Soothing soup eases busy December mealtimes—physical complaints, too!

Good thing I already had planned a blog break, or one would have been forced on me.

After announcing in this column that my 365th blog would end my daily postings, with others still to be added but not quite so frequently, Hubby and I both got laid low by upper respiratory maladies. Since Thanksgiving we’ve been swimming upstream trying to recover. One of the doctor's remedies (yes, she even wrote it on her list of instructions she sent home with me) was chicken soup!

We’ve always known that chicken soup was a legendary remedy for what ails you, but never have I seen it actually a part of a physician’s written orders! In looking up information online I found the actual health benefits listed—including carrots (fight off infections), celery (good for lung disorders), pepper (said to reduce infections), onions (anti-inflammatory effects), and garlic (boosts immune system). Chicken soup is said to break up congestion and ease the flow of nasal secretions.

Unfortunately I didn’t have any chicken on hand, but I did round up a lot of these same ingredients to make something that I believe was indeed soothing—Heart-Warming Minestrone Soup. This terrific concoction not only warmed the heart (as in comfort), it warmed all the way down and seemed to pour a balm around the irritated passageways to help with breathing.

A beauty of this recipe is that it’s absolutely quick as everything to prepare. When you’re under the weather—or facing a busy December with no time to cook—you’re grateful for time not having to be spent over the stovetop. I could feel health returning to my bones as I downed this food item (thanks to the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services, which provided the recipe). It made a big batch, too (9 1-cup servings), which will keep me away from the stovetop for several days—just what the doctor ordered!

Heart-Warming Minestrone Soup

5 cups beef broth (fat-free, reduced sodium)

3 carrots, medium, diced

3 celery stalks, sliced

1/2 cup onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon basil, dried

1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (my addition)

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-oune) can tomatoes, diced, drained and rinsed

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (to make about 2 cups)

1/2 cup whole-wheat macaroni

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, optional

In a large saucepan boil broth, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, and pepper. Stir in beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and macaroni. Return to a boil; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese if you desire.

Marvelous veggie melange makes soup a great fall kick-off

Rain fell overnight. Highs today are to be only 85 (a miracle for our scorched neck-of-the-woods). Time to really celebrate fall. For many years my Easy Vegetable Soup has been a fall kick-off tradition at our house. Assembling it yesterday and dining on it last night got my fall groove on for sure.

This vegetable soup calls for a pound of ground beef (I use ground turkey) for its base. This makes it extra hearty. The recipe calls for adding a package of frozen vegetables at the end, but I keep a freezer container into which I dump leftover veggies from whatever I’ve been preparing. Instead of buying a package of frozen veggies I simply use these fresh ones from the deepfreeze. I had a little leftover squash from my earlier blog recipe for Sautéed Squash and Tomatoes, so I added it as well. Makes for a colorful, healthy combination.

I acquired this recipe when I was an officemate of the legendary foods editor Ann Criswell at the Houston Chronicle. She was forever recommending recipes she thought I’d like; my files are stuffed with her “bests”. I featured this recipe in my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden, as a dish that bespeaks of a fall day. That’s what we’ve got today; we plan to enjoy every minute of it and every bite of this glorious soup.

Easy Vegetable Soup

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup uncooked regular rice

2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes (I used 2 cans of no-salt-added peeled tomatoes)

3 1/2 cups water

5 beef bouillon cubes

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables, unthawed (or leftover fresh veggies that have been frozen)

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can low-sodium tomato soup

In large kettle brown ground beef or ground turkey; drain fat. Add all ingredients except frozen vegetables and tomato soup. Cook covered for 40 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and tomato soup. Cook additional 10 minutes. Serves 10-12.