** 'Mary's Tea Room' Soups **

Welcome!!

Mary's Tea Room actually began over on the Recipes side of the board way back in Sept. of 2006. Many of the original Tea Angels have shared some awesome recipes this period of time. Many NEW Tea Friends have come to call and have left some of their own treasures as well. All of those gems have been gathered and 22 'Mary's Tea Room' recipe threads created as a sort of 'archive' of our time together. We hope all who stop by will find a recipe or two or more to add to their own recipe collections. And we hope, if they feel so inclined, that they might share some of their own gems as well!  It will only make our treasure chest of Goodies that much more valuable!!

(o: Mary and the Original Tea Angels! :o)

 

1/3/08

CHAMOMILE CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Posted by: scc - Posted on: 12/6/2006

CHAMOMILE CAULIFLOWER SOUP

6 Celestial Seasonings Chamomile tea bags
3 cups water
1 large head cauliflower, cut into 3-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 TBSP butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the water and tea bags in a large saucepan for five minutes. Remove the tea bags, squeezing the excess liquid into the pan. Add the cauliflower to the tea, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.

In a small pan, saute the onions and celery in the butter until the onions are clear. Put in a blender with the cauliflower, salt and pepper, and the reserved cooking liquid. Blend until smooth and serve. For thinner soup, reserve and add more liquid; for thicker soup reserve and add less liquid.

Serves 4.

CHICKEN SOUP

Posted by: marymitten - Posted on: 2/5/2007

Mary says, "This is a surprisingly easy and satisfying Chicken Soup recipe that is my gold standard for comfort."

CHICKEN SOUP

1 whole chicken
2 onions diced
1 lb. carrots, chunked
1 lb. parsnips, chunked
water, salt and pepper

Put the washed chicken in a pot and cover with water, add 2 diced white onions, carrots, parsnips and boil for 1 hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the meat from the chicken and return to the pot. No need to drain or strain...lovely.
This recipe is very deceiving as the perfume that will scent the house says 'complicated' but it is simple as any recipe I have ever tried.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Posted by: mixedberry23 - Posted on: 2/22/2007

Tina says, "Here is a recipe for the best tortilla soup I have ever had. you can add and subtract ingredients as you like. A coworker made it for a pot luck.. - I want to thank my friend Suzanne for this recipe even though she will never know I posted it. It was delish!"

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

This is a double recipe to fill a crock pot, good for serving company and will also freeze very well for eating another time. If you don’t need as much, cut the recipe in half.

8 cups water
2 - 4 fresh or thawed boneless chicken breasts
(2) envelopes of Chi-Chi’s brand Fiesta Tortilla soup mix
(2) cups salsa (mild, medium or hot per your taste) I use medium
1/2 cup to 1-1/2 cups sour cream for soup; have extra for garnishes!
1/2 cup to 1-1/2 cups shredded yellow cheese (mild cheddar, colby, Mexican blend, whatever); have extra for garnishes!

Optional soup ingredients like black beans, canned corn, stewed tomatoes, whatever you like

Put 8 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add whole chicken breasts and boil til cooked through and no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and put chicken breasts in cold water to cool. If cooking on stove, add remaining ingredients to broth left in pot, but if cooking in crock pot, add broth to crock. Whisk soup mix, salsa, sour cream, cheese and any optional ingredients into broth. Pull apart chicken breasts with your fingers into soup. Crock pot: simmer on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Stove: simmer low to medium heat until heated through and slightly thickened, about an hour.

Garnishes: white, yellow or blue tortilla chips or strips, black olives, shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream

Side dish serving suggestions: Serve soup with warm crusty bread, tossed salad, corn muffins, sweet corn cake (Chi-Chi’s has a corn cake mix in the same Mexican aisle as the soup mix).

COLD STRAWBERRY SOUP

Posted by: sugarbug - Posted on: 9/25/2007

COLD STRAWBERRY SOUP

3-1/4 lb. frozen pureed' strawberries
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 C. water
1/4 C. burgundy wine
5 cloves
3 T. cornstarch
1/2 gal. vanilla ice cream
1 qt. light cream

Mix first 7 ingredients and bring into a boil. Blend in cornstarch and cook until thickened. Cool and remove cloves. Add ice cream and light cream. Stir until blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with fresh strawberries and mint leaves.

Serves 10 to 12.

HAM & CHEESE CHOWDER

Posted by: emr - Posted on: 2/6/2007

Elza says, "This is a wonderful cold-weather meal. I frequently make it ahead of time and then warm it in the crock-pot. Also, I often used dried minced onion instead of chopping. I'm all about keeping it easy! This doubles well if you need more."

HAM & CHEESE CHOWDER

2 med. potatoes, peeled & cubed (2 c.)
1/2 c. water
1 c. chopped onion
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. flour
dash pepper
3 c. milk
1-1/2 c. chopped ham
1-1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook potatoes in water until tender, about 10 min. Drain, reserving liquid. Add enough water to make 1 cup. In saucepan, cook onion in butter until tender. Blend in flour and pepper. Add milk and potato water all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Add ham and cheese; stir to melt cheese. Heat through and serve.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE & BEAN SOUP

Posted by: casslepier - Posted on: 11/16/2006

Kim says, "It's one of those "soup days". Here is an awesome soup that I make that I thought I would share. I have one friend that just about ROLLS in her bowl when I make this! - OMG this was SOOO good and SOOO easy! I saw something similar on Rachael Ray's cooking show and just decided to make mine up as I went and wow is it good! I brought some to my boss and he loved it too! - Enjoy!"

ITALIAN SAUSAGE & BEAN SOUP

1 lb. italian sausage (I use the roll of Bob Evans spicy in the red casing)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 1-1/2 baking potatoes, cubed
1/2 bag matchstick carrots
2 - 14 oz. cans Great Northern Beans
1 medium onion, chopped
52 oz.. (3 cans) chicken broth
four cups chopped bok choy leaves
salt & pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Brown the sausage in a little olive oil in a stock pot. Add garlic, potatoes, carrots, and onion. Cook on medium for five minutes. Add 1-1/2 can of beans. Take the other 1/2 can and smush beans with a fork and add to pot (this will give the soup some thickness). Add bok choy leaves, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover with chicken broth. Simmer until warm thru and potatoes are cooked thru. (Took me about 20 minutes).

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

Posted by: casslepier - Posted on: 1/12/2007
Originally Posted by: Maddymoo

LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP

1 bag red potatoes, the small ones (Peeled and chunked)
1 onion chopped
1 stick butter
1 bunch of green onions for garnish
3-4 tsps. flour for thickening
salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 bag Oscar Meyer Real bacon Pieces
2 bags shredded monterey and cheddar
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart whipping cream or heavy cream

Boil potatoes and set aside. Sauté' onions in butter. Thicken roux with flour, adding chicken broth and cream. Fold in potatoes and 1 bag of cheese. Add bacon, reserving a little for tops to garnish. Simmer 10-20 minutes.

Maddymoo's Note:

This recipe is a trial and error one I perfected over a year of trying to get a restaurant version. I think it is fabulous and is hands down my sisters favorite.
I add cheese to the soup for richness and a real baked potato flavor. You can also add chives or a dollop of sour cream.

MARY'S CHILI

Posted by: marymitten - Posted on: 1/30/2007

Mary says, " I made such a good pot of chili last night I just have to share it. This one had no leftovers which leaves room in the fridge for the good things of today."

MARY'S CHILI

2 lbs ground chuck, browned with onion powder and well drained
2 cans kidney beans, drained
1 can chili beans, drained
1 jar of Chi Chi's salsa
a large can of peeled tomatoes, broken up
chili powder and crushed red peppers to your preference.
Simple and tasty.

MARY'S TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Posted by: marymitten - Posted on: 2/5/2007

Mary says, "I made a lovely Tuscan Bean Soup that was more a GermanLady jump and dump than a recipe which I will share as it was indeed good."

MARY'S TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Chicken broth and some cut up chicken
canned white beans
1/2 C of leftover spinach
a soup starter of onion, carrot and celery softened in a bit of butter
Tubeletti Pasta [or other small pasta]
1 t. tomato paste [because it was there]
1 sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1 t. lemon juice [as that provides a bit of a tang

Put it all together and simmer until the pasta is tender and serve.

QUICK MEATBALL MINESTRONE

Posted by: Omatje_Calif - Posted on: 3/8/2007

Susan says, "Like to put a recipe here for a quick and fast dinner you can serve this with those big round sour dough bread with nuts in them. - In less than a half an hour!!! -Enjoy... happy quick cooking!!"

QUICK MEATBALL MINESTRONE

1 12- to 16-oz. pkg. frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs
3 14-oz. cans lower-sodium beef broth
1 15- to 16-oz. can Great Northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup dried small pasta
1 tsp sugar

In a 4-qt. Dutch oven, stir together meatballs, broth, beans, tomatoes, and vegetables. Bring to boiling. Stir in pasta. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 min. or until pasta is tender and meatballs are heated through. Stir in sugar.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Per serving: 413 calories, 15 g fat (7 g sat), 40 mg chol, 47 g carbs, 8 g fiber

SORT OF UN-STUFFED CABBAGE SOUP

Posted by: marymitten - Posted on: 9/25/2006

Mary says, "I thought of dear GermanLady and made a jump and dump soup. I call it 'Sort of Un-stuffed Cabbage Soup'. It really went over big so I will share the recipe."

SORT OF UN-STUFFED CABBAGE SOUP

1 lb. of ground beef, browned
leftover white rice
a can white cannelloni beans
2 cans rotel tomatoes with chilies, mild style V-8
chicken broth
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage
salt and pepper

Well, there is not a smidgeon left so that is a good review around here. Smile.

SPLIT PEA SOUP W/MEATBALLS

Posted by: KC10 - Posted on: 9/25/2007

Kay says, "This falls in the category of Comfort Food around here. Another TOH Publication is where I found this awesome recipe for Split Pea Soup! I like to serve it with fresh baked bread or garlic cheese bread. (The cheese bread is what we're gonna have tonight!) ~ Enjoy!!"

SPLIT PEA SOUP W/MEATBALLS
(TOH special publication, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches; Vol. 3, 1998)

1 lb. dry green split peas
3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2" thick
3/4 c. dice celery
1 medium onion, diced
2 qt. water*
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

MEATBALLS:
3/4 c. finely chopped celery
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 Tb. cooking oil, divided*
1 lb. ground pork
1 1/2 c. soft bread crumbs
2 Tb. water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried sage, crushed
1 egg

In Dutch oven or soup kettle combine peas, carrots, celery, onion & water; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; cover & simmer 1 hour. Add spuds, salt & pepper; cover & simmer 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in large skillet, sauté celery & onion in 2 Tb. oil until tender; transfer to a bowl. Add pork, bread crumbs, water, salt, sage & egg; mix well. Form into 3/4" balls. In same skillet, brown meatballs in remaining oil until no longer pink inside. Add to soup; cover & simmer for 15 min.
Yield: 10 - 14 servings

* Instead of water, I use 2 qt. of chicken broth. Seems to add more flavor
*I prefer using olive oil. It's healthier!
Also, I like to add a couple of bay leaves and some dried thyme. It really perks up the soup. Serve it with fresh baked bread and a salad or coleslaw! It makes a great meal! Just thought I'd share it with you!

SUNDAY SOUP (Dutch Zondag Soep)

Posted by: Omatje_Calif - Posted on: 4/20/2007

Susan says, "Be sure to read it all the way through. I added some chuckles.
I would like to post a Dutch Zondag Soep (Sunday Soup) from a Dutch recipe..

SUNDAY SOUP
From start to finish, it should only take about a 1/2 hour to have hot, tasty soup!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pot of tea, sugar and cream to taste.

1 pkg each of Honig Spring Vegetable and Chicken Noodle Soup Mix(or Knorr soup)
1 "bundle" of Honig Medium Noodles (OR fine vermicelli noodles)
1 lb of medium Ground Beef
1 Egg
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper
8 Cups of Water
2 Carrots
2 stalks of Celery

PREPARATION:
-- Start tea!!!
-- In a large soup pan, add 8 cups of water over high heat.
-- While water is heating, take ground beef, add salt and pepper to taste (I also put nutmeg in there) gives it a special taste, bread crumbs and an egg. Mix well. Form into small meat balls. Once water boils, add meat balls.
-- Clean and chop carrots and celery into thin slices. Once meat balls have all cooked sufficently so that they float to the top, add vegetables. Bring back to a boil. Add Honig Spring Vegetable and Chicken Noodle Soup mixes. Stir.
-- Take one bundle of noodles and break up by crushing in your hands and add to soup. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

-- Pour yourself a Cup of Tea, add sugar and cream to taste. Sit at Kitchen Table and enjoy 15 minutes of peace with your Cup of Tea. Whenever someone enters the Kitchen, quickly get up and stir the soup so they will think you are busy and go away!

-- When soup is done, you may float a single piece of bread on top to soak up some of the fat from the meatballs, remove bread before serving.
-- Serve with buttered buns.

Serves 6 to 8.

If more people stop by, add an extra cup of water and give them smaller spoons to eat with!... LOL!!!

TOO EASY BEAN SOUP

Posted by: marymitten - Posted on: 9/28/2006

Mary says, "Today I am going to make a nice bean soup and pull my sweater tightly around me when I get the mail. Life is good. I think this constitutes a Germanlady Jump and Dump!"

TOO EASY BEAN SOUP

onion and chopped carrot
2 jars of Randalls Navy beans [drained]
Chopped ham
chicken broth, but not too much
salt and pepper

Let simmer...but not too long and serve.