Soups, soups, soups!

First, let me say I'm sorry these pictures are not the best, nor do I have a picture of the second soup. But the taste was fantastic! I am not sure where I found either of these recipes, so if you know, please let me know of the source so that I can properly acknowledge them. Thanks!

The first soup, pictures above, is the Creamy Beef, mushroom, and Noodle soup. Man, this was amazing!!! I will be making this again, and I will be making a double batch! The kids didn't really even try it, but Adam and I were blown away.

2 tbsp butter                                 1/4 cup ketchup
1 medium onion, chopped              3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp minced garlic                         1/2 tsp pepper
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms         2 cups uncooked egg noodles
6 cups beef broth                          8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup dry sherry or beef broth
1 1/2 lb. boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into 2"x3/4"x1/4" cubes

1. In a Dutch oven, melt butter over med-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; cook 5-6 min, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened.
2. Stir in beef. Cook 5-6 min, stirring frequently, until beef is no longer pink. Stir in remaining ingredients except the noodles and sour cream. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low; cover and cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in noodles. Cover; cook 5-7 min, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Stir in sour cream, and cook 3-5 min; until well blended.



Now for soup number 2. This one is a Chunky Italian Soup. Adam and I both thought this one was a bit bland, and it needed a little bit more spice. So I have updated this recipe with my changes.

1/2 cup small pasta                                2 bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil                                       5 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, chopped                                   1/2 cup diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves garlic, sliced                             1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 tbsp oregano

1. Cook the pasta following package directions; drain and rinse under cold running water.
2. Put oil in a large saucepan and add onion and garlic. Half cover the pan and saute for 7 min, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat. Simmer, half covered, 15 min. Remove the bay leaves, and stir in pasta, cook for an additional 5 min.

Both of these soups were a fun new adventure, and I do plan on making them again. As you can see, there were no leftovers!