Easy Soup Recipes So You'll Make Them More Often and So Good They Won't think "Quick & Easy "

4 Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, peeled, and diced small
1 celery rib, diced small
1 small cnion, peeled & finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each dried oregano, thyme & basil
2 cans (15 oz) lentils & their liquid
3 cups each vegetable broth & water
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups small pasta, cooked (could be orzo, ditalini, elbows or shells)
1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Boil pasta according to package directions for al dente consistency.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil, and sauté the carrot, celery, and onion for 5 or 6 minutes until softened. Add garlic and seasonings, stir for another minute.

Waiter! There's hair in my soup! Oh, never mind, - it's angel hair. If you can find herb-lemon marinated chicken breasts in the store use them and eliminate oregano & lemon juice here.

1 & 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup peeled baby-cut carrots
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh or frozen
1 tsp oregano
2 14 oz cans chicken broth
1/2 Cup dry white wine
2 oz dried capellini (angel hair pasta), broken in half
8 Swiss chard leaves
2 Medium tomatoes
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and carrots in half lengthwise & set aside.

Melt butter in a 4-5 quart pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes, stirring often, until no longer pink in center; cut to test.

Add carrots, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir in capellini. Reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, until carrots are tender to bite, about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim and discard tough stem bases from chard leaves and cut stems and leaves into shreds. Seed and chop tomatoes.

Add chard and tomatoes to pan; cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 2 or 3 minutes just until tomatoes are heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Not only delicious but pretty.

Too quick and easy to be good? QuickEats people know better.

3 1/2 cups water
1 package ramen noodles,Asian flavor
1/2 cup scallions,(green onions)
1 medium carrot, cut in julienne strips
1/4 lb salad-size shrimp
splash soy sauce (optioanal)

Heat water to boiling in 3 qt saucepan.

Add noodles. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender.

Stir in contents of seasoning packet, onions, carrot and shrimp; cook until hot.

Serve with soy sauce. ___________________________________________________________

Don’t worry; using canned tomatoes isn’t cheating - I said so. There’s no way this will be mistaken for canned tomato soup with ingredients like onion, tarragon and sour cream.

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped (about lcup)
1 28-oz & 1 15-oz can tomatoes, diced
¼ cup water
1/3 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp chopped tarragon or 1 & 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and.simmer about 5-7 minutes until the veggies are tender.

Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.

To insure the soup is lump-free set a strainer over the saucepan and pour the puree through it; toss any skin or chunks left in the strainer.

Whisk the sour cream and tarragon into the soup and stir over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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