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I love soup! Here are some recipes I make often. The tomato soup is magnificent!

Green Bean Soup

1 bag frozen green beans (or equal parts fresh)
2-4 potatoes
1-2 packages diced ham
1/2-ful vidalia sweet onion
1-2 cans corn
salt and pepper to taste (freshly grinded if possible)(its sorta bland without it)


Fill the pan 3/4 full with water, and add the green beans, chopped onion, ham, salt and pepper. Since this is a soup, you will need to load on the salt and pepper, more than you think. If you use too much (I did once) it turns sorta spicy and with not enough it's sorta bland. You'll have to experiment the first time to get it right for you. As for the veggies, if you like them use more, if you don't as much use less. That's why there are variable amounts listed.

Any how, after about half an hour to an hour add the cut up potatoes. Add the corn about half an hour before its done.

Soup from frozen green beans will cook for one and a half to two hours, and for fresh green beans it will take two to three hours.

It makes 4-5 servings.




Vegetable Soup

1 pound beef stew meat (it comes in large pieces so cut it smaller for more chunks)
2 (one pound) bags of frozen veggies (or equal parts canned or fresh)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 potatoes
1/2 head of cabbage
salt and pepper to taste (once again, freshly ground is best)

Note about the ingredients- you can substitute fresh veggies for any of these, of course. I use canned and frozen with a pit of fresh thrown in, personally. I usually get a can or two of veggies for the juices they include. It helps the broth have more flavour. You can also throw in some beef stock or (as I sometimes do) a bullion cube or two. aAd as I said in the last recipe, if you really like an ingredient, don't be afraid to use more. Veggie soup works well with more veggies. Don't forget that celery and other veggies might be yummy as well.

Anyhow. Here's how to make it.

In a large pot, boil the meat in 8 cups of water. Add any fresh veggies and frozen veggies. Continue to boil for half an hour. Add any canned items and the cabbage. (If you chop the cabbage into a bowl, and physically toss the salt and pepper into the cabbage, then throw that into the soup, it works really well, because the cabbage will get the salt and pepper into all of the soup, rather than it just floating on top. Just make sure you stir it all into the pot.) The soup takes about an hour or two, but it can cook longer. It's done when the fresh veggies are all tender.

Makes about four I guess.




Tomato and Onion Soup

three cans of whole tomatoes
4 medium yellow onions
extra virgin olive oil
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic (I'd actually reccommend you press it if possible)
1 tablespoon thyme

accessories:
one pieceof french or similar bread
grated parmagan cheese (don't use the powedered kind for spagetti)

Now originally this calls for throwing fresh onions and tomatoes on the grill before cooking. But it takes too long. So I modified it. Add all the tomatoes to a large pan, after you've loosely chopped them all up from being whole (keep the juices tho! and don't worry too much about the seeds. They don't really get in the way when you eat it, and it's a lot harder to get them out.

chop up the onions into thin slices or chunks, and sautee them in a pan with some olive oil before adding them to the soup. Don't let them get all the way done tho. Add the chicken stock, garlic, and thyme, and bring the soup to a boil. Then let it simmer for a while. Cook at least half an hour to an hour, but really, as long as the onions are transparent it's done. It can simmer for hours and it just tastes better, as far as I'm concerned.

If you want to make it pretty, just slice up the bread, and toast them in the oven with some olive oil. Put two in each bowl like crouton garnishes, and sprinkle on the cheese. This soup is delicious. =^_^=

This makes 6 servings.

I'm wondering, when do people here get struck with the mood to eat soup?

I'll admit, I never heard of soup at a BBQ! What type of soup do you find goes well with those?