Cooperative Living January 2015 - 36

READER RECIPES
January is both National Soup Month and National Slow Cooker
Month. Enjoying soup on a cold winter evening can be easy and
healthful. Get a head start on dinner by preparing a one-dish meal
in your slow cooker early in the day. Soups containing vegetables
and beans provide vitamin-rich, low-fat meals, while meat-based
soups can provide a satisfying, one-dish meal. Even cream-based
soups are healthy if you use low-fat milk or pureed vegetables in
place of cream or half-n-half. For soups made with ham bones and
other fat-containing meats, chill the soup after cooking and skim
off any fat before reheating and serving.
Hearty, Healthy Soups
PLEASANT VALLEY
CHEESE SOUP
Wendy Lankford of Red Oak
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup chopped broccoli
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped carrots
2 instant chicken
bouillon cubes
1 quart water
1 quart milk
(2 percent or whole)
1½ lbs. American cheese
½ cup butter
½ cup flour
½ t dry mustard
Salt
DIRECTIONS: Place all
vegetables, bouillon cubes and
water in a Dutch oven and
cook until tender. Meanwhile,
scald milk but do not let it boil.
Add cheese, stirring until
melted. In large saucepan,
melt butter, then add flour and
mustard, heating until thick and
smooth. Then add cheese/milk
mixture and heat. Stir in
vegetables and water in which
they were cooked, and add salt
to taste. Excellent with fresh
bread.
HAM & BEAN SOUP
Yvonne Burnette of Sutherland
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. navy beans
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chili peppers, minced
¼ cup butter or margarine
1½ lbs. ham hocks
¼ cup parsley
1 t salt
DIRECTIONS: Soak beans
overnight in 3 quarts of cold
water. Drain beans. In large
pot, add drained beans and
enough water to cover,
about 3-4 quarts. Bring to a
boil and cook at a slow boil
for one hour. In a separate
pan, cook celery, onion, garlic
and chili peppers in butter
until tender; add to beans
along with ham hocks. Simmer
about 2 hours, until
beans are tender. Remove
ham hocks and cool; cut
meat from bones and discard
skin, fat and bones. Add
ham meat, parsley and salt
to cooked beans and slowly
heat to boiling.
POTATO BACON
CHOWDER
Wanda Blackard
of Stuarts Draft
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups peeled,
cubed potatoes
1 cup water
8 strips of bacon
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 10.75-oz. can condensed
cream of chicken soup
1¾ cups milk
1 cup sour cream
½ t salt
Dash of black pepper
1 15-oz. can mixed vegetables
1 T fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS: In a covered
3-quart saucepan, cook
potatoes in water until tender.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a
skillet until crisp. Remove to
paper towels and drain. In
the same skillet, saute the
onion and celery in drippings
until tender and drain. Add to
undrained potatoes, and stir
in soup, milk, sour cream, salt,
pepper and mixed vegetables.
Cook over low heat for
10 minutes or until heated
through (do not boil). Crumble
bacon and set aside ¼
cup. Add remaining bacon to
soup along with parsley.
Sprinkle with reserved bacon.
34
CHICKEN
BARLEY SOUP
Ida Goering of Dayton
INGREDIENTS:
2-3 lbs. chicken parts
2 quarts plus
2 cups water
1 t salt
½ cup regular barley
(not quick cooking)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1½ cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 cups coarsely shredded
cabbage
2 cups cubed tomatoes,
fresh or canned
1 bay leaf
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS: In large
kettle, cook chicken in
2 quarts water with
1 t salt until tender.
Cool broth and skim off
fat. Bone chicken and cut
in small pieces. Cook
barley in 2 cups water
with bouillon cube for
½ hour. Combine all
ingredients in large kettle
with a bay leaf and
simmer covered for at
least 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and
add plenty of chopped
parsley, black pepper
and salt to taste.
Cooperative Living/January 2015
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Cooperative Living January 2015

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