Colonial Cream of Peanut Soup {with 21 Topping Ideas}

Cream of Peanut Soup, a mainstay at Colonial Williamsburg’s King’s Arms Tavern, is oddly scrumptious. We’ve updated the historical recipe with 21st Century tastes in mind, while retaining the rich, satisfying essence of original.

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The first time I ever tasted peanut soup was at the Kings Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. I was seventeen, traveling with my high school history class on our much-anticipated “East Coast American History Tour.” We had been studying, planning, and saving our pennies for three long years to travel from Oregon to the East Coast, and Williamsburg was one of our most anticipated stops.

Colonial Williamsburg, as you may know, is a full-scale working village that recreates the town of Williamsburg during the time period leading up to the American Revolution. The King’s Arms Tavern first opened there in 1772.

That me on the left with my lifelong friend Julie B, waiting in the Portland airport to take off on our East Coast adventure. From an era long before selfies, it is one of only two pictures I have of myself from the entire trip. The image on the right is a shot of Colonial Williamsburg.

As my classmates and I settled in for dinner, I vaguely remember an older lady in Colonial costuming reviewing our prix fixe menu with us, adding colorful little stories and historical context about each dish as she went. Reading ahead, I noted that one of our courses was to be “peanut soup.” I’d never heard of such a thing and was intrigued. Peanut soup? It sounded oddly scrumptious.

Peanuts, the Colonial lady continued, were thought to have been brought to America by Portuguese slave traders. Along with black-eyed peas and yams, peanuts were carried on slave ships to feed enslaved Africans during their passage to the New World. Peanut soup itself is most certainly an adaptation of the peanut soups brought from Africa.

Soon after our hostess completed her introduction of the menu, our peanut soup arrived, accompanied by a sweet potato roll. The soup was creamy and smooth as silk, and the sweet potato rolls were warm and crusty. The two created a perfect pairing, and were very satisfying all by themselves. I was full before the end of the soup course, and though I don’t remember the rest of the meal, I do remember buying a cookbook for my mom before we left the King’s Arms Tavern.

That trip was eons ago, and the cookbook is now mine. So it was to the Williamsburg Cookbook that I first referred when I set out to recreate the memory of that long-ago peanut soup. However, after making a test batch per the directions, I was a little disappointed in the outcome: it was simply too bland for my 21st century tastes, so I decided to make some adjustments.

The first thing I did was cut the recipe in half, for two reasons: first, the original recipe makes almost four quarts of peanut soup! Unless you have a very large family or are running a Colonial tavern, you do not need four quarts of peanut soup. Which leads me to the second reason I decreased the recipe: this is a Very Rich Cream Soup. You simply won’t need as much peanut soup as you might need, say a lighter, brothier soup like chicken noodle or beef barley.

Peanut soup is very much like a thin satay sauce, but less sweet. To the original list of ingredients, I added lemon juice for brightness, hot pepper for kick, brown sugar (because it is the secret to almost everything), and kosher salt because – Holy-Low-Sodium-Diet, Batman! – did this recipe ever need it!

5 from 7 votes

Colonial Cream of Peanut Soup

Inspired by the Peanut Soup at the King's Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg.

Course Main dish or side

Keyword Peanut Soup

Servings 12

Author Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup smooth peanut butter (I use Skippy)
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 - 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Finely chopped salted peanuts for garnish

Instructions

In a heavy saucepan or stockpot over medium heat, sauté onion and celery in butter until soft. (Do allow them to brown.)
Sprinkle flour over sautéed vegetables and stir to combine. Stir to saute for one minute.
Add chicken or vegetable stock to vegetables. Bring mixture to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Allow the vegetable mixture to cool to a temperature that is safe to work with before proceeding to the next step.
Option 1: Puree the cooled soup in the saucepan with a hand blender until smooth.
Option 2: Puree the cooled soup in a blender and return to saucepan.
Into the pureed soup in pan, add the peanut butter and half & half. Stir until peanut butter has completely dissolved into the soup.
Stir in lemon juice, kosher salt, hot pepper sauce, and brown sugar.
Return pan to heat only to warm to soup to serving temperature. (DO NOT BOIL!) Garnish as desired.

SERVING:

Peanut soup can be served hot or cold. (Mr B and I both prefer it warm.) Pair it with a green salad and you’ve got yourself a seriously satisfying meal.

Many people reserve peanut soup for the holidays, like stuffing or cranberry sauce. If it is your plan serve peanut soup as the first course of a larger meal, we suggest offering it in small bowls or demitasse cups, no more than 4-5 inches across. Serving small portions will make a satisfying transition to the main course without ruining your guests’ appetites.

Peanut soup can be served as is, but if you want to make things interesting, offer toppings in small cups or bowls and give your guests the opportunity to create their own flavor combinations. My favorite combo so far is bacon, pine nuts, pomegranate pips, and a dash of harissa.

Peanut Soup Toppings

NOTE: The word “topping” is actually a bit of a misnomer. While this is a very rich soup, it isn’t as thick as you might imagine, so heavier toppings tend to sink to the bottom of your bowl. (Don’t tell anyone, but I had to use a little blogger magic to keep those banana chips floating on the surface.) Anyway, that’s what spoons are for.

This list of topping ideas is intended to get you started, but there are dozens of other choices that would work just as well. Just look through your pantry and/or fridge and pick out something fun!

Choose topping/add-ins that give the soup crunch, and bite, and really enhance the flavor of the soup itself. Fresh, citrusy flavors and little crunchy bites work especially well.

apple slices
popcorn
Gold Fish Crackers
peanuts
bacon bits
tortilla cut-outs
parmesan crisps
green onions
banana slices
pomegranate pips
Orange slices
dill pickle
cilantro
granola
poached egg
honey
toast points
pepitos
red pepper flakes
harissa
whole grain croutons

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^{Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!}

Garden Fresh Gazpacho

September 11 By Renée ♥ 31 Comments

Classic Spanish Gazpacho is the perfect summer soup – chilled, savory, and full of rich, robust, garden-fresh goodness.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

I remember the first time I ever ate gazpacho: I have to admit, I was dubious. Cold tomato soup? Really? I was twenty and I’d never eaten cold soup of any kind before. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to either, but I was at a luncheon hosted by a friend’s mom, and you remember what your mama always told you when you went to eat at other peoples’ houses, right? Anyway, when I tasted it, I found it to be surprisingly rich and savory, with slightly sweet overtones and more body than I expected from a purely vegetable-based soup.

Since then, I’ve worked to perfect my own gazpacho recipe, one little batch at a time. At this point, I think it’s pretty darn awesome.

Garden Fresh Gazpacho Recipe | The Good Hearted Woman

Gazpacho Starter Kit 😉 For reference, the big tomato on the right side (at 3 ‘o clock) is about five inches across.

As far as I’m concerned, there is only one good time of year (in the Northern Hemisphere) to make traditional tomato-based gazpacho: in the waning months of summer and through September, when the gardens and farmers markets are overflowing with warm, fat, vine-ripened tomatoes and shiny sweet peppers.

The picture above shows a single day’s harvest from our garden last week. Thanks almost entirely to Mr B’s dedicated gardening skills, we are flush with a wide variety of tomatoes, cukes, and peppers! In an effort to use everything at its peak of freshness, I decided to make a big batch of gazpacho to get us through a busy week. (Gazpacho will keep about a week in the fridge.)

Garden Tip: We plant marigolds in our garden as part of our organic pest control plan. You probably already know that they repel a number of creepy-crawlies, but did you know that they are edible? Marigolds have a slight citrus flavor, and can range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery, making them great for salads or as a pretty garnish on any savory dish.

Garden Fresh Gazpacho

Course Soup

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Servings 12 Servings (1 cup each)

Calories 120 kcal

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Tomato Mix 1

4 lbs. vine-ripened tomatoes peeled & diced 1/4"
1 lb. cucumbers peeled, seeded & diced 1/4"
1/2 lb red orange, yellow or green bell peppers, seeded & diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced 1/8"
1/2 lb. onion diced 1/4"
15-20 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-3 teaspoons Sriracha or other hot sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder optional **
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tomato Mix 2

1 lb tomatoes roughly chopped (or cherry tomatoes)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lime - juice & zest
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine Tomato Mix 1 ingredients: diced tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, basil, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, Sriracha, and pepper. Toss thoroughly to combine.
In a blender jar, combine Tomato Mix 2 ingredients: Rough chopped tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, balsamic, and Worcestershire sauce. Puree mixture until smooth.
Pour Mix 2 into bowl with Mix 1 and stir to combine.
Using a hand-blender, puree the two mixtures together until it reaches the desired consistency. If you like your gazpacho very chunky, you don't need to do this step. (See Blender Note below)
Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.
Garnish with additional diced veggies, avocado, and/or sour cream. Serve cold.

Recipe Notes

This recipes lends itself easily to halving or doubling.

Serve with hearty, rustic bread on the side.

** In my most recent batch of gazpacho, I subbed in a teaspoon of my Spicy Rockfish Dry Rub for the chili powder. Totally awesome – I highly recommend it!!

Blender Note: Some people like their gazpacho very chunky, while others prefer it completely pureed: the choice is yours. If you don’t have a hand-blender, you can definitely do the last step in your regular blender jar: just puree about half the total mixture in the blender and then remix everything together. That said, I prefer the hand-blender method because I think it allows for better control of the final product.

Final Thoughts: Like biting into the perfect BLT, for most of us there is only a narrow window of opportunity each year to enjoy truly great gazpacho. Certainly you can make it year round, but don’t try making gazpacho in February with my recipe. (How often do you read about bloggers expressly advising you not to use their recipe?) If you want great garden-fresh gazpacho, and you have a bunch of ripe, sweet tomatoes, then this is your gazpacho recipe. However, if all you have are those hard little red balls they sell in the grocery stores in the winter months, then look for a recipe that uses canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato juice. Hot house tomatoes and the like simply do not have the depth of flavor or sugar content to make it worthwhile. (Nor do they taste like actual tomatoes.)

Some things are worth the wait.

^{Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!}

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My Favorite Cookbook: Kathy Gates {Guest Blogger Series}

December 7 By Mr. B 7 Comments

My Favorite Cookbook is an ongoing Guest Blogger series on The Good Hearted Woman. If you are interested in writing a post for this series, you can find submission guidelines here.

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This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

My favourite cookbook came to me as a gift, of sorts, from a colleague. Jim was a producer at the radio station where I was the marketing manager. He saw me eyeing off one of the books in his publicity stack and offered it to me. I soon discovered that Dear Francesca by Mary Contini is both a cookbook and a love letter to the role food plays at the heart of family life.

Mary Contini’s world revolves around food: she is the director of one of Edinburgh’s biggest delicatessens, Valvona & Crolla, she has written a food column for The Scotsman, and has co-presented food programs on television.

Dear Francesca is a very personal offering, almost a love letter to the role that food plays at the center of family life. Contini’s Italian heritage informs every page, and the family stories she shares are as delicious as her recipes. Sprinkled throughout is advice for her daughter, the Francesca of the title.

For example, she counsels Francesca, “When it comes down to it, your own sense of taste is the most valuable tool when cooking. Taste. Taste. Taste. It is a great pleasure to sip the food as it’s cooking and adjust the amount of ingredients as you go along. ‘Adjust seasoning’ is the key to every recipe. Your taste is your best guide.”

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved cooking. But that love was not passed down to me from my mother. Though she was a dedicated homemaker, my mother detested cooking. Perhaps it was the daily grind of having to churn out meals for her large family — I’m one of ten. Or perhaps it was because, early in their marriage, my father fondly, and constantly, reminisced about his own mother’s brilliant cooking. Whichever, my mother embraced the concept of convenience food with a vengeance.

Rice-a-Riso, Deb Mash Potato and Continental Chicken Noodle Soup – just add water and stir – were three of her staples. I hate to think of the salt and chemicals we ingested as children. After the wooden spoon, the can opener was her most-used kitchen tool. I still remember my surprise, and delight, when I discovered spaghetti didn’t always come in cans.

At least she never overcooked any of her ‘staples’. On the rare occasions when she cooked from scratch, she always managed to eliminate both flavour and goodness. One early standout was her mushy, over-salted peas to which bicarbonate of soda was added, “to keep the colour”.

My first tentative steps were via packet-mix cakes because there were instructions to follow. I was happy to be left alone in the kitchen, and even happier when I received cookbooks as birthday and Christmas gifts.

Until Dear Francesca, I never felt I’d missed out on anything. But to me this book was a bitter-sweet read. How wonderful to have been guided in such a loving way. There is an Italian saying, “dalla nonna alla mamma” – “from the grandmother to the mother”. This speaks of the way recipes, food advice, and by extension, life skills, are handed down through generations like a precious gift.

Whenever I dip into Dear Francesca, I feel like Contini is speaking directly to me, offering me her valuable advice. Early in the book there is a comprehensive list of equipment every kitchen needs. At another point she gives detailed information about how to introduce children to different tastes, and why it’s important to do so.

Interesting facts are mixed with advice, recipes and stories. The origin of the word ‘companionship’ is one example. Contini explains that it is derived from the Latin, con pane, meaning ‘with bread’, “To break bread together and eat with companions or family, gives fundamental nourishment to body and soul.”

The recipes included in Dear Francesca cover the gamut from antipasti to dessert, from everyday staples to traditional feasts. I’ve chosen a recipe that Contini’s mother made every week to observe the Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Friday. According to Contini, this was no hardship, “Pasta e patate is one of the most satisfying, comforting soups on the face of the earth.”

I totally agree!

Pasta e Patate [Pasta & Potato Soup]

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Author Mary Contini, Adapted from Dear Francesca

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of good olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1 piece of dried chilli or a few dried chilli flakes
1 medium-sized brown onion
400 g [14 oz.] can of plum tomatoes
1.75 litres [7 1/2 cups] of hot water
2 large potatoes I sometimes substitute sweet potato
½ teaspoon of sea salt flakes
1/3 cup of short pasta e.g. digitali rigate
Freshly grated cheese of your choice – mine is Grana Padana

Instructions

Peel garlic but leave whole.
Remove seeds from chilli, if necessary.
Heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan and add garlic and chilli to pan, cook for about thirty seconds then add peeled and finely chopped onion.
Toss to make sure onion is coated in oil, turn heat to low, cover and sweat the onion for about ten minutes.
The tomatoes should be smooth – I put them through my passatutto, or sieve, which also removes the seeds. But if seeds aren’t an issue you can either blend or mash with a fork.
Add tomatoes and 1 litre of the water to pan and bring to a high simmer.
Add peeled and diced potato and salt, give it a good stir, turn the heat down, cover and cook on a low simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove garlic, add the remaining water, which has been heated to boiling, and the pasta, stir and cook, uncovered, until pasta is al dente.
Taste for seasoning and serve with shavings of cheese and crusty bread.

Recipe Notes

Recipe makes approximately two litres of soup.

About Kathy: Kathy lives in Hobart, the capital of Australia’s island state, Tasmania, which is a food lover’s paradise. In early 2015, Kathy took a redundancy and started a blog about her favourite things – reading, writing and travel. She has also written a novella, Juliet’s Journey, which was inspired by a visit to the northern Italian village of Baiardo. Kathy regularly contributes articles to Boomercafe.com and Amreading.com.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Slow & Easy White Chicken Chili {5 Ways!}

November 8 By Renée ♥ 3 Comments

Today I’m sharing a simple, belly pleasing, stick-to-your ribs recipe that will take all of 20 minutes of your time to prepare. You can let the slow cooker do all the work for the other approximately 20 hours (for the Slow Version) or 2 hours (for the Lightning Version) that it takes to cook.

As written, this White Chicken Chili is relatively mild, but you can spice it up by leaving the seeds in the jalapenos and/or adding more of them to the mix.

Depending upon which approach you take to making this White Chicken Chili, it will take you between two and 24 hours to prepare, but your actual hands-on prep time remains constant – about 20 minutes. All five versions listed produce delicious, savory results:

Slow: 20 hours – recipe as directed: overnight soak, then slow cooker on low.
Moderate: 18-19 hours – recipe as directed: overnight soak, then slow cooker on high.
Moderately fast: 10-12 hours – “Fast Soak” beans. (See Fast Soak Instructions at the bottom of the post) Continue with recipe as directed, with slow cooker on low.
Fast: 5-6 hours – “Fast Soak” beans. Continue with recipe as directed, with slow cooker on high.
Lightning: 1 1/2 – 2 hours – Use canned beans. Continue with recipe as directed. Cook in slow cooker on high for at least one hour.

White Chicken Chili

Servings 2 quarts

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1 lb small white beans or 2 - 15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 large onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
2- 4 oz can diced green chilis
1 - 2 jalapenos minced (for mild chili, removed seeds)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 lb shredded chicken
6 cups chicken broth
1 lb cooked shredded chicken
Toppings: avocado slices lime wedges, sour cream, tortilla strips, and chopped cilantro

Instructions

Soak beans for 4-8 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse.
In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until the onions are translucent and just beginning to turn brown.
Combine sautéed onions and garlic, soaked beans, and all of the remaining ingredients except the chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours (or high for 4-5 hours), or until the beans are very tender. (Add additional broth or water if necessary.)
When beans are very tender, use an immersion blender or potato mashed to mash some of the beans up. This will slightly thicken chili. (Don’t overdo it though or you will have bean puree!)
Add chicken about thirty minutes before the chili is done.
Serve with toppings on the side: avocado slices, sour cream, lime wedges, tortilla strips, and chopped cilantro are all good choices.

How to FAST SOAK beans:

In a medium saucepan, cover the beans with enough water so that it is at least an inch above the top of the beans. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat. Cook for one minute, and then remove from heat. Cover pot and allow beans to soak for one hour. Drain and rise beans before proceeding.

“To win the people, always cook them some savoury that pleases them.”
― Aristophanes, The Knights

Skinny Cincinnati Chili with Spaghetti Squash

March 19 By Renée ♥ 4 Comments

Cincinnati Chili is basically a sweet, mild chili con carne traditionally served over spaghetti noodles – a combination that is both surprisingly and delicious. My lightened-up version, served over spaghetti squash, is (loosely) based on the recipe for the most famous variation – Skyline Chili.

The closest I’ve ever gotten to Cincinnati is watching WKRP as a kid, but it was love at first bite as far as their chili is concerned.

Cincinnati Chili (in my admittedly limited experience) is basically a mild chili con carne made with seasonings from the sweet side of the spice shelf: cinnamon, cloves, allspice and (sometimes) chocolate. It usually a little “saucier” than most chili, and traditionally served over spaghetti noodles. There are many well-known variations, most often associated with Cincinnati restaurants, including Empress Chili, Gold Star Chili, Dixie Chili, and the one I am most familiar with – Skyline Chili.

Usually made with ground beef, I’ve lightened my version up with ground chicken. I love to serve it over spaghetti squash, which lends an additional sweetness to the dish and offers a lovely presentation as well.

Skinny Cincinnati Chili with Spaghetti Squash

A milder, lighter version of Cincinnati's famous savory-sweet Skyline chili, traditionally served over spaghetti noodles. For an even lighter meal (and a cool presentation) serve over spaghetti squash.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Boats:

2 small spaghetti squashes Or just use spaghetti noodles - it's your call!

Chili Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken or turkey I use Isernio Ground Chicken
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large onion chopped
2 cans stewed tomatoes Italian style (I use petite cut tomatoes with garlic & basil)
1 14- ounce can small red beans canned (I use seasoned piquintos)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Prepare Chili:

Brown ground chicken or turkey with onion and garlic. Add all the other ingredients. Simmer at least 1/2 an hour. (I usually make this in a slow cooker, on low for 4-6 hours.)
Vegetarian-friendly Chili option:: Simply replace the ground chicken with additional small red beans.

To Serve in Spaghetti Squash Boats:

Choose small spaghetti squashes. Each squash will make 2 boats.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Sprinkle squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes, or until tender.
Allow cooked squash to cool for about 10 minutes, and then use a fork to scrape out the insides and separate strands.
Replace threads in squash shells, and top with chili and Parmesan cheese.

Happy National Homemade Soup Day!

February 4 By Renée ♥ 17 Comments

Today is National Homemade Soup Day – let us all lift a spoon in celebration!

Many years ago, a dear friend told me this story and since then, whenever I make soup (particularly from leftovers) I think of her. Let’s call her Kate. (Note: It is possible that I have embellished this inside my head over the years, but I tried to stay as close to Kate’s original telling as possible.)

It seems that when Kate was newly married, her sweet husband came home one night from a long day at work. Sitting down at the table, he asked her what was for dinner. She replied, “We’re having soup.” As Kate tells it, the look that fell across his face when she uttered the word “soup” was somewhere between disgust and the acceptance of impending doom, but he said nothing, and just waited for his dinner like a man anticipating the flip of an electric chair switch.

When she set his bowl of soup down in front of him he barely looked at it, instead spooning in the first bite like an automaton. Kate looked on expectantly, unable to decode the strained expression that barely masked his revulsion.

And then something marvelous happened. As the soup hit his tongue, his taut expression softened immediately, widening into one of genuine surprise and pure satisfaction. After finishing his bowl and asking her for seconds, he explained why.

“When I was a kid, we were very poor, and we kept a little bucket in the refrigerator. After every meal, anything that didn’t get eaten got thrown into that bucket. Then, about once a week, Mom would dump the whole thing into a pot and add water, and that was soup. And that was what I was expecting.“

(Did anyone else just reflexively make a face? Because when I first heard this story, I sure did! Ewww! Refrigerator Bucket Soup is certainly not ever going to be on my menu!)

For the record, Kate and her sweetheart are still married, and I’m certain that she still makes him soup on a regular basis.

Here are a few of my favorite Soup recipes from posts past – none of which involve a bucket. Why not choose one and make some homemade soup tonight?

Stove to Table in 10 minutes:
Wonton Egg Drop Soup

Serve it up in 30 minutes:
Loaded Baked {Sweet} Potato Soup

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup {Vegetarian-friendly}

Love takes time:
French Onion Soup

Pop’s Vegetable Soup

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Share with us in the comments below! What’s your favorite homemade soup?

Pops Vegetable Soup {Recipe}

January 5 By Renée ♥ 13 Comments

When I was a little girl, my parents and I spent most Sunday evenings at my Poppy’s house. The four of us – Dad, Mom, Pop and I – would eat dinner and then settle in to watch Lawrence Welk and The Wonderful World of Disney together before Dad drove Mom and me home. On cold, dark winter nights, dinner was (more often than not) a piping bowl of Pop’s homemade vegetable soup, served with as many Saltines as I could eat.

Pop was my maternal grandfather and I was his only granddaughter, so we had a pretty special relationship. Anyway, back then I was not much of a vegetable lover (I still hate cooked peas), and until I was about four, I would not eat more than a few token bites of Pop’s soup, subsisting Sunday nights almost entirely on crackers and milk. But then Pop pulled a trick out of his sleeve – he started adding a can of Campbell’s Alphabet Soup to his soup just for me, and those mushy little pasta letters changed everything.

I loved to hunt for the letters to spell my name, or the dog’s name, or anything really. I’d collect letters on my spoon, read them to everyone, and then gobble them up in one bite. Spell a word, eat a bite. Spell another word, eat another bite. In the process, I completely forgot to be picky about what surrounded them, and before I knew it, I was eating Pop’s soup like it was going out of style. To this day, I still include that silly little can of soup, and every overcooked letter on my spoon reminds me of my sweet Poppy.

There aren’t many pictures in this post: there doesn’t need to be. There really is only one real step: put everything in a pot and let it simmer. Like most soups, this is much better the day after, so plan for leftovers. And serve with Saltines.

Pop's Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 large Beef soup bone (optional)
2 quarts water or 2 qts. vegetable stock if not using soup bone
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs salt
3 stalks celery chopped
4 medium carrots sliced
1 medium turnip pared and chopped
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup corn
1/2 cup peas
1 large onion chopped
4 medium potatoes peeled & cubed
2 1- lb. cans cut tomatoes I use Petite Cut with Onions & Garlic
1/3 cup pearl barley
1 can Campbell's Alphabet Soup Optional
Season with salt pepper, basil, oregano and hot sauce as desired

Instructions

Place soup bone in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Add bay leaves. Simmer 2 hours. Remove soup bone and give it to the dog! Let stock cool and skim fat. (For Vegetarian soup, and just use vegetable stock instead and skip ahead.)
Add all remaining ingredients except Campbell's Soup and simmer 2 more hours.* Adjust seasonings. Add Campbell's Soup if desired.

Recipe Notes

*You can also cook it in a slow cooker: Low for 8 hours, or High for 4 hours.

This soup is really better the next day when the flavors have had a chance to blend. Other vegetables can be added and amounts adjusted to suit your taste.

Freezes well.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

November 18 By Renée ♥ 11 Comments

Roasting squashes first brings out their rich, deep flavors. This creamy roasted butternut soup – my curried spin on Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup – makes a perfect autumn meal.

This recipe started out as a copycat for Panera’s Butternut Squash Soup, but I’m totally addicted to curry, so I bumped up the spices slightly, added a little extra half-and-half and… Boom! A delicious bowl of Autumn flavor, steeped in a soft blanket of smooth curry. (Sorry… you know I get this way sometimes.)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Course Soup

Author Renée ♥︎ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 small butternut squash seeded & cut into large chunks*
1 small sugar pie pumpkin or kuri squash seeded & cut into large chunks*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup apple cider
1 1/2 half-and-half
1-2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup pepitas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°,
In a small bowl, mix salt, curry powder, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg.
Arrange squash chunks on parchment-lined baking tray, flesh side up. Drizzle with olive oil and season with half of the spice mixture. (Set the rest of the spice mix aside for later.)
Roast seasoned squashes in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until flesh is very tender. Let cool.
Scoop cooked squash off of skin and into a large blender pitcher. Pour in cider and broth and blend until very smooth. Discard squash skins.
Pour blended squash mixture into a large, heavy saucepan and heat over medium-low until mixture reaches a low simmer. Add remaining spices, one tablespoon of honey and half-and-half.
Taste and season, adding more honey if desired.
Serve warm. Garnish with pepitas - they give it a nice crunch!

Recipe Notes

*I used a 44 ounce butternut squash and a 25 ounce kuri squash for the batch I made here, and it turned out perfect.

I probably used a little more curry powder than this recipe calls for in the end, but go easy if you decide to add extra or you will lose that lovely butternut flavor.

Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ❤ Be sure to Pin and print this recipe!

Calypso Chili

November 12 By Renée ♥ 4 Comments

Based on my own (Award Winning!) Vegan Chili recipe, Calypso Chili is a mild, rich, sweet chili fresh with Caribbean flavors.

Calypso Chili is a mild, rich, sweet chili fresh with Caribbean flavors. Mushrooms give it a “meaty” texture, but even my fungus-hating vegetarian sister wouldn’t be able to detect them when it’s done, so if you don’t tell anyone it’s vegan, I won’t either!

Calypso Chili

Course Main dish or side

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1 cup Bob's Red Mill Orca Heritage Beans (or 1 cup of your favorite dried beans)
5-7 cups Vegetable Broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped fine
3 cloves garlic minced
1 red or orange pepper chopped fine
2 medium carrots chopped fine
1 jalapeno chile pepper seeded and minced
8 oz mushroom very finely chopped
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs cumin
2 tsp salt
1 dash fresh ground black pepper
1 large mango chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1 bunch cilantro chopped

Instructions

Sort and rinse beans and place in a large soup pot with broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are softened. (About 45-60 minutes.) Set aside.
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onions, peppers, carrots, and saute until onions begin to brown. Stir in garlic, jalapeno, and mushrooms and saute for 3 more minutes.
Add vegetable mixture to beans. Add tomatoes, brown sugar, cumin, salt & pepper.
Continue simmering until beans are completely cooked, about 15-20 minutes. (Or do what I do : Put the mixture in a slow cooker, set it on low and let it simmer for a few hours. If you are home, you can stir it a couple of times during the process, but it will be fine if you leave it alone.)
Just before serving, add the mango, orange juice and cilantro, give it one more good stir and let it simmer for a few minutes more.

Recipe Notes

This is a very mild chili, so if you need to add a little more heat, go for it! Like most chili recipes, it can be made well ahead of time, and it freezes well. Want a spicier chili? Add an extra jalapeno or two, and 1-2 teaspoons of chili powder.

You can use any small bean for this chili. Black beans or small white beans work equally well.

Bob’s Red Mill Orca Heritage Beans (affiliate link) are a small, tasty heirloom bean that is gorgeously dappled black and white, and unlike many beautiful beans, Orca Beans hold their lovely markings after cooking. Needless to say, I’ve been imagining what I might do with these unique little legumes since the moment I set eyes on them.

Wonton Egg Drop Soup {10-Minute Meal}

November 5 By Renée ♥ 11 Comments

Perfect for busy weekday evenings, Wonton Egg Drop Soup is savory and satisfying – and so easy to make that I’m almost embarrassed to call this a “recipe!”

I like to season my soup with a little sweet chili sauce, while Mr. B prefers a healthy dash of Sriracha with his.

Wonton Egg Drop Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes

Author Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

4 cups Aneto Chicken Broth or other full-bodied broth*
1 tablespoon soy sauce or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
About 30 frozen wontons See note below
2 green onions thinly sliced
2 eggs well beaten

Optional:

Sriracha
Sweet Chili Sauce

Instructions

Whisk eggs together in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring broth, soy sauce and sesame oil to boil.
Add frozen wontons one at a time, until all are in the pot and the liquid has returned to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cooked until the wontons are done, 2-5 minutes.
While stirring slowly, add beaten eggs to hot liquid in a thin stream. Eggs will cook on contact.
Garnish with sliced green onions, season with Sriracha or Sweet Chili Sauce as desired, and serve.

Recipe Notes

4 WW Points Plus = 1 cup of soup + 8 wontons. *The more flavorful your broth, the better your soup will be. I use exclusively either homemade broth or Aneto's. That cheap stuff in the cans is barely more than water.

Note: While you can make Wonton Egg Drop Soup with any frozen (or fresh, if you have time) wontons, I thought I’d mention what I used. As you may know, I don’t use a lot of commercially prepared frozen food; moreover, it doesn’t fit the home-cooked theme of my blog. However, like you, I live in the real world, where sometimes there just isn’t time to whip something up from scratch. In those cases, I try to find healthy alternatives that I can still feel good about serving to my family, so when I found these little babies at Costco awhile back, I knew I had to give them a try. Made with all natural ingredients and no trans fats, Chicken & Cilantro Mini Wontons (from CJ Foods, a U.S. subsidiary of Korea’s CJ Corp) are flavorful little purses that cook up in no time.

Vegetarians: Use vegetable broth and vegetarian wontons. Way too easy. 🙂