Soups to Warm Your Soul

By Micheal Ramirez
Contributing Writer

Even with frigid winter weather firmly upon the Red River Valley, there are still many things to do outside. There are the everyday tasks of shoveling snow out of the driveways and sidewalks, as well as helping friends start their cars on cold days.  Then there’s the fun stuff like snowmobiling, ice fishing and sledding down the hill at the dike.
On these days a hearty soup is what’s needed to fill the stomach, keep your energy levels high, and warm your spirit. The following soups can be made with leftovers or some readily available common grocery items. I hope they warm up your family as much as they do mine.

Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 cup diced onion,
1 cup diced bell peppers (a mix of red, green,yellow and orange bell peppers works best for color and appearance)
1 cup finely diced celery
1 to 1 and half cups roux
3-4 cooked and diced boneless skinless chicken breasts
olive oil
½ tbls of ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tbls of onion powder
1/2 tbls of garlic powder
2 containers of prepared chicken broth (32 oz each)
3 cups milk
1/2 block of Velveeta style grated cheese
1 small can of finely diced green chillies (optional for added spice)

In a large pot over medium high heat, add 2-3 tbls of olive oil and sautee the vegetables until they are just starting to soften. Add the diced chicken and all the spices, stirring to make sure everything is evenly coated and the flavors have a chance to blend. Add the broth and milk bringing the whole thing to a gentle boil. Then, simmer until bubbly adding the grated cheese one handful at a time and whisking the mixture until the cheese is fully incorporated into the soup. Once the cheese is melted and the soup is hot, thicken it by adding small amounts of roux, whisking the entire time until you reach your desired thickness. Note: A roux is just equal amounts of flour and butter cooked over medium heat until it reaches a light golden brown color and has a nutty aroma. Try it—it’s pretty easy to make. To serve, garnish the soup with tortilla chips, sour cream and diced green onion.

Baked Potato Soup

5-6 pre-baked potatos
1 large finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced celery
½ lb of diced double smoked bacon
½ tbls of pepper
½ tbls of onion powder
½ tbls of garlic powder
¾ of a gallon of water
2 cups of milk
2 cups of shredded Velveeta-style cheese
1 ½ cups roux to thicken
2-3 tbls of ham base

You should know up front, ham base is a commercial product sold at most supermarkets in the soup section. Use it a tablespoon at a time, but be careful! For while it imparts a load of flavor, it is also loaded with salt, so use it sparingly. In a large pot over medium high heat add 2-3 tbls of olive oil, the bacon and sautee until the bacon starts to get crispy.

Do not drain all the fat. You’ll want to reserve at least 3 tbls to cook the vegetables in.

Add the vegetables to the bacon fat and cook until slightly soft. Add your spices and stir to coat the veggies evenly. Then, add the water and milk. Once the liquid has heated through and is bubbly, add the cheese, whisking until incorporated. Whisk in the ham base to your desired taste then whisk in the roux slowly until your soup reaches the desired consistency.

Once the soup base is nice and hot, peel and dice the cooled baked potatoes and add them to soup. Heat the whole mixture through and then serve immediately garnished with shredded cheese, bacon crumbles, chopped green onion and a dollop of sour cream. All that’s left to do is get warm, cozy and enjoy.

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