Chili at it’s best… filling, healthy, and full of flavor!
Melt the lamb lard on low heat in a 5 quart cast iron Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed kettle.
Add the chopped red onion and saute, turning up the heat a little, until the onion is softened.
Add the ground lamb meat, stir and chop it until all of the meat has browned.
Add tomatoes, tomato juice, chili beans, chili powder, salt and herbs*.
Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
* When fresh herbs are available in the garden, I gather enough of the rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil, that when it is chopped finely together, there is about 1/4 of a cup. If you do not have fresh herbs, use 1 tablespoon of a mixture of the herbs, roughly in equal proportions.
We like to serve this over cornbread and top it with cottage cheese.
You can, of course, make substitutions but the the flavor will be affected. This combination is particularly delicious.
Compared with other legumes, lentils require much less cooking time. They are rich in in minerals, two of the B vitamins, protein, and high in fiber. They readily absorb the flavors of the dish they are cooked in and so are versatile. This simple soup is delicious and comforting. We like to eat it with some properly prepared corn bread and plenty of butter. Another nice way to serve it is poured over some cooked rice.
Pour the lentils into a colander, rinse them, and pour into a non-reactive bowl. Cover the lentils with plenty of filtered water.
Add 2 Tablespoons raw vinegar, lemon juice or live whey. Cover and let soak for 24 hours.
When you are ready to assemble the soup, drain and rinse the lentils. Pour them into a large saucepan.
Add the stock, onion, potato, celery, bay leaves, and olive oil.
Add enough filtered water to cover the lentils by at least 2 inches. (As the soup simmers, check occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid.)
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1/2 - 1 hour, until the lentils are very tender.
Add the salt just prior to serving. Remove bay leaves.
This soup reheats and freezes well. Some in our family like to add a little hot sauce to this.
This hearty soup is made with venison and a variety of vegetables. You may substitute beef or lamb.
In a small bowl, combine the whole wheat flour and yogurt. Cover the bowl and let it sit on the counter for at least 7 hours.
Mince the green onion and garlic.
In a heavy-bottomed soup pot or cast iron Dutch oven, melt the butter and olive oil together on medium/low heat. Add the onion and garlic.
Saute, stirring, for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Peel and slice the carrots thinly. Add to the pot.
Remove the stems from the kale and then chop the kale, chard and cabbage. Add to the pot.
Cut up the canned venison and add to the pot.
Add the stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Stirring quickly, gradually add the soaked flour to the soup. Simmer, stirring, for 1 minute.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve. This freezes well.
* If using fresh meat, brown it in a little lard or other healthy fat before adding to the soup. Add enough water to barely cover the meat, cover and simmer for 1 - 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
This version of tomato soup is filling and nourishing. I use basil that I preserve in the refrigerator in raw apple cider vinegar (http://eatnourishing.com/recipe/preserved-fresh-genovese-basil/), but fresh basil will do admirably. Warm homemade muffins make this a complete meal, or served as a soup course, sprinkled with a few homemade croutons, it is very nice as well.
Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan.
Saute the onions and garlic on medium/low heat, stirring constantly, until soft.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, pepper, basil and salt. Simmer for 1/2 hour.
Add the milk and either using a stick blender or a stand blender, blend until smooth.
Serve. Makes about 1/2 gallon of soup.
Like so many dishes, this is best the next day. It freezes well also.
This soup is savory, satisfying and versatile. Add more or less of the ingredients listed and of course you may adapt it to what you have on hand.
In a heavy-bottomed soup kettle or cast iron Dutch oven, combine the neck bones, onion, garlic, carrots, kelp and celery.
Cover with filtered water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Allow to simmer for 2 hours.
Let it cool for a little while and then strain through a clean cotton cloth.
Pick the meat off the bones and reserve.
Return stock to kettle and add the meat, cubed potatoes, cabbage, riced mashed potatoes and salt.
Simmer for 30 minutes and then serve.
This freezes well.
Before our family’s food conversion, our favorite fast food stop was a side of Wendy’s chili with french fries dunked in for good measure. It was hearty and fast — but far from nourishing. If you want to serve your family a dish that’s even more delicious and nutritious — but just as easy! — as drive-thru fare, this is the ultimate crockpot chili recipe you are looking for.
In a large crockpot, combine ingredients, stirring well.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours until flavors have melded together.
IN A HURRY? Cook on the stove top for 45 minutes until simmering.
MAKING EXTRA? Freeze in meal-size portions for an instant lunch or one-pot-dinner.
FOR GAPS: use only white navy beans.
BEAN TIP: Cook large batches of beans and freeze in two-cup increments in your freezer. You can’t beat the price of these “instant cans”!
This soup is so easy! Throw together some veggies, ham, broth and spices…and voila! Paleo-friendly, GAPS-approved, perfect for kids or quick lunches.
Saute the onions and peppers in coconut oil until translucent. Add the mushrooms and celery. Continue cooking for four minutes.
Add the ham and enough chicken stock to cover.
Add spices and lemon juice - I basically went with some slightly spicy, chipotle/southwestern combination. Feel free to make your own edits.
Simmer until the good smells have brought everyone to the kitchen.
We all have that day in the week when we can feel just a wee bit crazy with all the goings on. Tuesdays are my loco day. To calm some of the crazy, Tuesdays are also crock pot dinner days. Here’s a simple but super comforting and satisfying stew that is oh so gentle on the ol’ grocery budget and gives extra grace for those full days. The beef. It falls apart at the touch of your spoon. I love me some tender meat.
Place beef in the slow cooker and add water, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, onion, paprika, cloves, potatoes, carrots, and optional roots. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Before serving, mix in garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir arrowroot powder into cold water, then mix into the stew to thicken it up. Let sit for about 5 minutes, stir again, then serve.
Comfort food at it’s best. The apples and onions give this dish a sweet and unusual flavor. The same recipe could be prepared with other meats, such as grass fed beef or even cubes of poultry meat.
Cut the lamb meat into little cubes. Peel, core and cube 3 of the apples.
In a cast iron Dutch oven, or other heavy bottomed kettle, heat the olive oil on medium low. Add the meat, and constantly stirring, cook it until it is all brown, but not seared. Lamb needs to be cooked gently.
Add the onions, cubed apples, spices, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the carrots and sweet potatoes to the pot. Return to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cut the remaining unpeeled apple in half. Remove the core and slice into small wedges. Cut the wedges in half. Add them to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
After a chilly winter day, not that I know what that is like this year, a warm Hamburger Soup really feels good in the belly!
I made a huge batch for just the two of us and stored a quart in the freezer thinking I could save it for an inspiration emergency in a month or so. But I got a request for more even after eating it three days in a row!
It really is that tasty!
Brown beef and onion together until meat is lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil.
Cover and simmer for two to three hours on the stove or in a slow cooker. Check periodically and add more water, if needed.
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freezer for months.
A wonderful, quick, warming, and nourishing soup. This will serve 3, generously.
Slice the Italian sausage into little rounds. If you have time to freeze it first, this makes the slicing easier.
Peel the onion and chop coarsely.
Scrub and cube the potatoes.
Wash and drain the kale. Remove the tough ribs. Roll together, then slice the roll and finish by slicing in the other direction. This is an easy way to “chop” kale.
Peel and dice the garlic cloves.
Melt 1 Tablespoon lard in a heavy bottomed soup kettle on medium/low heat.
Add to the kettle, the sausage, onion, and garlic. Saute, stirring, until the onion is translucent.
Add the chicken stock, 2 cups water, kale and potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes. Check to see if it needs more salt, but it probably won’t.
Fabulous on its own or served with some fresh crusty bread and real butter!
This recipe tastes just like the one my great grandmother used to make, except it uses soaked noodles! Every bite reminds me of learning how to make this soup with her when I was a child.
In a heavy-bottomed, large soup pot, melt butter on low heat and saute onions, carrots and celery until tender. Add in thyme and saute for another minute.
Slowly pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in chicken pieces and return to a boil.
Add salt to taste.
Once boiling again, slowly drop in noodles by the handful, carefully stirring to prevent them from sticking together.
Reduce heat slightly and cook for 10-15 minutes.
This is a large batch of soup and freezes well, despite the noodles being homemade. Mind you, the noodles will be much softer after freezing, but we never seemed to mind as kids. Grandma always served this soup over mashed potatoes like a gravy.
My kids love this soup and beg me to make it; definitely kid-friendly. It’s also great for putting in a thermos for a packed lunch.