangier than cream cheese, but it will work. Milk is good too in a pinch, as is evaporated milk. Cream is even better.

But guess what? It’s pretty darned good without it!

The Recipe

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Slow Cooker Potato Chowder

Whether you use your slow cooker or make it on the stovetop, this soup is awesome

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Course: Dinner, Main, Slow Cooker, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cream soups for crock pot, potato chowder recipe, slow cooker potato soup

Servings: 8

Calories: 267kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs red or Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken soup can size 10.5 oz/310 ml
1 tbs fresh thyme
1 small onion chopped
salt & pepper to taste
8 oz cream cheese cubed
1/2 cup crisp bacon diced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

SLOW COOKER:

Place the potatoes, stock, soup, thyme and onion in the slow cooker. Cover and cook for about 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cream cheese and stir until melted and blended. Serve topped with the diced bacon.

STOVETOP:

Follow the slow cooker instructions, except cook the potatoes, stock, etc., over a medium heat in a dutch oven until potatoes are tender. Add the cream cheese and stir until blended.

Nutrition

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Mushroom Barley Soup

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 00:00:11 +0000

Nothing is quite like a hot bowl of mushroom barley soup to warm you up on a winter’s day.

Mushroom Barley Soup: Comfort In A Bowl

Looking for something good and comforting midwinter? There’s nothing better than this creamy soup.

If mushrooms aren’t your thing–and I realize that they aren’t for many–just skip this one. I really don’t know anything that would substitute for mushrooms here and leaving them out wouldn’t work anyway.

However, if you’re a lover of mushrooms, this is a soup you will thoroughly enjoy. The tastier the mushroom, the better the soup will be so you can get adventurous here. Even splurge on some exotic ones if you feel so inclined. I use baby bellas, since they’re often on sale in my local store, but good old generic white ones work just as well.

Vegetarian Too

Yep, this can be vegetarian if you include dairy in your diet. The chicken stock can be easily substituted with mushroom or vegetable stock. I suppose it can be made vegan too with all the new dairy-free milks available, however, I haven’t tried it that way so it’s up to you if you want to try it with almond or oat milk. And of course, vegan butter can replace the regular dairy butter.

Yummy Barley

Is there any grain better than barley?

It’s nutty and filling and has a great chew factor. Barley is an excellent addition to this soup. In fact, barley makes this soup a complete meal when served with a nice salad on the side. You won’t leave the table hungry.

I would recommend that you use regular pearl barley in this soup and bypass the “quick-cooking” variety. The quick stuff seems to lack the texture and I suspect the nutrition that the real thing has.

The Recipe

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Mushroom Barley Soup

This soup is a big bowl of comfort

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baby bella mushrooms, cream soup recipe, mushroom barley soup, winter soups

Servings: 4

Calories: 439kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz fresh mushrooms sliced
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups rich chicken stock see NOTES
3 sprigs fresh thyme bruised -OR- 1/4 tsp dried
1/2 cup barley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup water
2 cups half-and-half -OR- light cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until the onions are translucent—about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, thyme, barley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until barley is cooked.
Mix the flour and water well so there are no lumps. Slowly stir into the hot soup (mixture will be very thick). Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes to cook the flour.
Slowly stir in the half-and-half and heat through. Remove thyme sprigs (if using fresh) before serving. Add any additional salt and/or pepper if needed.

Notes

Vegetable or mushroom stock may be substituted.

Half-and-Half is an American concoction but you can make it yourself by mixing 1 part whole (full-fat) milk and 1 part single cream (close substitute to American "light cream")

Nutrition

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Cream of Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Cream of Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This cream of broccoli soup takes less than 30 minutes to make!

This is the quickest way I know to make a cream soup!

I got this method from an old friend who used to cook in a restaurant and was famous for her soups.

For years, I thought making restaurant-worthy soups was a time consuming activity; Lori told me, “No way,” because in a restaurant, you just don’t have the time.

Quick and easy

I’ve used the basic broth, cream, cornstarch method for many cream-based soups. The only caveat here is you must serve it that day. It reheats, but it has to be thickened again. My Cream of Ham & Potato soup comes right from Lori and it’s a real favorite. Same with my New England Clam Chowder.

Of course, it tastes just as good if it’s not thick!

Try it with your favorite add-ins.

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Cream of Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This cream of broccoli soup takes less than 30 minutes to make!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: broccoli, cream soup recipe

Servings: 6

Calories: 514kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

10 oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 chicken stock cubes
3 cups water
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/8 tsp thyme
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk*

Instructions

Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add the celery, onion, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute until onion is tender--about 5 minutes.
Add the stock cubes, broccoli and 3 cups of water. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes.
Mix the cornstarch and the 1/2 cup water.This is a LOT of cornstarch but you have to end up with the consistency of a pudding so you must use a lot. Stir in the cornstarch and when bubbles begin to rise to the surface, slowly add the heavy cream, blending well. Stirring constantly, add the shredded cheese and stir until melted.
If the consistency is too thick for you taste, you can thin to the desired consistency using the *milk. Use just enough milk to get it to the consistency you prefer. I use about 1/4 cup of milk, but mileage may vary.
Serve immediately (as thickened products that use a cornstarch base will break down quickly).

Nutrition

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Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

This cream soup is full of brown rice, veggies and turkey. So flavorful and comforting. It’s a meal in itself!

I had an accident with a tooth a few days ago–which makes chewing a little bit difficult to say the least. Not painful at all, just a very weird sensation, however, I have to wait about a week to see my dentist because this isn’t really an emergency.

However, I want to eat something BESIDES pudding LOL–and I don’t think I’d fare too well with a diet of that for a week, so I decided a soup may be a good idea (and one that could be pureed a bit with an immersion blender) and a soup that contained a bit of fibre and veggies.

I love cream soups! Plus I love brown rice. I also had 2 turkey drumsticks I’d roasted in the slow cooker for a post I was writing for a friend who edits the food section of Bon Bon Break. Great deal because I couldn’t manage eating those leftover turkey legs with this tooth so I was glad to use them AND I had a hankering for that turkey to be honest.

This soup is a complete meal!

I pureed it some with the immersion blender purely to go down easier. My pics, however, was before that process so you can see how yummy and chunky this soup is.

It tasted wonderful and hit the spot. This is a complete meal–so just a green salad as a side would be very good with this!

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Cream of Turkey & Brown Rice Soup

This cream soup is full of brown rice, veggies and turkey. So flavorful and comforting. It’s a meal in itself!

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Total Time2 15

Course: soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brown rice, soups, turkey

Servings: 4

Calories: 421kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup sliced baby carrots
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 envelope Swanson's Flavor Boost chicken flavored stock
2 cups water
1 cup cooked diced turkey or chicken
1 1/2 cups light cream or half and half**

Instructions

NOTE: I prepared the rice and carrots in my rice cooker. For stovetop method, after rinsing and soaking the rice in the saucepan, add the carrots & olive oil, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover tightly and simmer until liquid is absorbed.
*I love the flavor that the Swanson Flavor Boost imparts, but you can use 3 standard chicken stock cubes in it's place or 2 cups of homemade chicken stock (omitting water if using homemade).
**Evaporated milk may be substituted for less fat
Rinse brown rice and drain. Place rice in the insert of a rice cooker. Add the 2 1/2 cups of water and let it soak for 45 minutes.
Then add the sliced carrots and the olive oil. Set to "COOK". This should take about 40 minutes, but check the water level. I try not to let it start to brown on the bottom (although that would taste nice in this).
When rice has completed the cooking cycle, heat the 2 tbs of butter over medium heat in a 4-5 quart dutch oven or stock pot. Add the celery and the onions. Cook until onions and celery are soft, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Add the Flavor Boost (or stock cubes) and water--if using homemade stock do NOT add the 2 cups of water!! Add the turkey or chicken and heat to boiling.
Add the cooked brown rice and carrots, stirring well.
Reduce heat and add cream, stirring until heated through. Add salt and pepper if needed--I needed no extra since the Swanson product is well seasoned.

Nutrition

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Totally Loaded Potato Soup

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 12 Oct 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Totally Loaded Potato Soup

This soup is a meal, baby.

All I could think about when I got back from Montana was eating soup. Potato soup in particular. And this potato soup.

OK, it’s a little bit of a pain to make, but trust me, IT’S WORTH IT.

I use a nice well-aged Provolone for the gorgeous flavor it imparts. You don’t need much. A little dab will do ya here. Smoked Provolone is very good too.

Eats like a meal

And if at all possible, use *fresh* herbs. It makes it taste so much better. I grow all my own and overwinter them in little pots (with the help of a CFL full-spectrum bulb). This way I always have fresh right at my disposal!

This soup is loaded with fat and calories, be warned. I wouldn’t even try to make it “healthy,” as it would lose a lot in the translation. Just make it a rare indulgence and keep it real.

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Totally Loaded Potato Soup

Loaded potato soup is the perfect hearty lunch or dinner a cold day!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked potato, loaded potato soup

Servings: 8 cups

Calories: 462kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 cups potatoes peeled & cubed (about 6 med-large)
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 ribs celery diced
4 cups chicken stock
3 tbs fresh basil coarsely chopped (about 3-4 large leaves)**
3 slices thick-cut bacon diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup shredded provolone or smoked provolone
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese preferably white
2 cups milk heavy cream, light cream, or half & half*
2/3 cup flour
4 tbs butter

Garnish:

1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
4 slices cooked bacon diced or crumbled
2 green onions finely sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese preferably yellow

Instructions

Over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon until brown and crisp. Remove from pot and set aside. Do not drain pan. You are using the bacon fat for flavoring.
Add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook until onion is soft and translucent.
Add the stock, basil, reserved bacon, potatoes, salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
In a separate small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Gradually whisk in the flour, making sure there are no lumps. Continue stirring the butter/flour combination (this is a roux) for about 3-5 minutes until it smells a bit "toasted."
Whisking constantly, gradually add the cream, very slowly, making sure there are no lumps and mixture is smooth. Cook for about 2 minutes, until cream is hot and mixture is thick.
Whisk the cream mixture into the stock/potato mixture. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove about half of the soup and puree in a blender or Ninja. Add the pureed soup back to the pot. Heat through.
Stir in the cheeses and remove from heat. Partially cover the pot and let it sit for about 5 minutes to melt the cheeses.
Stir again and serve, topping each bowl with a good amount of each garnish ingredient heaped in the center.

Notes

*I used a combination of heavy cream and whole milk, maybe 3/4 heavy cream to 1/4 milk.

** The fresh basil may be substituted with 1 tsp dehydrated.

Nutrition

Totally Loaded Potato Soup

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Cream of Ham & Potato Soup

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Cream of Ham & Potato Soup

This cream soup is absolute perfection. No one ever believes how easy it actually is and how little time it takes to make

I came by this method from an old friend who has long since moved out of the area. She was a cook in a very popular local diner and was known all over the county for her delicious soups.

Lori R. never relied upon canned ANYTHING to prepare a soup. In fact, she told me the base of this soup is the same for every other cream soup she made, which included Cream of Chicken, New England Clam Chowder, Cream of Broccoli with Cheese, etc. All she did was change up the herbs and spices to suit each individual variety.

So easy to make!

The soup is a cornstarch-thickened base. Therefore, it’s best served the day it’s made. Not that it isn’t delicious reheated–it is, but the soup will not be as thick as when it was prepared.

Lori, of course, was a devotee of heavy cream for her soups, but did admit that you could go down to half and half if you wanted to do so, but never EVER use milk, even whole milk, and that it would be an “insult to the soup” to ever use low-fat or skim milk. She’s right there, although I don’t often use heavy cream. I will use light cream or half and half. Tastes fine.

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Cream of Ham & Potato Soup

This cream soup is absolute perfection. No one ever believes how easy it actually is and how little time it takes to make

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy soup, ham, potato soup

Servings: 4

Calories: 480kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 small onion chopped
1 cup celery diced
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 cups water or any stock but beef
2 medium potatoes well scrubbed and cut in chunks--leave skin ON
1 cup thickly diced ham
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream light cream or half and half cream
salt to taste*

Instructions

In a deep, heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add the onions, celery and basil.
Saute until the celery and onions are just beginning to get tender. Add the water/stock, the potatoes, ham and the pepper. Cook until potatoes are tender.
Mix the cornstarch (the amount is not a typo) with the 3/4 cup water.
Slowly add enough of the cornstarch/water mixture (you may not have to add it all, do it in small steps) to produce a VERY THICK mixture. The spoon should practically stand up in this. It should be the consistency of a very thick pudding. Stir constantly until the mixture bubbles.
GRADUALLY add cream, stirring constantly, to thin the soup out to the desired consistency. You may have to use MORE cream, depending on the desired thickness. I like mine thick, like stew, so the 1 cup of cream works well. Your mileage may vary.
*Add salt if you feel it needs some.
Heat through (do not boil) and serve with a salad or crusty roll. This one's a meal folks, not a starter!!

Nutrition

Cream of Ham & Potato Soup

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