I love soup — it is my favorite meal and always has been. I know we are all getting ready to head into the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but before we get ahead of ourselves, I wanted to arm you with a couple hearty soup recipes to take you into the winter months.
I usually make my soups in the crock pot and I put them on early in the morning before I get the household up for breakfast. The best thing after a long day at work is coming home to a huge pot of soup, especially on those cold days!
I have shared a few soup recipes with you before, so this time I wanted to share some which are less typical. These are hearty and lovely, and reheat really well too!
First up, Shrimp Bisque. This one can’t be made in the crock pot, but you can make it in 30 minutes, so it’s still great for weeknights! I serve this over homemade biscuits and my family thinks it is the most luxurious comfort food they have ever had.
Spicy Shrimp Bisque
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 pound peeled and deveined raw, wild-caught shrimp
- 2 TBSP butter
- Juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Directions: Dissolve tomato paste in wine over low heat. Add broth, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add the coconut milk, cream, and lemon, and cook on low until hot. Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp is pink, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter until melted.
Next, let me tell you a little secret: lasagna is the ultimate winter comfort food and it can be as easy as dumping everything into a crock pot! No kidding! You do not have to burn your hands trying to layer pasta in the casserole dish every again. You’re welcome.
Lasagna Soup
- 1 lb Sweet Italian sausage, browned
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 24-oz jar favorite spaghetti sauce (or make your own)
- 3 TBSP prepared coffee
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 16 oz Ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 box lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Put sausage, tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, coffee, pepper, onion, garlic, and chicken stock in crock pot and cook on low 5-8 hours. 30 minutes before dinner, put broken lasagna noodles into pot, stir occasionally. After noodles are cooked, add Ricotta and Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Add 1 cup of mozzarella and stir. Add remaining cheese to top, place lid back on and let melt before serving.
