Early spring in Iowa is full of new life. The calves are being born, the grass is starting to turn green, and the trees have buds. I love these signs that warmer weather is just around the corner. But it is still early spring. Which means that we still have a handful of chilly days and nights to get through.
Our schedule is about to get busy. And busy schedules mean I need quick suppers. This taco chili is quick to fix, keeps well in the crock pot, and warms my family up after a cold day. Plus, it can be made with pantry staples. I can always count on having the ingredients on hand for this chili. We love to eat ours with cheese and oyster crackers.
Winter isn't over for us yet here in Iowa. It snowed another 8 inches yesterday. It was a pretty, soft snow. It was the kind of snow that makes you feel like you're looking out your window into a snow globe. Thankfully the sun is shining today and warmer temps this week will make it feel like spring is coming. I think that we deserve the warmer temps after this nasty cold spell we just had.
The farmer has to go move all that snow today. (He didn't think the snow was as pretty as I did. All this snow and melting just means more mud for calving season.) I know when he gets home this Bacon and Wild Rice soup will hit the spot and be just what he needs after working all day.
This soup has been a favorite in my husband's family for many years. I took the recipe and tweaked it a little bit to add some more flavor and shed a few calories. The big and little farmers in my family both gave this version a two thumbs up.
I think you'll love this soup as much as we do! Enjoy!
Bacon and Wild Rice Soup
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
A boxed rice mix with the seasoning makes this soup quick and easy to prepare.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes
1, 6 ounce box of long grain and wild rice with the seasoning packet
1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces velveeta cheese, cubed
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven, saute onion in butter over medium heat.
Add potatoes, water, chicken bullion cubes, rice, and seasoning packet from the box of rice. Cook until potatoes and rice are done, about 20 - 25 minutes.
Add milk and velveeta cheese. Stir until cheese and melted and soup is warmed through.
It is so cold here today. I think it is only supposed to reach 8 degrees today, and the wind chill will be well below zero. My farmer will still have to go out and do chores. The cattle can't feed and water themselves, and they need feed to stay warm in this weather! (Thank you farmers!)
This Vegetable Tortellini soup is what I'll make for supper tonight to warm everybody up. It's full of vegetables that I canned from my garden. The canned veggies have me missing summer, especially in these frigid temps. I can hardly wait for spring to arrive and to get my garden started.
My canned goods!
The tortellini is my favorite part about this soup (no shocker there since I love my carbs!). The Parmesan in the middle adds an extra flavor that you aren't really expecting, but it pairs so well with the vegetables. If you don't have tortellini on hand, you could substitute another pasta you like. But it won't be the same without the sharpness of the Parm. It's just so good.
Enjoy this comforting soup recipe!
Vegetable Tortellini Soup
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
My favorite dish to make to use my garden veggies!
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
3/4 cup chopped carrot
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups beef stock
1 cup water
1 14.5 ounce can green beans
1 14.5 ounce can corn
1 7 ounce box dry tortellini
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven, brown the hamburger with the onion, garlic, and carrot.
When the hamburger is cooked through, add the tomatoes, beef stock, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the corn and green beans. Stir to combine.
Add the dry tortellini. Simmer until the tortellini is al dente, about 5-10 minutes.
It's not quite chili weather anymore, but I'm sharing this with you today in case you get a craving for chili. Or you just want to save this for when the weather does start to get cooler. But hopefully that is not for a while!
Chili Seasoning
Author: The Marigold Kitchen
No need to use one of those seasoning packets when you can make your own seasoning!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
Instructions:
Gently stir all ingredients together.
Store in an airtight container.
To make chili, 2 tablespoons mix equals 1 store bought packet.
