Monday, October 10, 2011

SOUP'S ON! AND A CHANCE TO WIN

Fall is the perfect time for sharing your favorite soup with family or friends on the backdrop of a chilly day. This pumpkin and black bean soup has always been a nice change from my homemade beef soup, my all time favorite. It's so delicious with crusty bread or rolls. I'll post the recipe at the end of the blog. If you haven't bought your copy Deeply Devoted, here's your chance. Write and tell me what your favorite soup recipe is and I'll draw a winner Sunday night for a copy of my new book, Deeply Devoted AND the pretty recipe box pictured here, complete with recipe cards. (Blue Willow Teapot not included). Now what can be easier than that? Deeply Devoted is receiving great reviews and I feel sure you'll enjoy the story. Why not give a copy to your best friend or mother?


I was away for five days at the end of September at the ACFW conference in St. Louis and some family illness has kept me extremely busy. But I'm happy to report that I turned in book #2 of The Blue Willow Brides and this past week got my edits back to my editor. You can be looking for that book next Aug/Sept. 2012. My working title is Three Little Words-but I never know if they'll keep my title. I had a wonderful time at the conference meeting with my agent and editor and oh so many of my great writer friends that a love of you read. One of my favorite book so far this year is Rooms by James Rubart, a contemporary novel. Quite different from the historicals I usually read. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

I have a few things I'm pondering for a Christmas contest that I think you'll like later, so stay tuned. :)


PUMPKIN AND BLACK BEAN SOUP

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 C canned or packaged vegetable stock
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ½ oz) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz) pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 C of heavy cream
1 Tbsp curry powder,
1½ tsp ground cumin,
½ tsp cayenne pepper or less depending on your taste
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped for garnish
Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Sauté onions 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans & pumpkin. Stir to combine ingredients & bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, curry cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

God bless,


Maggie

21 comments:

Wendy Newcomb said...

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup, made by my Father-in-law. He's no longer with us so we really miss it, ours just isn't the same.

wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
wrensthoughts.blogspot.com

Susan Reichert said...

Thanks for the recipe for pumpking soup. Looks yummy.

Judy said...

My favorite is home made tomato bisque soup. I just love it with a toasted cheese sandwich! Warms you up when the temperatures outside fall!

I would love to win a copy of Deeply Devoted and the pretty recipe box.

Thanks for this giveaway!

judyjohn2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

Virginia C said...

Hi, Maggie! It's so nice to visit with you here again at your blog. Congratulations on your terrific new book series! Best wishes for much happiness and continued success : )

Thank you for the wonderful soup recipe--it sounds so warm and cozy!

Here are a couple of recipes that you might enjoy:

BEEF & CABBAGE SOUP

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 head medium cabbage, rough-chopped
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 large onion, rough-chopped
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (32 ounce) carton beef broth
1/2 tsp garlic powder
several bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and drain. In a large stock pot, combine remaining ingredients and add ground beef. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for one hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.


POTATO PATCH SOUP
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
4 c. water
1 pint (16 oz) light cream
1/4 c. butter, sliced
1/2 tsp garlic salt (California-style with parsley flakes)

8-oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese
3 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
coarsely ground black pepper

Combine vegetables and water in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook until vegetables are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream, butter and seasonings. Heat through, but do not boil. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of coarsely ground black pepper, and top with cheese and bacon.

gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Maggie Brendan said...

Judy, I love tomato bisque and grill cheese. That's the easy meal I use when I'm on deadline!

Virginia, don't know if I like the cabbage soup or not but the potato soup looks delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I love getting new ones to add to my collection. :)

Jodie Wolfe said...

I'd love to be entered into the contest for your new book. My favorite soup is actually a toss-up between two. One is a Mexican chicken corn chowder that a friend made for me when she had me over for lunch. The other is one I found online when I was teaching my son how to cook during his senior year of homeschool - broccoli cheese soup. All this talk of soup is getting me in the mood for some. :)

Blessings,
Jodie Wolfe
digging4pearls(at)comcast(dot)net

jewels67 said...

chicken Wild Rice Soup

2 quarts chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 cup dry white wine or additional chicken broth
3 cups cooked wild rice
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, melt butter. stir in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in soup and wine or broth. Add rice and chicken; heat through.

Maggie Brendan said...

Jewels, This recipe looks Mmm,mmm good! I can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.

I'm going to post the winner's soup recipe when I draw a winner. :)

Amanda Gordy said...

I can't think of anything better than baked potato soup in the crockpot! It is easy to do and ready when you get home!

INGREDIENTS:

6 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 quart chicken broth
3 cloves garlic, minced (or pressed)
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cream or half-and-half cream
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 cup sour cream (optional)
8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
cheese, for sprinkling

PREPARATION:

Combine first seven ingredients in a large crockpot; cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours (potato should be tender).

Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soupy is slightly thickened. Stir in cream, cheese and chives.

Top with sour cream (if used), sprinkle with bacon and more cheese.

Maggie Brendan said...

Amanda--thanks for sharing your recipe. Who doesn't like easy?? Thank you for sharing yours. :)

Lynne said...

Potato Bacon Chowder....a few of the recipes above look similar. Bacon, sour cream, potatoes etc., YUM.

Maggie Brendan said...

Lynne, if you're name is drawn, perhaps you can share your exact recipe. One change of an ingredient can make a big difference.

Thanks for stopping by. Good luck! Mags.

Ginger Solomon said...

I love Potato Soup and it's so simple too.

Potato Soup

2 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled
1 lb onions
1 whole clove
pinch of thyme
2 cups milk
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Slice Peeled potatoes and onions into ¼ inch thick slices. Put water, thyme and clove into soup pot. Add the potatoes and onions, some salt and pepper; bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour. (Drain slightly, if necessary, save water in case of need later). Process mixture in food processor or blender 1 cup at a time until smooth. Return to pot, stir in milk, reheat but do not boil. Taste and correct seasonings.

We serve it with cheese on top and sometimes bacon bits (real). So yummy.

Thanks for the opportunity to win your new book. :)

ginger[dot]solomon[at]gmail[dot]com

Maggie Brendan said...

Ginger-Thanks for sharing. I'm enjoying these post. Have a lovely evening. :)

Natasha Kern said...

I love soups and now the weather is turning cooler, I'm making Thai red curry soup with the leftover eggplant, peppers and green beans in the garden. So often, something is simmering on the back of the stove that is destined to become the basis for a soup. Great article, Maggie. I wish I had Blue Willow China soup bowls to serve my soup-- I'm off to check out that very thing now! I need new bowls! Natasha

Maggie Brendan said...

Natasha, thanks for stopping by. I'd love to have your recipe. For years we had a garden and I miss having one. Have fun shopping for soup bowls!

Vickie McDonough said...

Maggie,

We love Corn Potato Chowder and it's super simple to make.

Fry up half a pound of bacon in a big pot. Remove bacon. You only need a few table spoons of bacon drippings to flavor the soup, so if you have more, you can remove it. Add water once the bacon drippings have cooled. Cut put several pounds of potatoes and an onion or two and boil until tender. You can also add celery if you like. Season to taste. Stir in a can of cream corn, add bacon after breaking it in pieces, add some butter. I like to thicken my soup with flour or corn starch mixed with milk, but you don't have to do that. We love this soup when the weather turns cold.

Vickie
fictionfan1[at]me[dot]com

Unknown said...

Toscana Soup is my family's all time favorite:)

Soup recipe:

1 pack of spicy sausage
1/4 cup of bacon
3-4 medium red potatoes, cut in cubes
3/4 cup diced onions
1 1/4 teaspoon of minced garlic
2 tablespoons of chicken base
2 cups Kale leaves, chopped
1 qt. of water
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Cook sausage and set aside. Place onions and bacon in large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are tender. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
Add chicken base, potatoes, water, and simmer 15 minutes or until potates are tender. Add sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

Thanks for the opportunity on a chance to win a copy of Deeply Devoted, and for sharing your pumpkin soup recipe too, it looks tasty.

debracollins(at)tds(dot)net

Sheryl Barnes said...

My favorite is vegetBe beef. I love a bowl with. Slice of hot buttered cornbread. I look forward to trying some of these recipes too. I would love to win a copy of this book. It is definitely on my need to read list.

Vegetsbe/beef soup

3 med potatoes (cubed)
4 carrots (sliced)
small onion diced
1 cup butter beans
1 quart tomatoes
1 pack frozen cream corn (I use Picsweet ir Mackensie)
1 can beef or fresh roast beef (I use Hereford)
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

Cook first 4 ingredients in a small amount of water till tender, add remaining ingredients and cook on low for an hour. The longer it simmers the better the flavor.

Redeemedreaders@bellsouth.net

Abbi Hart said...

My favorite soup is my family's homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup. It is so good and creamy my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

DanImports said...

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