Cheeseburger Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Mix ‘n Chop

Here in Chicago we are still smack dab in the middle of winter.  We are to the point where it is no longer charming in any way.  The snow is dirty, the cars are salty(as is my coat and, inevitably, my dark jeans), the potholes are growing, and everyone is just super ready to see some green grass and birds.  I guess if you want to see a silver lining it would be that it is still soup season!  It is a very thin silver lining.

Soup is one of my favorite winter foods because it always seems to get better leftover and it is so simple.  I think I have made a batch of soup almost every Sunday in 2015 so it can be enjoyed all week long. 

My mom first had a version  of this Cheeseburger Soup earlier this year made by a friend and she asked for the recipe.  She has probably made it 4 times since then and it quickly became a family favorite.  I made a few variations from the original recipe to lighten it up just a bit.

It is just really darn good soup.  Kind of a nice change from your standard chili or noodle soup.  I feel like I should maybe apologize for using processed cheese.  It is not very "foodie" of me.  So, sorry about that.  All things in moderation?

I have a lot of tools in my kitchen and some are probably (definitely) superfluous but one I really love is the Mix ‘n Chop from Pampered Chef.  It is the perfect tool for breaking up ground meat.  I’m a big fan.  If you want to purchase one here is a link to my favorite Pampered Chef consultant, Julie.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Chocolate Sauce and Oreo Ice Cream Pie

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Butternut Squash Risotto

Three years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Oven Roasted Salmon in a Lemon Broth with Pea Puree

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French Onion Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Epicurean cutting board

Today you are getting a soup recipe.  Why?  Because it snowed in Chicago yesterday.  It was quite a bit of snow actually.  I am NOT happy about it.  I am so disgusted with winter.  That has to be the last snow.  Right?  RIGHT?!

I have always loved French onion soup.  Why not?  It is salty, cheesy, and topped with crusty bread.  It even eliminates the extra step of me dunking my bread in the soup, which I love to do.  For some reason I avoided making this at home because I assumed it would be very time consuming and perhaps difficult.  I guess I just always assume French recipes are time consuming and difficult. 

While we are on the topic of France.... I am going to France next month!  I am over the moon excited.  I am going for work but extending for fun.  The first half of the trip will be in Paris and then it is off to sunny Nice for a few days.  I can barely stand it! I studied for a semester in Nice, so I am pretty pumped to see it again as a grown-up and a foodie. 

Anyway, like I said above, I always thought French recipes were difficult.  Good news!  French onion soup is easy!  Really, really easy.  This version tastes just like the restaurant classic.  It does take some time to get the onions cooked down but overall it is very low maintenance.  It would be great as a first course or served alongside a hearty salad. **My original draft of this said a heart salad, not hearty.  Gross.   When I made the soup I served it with this Kale Salad with Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Sweet Sesame Dressing.  It was a great cold weather meal.

The most time consuming part of the prep is slicing the onions.  It is important to have a really sharp knife.  Invest in a great knife and you won’t be sorry.  I love my Shun knives. 

I have always used the flexible plastic cutting boards.  They are great in the beginning, but after a few runs through the dishwasher they start to fold up around the edges and cause extreme annoyance in the chef.  My mom had an Epicurean cutting board that she received after attending a Wolf oven demonstration.  I coveted it.  I assumed this was a specialty board that would be hard to find, but apparently they are all over the place.  It was at the top of my Christmas list this year.  I love this board.  It is dishwasher safe, lightweight, and comes in various sizes.  This might sound crazy but I truly enjoy cutting and chopping more on this board than any other.  Weird? 

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Corn Casserole (Perfect for Easter dinner!)

 

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Quinoa, Shrimp, Asparagus, and Goat Cheese Salad

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Southwestern Chicken Slow Cooker Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Toppings!

I am so over winter.  SO over it.  I know, I know, everyone feels the same way if they live in the Midwest or on the East coast.  It has just been brutal this year!   I think it will be May before the foot of solid ice in my yard has a chance to thaw.  I live in constant fear of pipes bursting.  I feel like I am on an obstacle course while driving in Chicago to avoid the thousands of cavernous potholes.

Enough whining.  I really do like to look on the bright side of things!  In winter that means looking forward to warm vacations, cozy nights by the fireplace, binge watching seasons of a new favorite show (Downton Abbey) on Netflix, and warming comfort food.  This Southwestern Slow Cooker Soup totally fits in the last category!

My cousin told me about this recipe and I am so glad she did, it is delicious.  It is also one of the easiest meals I have made in a long time.  You just fill the slow cooker with the ingredients and walk away.  You can even put the chicken in frozen!  I used spicy Ro Tel tomatoes and chipotle chili powder which made my version really spicy.  If you are sensitive to spice you might want to use the mild Ro Tel and cut back on the chili powder.  This makes a big batch so you could cut it in half easily.

This soup just screams for toppings!   I recommend shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack), green onions, cilantro, Fritos (why do they have to be so good?), and sour cream.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Creamy Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Blue Cheese Puffs

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Thai Pumpkin Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Quick dinner

I am back to reality after an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving vacation in San Francisco.  It was great to spend time with family and my ridiculously adorable niece.  I can't even stand the cuteness. 

We had a delicious Thanksgiving meal filled with our family favorites.  While that was great, one of the best meals we had in California was fresh cod and Dungeness crab my brother caught while deep sea fishing.  We enjoyed the meal standing up over paper bags for easy cleanup.  Amazing.

Are you tired of pumpkin recipes yet?  I hope not, here comes another one.

A few of the ingredients in this soup might sound like an odd grouping, pumpkin, peanut butter, mango nectar.  Trust me, it works.  This soup is so incredibly simple.  I decided to make this at 1 PM one day.  I purchased the groceries, made the soup, took pictures, and was eating by 2 PM.

Thai Pumpkin Soup is really light and would be great paired with a grilled sandwich or salad.  It is pretty low in calories and fat and has healthy fiber from the pumpkin.  Good stuff.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing: Basil Slice and Bake Crackers

Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing:  Sweet and Spicy Spinach

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Spicy Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Tortilla chips, cilantro, onion, and avocado

I am obsessed with this soup.  Not only is it delicious and full of flavor, but it is also really quite healthy.  My version was actually very spicy because I threw in some extra adobo sauce from the canned chipotles.  That stuff has a kick!!  Since it is so spicy you rarely need an entire can.  I wrote a little bit on how to store the extras in the freezer on this Chilaquiles recipe. 

Anyway, if you want to tone down the spice just use less sauce in the soup. This recipe came together really quickly.  You can save yourself some time by using rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  Speaking of chicken, be sure to add the chicken at the very end because the acid in the fresh lime juice can mess with the texture of the chicken.

The soup is great on its own but it is next level fantastic when you add some garnishes to the top.  Top off your soup with crunched up tortilla chips (the thick kind are the best here), cilantro, raw onion, and avocado.

One year ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Overnight French Toast
Two years ago on Perfecting the Pairing - Healthy Pizza

Click "Read more" for the recipe....

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Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup and a little bit about the Chicago Bears

Perfect Pairing:  Garbage disposal cleanup          

 

Chicago was at its finest this weekend!  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and I think that puts everyone in a fabulous mood.  I had a great weekend with friends and family.  On Saturday I made my annual trip to Gethsemane, an extraordinary nursery that spans an entire block.  I have written about my garden woes in the past.  I am determined to make things grow this summer.  We took home our fair share of flowers and herbs!

Saturday night I was lucky enough to attend my 4th Chicago Bears Care Gala at Soldier Field.  This was the 18th year, and they have earned over $10 million towards cancer research.  The gala is always fantastic.   This year was certainly no exception!  Everything including the food, entertainment, and auction is flawless.  Getting solo access to the field is pretty amazing too.

 

I was lucky enough to go on a private tour of the locker rooms with some of the players.  Here are some of the highlights!

Entering hallowed ground....

Martellus Bennett was kind enough to act as our unofficial tour guide.  He was great!  He definitely had everyone laughing.

I don't think I look like a natural in these things.

I can always count on my mom to promote my cooking blog.  When Martellus talked about cooking, my mom was all over it.  He was kind enough to act interested and even asked me to email him the site!  Just another one of the highlights of my night!

I think it is safe to say we all geeked out over meeting Brandon Marshall!

I even walked away with some game gloves! 

Obviously, it was a pretty special night and I feel so honored to be a part of it.  

Anyway, back to the soup!  About a year ago I wrote about this Thai Chicken Noodle Soup. 

 

My original plan was to make that soup again but it evolved into this Red Curry Chicken Noodle Soup.  They are very similar, except this version does not use coconut milk, so it is a bit lighter.  It would be a great soup for summer.  It is spicy and full of bright flavors.

You will have a few juiced limes after making the soup, so toss them in the garbage disposal to clean it a bit.  I think this is a pretty common trick but I am always surprised at how much it freshens it up. 

The perfect pairing from the coconut version works here as well.  Use tongs to pick up the noodles after they have cooked and snip with kitchen shears to make the soup easier to eat. 

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Pasta Fagioli Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Parmesan Rinds

At one time in my life it just did not get any better than Olive Garden Restaurant.  I grew up in a small town with very few restaurants so Olive Garden seemed very chic and metropolitan.  I remember being in the “big city” with one of my girlfriends when we were about 15 years old.  We had been dropped off at the mall to do a little shopping and decided to have lunch at the Olive Garden.  We didn’t have credit cards at that age and only had about $14 cash between us, so we ordered the cheapest entrée on the menu so that we could enjoy the endless salad and breadsticks.  I know we had just enough money for the bill but probably not enough for the tip.  I still feel a little guilty about that!

I have not been to Olive Garden in years but I remember loving their Pasta Fagioli Soup.  That is probably why this is one my favorite soup recipes.  It is easy to make, filling, healthy, and tasty.   

The Perfect Pairing for Pasta Fagioli soup is a parmesan rind.  I always have a block of parmesan cheese in my fridge and for a long time I was throwing away the rind after using the good stuff.  Now I know they are great things to have around.  When you get down to the rind store it in a Ziploc in the freezer and save for soup.  It adds depth and great flavor.  You are probably paying for the weight of the rind, so you might as well use it.  Be sure to avoid dishing it up when ladling the soup into bowls.  The last time I made this my dad ate it thinking it was chicken.  Sorry dad.

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Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

Perfect Pairing:  New Year’s Resolution Diet

Wow!  What a Christmas!  I had such a wonderful time with my family and friends over the last week.  It all started with my mom’s birthday and was a continuous stream of visits, meals, parties, and gift opening. 

Not that I was surprised, but the holidays were filled with lots of really amazing food and drinks.  Lots.  Some of my favorites were homemade chicken and noodles (my dad and I have a tradition of making the noodles on Christmas Eve), butternut squash risotto, pork brined for 48 hours (my brother is a master), hot buttered rum, and lots of delicious desserts.

Like the rest of the population, I like to hit the “reset” button on January 1.  I look forward to clean eating, regular work-outs, and old routines.  Last January 1 I wrote about one of my favorite healthy desserts, berries and cream.  I will definitely make that again if I have a sweet craving. 

One of my absolute favorite diet foods is soup.  My parents have been making this Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup for years. It is so incredibly healthy and tastes great.  The “secret” ingredient in this soup, that makes it different from other chicken vegetable soups, is Chile Lime Salt.  You can usually find this seasoning in the ethnic section of the grocery store.  It adds a great kick.

This soup starts with a whole chicken, so needless to say, it makes a huge batch.  It freezes beautifully so it is the perfect healthy food to stock in your freezer. 

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Tortilla Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Your favorite salsa

Fall = Soup weather.  Am I right or am I right? 

I think it is safe to say that I have probably made this recipe more than anything else on my site.  Every time I make it I am reminded how delicious and easy it is.  You can have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes with this recipe. 

I have been at the grocery store many times trying to think what to make for dinner and end up grabbing these ingredients because they are easy to remember, easy to find, cheap, and healthy.  Once you get the cans open you are halfway done.  It really is so simple.  I usually get rotisserie chicken from the store so I don’t even have to cook the chicken at home.

The fat free refried beans make this soup thick, so it feels decadent but it is actually full of fiber and nutrients.  It is incredibly filling and satisfying.

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is your favorite brand of salsa.  I really like spicy food so I tend to go for the “hot” variety, but you may want to start out with mild or medium if you are not a fan.  The salsa adds a lot of flavor to the soup so it makes sense to find one that you really like and use that in the recipe.  I think my favorite is Paul Newman’s chunky hot salsa.  The last time I made this soup I was in a hurry at the store and somehow grabbed chunky peach salsa.  I didn’t realize it until after it was in the soup.  Not going to lie, it was tasty!  There was a bit of a sweet undertone to the spicy soup.     

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Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese

Perfect Pairing:  Tomato Bisque

Spinach and artichoke dip is fantastic and so is a grilled cheese.  Combine them and you have a really awesome specialty sandwich on your hands, or in your hands.

The sandwich includes a creamy spinach and artichoke spread and a layer of fresh mozzerella cheese.  The base of the spread is Spinach and Artichoke Boursin.  You may remember my confession of love for Boursin cheese from this post.  My original plan was to buy the garlic and herb variety, I had no idea they made a spinach and artichoke flavor.  Once I saw that I knew I had to use it in the recipe.  If you cannot find that flavor you could easily substitute the garlic and herb cheese.

The Perfect Pairing for a spinach and artichoke grilled cheese is this tomato bisque recipe.  It is super simple and can be made in the time it takes to grill the sandwiches.  Perfect for dunking!

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Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Kitchen shears

I am a huge fan of Thai food.  I love the flavors… peanut, coconut, lime, spicy, cilantro, etc.  The first time I had Tom Yum soup, I was hooked.  I loved the tart lime juice and savory broth.  I also thought the straw mushrooms that are typically served in Tom Yum soup were adorable.  They looked so whimsical, like they should be in a video game or something.  When I saw a can of them at my store I was inspired to make a Thai-style soup.

I am pretty sure this is not “authentic” Thai-style soup, but the flavors are all there.  I was really pleased with the result.  It was spicy but had sweetness from the coconut milk.  If you have not used fish sauce before and are a little freaked out, don’t be, it is harmless.  I don’t think it would taste great if you took a gulp of it but it is great in Thai recipes.  In fact, I know it does not go down well by itself because a friend of mine did that with poor results.  Yucky.  When it is combined in this soup it adds a savory background, not fishy at all.

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is kitchen shears.  The rice stick noodles, or rice vermicelli, are really long and hard to eat if you do not break them up.  Breaking them up when they are dry creates quite the mess so it is better to snip them after they are cooked.  Just pull them out of the soup with tongs and snip away! 

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Lasagna Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Flatbreads with Thyme, Honey and Sea Salt

I have been trying to come up with a description that gives this lasagna soup justice.  I don’t know what to say other than it is just plain fabulous.  If you like lasagna, you will love this soup.  Heck, if you like soup you will love this soup.  I made this recipe for my family over the Christmas holiday and it was a big hit.  It is officially my new favorite soup recipe. 

The base is tomato, sausage (I used turkey sausage), seasonings, and pasta.  The original recipe did not include any vegetables but I added mushrooms, bell pepper and spinach.  I really liked this addition because it bulked it up and added nutritional value.  I love vegetables in my lasagna so it makes sense that I would like vegetables in my lasagna soup!  What makes this lasagna soup really special (and makes it taste like lasagna) is the cheesy mixture that you add to each bowl.  It is a combination of ricotta, parmesan, salt, and pepper. In the picture I added it to the top but I think it is best to put it in the bottom of the bowl and pour the hot soup over it so it melts.  

The Perfect Pairing for lasagna soup is Flatbreads with Thyme, Honey and Sea Salt.  I like to serve some sort of bread with soup and these flatbreads were perfect.  The soup is really hearty so you would not want to serve dense bread.  The cracker-like consistency of the flatbreads was a nice compliment to the soup.

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Tomato Bisque

Perfect Pairing: Grilled cheese

Is there any food more comforting than a really good bowl of tomato soup and grilled cheese?  It is a classic combination that will never go out of style.  My mom got this recipe from her dear friend years ago and it has been a family favorite ever since. 

This tomato bisque is very deceiving because it tastes like it would take a lot of time and work to make, but it is done in a matter of minutes.  It could not be easier.  It tastes like it is full of cream but the creaminess comes from low fat buttermilk, which adds just a small amount of fat.

The Perfect Pairing for tomato bisque is, of course, a grilled cheese sandwich.  Make it fancy or keep it simple, it will be delicious alongside this soup.

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Chili Spiced Soup with Stoplight Peppers and Avocado Relish

Perfect Pairing:  Sharp chef’s knife

One of the best fall meals is a great bowl of soup.  It is so comforting and filling.  This soup is my new favorite.  It is full of flavor and incredibly healthy.  It makes a big batch but it just gets better each day.  This recipe tells you to make your own seasoning blend, which has a kick.  If you are not a fan of spice you may want to cut back on the chili powder.  When you are mixing it up it may seem like a lot of spice but it does not overwhelm, just adds great flavor. 

Don’t skip the relish that goes on top of the soup.  It really makes it special.  If you can’t find queso fresco you could use feta cheese.

The Perfect Pairing for this soup is a really great chef’s knife.  There is a lot of chopping involved in this soup, but it can be quite enjoyable if you have the right knife.  Good knives can be pricey, but think of it as an investment.  If I was told I could only take one thing out of my kitchen it would be my Shun knife set.  That may be cheating seeing as it is a set of knives… but I think of it as clever game-playing.  There are lots of great brands out there but I am a huge fan of Shun.  My brother and sister-in-law got them as wedding presents and as soon as I tried them out I knew I needed these knives.   While I was looking for the link to Shun I realized they are having a pretty good promotion right now on their knives, click here to see it.  They would make a great holiday gift for the cook in your family!

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Spicy Quinoa, Tomato, Spinach and Chicken Sausage Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Simple Parmesan Pepper Herb Croissants

I apologize for the long-winded name for this soup.  I tried to come up with something snappy, but kept coming back to Spicy Quinoa, Tomato, Spinach and Chicken Sausage Soup.  While it is an informative title it is not overly exciting!  I also tried to shorten it by taking out some of the ingredients but kept putting them back because I think they are all equally important.  This soup is light and tasty and full of healthy ingredients.

If you have not cooked with quinoa you should definitely give it a try.  I have been eating quinoa for a few years and I am a huge fan.  It is a true power food.  Apparently it is a recently rediscovered grain that was once a staple for the Incas.  It is a complete protein meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids.  It is full of fiber, gluten free and delicious.  I use it like rice or pasta, and cook it in reduced sodium chicken broth, which adds a lot of flavor.  I will undoubtedly be posting more quinoa recipes in the future. 

This recipe also features another one of my favorite ingredients, chicken sausage.  For this soup I used the Amylu Andouille variety, which are all natural and pork free.  They are just 100 calories each and full of flavor.  There are so many different varieties available like apple and gouda, spinach and feta, sundried tomato and basil, etc.  I keep these on hand in the freezer to add to soups, stir fry, or to heat on the grill.

The Perfect Pairing for this soup is a Simple Parmesan Pepper Herb Croissant.  I used one container of reduced fat crescent rolls, some fresh herbs I had on hand, and freshly ground black pepper to make these.  I unrolled the triangles of dough, cracked some pepper, topped it with 2 Tb freshly grated parmesan and ½ teaspoon of chopped fresh herbs.  I used thyme and rosemary since I had them on hand.  Roll up the dough, top them off with a little more pepper and bake according to the package instructions.  The cheese and herbs add a ton of flavor and make them extra pretty.  This used up all of my parmesan, and all I had left was the rind.  I tossed the cheese rind into the soup pot to add some extra flavor.

 

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Spicy Coconut Lentil Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Hand chopper

 

I am a huge fan of soup, especially during fall and winter.  As soon as I feel that first cool breeze of fall I start thinking of simmering pots of chili, soup and stews.  I will be sharing a lot of my favorite fall soup recipes here throughout the season.  This Spicy Coconut Lentil Soup made a great, light, mid-week dinner.  It was easy to make, full of flavor, and it made my house smell quite inviting.  It has some exotic flavors like chile peppers, coconut milk and ginger but was still very comforting.   I will say that it was a hard subject to photograph! 

The Perfect Pairing for this soup recipe is the popular hand chopper.  Mine is from Pampered Chef.  I personally enjoy chopping and dicing but sometimes I am just not in the mood, especially if I just want to move things along.  I used the hand chopper for the fresh ginger, garlic and chiles in this recipe.  I peeled the ginger and garlic and chopped them together.  I seeded the peppers, sliced into chunks, and finished them off with the hand chopper.  Chop chop!

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Chicken Chili

Perfect Pairing:  Immersion Blender

I think everyone has their own version of chili.  I love my parent’s chili recipe.  It is really traditional but it is true comfort food.  My dad has tried to sneak in venison many times but my mom and I can always tell as soon as we walk in the door.  It goes something like this…..

Mom stirs the pot of chili and says, “Jerry…. You used venison!” 

Dad says, “Now, Linda, you don’t know that!  You have not even tried it!”

Mom says, “You can’t fool me honey.”

He really can’t fool us but he still tries.  He has also used elk meat in the past and we definitely prefer that over venison.  My brother makes a mean chili and always tops it with shredded cheddar and Chili Cheese Fritos.  It is crazy good.  Next time you make chili, throw in some Fritos. 

My version of chili is a chicken chili and contains no tomatoes.  I think this is often called white chicken chili.  It is a light soup but full of yummy spices.  When I make it I usually double the chili powder and red pepper flakes, but I like it spicy.  I like to serve this chicken chili with cornbread.  I will be posting a tasty jalapeno basil cornbread recipe soon.

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is an immersion blender.  I like my chili thick rather than brothy.  Not sure brothy is a word but I am going with it.  Usually when you thicken soup you use cream which is not a healthy choice.  This is a calorie free alternative!  Once the soup is done I whir it up for just a few seconds.  I don’t use this appliance very often but I would not be without it.  Mine is a cheap version from Bed Bath and Beyond but it does the trick.  Get whirring.

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