92. Quick Shrimp Chowder

From 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I settled in at home for wrapping presents on Christmas Eve Eve and put on this pot of soup. It starts with a can of potato soup with layers of flavor added. It tastes more complex than it actually was to prepare...rich and creamy and delicious.

Don't leave out the red pepper...it gives it a great kick. Also, I doubled the cheese just to thicken it up to my desired consistency at the end.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping! YUM!

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of potato soup, undiluted
3 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium-size fresh shrimp, peeled
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in cream of potato soup, milk, and pepper; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in cheese until melted. Serve immediately. 

86. Southwestern Vegetable Soup

From 1997 Southern Living Annual Recipes

It's frigid here in Birmingham, so it was a great night to break out the soup pot. This is my favorite kind of soup...dump a bunch of cans, cook for a few hours (and make house smell good), and enjoy.

I left out the ground beef because I wanted it to be a true vegetable soup. I loved all of the different kinds of veggies in here. It made for a hearty, yet healthy, meal. I cut up the stewed tomatoes in the can so there wouldn't be big chunks in the soup. The chili seasoning gave it just the right amount of kick, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese at the end lent a creamy component.

1 pound lean ground beef

5 cups water
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (8-ounce) can cut green beans, drained
1 (1 3/4-ounce) envelope chili seasoning mix
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced

Brown ground beef in a large Dutch oven, stirring until it crumbles; drain. Stir in 5 cups water and next 10 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 hours. Serve with cheese.

69. Chicken-and-Wild-Rice Soup

From 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I love having a pot of soup cooking on the stove on Halloween, and it's usually the first time in the South when it's actually cold enough to break out the soup & stew recipes.

This has tons of flavor and comes together quickly. It's creamy (but not rich) and packed with lots of veggies. Most of the reviews I read on SL's site suggested using broth instead of the water for additional flavor...I used a four-cup container of chicken broth along with one cup of water.

1 small onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
5 cups water
1 (6.2-ounce) package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) loaf pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted


Sauté onion and carrots in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes. Add 5 cups water, seasoning packet from rice, broccoli, and chicken. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice; reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese and soup; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

11. Mexican Chicken-Corn Chowder

From 2001 Southern Living Annual Recipes

No snow for us here in Alabama...but we've had plenty of cold rain and wind, so last night was an ideal time to break out the soup pot and try something new.

This was a hearty, comforting soup with a great combination of flavors...it's sweet and creamy and a little spicy. I added a few sliced jalapenos to my bowl, which just kicked it up another notch.

This recipe is going in my winter rotation!

3 tbsp. butter
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 (14 3/4-ounce) cans cream-style corn
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained (I used Rotel, drained)
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cumin

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken, onion, and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes. Stir in next seven ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring often, for 15 minutes.

This post is part of Weekend Cooking, which is hosted by Beth Fish Reads.