2 Yummy Soups

It's summer so I should be posting recipes for salads but I took pictures of these two favorite soups in the last month or two so thought I'd share the recipes. One positive in the summer time is that both are made without turning on the oven...which is the goal, right?


Potato Soup

A good friend brought this soup over the night I came home from the hospital with Alice (as she dropped off my other 2 kids which she had been watching for 24 hours...you're super-woman, Krista!) Anyways, it definitely hit the spot after a couple days of hospital food and when I found out how easy it was to make it became a staple of ours (especially since the kids love it--Hayley just ate 3 bowls tonight--unheard of!!!). My favorite is serving with rolls and honey dew melon.

I usually have the ingredients on hand and can make it in 20 minutes...so it's a great fall-back for those nights when we have no plan for dinner and it's 5 o'clock! Note that the recipe is really small so if you're cooking for more than 2 you've got to start multiplying! I think I usually 3 or4 times it so that we have leftovers.



2 Tbl butter
2 Tbl flour
½ c. grated cheese
1 c. milk

2 c. water
2 potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 Tbl minced onion
1 tsp salt

• Boil together water, potatoes, onions and salt 7-10 mins

• Melt margarine in separate pan. Wisk in flour to form paste. Gradually add milk stirring constantly. When blended stir in grated cheese. Remove from heat.

• When potatoes and onions are cooked, stir water from the potatoes into the cheese sauce until you reach desired consistency.

• Strain the potatoes and onions and add to cheese sauce.

Lasagna Soup
It sounds a little involved but once you've made it one time it's really pretty easy...and so worth it! Thanks for the recipe Stephanie!


2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces fusilli pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.