8 ounce package of frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs
2-14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1-15 ounce can cannellini beans
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup basil pesto
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Bring the first 5 ingredients above to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in 2 cups baby spinach (washed) and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese.
Contributed by Dan the Man: Montana Fire
3 lb. beef shank cut into 2″ pieces (as for a stew)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans beef broth
3 cans tomatillos
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2″ squares
3 carrots, cut into rings
3 celery stalks, cut into small pieces
1 chayote squash, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup crumbled queso blanco cheese
Tortilla chips (optional)
1. Rinse beef and pat dry: season well with salt and pepper. In a large pot, heat oil over high heat. Add beef and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer beef to plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is softened about 3 minutes.
3. Return beef to pot; add broth, tomatillos, juice and cumin. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour.
4. Transfer beef to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, shred meat (discarding bone) and return to pot.
5. Add chile, carrot celery and chayote: simmer until tender, 20 to 25 minutes more. Skim off fat and stir in cilantro.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and spinkle with cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.
Contributed by: Danny Lopez in Texas
1 lb. carrots, cut into quarters lengthwise
2 large sweet onions, halved and sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
5 lbs. butternut squash (2 medium), halved and seeded
6 tbsp. butter
4 cups chix broth
1 cup whole milk, or cream
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a nonstick jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Put carrot pieces, onions and olive oil in large bowl and toss to coat.
2. Arrange squash halves, cut side up, on the pan. Divide the butter between the two cavities. Spoon the carrot and onions around the squash halves.
3. Roast the vegetables in the oven until tender and golden, 60-90 minutes, stirring the carrot and onion mixture every 30 minutes. Let vegetables cool for 20 minutes.
4. Scoop out the roasted squash flesh from the skins; put squash in a large food processor along with the carrots and onions. Puree this until mostly smooth.
5. Transfer the puree to a large non-stick saucepan and stir in the chicken broth and the whole milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook about 10 minutes.
6. Spoon the soup into serving bowls and top each with chopped parsley and pepper.
Danny from Ohio