Vegetable Bean Turkey Chili & Turkey Noodle Soup

After dozens of creations these soups are Fam favorites.  Use the Basic Soup Starter recipe to begin both of these recipes.  Also, use it to create your own and share it with me!

Vegetable Bean Turkey Chili

{Add the following to the Basic Soup Starter for the ultimate chili}

1 can corn
1 can black beans*
1 can white beans*
1 can pinto beans*
1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
Pinch more cumin
Ground Red Pepper to desired heat
(I also throw in a bag of frozen veggies because we tend to do vegetable overload to make sure the meal is super healthy for the kiddos...but that would be optional!)

After you add all of these ingredients to the Basic Soup Starter turn the stove to high and briefly bring it all to a boil, then turn it down to simmer until dinner.  The longer it simmers the better it will taste.  My kiddos and hubby eat several servings.  It does my heart good to see them scooping spoonfuls of vegetables into their mouths!

Turkey Noodle Soup

{Add the following to the Basic Soup Starter for a quick, filling family soup}

1/2 cup more celery, chopped
1/2 cup more carrots, chopped
16 ounces of your choice of pasta (I use Trader Joe's quinoa and brown rice gluten free)

Add the celery and carrots to the Basic Soup Starter while still on medium heat.  While that is cooking, boil your pasta until just before al dente. Drain pasta and add into dutch oven.  Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. That is it! It is ready to serve.  This soup is simple but has such rich ingredients in the Starter Soup that it is irresistible!

Please share any variations you make!

*I have used a multitude of different beans and they all taste fantastic.  Don't be afraid to get creative!  Also, if you have the time, rinse and soak your own beans if you want to get away from the canned goods.

Basic Soup Starter

As of late I have been rocking a variety of soups.  The very cool thing about this is that they all tend to start the very same way.  The initial ingredients are the same and then I add to them to cater to the particular soup.

Fam favorites are the Vegetable Bean Turkey Chili and Turkey Noodle Soup!  I will give you the directions for the soup starter and then give you the additional ingredients for the other two in the next post!

As I type this California is officially in a drought BUT we are in the middle of a three day rain storm... basically, it is perfect chili weather!  Also, I pump up the raw garlic, ginger and cumin during cold and flu
season.  Serve it up.

Basic Soup Starter    (Four Servings)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound ground meat (I usually use high quality turkey)*
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons 21 Seasoning Salute (from Trader Joe's but any all purpose salt-free seasoning will work)
1 1/2 cups of chopped celery
1 1/2 cups of chopped carrots
16 ounces broth {gluten free} * **

Directions
On medium heat add olive oil, garlic, ginger and onion to a dutch oven. Saute ingredients until onions are starting to get translucent.  Add turkey, salt, and seasoning and mix all together until meat is no longer pink. Add carrots and celery when meat is almost done. Add broth.

At this point you can diverge to create any soup that can dream up!  See the next post for Vegetable Bean Turkey Chili and Turkey Noodle Soup!

*Leave meat out and use vegetable broth for vegetarian option!

**If you want to make a larger soup, increase broth amount and add additional veggies and spices to taste.

Clean Soups by Aunt Kathy!

I am thrilled to introduce a guest to The Beehive! I used to go visit this person almost every summer in my youth.  She taught me how to embellish... well, just about any textile, how to make real pulled taffy, and how to throw a mean New Year's Eve party (and quite possibly her affinity for exclamation marks!!!)! 

Introducing my Aunt Kathy! She has perfected the Clean the Refrigerator Soup.  It not only cleaned her produce drawers but it is pretty clean eating as well.  Cheers to her, her soups, and a clean fridge!  Thanks for the post, Auntie! Soup's on!

Today I made "clean the refrigerator soup!!!!!!!!" 

I sautéed fresh ginger and fresh garlic and some wilty green onions in some good olive oil ( not much!! Just enough!!!) maybe a tablespoon or two !!!

I found snow peas, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots and little Dutch potatoes in the produce drawer!!! Oh wait.... There was a big turnip in there too!!!! Wow what a find!!!! 

Lastly... We had made a trip to trader joes yesterday and Kait had bought some kale and made kale chips last night !!! So I will add fresh kale just before we eat!!!  

THE BIG PLUS!!!!!! For breakfast I will drain the juice off and put a big spoonful of the cooked veggies in our scrambled eggs for breakfast!!! Yummy!!!! That is , of course if we have any soup left!!!!!  

If you want meat, add it!!! I cut up 2 turkey burgers I found in the frig and added those too !!!! All this I simmered in a can of 99%fat free chicken broth and since I only had 1 can, I added 1 can of beef broth!!!! 

EEEAAAASY PEEAASY and cheap, no waste and a clean refrigerator!!! And now I know what I need at the grocery store!!!! We made cabbage steaks last night!!! Awesome!!!!!!! We will talk about those on another day!!!! Love you sweet niece!!!!!! NO POPTARTS!!!!!

Easy-Peasy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Well, even if you or someone you know isn't sick, this cooling weather is reason enough to make this soup.

It varies usually based on what I have in the fridge and freezer.

It is delightfully light yet hearty enough for a meal.  It's super comforting when a cold or flu hits your home, too.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Water
Olive oil
1 Onion
Garlic (as much as you can handle)
1 bag of carrots
1 stalk of celery
5 - 7 chicken drumsticks
peas, corn, green beans, mushrooms or whatever vegetable you have on hand!


Directions
Coat bottom of a dutch oven or large soup pot with olive oil on medium heat.
Add chopped onion and garlic. Saute until onions are tender.
Add raw chicken drumsticks.
Season heavily with your favorite soup seasonings.  I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, simple Italian seasoning, and this:

New favorite all-purpose seasoning from TJ's

Add water to cover chicken, give it a stir and turn heat to high. Add chopped carrots, celery, and any other raw vegetables.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Check to see if chicken is cooked.  Only after chicken is cooked, pull out one drumstick at a time and take meat off the bone.  Return only meat to the soup.

Taste broth and add anything that is needed.  I usually underseason until this point where I add more of just about everything including olive oil.

Let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve with a piece of warm gluten-free corn bread and butter.