Soupe a L'Oignon au Fromage (French Onion Soup)

1/4 cup unsalted butter
6 large onions (about 5 pounds), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
Ingredients

1/2 cup brandy
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 cups beef broth, homemade or canned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 (1/2-inch thick) slices French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere

Directions:

Heat the butter in a soup pot over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 40 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and add the brandy. Return the pot to the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until almost dry. Sprinkle the onions with the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. While stirring, slowly add the broth. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, with the cover slightly ajar, about 20 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Arrange a rack about 4 inches from the broiler and preheat.

Arrange 6 ovenproof crocks or deep soup bowls on a baking sheet and ladle the hot soup into them. Arrange 2 slices of toasted bread on top of each soup and sprinkle with the cheese.

Broil the soups until the cheese is melt

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

5 small onions, thinly sliced
2 cans (14 ounces) low sodium beef broth (recommended: Swanson's)
2 cans (10 ounces) beef consomme (recommended: Campbell's)
1 packet onion soup mix (recommended: Lipton's)
8 slices French bread, about 1 inch thick
1 cup shredded Gruyere

Directions

Combine onions, broth, consomme, and soup mix in a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH setting for 4 hours, or LOW setting for 8 hours.
Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with a slice of French bread. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each bread slice. Put soup bowls under broiler until cheese is melted. Alternatively, place the bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese; broil until cheese has melted, about 30 to 40 seconds, and set on top just before serving.

Spicy Tomato- Cheese Soup

Ingredients

1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
3 cups spicy tomato juice
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat thoroughly, over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Serve in mugs with Grilled Cheese Dippers.

Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee

Guinness and Onion Soup with Irish Cheddar Crouton

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves minced garlic
8 cups thinly sliced onions
Gray salt (Kosher salt will do)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups dark beer (recommended: Guinness)
6 cups beef stock (found in your local market)
6 slices country bread cut 1/2-inch thick, toasted
1/2 pound Irish Cheddar, sliced thin

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook briefly to release aroma. Add onions, season with salt and cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are golden brown.
Add the thyme, vinegar, and beer. Reduce beer by half and add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Transfer soup to an ovenproof serving dish or individual ovenproof soup bowls. Top with toasted bread slices and sliced Cheddar. Broil until cheese melts and starts to brown slightly. Serve piping hot.

Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello

Chinese-style Rice Soup with Chicken and Ginger

INGREDIENTS

6 cups water
4 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned, or homemade
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
About 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)
2 to 3 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium bunch fresh cilantro, leaves torn or chopped
Asian chili paste, or sambal oelek, optional


DIRECTIONS:

Put the water and broth, salt, rice and butter in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH until the rice is soft and soupy, about 6 hours.
When ready to serve, remove the lid and stir in the ginger and scallions. Portion the soup into bowls and top with the shredded chicken and cilantro. Serve with chili paste on the side if desired.

Recipe and Photo courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Vegetarian Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen baby lima beans or regular lima beans
1 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced pickled jalapeno (from can or jar)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/3 cup couscous
1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients but the couscous, shredded cheese, cilantro and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
Five to 10 minutes before serving (depending on temperature of slow cooker) add couscous, cover and cook, until couscous is tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Just before serving, top each serving with shredded cheese and cilantro.

Recipe courtesy of Food Network

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ground chicken, coarsely ground preferred
3 tablespoons chili powder, plus 2 teaspoons
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 (28-ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 medium sweet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and shredded
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup instant tapioca (recommended: Minute tapioca)
1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce with seeds, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1/2 to 3/4 cup lager-style beer, optional
Toppings: Sour cream, shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped scallions, and chopped pickled jalapenos

DIRECTIONS:

Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Add 3 tablespoons of the chili powder and all the rest of the ingredients, except the beer. Stir everything together, cover, and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of chili powder, the beer, if using, and season with more salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. Divide the chili among warm bowls. Serve with the topping of your choice.

Know-How: Stirring in chili powder right before serving brightens the flavor of the chili.

Recipe and Photo courtesy of Food Network

Tex-Mex Chowder

Ingredients
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2/3 cup quick-cooking rice
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
1-1/2 cups bottled chunky salsa
1 pound skinned, mild-flavored fish fillets (such as haddock, cod or halibut), cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 pound fresh baby scallops
Lime wedges, bread, for serving
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, combine broth with enough water to equal 5 cups. Bring to a boil, stir in rice, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the corn and salsa. Return to boiling.
2. Add fish and scallops to saucepan. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes when touched lightly with a fork. Serve with lime wedges and crusty bread, if desired.

Creamy Clam Chowder

This is my Mom's favorite chowder recipe and my mom knows chowder as she was born and raised in Maine

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 in cube of salt pork, diced
1 onion, finely diced
3-4 cups of clams with clam juice
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups of half and half (can substitute evaporated milk)
3 tbsp butter
1-2 tbsp of flour
water

Directions:

Saute salt pork in large heavy saucepan until lightly browned. Pour out all but 2 tbsp of fat.
Add onion and saute over medium heat until transparent
Sprinkle flour over the onion and salt pork and stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute
Measure clam juice and add enough water to measure 2 1/2 cups ( you can buy bottled clam juice if you want more of the flavor. You can also substitute low sodium chicken broth for some of the liquid).
Add the 2 1/2 cups of liquid and the clams to the pot.
Add potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes or until potatoes are done.
Just before serving, add the half and half and the butter and bring just to a simmer and turn off the heat.

Serve immediately with crusty hot bread.