Dennis's Philly Cheese Steak Chowder

This soup was created by my friend, Dennis Bevers. He's a fellow Texan,  who is now my fiance.

Dennis's's Philly Cheese Steak Chowder

Dennis's Philly Cheese Steak Chowder

1 -  15 oz box Steak-Ums or shaved beef from any grocery store

2 - Tbs olive oil or butter (to me, it tastes better with butter!) I had to keep adding butter when I was cooking the vegetables and then again when I cooked the steak - about 6 Tb butter total

16 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup green pepper, chopped

8 cups beef broth or or 2 - 32 oz boxes

2 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I ended up using 2½  (8oz) boxes because I added more broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garlic powder or minced garlic, to taste  (I used about ½-1 tsp powder)

2 cups Provolone, Havarti cheese (or a mixture). I used 1 cup Provolone and 1 cup Havarti.

Parsley, chopped, if desired

 Garnish: 1 cup EXTRA grated cheese to place on top of each individual bowl of soup. (3 cups cheese total for soup).

Toasted Sourdough bread to dip in soup 

Directions

Place beef broth in soup pot and heat on low, adding chunks of the softened cream cheese. Whisk occasionally so cheese will blend with broth.

In the meantime, heat olive oil in large frying pan. Add sliced mushrooms, chopped onion and green pepper; saute til softened. Add this (including ALL liquid) to soup pot with broth and stir.

Then saute Steak-ums in same frying pan, adding a little more oil or butter. It's ok if it breaks up. When cooked, add to soup/broth and stir all together, making sure cream cheese is blended.

Add 2 cups grated cheese, while stirring, to blend. Then add salt and pepper to taste.

After pouring soup into individual bowls, add more shredded cheese to top of each one. Toast bread for each person to dip into soup. Don't skip this step!

This is absolutely delicious! It's now one of my favorite soups! I know you'll love it too!

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

I've eaten many different soup recipes in my lifetime and this recipe is one of the best I've ever tasted. I'm not even crazy about ham, but the ingredients in this soup make the most delicious, satisfying comfort food! I don't even remember where I got the original recipe, but I have changed it up a bit to make it even better. There are other chowder recipes out there that are quick to fix with adding canned soups and they are pretty good, but making this recipe from scratch makes your time worthwhile and your family will love it.

Cheesy Ham and Potato Chowder

1/2 lb. bacon (or 10-12 strips)                       pepper to taste
1 large onion, chopped                                 1 cup diced carrots
3 Tablespoons flour                                      1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes                          
1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained or 1 can cream style corn
3 cups milk (Vitamin D, heavy cream or evaporated milk)
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby or American. (I used half Velveeta and half Colby this time)
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

In large soup pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. In the bacon drippings, saute onion and carrots until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually add water. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, corn, bouillon and pepper. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or til potatoes are tender.Add milk, cheese and ham; heat til cheese is melted. Stir in crumbled bacon. YIELD: 10 servings
Note: I hadn't made this soup in years but tonight I didn't have whole kernel corn so I used the cream style corn. I also didn't have enough regular milk so that's why I used evaporated and the heavy whipping cream. The original recipe said to add the milk with the water and cook the potatoes, but I didn't want my soup to curdle from boiling it, so that's why I added the milk later. I didn't have enough water in the pot to boil the potatoes so I added about 4 more cups water and 4 more teaspoons of the bouillon. I also added more ham, potatoes and cheese! This soup is SO good!

Coconut Curry Thai Chicken or Shrimp Soup

 

My Version of Thai Coconut Curry Soup 

I made this Thai Coconut Curry Soup with Shrimp and Chicken for my daughter, Jamie and her family. My sister, DonnaGay, ate it too, when she was visiting me. Everyone loved it! I love it too!

I just can't get enough of this delicious soup! Before I made it the first time I looked at many recipes on Pinterest and on YouTube and took the ingredients I thought I would like best. I've made it probably 8 times now and tweaked it til it was just right! I go by my taste but you may want to use less or more of some ingredients. 

My recipe makes about 6-8 servings, depending on whether this is a main dish or a small bowl before a meal. Cooking rice and putting 3-4 tablespoons in each bowl before the soup, will make this go further. (I love it with rice!)

 Note: I know shiitake mushrooms are expensive & if you cannot find them you can use any other kind of mushroom, but I LOVE the taste of shiitake mushrooms. You could even buy then dried at an Asian grocery store. 

INGREDIENTS 

1 Tablespoon oil (more if needed). I use avocado or olive oil.

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (could use ginger in the tube or ginger powder)

1 Tablespoon lemongrass in the tube (produce section)

1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder and

1 Tablespoon red curry paste

3½ cups chicken broth (I use powdered mixed with water)

3  Tablespoons fish sauce

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

½ lb fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 cans (13.5 oz each) Coconut milk (not lite!)

1 lb shrimp, cleaned (make sure you clean off the shells and devain them before putting in the soup OR buy them frozen already cleaned

OR  

1 lb boneless chicken, cut into ½" squares Note: sometimes I use both chicken AND shrimp!

¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)

2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh or in the bottle)

OPTIONAL: ½-¾ cup Red bell pepper, sliced into ¾" slivers

Salt to taste

Green onions, chopped as a garnish for each bowl

OPTIONAL: have white pepper available for anyone who likes a little heat, to sprinkle on their soup

OPTIONAL: cooked rice to put in the bottom of each bowl, before putting the soup in the bowl. My favorite rice is Basmati!

DIRECTIONS

Heat coconut oil in large pot on low heat. Add 1 Tb lemongrass, 1 Tb grated ginger, 1 Tb red curry paste and 1 Tb yellow curry powder to oil. Do not let it burn. Add a little more oil if needed.

Add chicken broth, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and heat to dissolve sugar for about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and heat (simmer) for 5-10 minutes or till mushrooms are soft.

Add coconut milk and heat

Now add the shrimp or chicken. If chicken is raw, simmer till it's done (maybe 5 minutes or longer). Then add the shrimp if raw. It takes much less time to cook (maybe 3 minutes)

Ad red bell pepper about 5 minutes before soup is done. You don't want it to get too soft.

Add salt to taste

Add garlic powder to taste

Add 2 Tb lime juice

Taste everything to see if you need to add more of any seasonings (lemongrass, curry powder, ginger, fish sauce, garlic powder, salt or lime juice). 

Put a little cooked rice in bowl before adding soup. Then add chopped green onions to top. Or another idea is to add oriental noodles to the soup. (I use GF rice or shiitake noodles)

I hope you like this!

Nacho Potato Soup

Nacho Cheese Soup

I used to fix this soup for my family every Christmas Eve and we all loved it. I also love that it only takes a few minutes to put together!

Nacho Potato Soup

1 pkg. (5 1/2 oz) Au Gratin Potatoes
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes & green chilies (Rotel is the brand I use)
2 cups water
2 cups milk
2 cups cubed Velveeta cheese
Dash hot pepper sauce, optional (like Tobasco)
Minced fresh parsley, optional

In 3 qt saucepan, combine potatoes & sauce mix, corn, tomatoes & water; mix well. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 15-18 minutes or til potatoes are tender. Add milk, cheese & hot pepper sauce if desired; cook & stir til the cheese is melted. Garnish w/ parsley if desired.  Makes 2 quarts ( 6-8 servings)

White Chicken Chili with Salsa Verde and Beans

 

White Chicken Chili with Green
Salsa and Beans

I've made White Chicken Chill before but couldn't find the recipe I liked on Pinterest. So I decided to just make my own and now it's my favorite! Everyone was raving about it, saying "You've got to make this again!" I didn't want to forget what I used so decided to put it here on my blog while it's still fresh in my mind.  I hope you like it! Sorry i didn't write down the amounts of each thing.

White Chicken Chili

Onions, garlic (saute with olive oil)

Add: chicken broth, 1 jar green chili salsa, cream of chicken soup, corn, beans (white or black), sour cream, cream cheese, Rotel (optional) cheddar cheese. You could add cumin and chili powder like I've done before, but this time I didn't do that).

Then add: cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken), lime juice to taste.

Serve with (on top): diced avocado, tortilla chips, more cheese and cilantro if desired.

Mary Jane's Chili with Beans

Mary Jane's Chili with Beans

This chili recipe is one I came up with over the last 50 years. I say  "over", because "over" the last 50 years I have experimented so many times and added "this n that", "less of this and more of that". You get the picture. About 20 yrs ago is when I decided I had my final recipe and quit experimenting. 

But people tell me it's the best and I get requests to make it a lot. I did not like Chili when I was growing up, but have grown to like this, especially when I started putting grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream on top. 

Other recipes I've seen have spices like oregano, but doesn't that belong in Italian food? I always thought Chili was originally a Mexican dish. I'm not crazy about chili powder, so I never put as much of that as most people do.

 I also used to drain the beans before pouring them in the pot, but after hearing 2 Iron Chefs, Alex Guarnaschelli  and Geoffrey Zakarian, say they never drain their beans, is when I stopped draining mine. If you watch that channel, especially The Kitchen, you will recognize their names. Alex and Geoffrey, who happen to both be Italian, are also occasionally judges on  shows like Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. Please see my UPDATE at the end of this recipe. It's very important!

Back to the chili, I also used to wait til the last 30 mins to add the beans, but just add them with everything else at the beginning now.

See my UPDATE, after the list of ingredients!

Mary Janes Chili with Beans

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef (or more)

¾ - 1cup diced onion

½ - 1 cup diced green pepper (more or less to your taste)

Saute first 3 ingredients together till beef is no longer pink, then add remaining ingredients 

1- 14oz can diced tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes if you don't like chunks of tomato in it)

1 - 8oz can tomato sauce plus 1 can water 

3 cans beans. I usually use 1 can each black beans, pinto beans & light red kidney beans) (see my UPDATE below).

1 can beef broth (or Better than Bullion - 2 tsps + 2 cups water). If you think your chili needs mote liquid as its cooking,  just add more of this.

3 tsps chili powder 

(you didn't misread that - yes teaspoons, not tablespoons, but you can add more if you like. Most recipes call for 2-4 Tablespoons chili powder!)

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp dry mustard

1- 2 tsps brown sugar

½ tsp Accent - unless you need to eat gluten free

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar (important to use ACV, not white vinegar)

½ tsp dry cocoa powder

2 - 2½ tsps gluten free Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper 

½ tsp Garlic powder or to taste

Hot sauce - ONLY add this of you like hot foods. Sometimes I add a little Tabasco sauce.

Sour cream and graated cheddar cheese as garnish for the top.

UPDATE: I fixed this again tonight (after fixing it for years) and have wondered  why it hasn't been tasting like it's supposed to, to me. It just dawned on me that I wrote down this recipes yrs ago when I used to drain the beans. But when I started adding the liquid with the beans (not draining them), because famous chefs on the Food Network said they don't drain the beans, I didn't add more spices, but tonight I did add more of the spices and the chili was much better! So what I did tonight was to add in ½ of the original amount of each spice. In other words, instead of 3 tsps chili powder, use 1½ more tsp chili powder, making it 4½ taps. Instead of 2 tsp cumin, add another 1 tsp, making it 3 tsps, instead of 2 tsp lemon juice, I added another 1 tsp lemon juice, making it 3 tsps lemon juice, etc. Do this with all the ingredients beginning with cumin and on down through the garlic powder. BUT (important) if you decide to drain your cans of beans, only use what's in the original recipe. Tonight, I also added about ½ cup tomato juice, just because I had it in the fridge and need to use it up. 

I hope I didn't confuse you!

Add all ingredients together, after sauting the ground beef, onions & green pepper together. Let this all simmer together for about 30 minutes - 2 hours. Of course, it's always better the next day!

Best Authentic Hot & Sour Soup

This recipe could seem a little overwhelming, but once you cut everything up, it only takes 30 mins to put the soup together & it's done! The recipe looks long, because I do a lot of explaining as I go.

Authentic  Hot and Sour Soup

If you're one of those people who have not tried Hot & Sour Soup, you should really give it a try. I've eaten Chinese food all my life but had never tried this soup until the 90's when friends took us to a special Chinese restaurant in Louisville, KY. I still think of it as the best Hot & Sour Soup I've ever tasted. Since then, I haven't found soup that even compared to the 1 in Louisville.

Disappointed, I set out to look for a good recipe. Most of my friends know, that not only do I crochet, but I like to cook as well. In fact, I may have as many cookbooks as crochet books. Even though I still look at cookbooks, I'm a huge Pinterest fan too. I probably have as many recipe boards as I do crochet boards. I looked at many Hot & Sour Soup recipes there (+ YouTube) trying to find 1 that had the most authentic ingredients. As usual, I didn't find any 1 recipe, but took ingredients from several recipes & I'm happy with the results. I hope you enjoy it!

Note: please read the entire recipe before purchasing your ingredients, because I give tips that are important. I've done all the research for you, which took me days or weeks of searching, to come up with what I think is the best soup.

 

Mary Jane's Authentic Hot and Sour Soup

Authentic Hot and Sour Soup  (Mary Jane's recipe)

Ingredients

* 1 - 1 ½ cups pork or chicken, cut in small pieces. See instructions below for marinating (+ ingredients)

* 8 oz pkg shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Note: Fresh-or he dried shiitake mushrooms at an Asian grocery store. I've used both, but dried need to soak 8 hrs. Soaking in hot boiling water speeds up the process. Advantage of dried-they'll keep forever.

* 8 oz pkg white button mushrooms, sliced

* 8 cups chicken broth or stock

* 1 cans water chestnuts, sliced & cut ¼ - ⅓ " wide

* 20 - 30 strands dried Lily Buds (from the Asian grocery store or online) This is what they look like. They will also have to be soaked in water.

* 1 cup wood ear mushrooms, dried, also called black fungus (Asian grocery store or online) This is what they look like sliced. Needs to be soaked also.

* 1 can sliced bamboo shoots, cut matchstick size

* ¾ - 1 cup grated or julienned carrots

* 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (or ¼ - ½ tsp powdered)

* 1-2 tsps garlic, chopped  (or ½ tsp garlic powder)

* 1-2 tsps SAMBAL OELEK

which is Ground Fresh Chili Paste (can be purchase at grocery store, Asian or Amazon) NOTE: Next time try not using this and use only the white pepper for heat.

* 2 Tbs Chinese Shaohsing Wine

* 1 teaspoon sugar

* Cornstarch slurry (3 Tbs cornstarch & 3 Tbs water)

* 1-2 cups firm tofu, cut into small squares (to remove liquid from tofu, put it in a pie plate, another plate on top and put something really heavy on top for 15 minutes)

* 2 - 3 eggs, whisked into a small bowl (add a cornstarch slurry to the eggs so they'll be silky-1 tsp water & 1 tsp cornstarch PER egg

Seasonings- Next 4 ingredients are added at the end, after adding eggs & heart is turned off.

* 2 Tbs dark soy sauce (or GF coconut aminos) and 2 Tbs of light soy sauce

* ¼ tsp salt

* 3 -5 Tb (¼ cup) Chinese black vinegar OR Balsamic  Vinegar Add more vinegar if soup doesn't taste sour enough.

* ½ - 1 tsp tsp ground white pepper, (this gives heat and you of anybody who likes it hot can add more to their soup. But this is the only heat you'll need. I've used the red chili sauce also most of the time, but next time use only the white pepper for heat. Try it with no Sambal Oelek)

* Taste the soup to see if it needs more salt or anything else.

* 2 tsp Toasted sesame oil (most important ingredient to me & needs to say "toasted" or it won't be good. (gives it an authentic taste).

* Green onions, chopped (as topping to each bowl)

NOTE: See more ingredients (below) for marinating the meat.

*Where to buy the Ingredients*

You can find most ingredients at a grocery store, but the wood ear mushrooms & Lily buds, Shaohsing wine & black vinegar at an Asian store or Amazon. Click the links to can see what ingredient looks like. Authentic Hot & Sour soup calls for Chinese black vinegar but If you want to use Rice vinegar, that's fine. You wouldn't use ithe black much anyway. 

Preparation

Give yourself plenty of time to cut up ingredients, ahead of time. You'll need to marinate the meat & soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms, Wood Ear mushrooms & Lily buds. After Lily buds & mushrooms are soaked, cut them in smaller pieces. If you wait to cut up ingredients as you go, you'll get way too stressed. Once everythings cut up, the rest is easy & takes only 30 mins!

Soak Lily buds & wood ear mushrooms in boiling hot water for at least an hour; save liquid to add to cornstarch for thickening later.

Cut up meat & place in bowl to marinate 30 mins - 2 hrs. You can skip the marinating of you don't have time - it'll be fine.

Marinate Liquid: (these ingredients & measurements are NOT listed above)

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp Shaohsing wine

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

Whisk ingredients together; stir into bowl with meat.

Cut up following ingredients; place in small bowls. (chestnuts & shoots same bowl). Slice shiitake & button mushrooms. Cut up carrots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, green onions, tofu & set aside. If you want, you can put all liquids in 1 bowl, then put in pot when it's time, at once. I measure liquids ahead of time, making it quick & easy.

*Note: read below, before you start, how I add everything. If you want to add all ingredients at once, without sauteing meat & veggies, that's ok. It's a little quicker & still tastes great.

Hot and Sour Soup

After marinating, saute meat it in large pot with 2-3 tsps toasted sesame oil til partially cooked. Set meat aside. Add veggies (carrots, ginger, garlic, mushrooms); add more oil if needed. Stir fry a few mins, then add bamboo shoots & water chestnuts.

Add: chicken broth & Sambal Oelek to pot; stir. Add cornstarch slurry & stir. Now gently stir in tofu.

Next drizzle in whisked raw eggs & stir gently around slowly with fork, making ribbons.

Turn off burner; add vinegar, soy sauce, cooking wine & sesame oil.

Next, add white pepper, a little at a time, tasting it. If there's someone in your family who doesn't like hot foods, you can always add less Sambal Oelek (chili paste) & white pepper, but add more of those things to your own bowl of soup.

Taste soup to see if you need more vinegar for sourness, & more chili paste if it's not hot enough. If it needs more soy sauce (for saltiness), you can add a little more of that or you might choose to add a little more chicken broth (or instant with water, like I do). Let simmer for few more mins.

If the soup tastes like you want it to, serve up in bowls & add green onions to top. I usually put the Sambal Oelek & white pepper on the table for those who like it extra hot. Sometimes I go to a Chinese restaurant ahead of time, and buy some of the crispy noodles to serve with the soup.

A cool thing to do is have a Chinese dinner and serve the soup in Chinese bowls and spoons you can buy at the Asian grocery store. The name of the one I go to in Dayton, Ohio is  called Far East Center at 116 Woodman Dr in Airway Plaza, next to the China Garden Buffet.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please contact me if you have any questions!

Creamy Broccoli Soup - My Favorite

This broccoli Soup recipe is quick, easy and delicious! It takes only a total of 30 minutes to make from start to finish. A little old lady gave me a recipe in the 80's and then my best friend Shirley Siddall, gave me hers. I combined both recipes & it's the very best broccoli soup I've ever had.  I've never found another one that compares to it. The secret of the creaminess is the cream of chicken soup, Half and Half (or real cream) and Velveeta cheese. Most other recipes call for cheddar and they're good, but this is my absolute favorite broccoli soup recipe.

Creamy Broccoli Soup 
Gluten Free
 

Creamy Broccoli Soup (the best ever!)

NOTE- if I'm making this soup for just myself, I cut it in ½ and have enough for a big bowl + 3 or 4 more bowls for later. 

INGREDIENTS
48 oz can GF chicken broth or 4 - 15oz cans 

* I use Better Than Bullion now! In the little jar you keep in the fridge

2 - 10 oz bags frozen broccoli (with all water squeezed out) or 1 whole head fresh broccoli (cut up in bite size pieces)

2 cans Campbell's Cream of chicken soup OR cream of mushroom soup  (Note: I think it tastes better with Cream of Chicken Soup)

1 stick butter (8 Tbs)

2 cups Half and Half (or heavy cream)

16 oz Original Velveeta (that's half of the biggest 2 lb box, but it comes in 1 lb (16 oz) boxes now

DIRECTIONS
If using fresh broccoli, steam it till it's tender (but not too done-needs to have a bright green color)
In the meantime put chicken broth, butter and soup in large pan. Stir with wisk and hear on low til smooth.
Cut Velveeta in small  ½" cubes and add to chicken broth mixture. Heat on low til cheese melts, stirring as it's melting. Keep stirring so it won't burn on the bottom.
Add broccoli to soup. Last, add cream or Half and Half; heat through few minutes. This recipe should take 30 minutes or less, but longer if using fresh broccoli that has to be cut up & steamed.

Update:

I had fresh this time (Dec 2021) and it took an extra 30 minutes to cut up and stream it. Frozen broccoli is just as good as the fresh, which cuts 30 mins from the time. Just make sure you squeeze all water out of the frozen that's been thawed. Do not cook or steam because it's perfect the way it is! 

This time I threw in some sharp shredded cheddar cheese. 

No flour, so it's gluten free and Campbell's Soup now makes GF versions! The soup is thick enough on it's on, but if you want it to be thicker, make a slurry of cornstarch and COLD water, then add it to the hot soup while stirring constantly.

Note: 

I think there's nothing worse than cooking broccoli (or other vegetables) too long. You want the broccoli to still have that bright green color. My mom was a great cook and I loved her cooking but I have realized over the years that she way overcooked things liked broccoli, Brussels sprouts and green beans in water, and then poured the water out. Actually I hated Brussels sprouts growing up, but I love them, now that I learned to bake them or saute them in butter. When I use frozen broccoli I don't cook it. I just thaw it out, drain and add it to the soup.

Creamy Broccoli Soup
Gluten Free

Creamy Broccoli Soup 
Gluten Free

Romanian Meatball Soup - Ciorba de Perisoare

Romanian Meatball Soup

This is a simple but delicious soup. As some of you know, my daughter, Jamie, married Virgil Vaduva, a Romanian who she met while he was attending college in Ohio. Her older brother, Brian, had been writing Virgil's younger sister, Anca, who was still in Romania. Well, they fell in love and Brian took a trip to meet her in person. They eventually got married and of course are living here in Ohio too. A few years later their parents and 2 younger sisters were able to get their visas so the whole family is here now. This was a real dream come true for the family, as it took many years for this to happen. The 2 couples have 6 kids between them and they are the most wonderful, sweet, grandchildren!

This soup recipe is one of their family favorites.

Cut the Veggies into about ¼" Pieces

Ingredients

Serves- 4-5  I usually double this so we'll have leftovers.

1 lb ground pork (you can mix this with ground beef or ground chicken if you like, but I use all pork - not sausage)

You can use All ground Pork, All Ground Beef or All Ground Chicken,
or a Mixture of these!

1 egg

1 Tb oil for sautéing vegetables

1/2 cup carrots (chopped in very small pieces)

1/2 cup red or green sweet peppers (chopped in small pieces about 1/4")

1/2 cup onions (chopped in small pieces)

1/2 cup chopped celery (this was not in Anca's recipe, so I haven't used it, but celery is an ingredient in several Romanian soup recipes I found on Pinterest)

7 - 10 cans (15 oz) chicken broth or 12-15 cups water with chicken bullion added (or you may not need that much broth - I like a lot)

1 6oz can tomato sauce

1/2 - 2/3 cup dry rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley (fresh or dried)

I Love it with ALL Ground Pork (make sure it's NOT Ground Pork Sausage - they look the
same in the package)

Chop veggies and place in large pot with hot oil that has been heated. Saute for about 5 minutes in oil. While veggies are cooking, mix ground meat with 1 egg and salt and pepper to taste. Roll into small meatballs, about ¾" in diameter. Set aside.
Note: or if you'd like you can roll the meat into meatballs as you are adding them to the broth. I believe this is what my daughter in law does.

Update (Feb 2021)

I was at Anca and Brian's house recently while Anca was making this soup. I noticed she was spooning up a little meat (1½ tsp) at a time and dropping it in the boiling liquid. I said "Oh, I thought you roll the meat into balls before dropping them in the broth", and she said "Oh no, I just drop it by spoonfuls into the pot, because it's much quicker that way." Now I know I will make this soup more often, because I hate rolling anything into balls, because it takes so long to do that.This is the exact same reason I don't make Buckeyes (an Ohio candy) any more than once a year. The recipe make a lot and it takes forever!

Add chicken broth (or water and bullion) to vegetables and bring to a boil. Add the tomato sauce. Then add the rice and the meatballs.

Let this all heat through and it's done! Don't cook it too long like I did or your rice will get mushy, but you still need to keep checking to see if the rice is done yet.
Add fresh or dried parsley at the end if you'd like.
Note: I usually double this recipe.
I did not have to add any additional salt and pepper because of the chicken broth, but you may need to do that, depending on how salty you like it. My Romanian friend,

Buy Vegeta on AMAZON here

Maria Vaduva, who's daughter and son married my son and daughter, gave me some kind of Romanian seasoning, called Vegeta, and I'm sorry but I don't know what there is her in the states to compare it to. I haven't always used this seasoning in the soup, so you don't have to have it.  I made it again today and didn't miss it at all, so don't worry about getting it.

Enjoy the soup! I'd love to hear what you think of this recipe!

Here's another version of this Romsnian soup I found on Pinterest.
http://www.cookingglory.com/recipes/meal-ideas/soups-stews/meatball-sour-soup/

Romanian Meatball Soup
Such a Yummy Quick Meal! (Kids love it!)

Pumpkin Curry Soup Recipe

Pumpkin Curry Soup 

This soup is SO yummy, especially on a cold fall day like today! It would be nice served with crusty bread, but is great all by itself! There are lots and lots of recipes for pumpkin soup out there, but I took ingredients from several different recipes to come up with this. If you use an ingredient in your soup you think may be missing from mine, by all means , let me know!

This is the Pumpkin Soup heated up the next day. Yum! So good! 
The toasted pumpkin seeds make it even better. They are a must!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 cup (1 small) chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder (you can use red curry powder but it will be a lot hotter and you would need less)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (15 oz.) Pumpkin 
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Few dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg
• 1 can (12 fl. oz. Evaporated Milk or 1 can Coconut Milk (the evaporated milk makes the soup more savory & I like it better in this recipe)
• Pumpkin seeds, toasted in the oven
• Note: if you have a big family you'll need to double this. I have made it with both evaporated milk and coconut milk, but think I prefer it with the evaporated milk. I do love coconut milk and use it a lot in Thai soups, but the evaporated milk makes this more savory.  

Directions

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute.

Add broth and pumpkin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk jus before serving. Serve warm and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. 

Egg Drop Soup with Chicken

Since I just finished eating a bowl of this soup, I thought I'd share my recipe. If you love Asian food as much I do, I believe you will like my recipe. Usually Egg Drop soup in restaurants, have mostly eggs and broth. I have eaten in 100's of Chinese restaurants in my life time, and just came up with a combination of those soups, plus a few ingredients I added on my own. The very important KEY to making this soup taste Asian, is the "toasted" sesame oil! I've been to China and Japan so I know what authentic Asian food tastes like.

Mary Jane's Loaded Egg Drop Soup

Mary Jane's Egg Drop Soup

Serves 6

 ¼ - ½ cup chopped shallot

 1-49.5 oz can + 1-15  oz can chicken broth. You can substitute instant chicken bouillon to make your own broth or use Better Than Bullion. I've made it all 3 ways.

2 - 6 tsps "toasted" sesame seed oil (or to taste)

½ - ¾ cup frozen peas (optional)

½ - ¾ cup frozen corn  (dont leave out!)

1 large can mushrooms, drained OR shiitake mushrooms

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (cut each slice into slivers)

 Add to taste: garlic powder, fresh (or powdered) ginger, soy sauce (or GF coconut aminos ) and white pepper. Adding these will make it a little tastier. White pepper is a little hot, so be careful how much you put in. 

4 - 5 chicken tenderloins (about 2 cups, cut into ½" pieces)

4 - 8 eggs, whisked in a bowl

Chopped green onions for garnish 

Fresh spinach - optional 

1 Tb cornstarch (for thickening the soup)

 

My Loaded Egg Drop Soup

 

Note: some recipes on YouTube add a little yellow food coloring because it's yellow in Chinese restaurants. I have not done that but might  next time I make it. 3/11/21: I made this again tonight (without the chicken) and added turmeric for color. 

This bowl has a little less ingredients

Pour chicken broth in a large pot, and let it come to a boil. Meanwhile, cut up chicken in very small, bite size pieces. When broth comes to a boil, turn heat down a little and put raw chicken in boiling broth. Add mushrooms, peas, corn, water chestnuts and spices. Cook about 10 minutes. While soup is cooking, whisk eggs in a bowl. Add sesame oil to the soup. With one hand, pour eggs very slowly (at short intervals) while you are swirling a fork around in the boiling broth. This will make the eggs stringy. Make sure you do not pour too much of the eggs at one time, or they will clump up. 

If you want the soup to be a little thicker, put 1 Tb cornstarch in a small bowl with about 2 tsps COLD water. Stir to make it a liquid. Slowly add to soup, while stiring. If it's still not thick enough, repeat with more cornstarch and cold water. Taste soup to see if you need more seasonings.

Turn off heat, and add fresh spinach if desired. Do not let the spinach cook. Just let it wilt. Serve with chopped green onions. (and rice noodles from a Chinese restaurant, if desired) I usually double this recipe so we can have some left over or if I'm having company.

 Update: I fixed this soup the other day and for the first time I added a can of baby corn that you would get in the Asian section of your grocery store. We liked it.  Remember, the key to having this taste like an authentic Asian flavor is the "toasted" sesame oil.

Italian Beans and Greens Soup

I made this soup and it turned out really good. I adapted it from another recipe and it's quick and easy. In case you want to try it, here's the recipe. I hope you like it!

Italian Beans and Greens Soup

2-3 TB Olive Oil
5-6 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
1 medium onion
Escarole, Swiss chard, Kale or Collard greens, chopped
5 cans chicken broth (8-10 cups)
1 can Cannelli beans (white kidney beans)
1 can white Great Northern Beans
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 -2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup dry white rice

Optional: grated mozzarella or provolone cheese for garnish

Saute garlic, onions, mushrooms and rice in olive oil until brown.
Add broth and chicken. Cook til rice is done (10-15 mins)
Add greens and beans. Cook about 5 minutes more.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Optional: grated mozzarella or provolone cheese to garnish