Just a few Soups I like...

Grandma's Black Bean Soup

1 lb. black beans
3 quarts water
2 bay leaves
6 strips of meaty bacon cut into 1" pieces
2 large red peppers, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbls. ground cumin
2 tbls oregeno, dry
1 oz. fresh oregeno, chopped
1 oz. fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tbls. sugar
2 tbls. salt
sour cream for garnish

Cover beans with water and soak overnight. In morning, drain and place beans in a large, deep pot. Cover with 3 qts of water and add the bay leaves. Bring to a good boil then reduce heat and simmer until done, stirring frequently. This takes about 3 1/2 hours.
In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and cook until the onion is transparent. Add the oregano and parsley and stir for a minute. Pour everything into the bean mixture. Add the sugar and salt to the beans and cook for another 25 minutes. Serve really hot with a large dollop of commercially prepared sour cream in the middle.

Ham and Bean Chowder

1 lb navy beans
1 large sweet Spanish onion, coarsley chopped
1/2 pound lean ham, diced
3 cups water
2 cups tomato juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
grated cheddar cheese

Cover beans with water and soak overnight. Drain. Put into a pot with the water and tomato juice.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. While the beans are starting to cook, chop onions and dice ham and saute in a skillet with just a bit of butter. Cook until the onions are transparent. Add to the beans along with the brown sugar, salt, pepper and mustard. Continue to cook until done. About 1 1/2 hours. Remove cover and bring to a boil stirring constantly for about 3 minutes to thicken. Serve in warm bowls topped with grated cheddar cheese.

Quick Shrimp Bisque

1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of tomato soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
Generous dash of Tabasco
1 lb of cook shrimp, diced or 2 cans of salad shrimp left whole
parsley to garnish

Whisk all the liquids together. Add shrimp. Heat thoroughly. DO NOT BOIL. Serve with hot crusty bread. Serves 4.

Cream of Carrot Soup

4 cups sliced carrots, cooked, drained
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup finely minced shallots
1/2 cup butter
6 Tblsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups of milk

In a pot, melt the butter then add the shallots and saute till soft. Remove from heat.
Puree the carrots along with a cup of the broth till very smooth. Add the flour and puree till well mixed and smooth. Add this to the pot with the shallots. Return to heat and cook until starting to thicken. Gradually add the rest of the liquids and seasonings. Cook until slightly thickened while stirring constantly. Be careful not to boil.

Zucchini Soup

2 lbs. zucchini, coarsley chopped
1 large onion coarsley chopped
2 (10 3/4oz) cans chicken broth
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 tsp. curry powder
1 container sour cream

Puree zucchini, onion, garlic, and 1 cup of broth in a blender till relatively smooth. This doesn't have to be like velvet or anything. A few lumps or bumps don't matter. Add the flour and curry powder and give it another couple of twirls in the blender.
In a medium sized pot melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the puree stirring constantly until very hot. Gradually add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT sour cream. Bring to a low boil and stir constantly until it starts to thicken. Serve in hot bowls with a dollop of sour cream in the centre. Really good and so easy.

Quick Summer Soup

2 cloves minced garlic
2-3lbs of ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsley chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and coarsley chopped
1 sweet red pepper, minced
4 little green onions thinly sliced
2 cups V8 juice
Zest and Juice from one lemon
Salt and pepper
Dash of Tabasco
Put tomatoes, garlic and peppers in a large bowl that has a tight fitting cover. Put cucumbers through the blender until very smooth and add to the tomatoes. Stir in V8 juice, zest and juice from the lemon, salt and pepper and a generouse dash of Tabasco. Mix thoroughly. Cover and refridgerate for atleast four hours before serving. Serve in chilled bowls and sprinkle with the onion thins.

Cold Strawberry & Banana Soup

4 bananas
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon or more cornstarch
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Puree in the blender the bananas, cornstarch and some of the milk. You will have to do this 2 bananas at a time unless you have a really big blender. Pour the blended mix into a large pot. Add the rest of the milk, cream and sugar, gradually, whisking well. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and stir constantly until the desired consistancy. Mixture should be the consistency of cream. Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl. Gently mix in the sliced strawberries. Chill well and serve in cold bowls with a slice of banana or a strawberry on the top.

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