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Sarah’s Minestrone Soup

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Make It Your Own

The base of any minestrone soup is going to be vegetables and pasta. In Sarah’s Minestrone Soup (yes, I’m putting my name on this one), I start with a pound of ground breakfast sausage before diving into those classic ingredients. If you want to spice things up, you can choose a spicy sausage but I use “original” flavor. I keep the chopping to a minimum in this recipe. Yes, you need to cut an onion and mince a few cloves of garlic but that is it! All other produce is either canned or frozen. It is so much easier to have canned and frozen items on hand and frankly, it can be cheaper. I do use fresh thyme in this recipe because I prefer the flavor over the dried version but use whatever is easiest for you. Plucking those fresh thyme leaves is a tedious task. I prefer to use food safe twine to bundle the thyme sprigs. The exact number of sprigs is not critical, just grab a few and move on with the recipe.

Garlic, bay leaf, and a bundle of thyme

Methods

As far as soups go, Sarah’s Minestrone Soup comes together fairly quickly. Brown the sausage first to ensure it cooks through. This will also provide oils to help cook down the onions and garlic. Once those are cooked down, you add the canned tomatoes, salt & pepper, vegetable broth, and frozen vegetables. The blend I use includes green beans, corn, carrots, and peas. But use whatever blend you prefer or have on hand. Toss in your thyme and bay leaf then bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, add your pasta. Be sure to stir periodically as the pasta cooks so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. You are ready to serve once the pasta is cooked through. Yes, this makes a large pot of soup. Perfect for feeding a crowd, sharing with neighbors, or storing half of it away in the freezer for a later date.

A wooden spoon full of soup over a pot of soup.
A wooden spoon full of soup over a pot of soup.

Sarah’s Minestrone Soup

Sarah Baade
A hearty soup full of veggies, pasta, and sausage.
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Course Dinner

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground sausage
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 oz canned fired roasted diced tomatoes (do not drain)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 16 oz frozen mixed vegetables
  • 5-10 sprigs fresh thyme tied into a bundle with food safe twine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1½ cups small pasta of your choice (I used ditalini)

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown sausage over medium heat.
  • Stir in onions and cook until translucent.
  • Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir in tomatoes and salt & pepper.
  • Add vegetable broth, vegetables, thyme, and bay leaf to pot and increase heat to high, bringing soup to a boil.
  • Add pasta and stir occasionally to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • Once pasta is cooked, remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
  • Serve warm. Optional to sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.
Keyword Homemade Soup, Minestrone Soup, Soup

Additional Cold Weather Recipes:

Barley Soup

Semi-Homemade Pot Pie

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP

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Bowl of black bean soup garnished with sour cream, two slices of avocado and green onions.

There is a restaurant here in San Antonio that has amazing, smoky refried black beans. These are my absolute favorite beans. Ever. I love these beans so much that I could never try to actually replicate them. Instead, I’ve used those beans as inspiration. Have you ever used liquid smoke before? A little goes a long way but when you find the right balance, it can give a beautiful enhancement to the flavors of your dish. After creating this black bean soup, I am interested to see how else I can start using liquid smoke.

My family and I have found a new weekend routine where we schedule time to play outside. This might be riding our bikes through the neighborhood, running around on a playground, or hiking a nearby trail. By scheduling these activities, we are all committed to spend this time together, “no screens attached.” It has provided such an escape from all the stressors of the world. For those couple of hours, our only priority is having fun together. Pure joy. I’ve found that these activities can build up quite an appetite. With the cooler weather we’ve had lately, I love starting a slow cooker recipe in the morning and having it ready for when we get back home. So here, I have for you, my new slow cooker black bean soup recipe. Start it in the morning, go spend some time playing outside, and then enjoy a warm bowl when you get home.

Bowl of black bean soup garnished with sour cream, two slices of avocado and green onions.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Sarah Baade
This soup is easy to make and has a warm, gentle smoky flavor to it. Delicious.
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Course Dinner, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dry black beans, rinsed
  • 15oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • Optional Garnishes: sour cream, avocado, green onions, crumbled tortilla chips

Instructions
 

  • Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
  • Cook on high for 6 hours or until beans are tender.
  • Serve with garnishes as desired.
Keyword Black Bean Soup, Black Beans, Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Soup

Looking for more soup recipes?

Barley Soup

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

ONE POT VEGETARIAN CHILI

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People spend years perfecting their chili recipe. Years. My dad included. Getting to that point of self-proclaimed perfection requires passion. Trial and error on spices. A commitment to eating LOTS of chili. Do you make it all meat and no beans? (hi there, Texas, I’m looking at you.) Do you pour it over pasta? (Cincinnati, I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it’s delicious.) If you’re going vegetarian, do you use beans exclusively or add in a variety of other veggies?  I kind of consider Chili to be a personal journey – find a style you like and then perfect it to your own flavors from there.

Every year for the Super Bowl, we head over to a friend’s house for a big get together. The game is on for those who are interested but they also hold a chili competition. I’ve used other people’s recipes for this in the past but this year I look forward to bringing my own. Here, I’ve created a vegetarian chili that is bean and tomato based – no other veggies added in. I feel like it gives more of a classic, hearty feel to it while still giving you a meatless recipe. On that note, if you are cooking for a meat eating crowd, you can absolutely brown up a pound of ground beef and add it in here.

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

This hearty chili will warm you up and fill your belly – no meat required.
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Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 15oz cans kidney beans
  • 1 15oz can pinto beans
  • 1 15oz can black beans
  • 1 7oz can diced green chiles (mild)
  • 2 28oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 14oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 3 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Optional toppings:

  • sour cream, plain greek yogurt, avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, corn chips

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in beans, chiles and diced tomatoes. Stir in spices and Worcestershire sauce. Pour in crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and vegetable
    broth and stir together. Increase heat to bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 30 minutes.
  • Top with desired toppings and serve with corn bread or a loaf of rustic bread.
Keyword Chili, Easy Chili Recipe, Healthy Chili, One Pot Chili Recipe, One Pot Vegetarian Chili, Vegan Chili, Vegetarian Chili

BARLEY SOUP

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This has felt like the longest summer I’ve ever experienced. As of a few days ago, we were still hitting temperatures near the 90’s. Did Mother Nature forget to check the calendar? It is already late October?! Truthfully, I love living in a warmer climate. I’ve done my time with cold and snow and I learned it wasn’t for me. That being said, I can’t help but crave a few cooler (not cold) days so I can indulge in winter comfort foods. We are finally cooling off here in Texas and I’m going full out on my comfort food recipes.

I’ve been craving soup lately but my brain has also been wandering back to my recipe for Baby Bella Shepherd’s Pie. The solution? Turn the base of that shepherd’s pie into a soup! The result? Pure satisfaction! This soup is hearty and rich in flavor. Anyone who eats this is going to think you slaved away in the kitchen all day when, in fact, it is simple to make. Bonus? This is one of those recipes that tastes even better as leftovers.

Barley Soup

This hearty soup is rich in flavor yet easy to make – a perfect way to warm up on a cold day.
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Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 large carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
  • 2 large parsnips, cut into 1/4" slices
  • 2 lb white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup pearl barley

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots and parsnips, cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper. Cook until mushrooms start to sweat. Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and stir until evenly coated. Pour in diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, vegetable broth and wine. Stir in tomato paste and barley. Increase heat to bring pot to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 45 minutes or until barely is cooked through.

Notes

  • Having a hard time pulling those thyme leaves off of the stem? Grab a few sprigs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Toss the whole bundle into the soup and simply remove the bundle when soup is fully cooked.
  • This is a thick, hearty soup. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add water after simmering until you reach the consistency you desire.
Keyword Barley, Barley Soup, Dinner, Easy Recipe, Homemade Soup, Soup, Vegan Recipe, Vegetarian Recipe

ROASTED VEGETABLE BISQUE

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Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog

Lately I’ve been realizing just how busy my weekdays are. A typical day means I’m up at 5:45am to get ready and help our daughter get ready for the day. After working a full day at the office, I pick our daughter up from school then head home. We have just a little time to play before needing to get dinner going. Soon after dinner, we put our daughter to bed and then I rush out the door to get a workout in. Around 8:00pm I am finally able to relax and catch up with my husband on how our day was. I know my schedule isn’t all that unusual, lots of families have a similar (or crazier) routine. To be honest, I also have TONS of help from my husband, he is my ultimate teammate in life! However, reflecting on my schedule has emphasized the importance of easy meals in our household. I do prefer to cook homemade meals but I definitely have days when those chicken nuggets in the freezer are all I can muster. On the days when I am cooking, I try to fix healthy meals and expose my daughter to a variety of foods and flavors (with an emphasis on vegetables).

Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog

My daughter has been really eager to help in the kitchen lately which provides an opportunity to share a wider variety of foods with her. She might not end up eating what we fix (she is only two years old, after all, and I’m realistic) but the exposure is still there. If she sees us prepping and eating healthy foods, those options won’t be strange to her as she gets older. This bisque recipe is actually a perfect one for her to help with. I chop vegetables and then let her put them into a bowl, season them and pour them out onto a sheet pan for roasting. We have also been finding ways to incorporate other lessons into our cooking routines. “How many eggs did we put in the bowl?” “What colors do you see on the pan?” Not to mention she is learning how to follow directions. All of this learning is happening while helping to get dinner on the table. This is what we call a Win-Win situation, my friends!

Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog

Tips:

  • You can absolutely roast these vegetables the night before you plan to serve the bisque and then blend everything together when you’re ready to eat it. Store those veggies in a sealed container in the fridge. However, since the vegetables will be cold rather than hot from the oven, you might need to pour the blended bisque into a pot and warm it over the stovetop or in a crockpot before serving it.
  • If you’re making this for a bigger crowd, double the ingredients. You can still roast all the vegetables at the same time but it won’t all fit in the blender at once. Blend what you can then pour it into a large pot and repeat this until everything is in the pot. Stir it all together with a large spoon or whisk until fully incorporated.

ROASTED VEGETABLE BISQUE

The perfect dish to warm you up on a cold evening.
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Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Raw cashews
  • 1 large head Cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 4 cloves Garlic, unpeeled
  • 2 Medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
  • 1 Medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 Large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into large pieces
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons Red miso paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon Sriracha
  • 2 cups Vegetable broth (more if you want to thin the bisque out a bit)
  • Croutons & chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Place cashews in a bowl of water and let soak. While cashews are soaking, put cauliflower, garlic and carrots in a large bowl. Drizzle bowl of vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until evenly coated then spread evenly on a sheet pan. Place onion and peppers in the bowl used for vegetables then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix until evenly coated then spread evenly on a second sheet pan. Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast vegetables 20-30 minutes or until they are tender and edges start to brown. Note that the onion and peppers are likely to be done earlier than the other vegetables.
    Drain and rinse cashews then place them in a high-powered blender. Peel roasted garlic cloves add them to the blender along with all of the vegetables. Add miso, cumin, sriracha and vegetable broth to blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Garnish with croutons and parsley.

Roasted Vegetable Bisque - Slice Of Honey Blog