Artichoke Portabella Soup

½ Cup chopped green onion (I use reg. onion)
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ Cup butter, divided
1 bay leaf
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 Cups chicken broth
2 portabella mushrooms chopped (I buy the mini portabellas from Costco and chop a bunch of those)
1 Can (14 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
3 T flour
1 Cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion, carrots, and celery in ¼ C butter until they start to caramelize. Add chopped mushrooms and sauté 3 to 4 more minutes, then add bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne, broth, and artichokes. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. In small skillet, melt remaining butter over low heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir into artichoke mixture. Slowly add cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened and heated through.
4 to 6 servings

Let the SOUP recipes BEGIN

Oh, it is starting to feel like soup weather and that makes me so happy! I can easily make soup 2x a week and so I have way more dinner options now that the weather has turned colder. I'll be posting some of mine and my families favs.
(Brian made this one up--I know, what can't he do well? I'll let you know if I discover something he can't do excellently...)

French Onion Soup

4 T Butter
2 T Olive Oil
5 lbs julienne cut onions (I am a mess after cutting these, look like I have been crying for a week!)
3+ cloves of garlic
1-2 T sugar
Cook on med-high heat until clear and slightly carmelized. Then add:

3 Qts boiling water
8 beef bullion cubes
4 chicken bullion cubes
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 T Salt
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp thyme

Bring to a boil. Simmer 20 min. Serve with topped with toasted baguette and melted swiss cheese. (Place in small crocks and broil in oven until cheese is bubbly)

This next one is from Rosie. She got it from her friend that called it,
Medical Board Soup, cause her husband would eat it the whole time he was doing his medical board test. It is tasty! I have made some variations to the recipe, that I am sure she would approve of!

1 Med onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
Cooked in 2 T oil

2 lbs cut up chicken
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can diced green chilies
4 Cups chicken broth
2 Cups beef stock
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can black beans
red pepper flakes (a few to taste)

Cook for an hour. Serve with (this is the best part...) tortilla crisps - Spread butter on top of flour tortilla and broil until light brown on cookie sheet, cut in strips with pizza cutter. Top soup with shredded cheese and sour cream.

And last, but not least. Mom's Clam Chowder Recipe. (At Lynette's request) This is always a favorite here at our house...

Bratton's Boston Clam Chowder

2 Cans minced clams
1 Cup onion diced fine
1 Cup celery diced fine
1 Cup diced potatoes

Drain juice from clams over vegetables and add enough water to just cover veggies. Cook 20 min until tender.

3/4 C butter
3/4 C flour
1 qt milk/ half and half
1 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sugar

Melt butter, stir in flour, etc. Slowly add in milk (warmed in microwave). Stir until thick. Add to undrained veggies. Heat through add 2-3 (of course more) slices of bacon and clams.