Comfort food season is here! Sometimes our favorite comfort foods tend to be a bit on the rich side, especially soups like Zuppa Toscana. We lighten up this hearty and creamy soup without sacrificing the creamy flavor you love. We keep the healthy fats like heavy cream and delicious Italian sausage and simply substitute the potatoes with our favorite starch stand-in, hearts of palm. While hearts of palm have been around a long time, it has just been in the last five years that it has taken the world by storm as a healthy swap for starchier veggies and pasta. Whole hearts of palm can be found in the canned vegetable section of most grocery stores near the canned asparagus and mushrooms. Alone, they even make a great snack. Paired with your favorite soup or chowder, they are a great substitute for potatoes or pasta. Getting your vegetables never tasted so good and so comforting! For more recipes visit thebutteredhome.com.
Quick Low -Carb Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage, ground
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 14 ounces hearts of palm, sliced
- 12 ounces baby spinach, fresh
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon basil, dried
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish
- Red pepper flakes for garnish
Using the sauté function on the instant pot, allow it to heat up. Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Brown Italian sausage, onions and garlic. Drain if needed and return to the instant pot. Turn off the sauté function.
Add oregano, basil, chicken broth and sliced hearts of palm. Mix well. Add in baby spinach in small bunches, stirring in well to wilt. Put the lid on, seal the vent and cook on normal or high pressure for 6 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release and carefully release the vent to make sure all pressure is gone before removing the lid.
Slowly stir in heavy cream.
Serve garnished with red pepper flakes and shredded parmesan cheese.
*This recipe can also be done in a Dutch oven on the stove top. Follow all of the normal directions for browning the vegetables and sausage. Add everything in except for the heavy cream, cheese and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Add in the heavy cream as normal and garnish with red pepper flakes and Parmesan.
Cook of the Month: Juanita Graham, Franklin EC
Tropical Chili
- 1 pound white ground turkey
- 1 1.25-ounce package hot chili seasoning mix
- ½ cup prepared yellow mustard
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 15-ounce can Del Monte pineapple tidbits in juice, undrained
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, mild
- 1 10-ounce can Bush’s Best Chili Magic Chili Starter
- Optional toppings: sour cream, cheese, green onions
Cook turkey in a 3-quart Dutch oven on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, with a long-handled spoon. Drain off fat, add chili seasoning, stir well; add mustard and syrup, stir well. Add pineapple and tomatoes, stir well. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Chili Magic. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stir. Remove from heat. Serves 5.
Onion Soup
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 onions, sliced
- 6 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- Loaf French bread
- 1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
On medium to low heat, add butter and olive oil to a medium saucepan. Add onions, stirring occasionally until onions are tender, careful not to burn. Add beef broth, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Let simmer over medium heat for around 30-45 minutes, checking after 30 minutes for taste and tenderness. Preheat oven to broil. Slice French bread into about ½-1-inch slices. Butter bread and toast in broiler. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, place a slice of French bread on top of soup. Add mozzarella cheese and top with grated Parmesan. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbling, remove and serve warm.
Angela Davis and Chasity Rodger, Southern Pine EC
All-American Cheeseburger Soup
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 14.5-ounce cans reduced-sodium beef broth
- 2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 8-ounce package shredded cheddar and American blend cheese
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
- 1 cup whole milk
- Toasted buns or rolls, optional
In a 4-quart Dutch oven cook beef, onion, celery and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon; drain off fat. Sprinkle flour over beef mixture; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and potatoes. Bring to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in tomatoes, cheese, tomato paste, ketchup and mustard. Cook and stir until cheese is melted and smooth and soup just comes to gentle boiling. Stir in milk; heat through. If desired, serve with toasted buns and cheeseburger toppings.
Bridget Braswell Peeler, Cullman EC
Broccoli and Cheddar Chicken Soup
- 4-6 chicken breasts
- 3 carrots, diced
- 2-3 stalks celery (optional), diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 teaspoons flour
- 4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 head broccoli
- 3-5 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Dash of paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Dash of turmeric
- 3-4 small potatoes
- 3/4 cup white rice
- 1 bay leaf
- Heavy cream
- Extra sharp cheddar
- Nutmeg (optional) dash
First boil chicken breasts, removing chicken to cool and reserving stock. Cook carrots and celery if you are using celery. Next, sauté onions in butter on medium heat. Slowly add flour to hot chicken stock. Add carrots, broccoli, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, Dijon mustard, turmeric, potatoes, rice, bay leaf and all your ingredients until done. Add cream and cheese. Ready to serve. Tip: Add cheese to individual bowls so when you heat it back up you won’t have to worry about it burning and sticking to bottom of the pot.
Amanda Moss
Dickie’s Brunswick Stew
- 1 6-pound hen
- 1 3-pound pork roast
- 2 cups ketchup
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 medium onions
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 large cans tomatoes
- 2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
- Potatoes, diced
- 2 cups butterbeans
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper, optional
- Hot sauce, to taste
Boil hen and save 3 cups broth to use in stew; boil pork. Let hen and pork cool, then pull meat from bones and cut into pieces. Mix all ingredients together and cook slowly for 3 hours. Stir often as it will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.
Sylvia B. Clark, Baldwin EMC
