I really need to post this before I forget the recipe myself.  I'm a big fan of getting an idea for something and running with it, as well as making a soup out of whatever is in the fridge and pantry. In light of that, I give you this incredibly easy and inexpensive weeknight soup that tastes slow-cooked, but isn't. Sorry, guys - I'll take a photo next time!

Smoked Sausage Tortellini Soup

2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 link turkey smoked sausage (fully cooked), cut in rounds, then in half again
1 32 oz carton chicken broth
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 can great northern beans (or cannellini beans, if you prefer)
1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 pkg cheese-filled tortellini*

* I used the fresher, refrigerated variety-  like Buitoni. If you don't care for this, can't find it or already have the dried stuff, just par-boil if beforehand. 

Heat a little olive oil in a stock pot and start sauteing your onions, carrots and garlic, then toss in your chopped sausage to brown up a bit, then your tomatoes and beans and cook for another 5 minutes.  Add all of the chicken broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Add your chopped spinach and let it wilt for about 2-3 minutes, then add your tortellini and let it cook for about 5-10 more - but make sure the pasta doesn't cook so long that it explodes or gets mushy.  Slow and low!  Toss a little shredded Parmesan on the finished product, and serve with some crusty bread and a salad.  You're welcome.

I don't have very much time to create OR post my own recipes lately, but for the love of all that delicious, make this soup.  Why don't more recipes contain a component called "cheesy yum?"
 I used cavatappi pasta and cooked it separately because I hate mushy pasta and wanted the opportunity to freeze leftovers (which there are never any of).  Although it gives me radiating heartburn, it's worth it.  I actually daydream about this soup, and crave it at least once every week or so. Honest to goodness, one of the best things I've ever eaten.

A while back, Mr. FvF and I stopped into Bob Evan's for lunch and he went on all day about how great the chicken and noodles were. I'd had it before, and it was no match for my mom's chicken and noodles, so I realized I was going to have to whip up a batch soon for him to realize Bob's wasn't all that. This will feed a small army, is fairly inexpensive and WAY easy. Here's what you'll need:

Last week I had a lunch meeting in the party room of ele Cake Company in West Carrollton, mostly because they were one of the only places in town letting us use a large private space for free on such short notice.

I ordered the BLT salad and chicken tortilla soup, and both were good. The soup was a bit on the spicy side for me, so I didn't finish it due to developing heartburn. The salad was great and had plenty of bacon on it (bonus points!), a nice mix of greens and a wonderful dressing. They also brought a small tray of cheesy triangle breads fresh out of the oven, and those were tops. Garlic-y and lots of flavor, but still small and light enough that we didn't feel guilty polishing off the whole tray.

Remember the super delicious Tuscan wedding soup that I created last month? Well, Mr. FvF liked it so much that I made it again already. We didn't have anyone over to share it with when I made it Monday, so it yielded a good 2-3 bowls of leftovers to be had later in the week.
I decided to pull a Billiam (a friend of mine who is terribly artistic when it comes to recreating leftovers) and turn it into yet another soup. I wish I could take credit for the name, but that one was all Mr. FvF.

After a good while spent scouring the webbernets, I was disappointed to see that no one had advice on turning a broth-based soup into a cream-based soup. Don't worry your pretty little head, because your good pal Food vs. Face does!

The leftovers will soak up a lot of the chicken broth in the fridge, so you'll need one more can. Dump the soup into a Dutch oven or stock pot, turn the head to about medium-low and start reheating, adding about 3/4 of the can of broth. Add about 1/4 cup heavy cream to the soup as well.

In a sauce pan, boil a couple of coarsely diced red potatoes until fork tender.

In another sauce pan, bring the remaining 1/4 can of broth and about 3/4 cup of heavy cream to a low boil. Sift a couple tablespoons (3-4ish) of A/P flour into the mix and begin whisking. Add about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese (I used a softer parm and mozzarella mix) and keep whisking. Continue cooking until the consistency resembles that of a cream-based soup you'd buy in the store. You can add more cream or flour (and maybe some butter) to thin or thicken the roux. Make sure all of the lumps are out!

Drain the diced potatoes and add to the soup, then add the roux that you've made. Turn the heat to low on the soup and stir until everything is combined well.




This is very, very similar to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup, except it tastes good and isn't served to you by someone working on their GED who pronounces "merlot" phonetically.

I was always pretty spoiled as a kid, having very resourceful parents who could cook up a storm. I never had store-bought soup, beans, or preserves until I moved out after high school. As anyone else who's been this privileged and spoiled will tell you, your first can of of soup or jar of jam is a severely rude awakening. Nobody makes it like mom does. If you're smart, you'll learn to make it like mom does, from scratch. I've pretty much mastered all of those homemade soups that I crave by now - from Pa FvF's chili to Ma FvF's devilishly rich and creamy potato soup. I figured it's time to make my own soup from scratch with no recipe and no help. I wanted something involving cannelini beans, spinach and sweet sausage, and probably some tiny pasta for the Mister. It's a lot like Italian Wedding soup, with the addition of white beans and using straight sausage instead of meatballs. Hence, Tuscan Wedding Soup. Here's what you'll need:

1 lb sweet (or mild or hot, if you prefer) Italian sausage*
2 cups chopped spinach**
1 yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 32 oz carton chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 cups small pasta (I used shells), cooked and drained
*I used links and cut them up, but you could just as easily used bulk and crumble it.
** Use fresh, not frozen. You can thank me later.

Cook your sausages however you normally cook them. I added about 1/4 inch of water to a dutch oven and let them brown for about 15 minutes over medium heat, then sliced'em up. Add a little olive oil to a small stock pot over medium heat, then add your onions and garlic. Once they start to soften, add the chopped spinach and beans, then throw the sausage back in the last few minutes to get it a nice, rustic brown. Plus, the fat will help the veggies cook down. Add all of your chicken broth, then seasonings and give it a good stir. Bring it to a near-boil, then back down to simmer and let it simmer for at least one hour. Add your cooked pasta and let it all come to temperature, then you're all set. Like most soups, the longer you can let it simmer, the better the flavor will be.

I don't mind patting myself on the back here, this was fantastic. Even for all the veggies in it, it got a 9 out of 10 from Mr. FvF - an esteemed list which normally only includes steak and stromboli. I topped it with an asiago-romano-parm blend, but it's absolutely fine on it's own. Also, if I had it to do over, I think I might go with a harder, aged parmesan.

Years ago when I moved away from south-of-town, I would find myself craving Max & Erma's chicken tortilla soup. Once I started to learn about cooking and the wonder that was copy-cat recipe websites, I found a recipe for it and modified it a bit over the years. This is yet another dish so delicious that even the world's biggest onion hater will eat it, even though it contains a whole vidalia onion.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cans condensed cream of celery soup
2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 32 oz carton chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes w/chiles
1 cup salsa
4 cloves minced garlic
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cumin
2-4 chicken breast halves (depends on size), cooked and chopped

Combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken in a large stock pot. My advice is to start boiling your chicken while you do this. The soup base needs to simmer for a while, so this will give your chicken time to cook & cool before you chop it up and add it. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to medium-low for at least one hour (covered).
Add your chopped chicken and cook another hour.
Seriously, that's it.
Garnish with crunchy tortilla strips or Fritos and shredded cheddar-jack cheese.