Simply Satisfying Soups

Enjoy slow-simmered flavors without the long wait.

Soup is the original one-dish meal. There is little better than a potful of body-warming broth with chunky cuts of meat and vegetables. All the recipes featured this month start with basic frozen and pantry items and finish with a few additional fresh ingredients. Stock up on supplies on your next trip to the grocery store, and you'll have everything you need to take the chill off this winter.

VICKI A. POELLNITZ

QUICK SHRIMP CHOWDER

MAKES 12 CUPS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 20 MIN.

We've streamlined this favorite dish by using canned soup as the base.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped

2 (10 ¾-ounce) cans cream of potato soup, undiluted

3 ½ cups milk

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

1 ½ pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled*

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Oyster crackers (optional)

MELT butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and saute 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in cream of potato soup, milk, and pepper; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately. Serve with oyster crackers, if desired.

CYNTHIA J. STRICKLAND

BETHEL, NORTH CAROLINA

* 1 ½ pounds frozen shrimp, thawed; 1 ½ pounds peeled crawfish tails; or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken may be substituted.

CHICKEN-AND-WILD RICE SOUP

MAKES ABOUT 10 CUPS

PREP: 20 MIN., COOK: 15 MIN.

If you don't have cooked chicken on hand, bone and chop a deli-roasted chicken. One chicken will yield about 3 cups chopped cooked chicken-freeze 1 cup for another use.

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

5 cups water

1 (6.2-ounce) package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (8-ounce) loaf pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed

1 (10 ¾-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

SAUTE onion and carrots in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes. Add 5 cups water, seasoning packet from rice, broccoli, and chicken. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice; reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese and soup; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

CAROL MICHAEL

HEWITT, TEXAS

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice Fast Cook Recipe.

TORTILLA SOUP

MAKES 6 CUPS

PREP: 15 MIN., COOK: 20 MIN.

Don't let this long list of ingredients stop you-most of these items are in your pantry or fridge.

2 (14 ½-ounce) cans chicken broth

1 (14 ½-ounce) can Cajun-style stewed tomatoes

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

1 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup frozen corn kernels

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

2 tablespoons half-and-half

1 green onion, thinly sliced

Tortilla chips

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend (optional)

Sliced green onions (optional)

BRING first 7 ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; add chicken and next 4 ingredients, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and, if desired, cheese and green onions.

LEANNE POINDEXTER

POTOMAC FALLS, VIRGINIA

CYNTHIA J. STRICKLAND

BETHEL, NORTH CAROLINA

CAROL MICHAEL

HEWITT, TEXAS

LEANNE POINDEXTER

POTOMAC FALLS, VIRGINIA

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jan 2004
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