Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Serves: 5
This recipe is adapted from “America’s Test Kitchen: Healthy Family Cookbook”

Note: Make sure to buy evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk, which is not the same and will be too sugary for this recipe. Don’t boil the soup after adding the cheese or it will separate. –America’s Test Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick, divided use
1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and rinsed thoroughly
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or 1.5 tbsp vegetable broth powder & 3 cups of water)
1 cup water
¾ cup fat-free evaporated milk (see note)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Add olive oil in a large Soup Pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and broccoli stems and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the broth and water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the broccoli stems are soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the broccoli florets, cover, and continue to cook until tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Puree the soup with the milk, cheddar, and mustard in a blender in batches (or I use my immersion blender in the pot so I don’t have to pour hot liquids in to the blender) until cheese is melted and the soup is very smooth, about 1 minute. Return the soup to a clean pot and cook gently over medium-low heat until soup is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound swiss chard
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup roma tomatoes, small diced
Salt - to taste
5 cups chicken broth (or 3 tbsp vegetable broth powder & 5 cups of water)
1/2 cup pearl barley (substitute rice if you want to make it gluten free)
1 can drained cannellini beans
Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak the Swiss Chard in cold water for 10 min., then drain and wash well.
   
2. Slice the stalks crosswise 1/8 inch thick.
   
3. Cut the leaves into 1/4 inch wide strips.
   
4. Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion.
   
5. Add the carrot and celery and cook a couple minutes.
   
6. Add the tomatoes, continue cooking a couple minutes longer.
   
7. Add Swiss chard and season with a pinch of salt.
   
8. Cover and cook over low heat for 1/2 hour.
   
9. Meanwhile, bring stock to a boil.
   
10. Add the barley and simmer until tender, about 35 minutes.
    
11. Drain the barley (or rice), reserving the liquid.
    
12. Add the barley (or rice) and beans to the chard, stir well and cook for a couple minutes.
    
13. Stir in enough reserved liquid to reach soup consistency desired. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
    
14. Laddle into bowls and top with grated cheese.

Recipe adapted from MysticRiver

So excited to finally make this soup! I have watched Giada make it for awhile now. I did some things a little different than her though. Oh boy this is good! Nice flavor, lots of protein and veggies. I will definitely be making this again!

Meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1 slice fresh wheat bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
16 ounces ground turkey
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
12 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or 6 tbsp vegetable broth powder & 12 cups of water)
1 pound Kale
1 can drained White Kidney Beans
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
2 cups of Whole Wheat Elbow Noodles
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and ground turkey. Using 1 tablespoon for each, shape the meat mixture into meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, kale, and kidney beans; simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the kale is tender, about 15 minutes. Add in uncooked noodles. Boil for 5 minutes until noodles are Al dente. In a medium bowl whisk the eggs and cheese to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.

I LOVE making Chili! When my hubby and I used to live in Colorado, we went to the Old Capitol Grill in Golden, Colorado. I fell in love with their chili! But I couldn't figure out how they made it. The meat wasn't in chunks. It was more of a meat sauce - not sure how to describe it. One day when I was making ground meat for a recipe, I added water too soon and the meat separated into very tiny pieces. That's when I realized that that was (probably) how they got the texture for their chili. I was hooked! Now when I make chili, that is the method I use. I love how it turns out - it makes for a very meaty chili. If you try this recipe, I would love to know what you think.

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup chili powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 29 oz can diced tomatoes
1 29 oz can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
5 drops of liquid smoke (mesquite blend)
2 cans drained cannellini beans
1 can drained white kidney beans
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or more for more heat)
kosher salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a 1 gallon soup pot, heat olive oil on medium, add onions. Cook onions for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add garlic, cook until fragrant - about 1-2 minutes. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 tbsp kosher salt. Stir for about 2-3 minutes to bloom the spices.

Add stock and ground turkey. Stir until ground turkey is separated (no large chunks). Turn up to med-high heat, bring to boil. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and liquid smoke. Stir and bring back to a boil. Turn down to simmer, cover and cook for 30-45 minutes.

Taste and adjust the spices as needed.