Soup-Tacular

I found this link on BooMama's website and thought it was a fabulous idea. Even though it's not that cold where we live, it's definitely soup season. I'm posting two recipes that I love. They are both hearty and delicious although one is a little, um, richer than the other. Enjoy!

Beefy Lentil Soup

1lb ground beef
1C dried lentils, rinsed
1C sliced carrots
1C sliced celery
1C diced onions
1C cut up cabbage or green beans or corn or any veggie you want
1C finely chopped green pepper
1pkg beef ramen noodles-discard flavor pack
2 lg beef bouillon cubes or 2Tbls "Better than Bouillon"
46oz V-8 juice
4C water
1bay leaf
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef. Add chopped veggies & cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on high until mixture boils about 10 minutes. Reduce heat & simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Note: You can use ground turkey in place of the beef and it's just as good.

Chili Blanco

1 pound great northern or navy beans, soaked overnight
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and shredded
6 cups chicken stock
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
2 (4oz) cans mild green chiles
2 tsp cumin (or more to taste)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups Monterey Jack, grated
1 cup sour cream

Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent. Add drained beans, stock, garlic, chiles, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper. Cook at a simmer until the beans are tender (this can take several hours).

Just before serving, add the chicken, cheese and sour cream. Mix well and continue cooking until the chicken is warmed through.

Serve with fresh cilantro, salsa, sour cream and cheese.

Note: You can use two cans of drained, rinsed white beans if you don't want to deal with dried ones.