Contributed by Tiffany McGregor 

There is something so spring-y about the taste of asparagus! This recipe is so perfect for the temperamental springtime weather because it combines the spring-like taste of asparagus with the warm comfort of hearty soup. It’s easy to make, easy to vegetarianize, and makes good use of veggie pieces that might otherwise go to waste.
Being a good steward of resources is always important to me, but it is particularly on my mind during the time of this pandemic. Make this soup and it will feel something like a warm hug until we can give those to one another again.

You’ll need: stove top, blender, dish towel, 4 quart heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, sharp knife, cutting board, measuring cups, wooden spoon, measuring spoons, spare bowl. 

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Serves: 4 

​Ingredients: 

• 2 pounds green asparagus
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 to 6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth); use low-sodium, if possible
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

 
Directions: 
Chop the asparagus stalks into ½ inch pieces. If the stalks are particularly thick, you may also want to half them lengthwise. Chop the onion and gently sauté in 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat until softened. Add in the asparagus pieces and lightly season with salt and pepper to taste (go light with the salt, especially if you do not have low-sodium stock to use. You can always ADD salt, but you CAN’T take it out). Continue to gently sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add in 5 cups of stock and simmer covered until asparagus is tender, about 15-20 minutes.


Turn off the heat and let the soup cool a bit. If you want to reserve any asparagus pieces for garnish, pull them out and set aside. Transfer enough soup to fill the blender about halfway. Remove the center core of the blender top so that steam will be able to escape before securing the top of the blender. Cover the hole in the top with the dish cloth and blend carefully. Blending hot liquids requires caution and patience; you will need to do this in batches to keep from sending hot soup everywhere!
Using the spare bowl to temporarily house blended soup, continue blending in batches until all of the soup can be returned to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream or crème fraiche; if you feel the soup is too thick, then slowly add in stock from the remaining cup until the desired consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Over gentle heat, bring the soup back to a slight simmer and whisk in the remaining Tablespoon of butter (the colder butter, the better).
Serve using any reserved asparagus pieces and lemon juice as garnish.
 
Pro Tip: Crème fraiche is pretty similar to sour cream, but is less tangy and has a little more fat. If you were to substitute sour cream over heavy cream/ crème fraiche, you might go lighter on the lemon juice or skip it completely. (Sour cream was really difficult for me to find during the pandemic, but crème fraiche was something that I could get).

Contributed by Tara Convery
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With the addition of frozen ravioli, you can turn a simple can of soup into a hearty meal. Use this recipe to put a healthy and delicious dinner on the table in minutes without breaking a sweat or breaking the bank!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
You’ll need: stove top and medium saucepan (or crockpot)

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Family size (23.2 ounces) or 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• 1 12oz package of frozen ravioli
• Water, to taste

Directions:

• Combine soup and water according to directions on can in medium saucepan or small crock pot over medium heat; simmer for five (5) minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low and add ravioli; Continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until ravioli are cooked.

Pro Tips:

• For a creamier soup substitute milk instead of water.

 

Contributed by Tiffany McGregor
 
I’ll never forget the first time I had a bowl of black bean soup. I was a teenager and it was our first time as a family dining at a new Mexican restaurant. My father convinced me that trying the soup was a “must.” I was fascinated by the inky, silky soup that was set before me and it was like nothing I had ever seen or tasted before. Earthy, warm, and luscious- the soup was both mysterious and comforting at the same time. Having a prep time that’s less than 25 minutes and with a cost of less than $2 a serving, this super-simple and super-affordable recipe makes this somewhat of a staple in our house. Cooking it always reminds me of this memory with my family, which is an added incentive, of course.
You’ll need: stove top, blender, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stock pot, wooden spoon, sharp knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, measuring cup, can opener, dish towel.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minutes
 
Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 (14/5 ounce) cans black beans
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat and cook until the onions becomes translucent, but not browned. Sprinkle in the cumin a let it cook for about 30 seconds; then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the vegetable broth and one can of beans (with their liquid) and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• After simmering for about 5 minutes, turn of the heat and carefully transfer to a blender. Blending hot soup can be messy and dangerous if not done properly, so read these next steps carefully! If you fill a blender with hot soup and don’t give the steam a place to escape, you will be looking at a soupy mess on the walls and ceiling, and a good chance of some soupy burns on your body! (and yes, I know this from experience). To avoid this and blend safely, remove the plastic “center” of your blender’s lid and then cover the hole with your folded dish towel; hold in place firmly and blend away. I like to do this in two batches because I find it to be less messy and safer; one could also use a hand-held immersion blender here, but I personally prefer the texture from a traditional blender.
• Drain a bit of the liquid from the second can of beans and then add the beans to you pot along with the blended mixture. Heat to a simmer until the soup is warmed through and serve topped with chopped cilantro.

Pro Tips:

• Diced red onion and vegan sour cream also make great toppings.
• Want to get fancy (and non-vegan)? You can create a sort of Yin and Yang bowl of soup if you combine this with my CORN CHOWDER soup recipe. After you have made both soups, use a piece of foil to divide your bowl down the middle. Gently pour or spoon the black bean into one side and the corn chowder into the other. Slowly pull out your foil, and voilà! The thickness of these two soups should keep them from blending into one another.

 

Contributed by Jess Zappasodi

Do you have a slow cooker or a Crockpot? Does your mom? Well, if either of the answers to those questions are yes, then you are in luck. This slow cooker chili is so simple and takes about a half an hour, which is basically just one episode of the Office. For those of you willing to try this, I suggest turning on the episode where Pam and Jim get married and start chopping onions!  

You'll Need: A slow cooker, a medium bowl, a cutting board and a knife.




INGREDIENTS

• 30 oz can kidney beans, drained (or two 15 oz cans)
• 15 oz can black beans, drained
• 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
• 15 oz can diced tomato
• 2 large bell peppers, diced (red and green)
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup mild to medium red salsa
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

 DIRECTIONS

• Begin by dicing your onion and mincing your garlic. Place in a bowl
• Dice your peppers, add to the bowl of onion and garlic
• Turn a 5 quart slow cooker on high. Add the onion and garlic, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, tomato, bell pepper and corn.
• Pour in vegetable stock, salsa, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir gently to combine.
• Cook in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high, 7 on low (depending on your pot).
• Add salt to taste and pepper to taste!

 
PRO TIPS

• If you have a smaller Crockpot/slow cooker, half this recipe.
• For the non-vegans: Top with green onion, cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.
• For the vegans: I put MorningStar Griller pieces in mine at home and it came out great! The consistency is a little rubbery, but if you fry them in a pan you get a very similar meat texture. I also opt for dairy free cheddar cheese/vegan sour cream, which you can find at Giant.
• When I first made this, the broth was thin, not thick like a hearty chili. Because this is missing the fat from the meat, you don’t get a similar consistency. I suggest adding tomato paste to thicken it, and letting it cook for a solid three hours before serving.
• For the carnivores, you can absolutely add meat. I am sure ground beef or turkey would work well. Place it in a medium saucepan and cook separately before adding it to the crock pot.

Contributed by Maureen Williams
(Based on recipe by Smitten Kitchen)

Serves: 4 – 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
 
You’ll need: Large pot, sharp knife, cutting board, ladle or other large spoon, burner or hot pot, blender

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped small
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds broccoli or 4 cups broccoli florets and stems, chopped small
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese, plus some extra to top soup with when serving

Instructions:

• Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Mix may be pasty. It was become more fluid in the next steps.
• Add the broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and adjust seasoning if needed.
•  Puree the soup to your desired texture with a blender.
• Pour soup back into pot.
• Back on the stove, add cheese and whisk until melted, about 1 minute.

 
Pro tip

• This soup is great with a good crusty bread
• Soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for a few days.

 

Contributed by Maureen Williams 
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Serves: 5 entrée servings or 10 side servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
You’ll need: Pot, sharp knife, mixing bowl, stove top/range/way to boil broth

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• 12 ounces ground turkey
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped peeled carrots
• 3/4 cup (about 4.75 ounces or 135 grams) orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 4 cups coarsely chopped kale (about 1/2 medium head), swiss chard, or baby spinach (about 3 ounces of leaves)

Directions

• Make meatballs: Combine egg, water, bread crumbs, turkey, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; gently stir to blend with a fork. Using wet hands, shape turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes.
• Assemble the soup: Bring chicken broth to a boil in large (4 to 5-quart) pot. Add carrots and orzo; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Add turkey meatballs and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chopped greens and simmer until turkey meatballs, orzo, and escarole are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve and top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Contributed by Tiffany McGregor

I used to call this a summertime corn chowder because it was a go-to for spontaneous get togethers with friends. I’d serve it alongside grilled shrimp skewers for a quick and delicious meal. However, this chowder really is satisfying in all types of weather! It comes together in a snap and can easily be vegetarian if you swap out the bacon for olive oil.

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 40 minutes

You’ll need: stove top, heavy bottom stock pot or Dutch oven, blender, measuring cups, measuring spoons, slotted spoon, cutting board, sharp knife

Ingredients:
Bacon, 3 slices chopped into pieces, or lardons
3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 medium onion, small dice
Yukon gold potatoes, 1lb (2 – 4 potatoes, depending on size), peeled and cubed
3 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

• Add bacon pieces to Dutch oven or heavy bottom stock pot and set heat to medium. Cook until bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon bits using a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pan, and place on a paper-towel lined pan to drain excess oils. These bits can be used for garnish later.
• Add onion to the pan and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until onion is soft and somewhat translucent. Meanwhile, add one (1) cup of corn and one (1) cup of milk to the blender; blend until smooth.
• Once the onion is soft and translucent, increase the heat to medium high and add the corn-milk puree, remaining milk, remaining corn, potatoes, and the measured salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer; then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (about 10 -15 minutes). Be sure to stir frequently and mind that the heat doesn’t get too high or else it may scorch the milk.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, add the cream and return to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and serve! Bacon bits, chives, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar, or croutons or all fun options to garnish with.

​
Pro Tips:

• Whole milk provides a nice rich texture, but I often make this with skim milk and just add a little bit more cream at the end.

• Russet potatoes, or baking potatoes, are a starchier potato that can be substituted to help fortify the body of this soup.

Contributed by Theresa Davidson

Serves 4 to 6
 
Tools needed:  
Sharp knife, measuring cup (dry - 1 cup) and liquid (4 cups), soup pot with lid, can opener, separate bowl for cooking lentils 
 
1 pound sausage (choose your favorite type; mix of mild and spicy is best)
1 onion, diced
1 small stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot
2 cups beef stock
2 cups vegetable stock
1 14-1/2 oz. can tomatoes, diced
2 big cloves of garlic
1-1/2 cups dry lentils
Season to taste with basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, black pepper, Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes

Directions:  

• Brown sausage; drain off fat. Remove from pan
• In same pan add Onion, Celery and Carrots. Cook until onions are tender and translucent. Add Garlic cook for two minutes more at medium heat.
• Add Diced tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper
• Add Sausage, broth and stock.
• Reduce heat, cover.
• Simmer at low heat, covered, for about 1-2 hours. Add water if necessary, for desired consistency.
• Meanwhile cook lentils as per directions on the bag.
• When ready to serve,  add lentils to soup bowl and cover with soup.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve

Pro tips:

• In the summer, it's a treat to make this recipe using fresh, diced tomatoes.  Allow for water content of the tomatoes (You may need a bit less stock).
• You could experiment with the stock; we use beef & vegetable because we feel it brings out the best taste.
• I learned the hard way (after all my stock was sucked up) to store the lentils apart from the soup, and add per serving/preparation.  If stored with the lentils, they will soak up all of your stock, leaving you to add more and potentially alter the taste.