SOUPer Bowl Showdown: Jackie's Tuscana Soup Recipe

Our Facebook friend Jackie H. sent in her favorite soup recipe for our SOUPer BOWL SHOWDOWN! It's a simple, rustic Tuscana Soup. I tried it myself and may not have gotten it just right.... but it sure was good! Thank you Jackie!!

JACKIE'S TUSCANA SOUP

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups spicy Italian sausage (cooked and crumbled)
2 cups potatoes, diced small
2 handfuls of fresh kale leaves, remove the stems and tear into small pieces
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 medium white onion, diced

1 T. olive oil
2 bay leaves

3 cups heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium)

First, brown the Italian sausage. Remove the sausage from the casing if it is in one. Remove the browned sausage to a paper towel to drain. (Do not be tempted, as I was, to sauté the onions in the drippings. It makes for a very greasy soup.)

In a large pan or pot, saute garlic and onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add all ingredients plus a few drops of Tobasco sauce, if desired. (Note: My Italian sausage was so spicy, no additional heat was necessary and I also reduced the cream by half because I was out!! Still very good!)

Simmer on low, stirring frequently, until until the kale is cooked. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a hearty, crusty bread like Focaccia or Ciabatta (typical in Tuscany- a good choice). I got a wonderful rosemary Ciabatta and it was just perfect; toast with a little garlic butter.

Soup Showdown Recipe: Vickie's Golden Cheese Chowder

For our Souper Bowl Showdown for Super Bowl Sunday, try this Golden Cheese Chowder recipe from Vickie, one of our Facebook friends! I tried it and thought it was really good. I used 1/2 white cheddar and 1/2 sharp cheddar for the cheese and added a little goat cheese (I had some in the fridge so I used it up) but I think any cheese combination would taste pretty good. Try it and let us know what you think!

VICKIE'S GOLDEN CHEESE CHOWDER

3/4 Cup Butter or Margarine

1/2 Cup all purpose flour

4 cups Milk (warm)

4 Cups (1 lb) shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 Cups Water

4 Medium Potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced onion

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups diced, cooked ham

Hot Sauce (to taste)

Melt butter in heavy 2 quart saucepan over low heat and add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute; Stir constantly. Gradually stir in warm milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Add cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine water, vegetables, salt and pepper in a 5 quart Dutch oven; heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in all other ingredients. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated (DO NOT BOIL). Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Vickie's note: The better quality cheese you use, the better the soup will be. Sometimes I substitute beer for some of the water and bacon for ham.

Soup Showdown Recipe: Don's Favorite Black Bean Soup

I really love it when the boys get in on the act... here's a great recipe adapted by another friend from back in the day! Love it! See Don's ** notes at the end with the adjustments he'd make next time. You might want to go ahead and try it that way. Make this one and let us know!! Thank you, Don! Hey, and A+ on the photo styling!

Don's Black Bean SoupDON’S FAVORITE BLACK BEAN SOUP

Ingredients
10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions
Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

**If I make this again, I will substitute Smoked Kielbasa for the bacon, and cut back on the cilantro just a little. PS, I stole this from the food network (but since i am modifying it, i can now put a claim to it???

Martie Knows Parties: Host a Souper Bowl Showdown

We are getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday; February 6th will be here before you know it! Who are you pulling for? Packers or Steelers? Who's going to win it all ?

Host a SOUPer Bowl Showdown!Take the competition to your party, too! One of my favorite party themes is where everyone brings their favorite dish for a SHOWDOWN! Who doesn't think their BBQ, or gumbo, soup, or ribs are the best?? When it is chilly outside, a soup buffet is really the perfect foundation for a party. Warm, comforting, affordable, easy to serve, easy to prepare in advance….. What’s not to like about soup?

We're going to be featuring great soup recipes all month for our big SOUPER BOWL SHOWDOWN! 

You can host your own SOUPER BOWL SHOWDOWN for Super Bowl Sunday, it's simple!

Invite your friends over to watch the big game and issue the SOUP SHOWDOWN CHALLENGE. Ask everyone to make a big pot of their favorite soup for the competition and bring printed copies of the recipe to share. (or you can email all of the recipes after the fact)

Number all of the entries as they arrive if you want to keep them anonymous. I usually ask guests to bring their soup in a crock pot so it stays warm; it's easier to transport that way, also.

Vickie's Golden Cheese ChowderYou supply the beverages, crusty bread, crackers, and a condiment bar of mix-ins and toppings: croutons, bacon, different cheeses, sour cream, green onions, chives, Tabasco and other hot sauces, etc. 

Provide ballots and ask guests to vote for their favorite soup and award prizes for the winners! Kitchen gadgets are always a fun prize. Or a huge ladle "trophy" that changes hands each year.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SOUP? JOIN IN ON THE SOUPER FUN! FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!

TRY ONE OF THESE SOUP RECIPES!

MARTIE'S ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

JEAN'S FAVORITE REUBEN CHOWDER

BLP= BACON, LEEK & POTATO SOUP

DON'S BLACK BEAN SOUP

TERRI'S BRUNSWICK STEW

VICKIE'S GOLDEN CHEESE CHOWDER

MARTIE'S SECRET CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO

Super Bowl Party Ideas

Football season is almost over and for some of us, that is reason enough to celebrate! Super Bowl 2009 happens February 1st--- less than two weeks away--- so why not forget the bad weather and the bad news by getting a few friends together to watch the big game? This is always one party that both guys and girls look forward to and it can easily be done on the cheap. Beer and bar food is filling and inexpensive, too. Here's one idea for a fun yet frugal Super Bowl party:

Souper Bowl: Nothing is better on a cold day than a hot bowl of homemade soup and a grilled cheese sandwich and both are pretty inexpensive to make for a big crowd. Turn a simple soup night into a sport by asking guests to compete in your first annual Souper Bowl. Guests bring their favorite soup recipe and compete for prizes--- ask each what they plan to bring so you don't end up with 4 pots of chicken noodle. Set up the buffet wtih bowls or mugs, spoons, and lots of garnishes like crackers, chopped scallions, grated cheese and a variety of hot sauces. Don't have a favorite soup recipe? Try one of these from my favorite celebrity chefs--- Giada's Lentil Soup, Emeril's Creamy Potato Leek Soup, Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Chili or Tyler Florence's Mexican Tortilla Chicken Soup. 

Instead of standing over the stove grilling sandwiches, try these mini sandwiches. They're always a hit and easy to make with a tray of party rolls. Here's how: remove the whole tray of rolls. Slice them in half. Put the bottom back into the tray. Spread your favorite condiment on the top and bottom--- I like spicy brown mustard. Add ham, cheese, or your favorite sandwich combination. Replace the top and dot a little butter all over it. Wrap the entire tray in foil. Heat in a 350 oven for 15 minutes.

Souper Bowl not macho enough for your group? Have a chili cook-off instead--- almost every guy has his own secret chili recipe. Prizes can be everything from soup ladles to bottles of boutique hot sauce. More Super Bowl party ideas to come----!