Recipe Swap: Transform holiday leftovers into delicious soups with these irresistible recipes

When the weather is cold outside, a hot bowl of soup is just the right meal to warm you up.

There are so many different types of soups and chowders and different proteins to put in them, it is hard to decide where to start. In looking at recipes, I tried to find chicken and beef, but then a ham recipe caught my eye. If you’re like me, I have leftover ham in my freezer from Christmas I can use in a soup.

I hope you enjoy cooking your way through all of these soup recipes.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast or thighs, shredded

• 8 ounces egg noodles

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery ribs, diced

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 cup heavy cream (or dairy-free alternative)

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh parsley for garnish

Prepare the chicken and vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the noodles: In a separate pot, cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Make the creamy broth: Add chicken broth to the pot with vegetables and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and add shredded chicken. Stir in heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.

Combine all ingredients: Add cooked noodles to the pot and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes to let flavors meld.

Tip: For extra creaminess, blend a portion of the soup and return it to the pot.

Finishing touch: Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Source: www.recipevalue.com

Chicken Alfredo Soup

This soup will have everyone coming back for seconds!

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 3 tablespoon salted butter

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 4 ounces fettuccine, broken into 2-inch pieces

• 3 cups broccoli florets

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Melt the butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, five to six minutes. Add the garlic and cook until sizzling, about one minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook, stirring, until the coating is smooth but not browned, about two minutes.

Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot, and stir to combine. Adjust the heat so the soup is simmering and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the fettuccine to the boiling water and cook until just al dente, six to seven minutes, adding the broccoli to the pot in the last three minutes of cooking. Drain well, then stir the pasta and broccoli into the soup along with the chicken.

Return the soup to a simmer and heat the chicken through, for about two minutes. Stir in the parsley. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and lemon juice, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.

Source: www.thepioneerwoman.com

Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder

A creamy and smoky shrimp and roast corn chowder; a perfect way to enjoy fresh corn from the cob.

• 4 ears corn, kernels cut from the cobs, cobs reserved

• 1/2-pound shrimp peeled and deveined, shells reserved

• 4 cups chicken broth (or shrimp stock)

• 4 slices smoked bacon, cut into one-inch pieces

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1/4 cup flour (or rice flour for gluten-free)

• 1 large stewing potato (such as a red potato or white potato), cut into bite sized pieces

• 1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk)

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)

• Cayenne, salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth, corn cobs, and shrimp shells to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid becomes a little cloudy, about 20 to 30 minutes, strain and discard the solids and set the broth aside. (This step is optional but adds a ton of flavor to the chowder.)

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Raise the heat to medium-high, add the corn and let it sit in place until it chars a bit, about eight minutes, mix it, repeat and set aside. Reduce the heat down to medium, add the onion, celery and pepper and cook until tender, about seven to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and paprika and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Sprinkle on the flour and cook for two to three minutes. Add the broth, corn, and potato and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cream and shrimp and simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about two to three minutes. Add the fish sauce and season with cayenne, salt and pepper to taste.

Source: www.closetcooking.com

Southwest Chicken Soup

This creamy Southwest chicken soup recipe is so easy to make and bursts with flavor, thanks to ingredients like chicken, salsa, black beans, corn, chicken broth, onion and cream cheese.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup diced sweet onion (about 1/2 onion)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth

• 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa

• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 (11-ounce) can Mexicorn

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

• 5 ounces cream cheese, cubed and softened or melted

• Jalapenos (optional)

• Cilantro (optional)

• Tortilla or corn chips (optional)

In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, add olive oil and onion and saute until soft (three to five minutes). Stir in salt and pepper.

Add in chicken broth, salsa, beans, and corn. Stir and heat to a slow boil, then reduce to simmer and cover for five minutes.

Add chicken and cream cheese and simmer until cream cheese has melted and blended with the soup.

Serve with jalapenos, cilantro, and chips (optional).

Source: www.southernplate.com

Ham and Potato Corn Chowder

A lighter, creamy and tasty ham and potato corn chowder that is pure comfort in a bowl!

• 3 tablespoons oil or butter

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 ribs celery, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped

• 1/4 cup flour (or rice flour for gluten free)

• 2 cups ham broth or chicken broth

• 2 cups milk (or heavy cream)

• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, diced small and optionally peeled

• 8 ounces ham, diced

• 1 cup corn

• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until tender, about eight to 10 minutes.

Mix in the garlic, thyme and flour and cook until the flour is lightly browned, about two to three minutes.

Slowly stir in the broth, deglazing the pan as you go, add the milk and potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the ham and corn, cook until heated and season with salt and pepper.

Option: Start by cooking 4 strips of bacon, crumbling and setting aside before using the bacon grease to cook the veggies instead of the oil and then use the crumbled bacon as garnish. Omit the carrots and celery. Replace the potato with cauliflower. Fry the ham until slightly crispy on the outside before adding it to the soup. Add 1-2 tablespoons white miso paste by taking some of the hot broth and mixing it into the miso in a bowl and then mixing it back into the chowder as you remove it from the heat. (The miso adds a nice umami flavor!) Note, miso is salty, so you will not need to season with as much salt.

Source: www.closetcooking.com

Cabbage Soup

Don't let the name keep you away, this hearty, tasty and, yes, even healthy soup is surprisingly delicious, inexpensive and super easy to make.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 2 medium carrots, sliced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional)

• 1 small (2-pound) head green cabbage, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed

• Chopped parsley, for serving

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, salt, pepper and fennel seeds, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, five to seven minutes. Add the cabbage and garlic to the pot and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is slightly softened, about five minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the white beans and simmer, uncovered, for five minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Serve in soup bowls topped with parsley.

Tip: This hearty soup can be stored in the refrigerator up to five days and frozen for up to three months.

Source: www.thepioneerwoman.com

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Make this copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup at home with this quick and easy recipe. It includes gnocchi, chicken, and vegetables.

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 1 rib celery, diced

• 1/2 cup shredded carrot (or sliced)

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half (half heavy cream/half milk)

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

• 1-pound boneless skinless chicken breast (or 2 cups of diced cooked chicken)

• 16 ounces potato or low-carb cauliflower gnocchi

• 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

• 1 dash red pepper flakes (optional)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots and heat until softened (about five minutes). Add the garlic and keep cooking for another minute.

Add the flour and stir. Cook for two more minutes. The flour will start turning a golden color.

Add the chicken broth and the milk (or half-and-half) a little at a time, while stirring to mix it all together. Have patience here — you don’t want to add it all at once. Add the thyme and mustard powder.

If using uncooked chicken, add it to the broth. Bring it to a little bitty boil so the chicken stays nice and soft. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through (about 10 minutes). This depends on the thickness of the chicken.

Remove the chicken and let it rest for five minutes, then dice it and add it back to the soup. Let the soup simmer until desired consistency is obtained — it will continue to thicken. If using rotisserie chicken skip steps 5 and 6 and simply add the chicken to the broth.

Add the gnocchi and simmer for about five to seven minutes. It will tell you how long on the package of gnocchi.

Reduce heat to low and add the spinach, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about one minute then serve immediately.

Source: www.southernplate.com

Beef Stroganoff Soup

Now you can enjoy your favorite dish in soup form!

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided

• 1 pound beef steak (sirloin is great), thinly sliced (see note)

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 3 cups beef broth

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 6 ounces egg noodles

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the pot and add beef. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, just until steak is browned. Remove to a plate along with the juices.

Melt remaining butter in the now-empty pot. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about five minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about five more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle in flour and cook for two minutes. Whisk in beef broth and cream. Bring to a boil. Add Worcestershire sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add noodles and cook for the length of time recommended on the package, or until cooked to your preferred firmness. Remove from heat. Stir in beef (along with the juices), sour cream, and parsley. Taste once more to adjust seasoning and serve.

Notes: It's easiest to slice beef thinly when it's still somewhat frozen but not rock-hard.

You can substitute ground beef for the steak if you prefer. If you do make that substitution, you can brown the meat "dry" in the pan and leave out the extra 2 tablespoons of butter.

Source: www.thepioneerwoman.com

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff•.