Velvety Vegetable Cheese Soup

The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of activity around here.  With all the holiday bustle, it's sometimes hard to get motivated to prepare dinner at home. Picking it up seems so much easier.  Here is an extremely easy and fairly quick soup that is perfect for those tired nights after a busy day.  Velvety Vegetable Cheese Soup comes from Kraft Food and Family online.  If you puree the vegetables, your kids won't even know they're in there!

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) package frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot mix

2 (15 oz) cans of chicken broth

12 oz Velveeta cheese cut into pieces (I use the 2% kind to cut calories/fat)

1.  Put vegetables and broth in large pan.  Cover and bring to a boil on med/high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min. or until vegetables are soft.  

2.  Mash vegetables.

3.  Add cheese and and cook five minutes, stirring constantly.  

Optional:  Puree vegetables for a smoother consistency. 

Serve with bread or a sandwich.

Spill-the-Beans Minestrone Soup

I found this vegetarian recipe in a Light & Tasty magazine and have been making it for a few years.  Thanks to Reuben Tsujimura for this one!  It is as easy as spilling the ingredients into the pot and cooking for fifteen minutes.  The only modification I make is omitting the kale, so my children will eat it.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBSP olive oil 

1 32 oz carton Swanson Certified Organic Vegetable Broth 

1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes (cut up)

1/2 cup uncooked small pasta shells

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste (1/2 tsp is pretty spicy.)

6 tsp freshly shredded parmesan cheese (NOT grated)

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is tender.

2. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, shells, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.  (I usually work on breaking down the tomatoes with my spoon while waiting for it to boil.)

3. Add pasta. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until pasta is tender.  

4. Sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese.