Sunday Soup #132: Sausage Parmesan Cream Cheese Soup

Souping makes me happy, and you should always do what makes you happy, right? I mean, unless what makes you happy is being a jerk, in which case, make the world a kinder place instead and just make soup! :-)

And, if you need a good one, maybe give this yummy Italian selection a try? This was one of those soups that was solidly 4.5 stars (i.e., better than 4, but not quite 5), but I don't usually give half scores. So, since I could think of a couple of improvements, I scored it a 4 with room to get even better. Enjoy!

This recipe came from: https://www.eatwell101.com/sausage-parmesan-cream-cheese-soup-recipe

Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. I used Mild Italian sausage (instead of my usual Hot) because one of my diners is sensitive to spice. And, I used canned petite diced tomatoes rather than fresh Romas.

General Thoughts: The prep on this one was really easy! The only chopping was an onion, and my friend Lisa did that for me, so the rest was just adding things to the Instant Pop. It should be noted that this recipe does not make very much; I doubled it, but there was barely a serving leftover after feeding only six adults (who had plenty of other food - bread, salad, etc. - to eat, too). So, plan accordingly!

*Pics 1 & 2 - https://www.eatwell101.com/sausage-parmesan-cream-cheese-soup-recipe

The flavor of the soup was solid, and it reminded me of a pizza soup.  It was creamy and cheesy, with a zesty tomato sauce and sausage taste. But, while the soup came out almost silky, without the sausage there would have been very little texture variation. I recommend making some simple homemade croutons in the oven or skillet (for example, these tasty Pioneer Woman beauties: https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Homemade-Croutons-9111591?prm-v1) to give the soup a little crunch. All in all, though, it hit all the right flavor notes, and was even tastier as leftovers!

A loaf of good, quality sourdough bread was a very nice compliment to this soup, and making it into garlic bread would have been very tasty, indeed! Also, I want to give special mention of the Caprese salad Lisa made, which was perfect: fresh, piquant, and flavorful. If we are lucky, maybe she'll share the recipe in the comments? :-)

Potential Improvements? As I mentioned above, some croutons for texture would have been brilliant, and I'd prefer Hot sausage (rather than Mild). Finally, next time, I'd like to try dicing some fresh Roma tomatoes (nice firm ones!) instead of using the canned diced toms.

Polling the Fam: Everyone seemed to really enjoy this one, with only a couple of suggestions (primarily focused on how some crunchy croutons would help).

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

Sunday Soup #129, #130, and #131: Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup, Pork & Green Chile Stew, and Tuscan Tortellini Soup

Hey there! I know, I know, it's been a while... Sadly, the blog became a casualty of my being disaffected with social media in general. But, my friend Lisa convinced me that just because I was shoving Facebook out the airlock didn't mean that I had to stop blogging, as well. So, here we are... you wanting Internet recipe soup tips, me with Internet recipe soup tips to share. It doesn't have to be weird, let's just see where it goes...

As a start, let me catch you up on a few of the better soup recipes I've made over the last six months. While I did not make many notes about these three soups or take pics (because I did not really think I was going to blog them), all of these soups were 4 stars; solid, would-make-again options! Enjoy!!

SUNDAY SOUP #129: SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP

Bean soups can be hit or miss, but when they hit, they are a thing of beauty. This vegetarian selection (which can easily be made vegan) was solid, for sure! It required a little chopping (onions, peppers, and carrots), but it was worth it. The garnishes made every bowl even better, so you can take the recipe author's suggestions (which are great!) or include your own favorites.

Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. And, not a variation exactly, since the recipe mentioned it, but I used an immersion blender for a couple of quick "zaps" to thicken it up a little.

This recipe came from: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-black-bean-soup-recipe/

*Pic 1 - https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-black-bean-soup-recipe/

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

SUNDAY SOUP #130: PORK & GREEN CHILE STEW

Another slow cooker recipe, this one was dead simple to make! Ask your butcher to trim and cube your pork for you at the store to save yourself that work. With that done, the only fresh ingredients that need your attention are an onion (which you can get pre-diced) and several potatoes (which need to be peeled and cubed). An unusual ingredient in this one is "quick-cooking tapioca," which is used as a thickener; I had to look up a primer on it (https://oureverydaylife.com/quick-cooking-tapioca-24372.html). This soup was hearty and the flavor was solid. Hominy = YUM! But, one note for improvement... The pork could have been helped by 1-2 hours soaking in my homemade marinade (which combines ½ TBSP garlic salt, 1 TBSP cumin, 7 TBSP water, 1 TBSP liquid smoke, and 1 TBSP lime juice) before cooking. 

Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. I did not brown the pork before putting it in the Crock-Pot. Cooking on Low is the way to go!

This recipe came from: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/269916/pork-green-chile-stew/

*Pic 1 - https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/269916/pork-green-chile-stew/

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)

SUNDAY SOUP #131: TUSCAN TORTELLINI SOUP

Another "big taste for light prep" selection, this tortellini soup is packed with Italian flavor! The standout in this one for me was the variety of textures... The beans, the pasta, the sausage, and the spinach each imparted a slightly different feel that kept things interesting. Pair this one with a good garlic bread (I prefer homemade using a fresh sourdough baguette), and you'll be pleased.

Variations from Recipe as Written: I doubled the recipe. I used a smoked beef sausage (similar to a kielbasa) rather than chicken sausage links.

This recipe came from: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a49380/tuscan-tortellini-soup-recipe/

*Pic 1 - https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a49380/tuscan-tortellini-soup-recipe/

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)