Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary

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Try this creamy, delicious Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary! In this cooking video Karen Breyer and her dad will show you step-by-step how to make this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary recipe. If you are looking for new dinner ideas, I think you will be very happy with this yummy pasta and rosemary soup. Little and big kids will especially like the fun rotini noodles in this soup. This is a very healthy, flavorful soup recipe that everyone will love!

I expect you will find this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary recipe so impressive that you can even serve it to important dinner guests! It can be served as a main dish or side dish. For a main dish I suggest serving it with a salad, and garlic or other crusty bread. You could also put this soup in a thermos for your children’s or your lunch. What a delicious idea! Watch this cooking video and try this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary for your next casual or fancy lunch or dinner!

Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces pasta, corkscrew (cooked)
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped (red or yellow)
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups zucchini, chopped
  • 2 - 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons chicken seasoning/broth, instant (vegan or regular)
  • 2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon (or to taste) salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions but leave out the salt. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  3. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft.
  4. Add the beans, water, chicken seasoning and rosemary to the cooked vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables and beans and add them to a blender of food processor. Blend until smooth.
  6. Return the puree to the saucepan. Add the pasta to the sauce pan. Stir frequently and cook over medium heat until soup is hot, about 5 minutes.
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Notes

Corkscrew pasta is spiral shaped pasta like rotini.

If you use fresh rosemary, chop it into smaller pieces as desired.

You can half this recipe for less servings.

See a cooking demonstration of this Italian Pasta Soup with Rosemary recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Curried Red Lentil Soup

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Try this easy, healthy, delicious Curried Red Lentil Soup recipe! If you love curry and love lentils you will be crazy about this Curried Red Lentil Soup! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make Curried Red Lentil Soup.

A couple nice things about lentils compared to most beans is that you don’t have to soak them and they cook fast. One more bonus with this recipe is that it uses red lentils which cook even faster than brown lentils. Lentils are also very nutritious. They are high in protein and fiber and low in fat.

Looking for a new healthy soup recipe with lots of flavor? This is an outstanding curry and lentil recipe that is full of flavor and has a nice texture! Serve this soup as a main dish or side dish for lunch or dinner. Pair it with a salad and bread or crackers for a satisfying and filling meal! Watch this cooking video and try this Curried Red Lentil Soup recipe today!

Yield: 6 servings

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
  • 4 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced OR 1/8 teaspoon ginger, dried
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • 4 teaspoons chicken broth/seasoning, instant
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup red lentils (picked over, rinsed and drained)
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes, diced
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups apple, finely chopped
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
  2. Add the onion. Sauté until it is soft and translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and carrots. Sauté another 3 to 5 minutes or until the carrots are softened.
  4. Add the curry powder, ginger, cayenne, water, chicken broth/seasoning, lentils, tomatoes and apple to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked to your desired softness. Serve.

Notes

You can use a sweet or tart apple.

I like to peel the apple but you do not need to.

Make sure to pick over the dried lentils and remove any debris or stones. Then rinse and drain the lentils.

See a cooking demonstration of this Curried Red Lentil Soup recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil

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Try this easy, satisfying White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil recipe! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make this delicious White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil. It is an easy, healthy, filling, homemade bean soup recipe.

Looking for new healthy soup recipes that are easy to make and super delicious? You found it with this White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil! This is a perfect homemade soup recipe for a simple or fancy lunch or dinner. This White Bean Soup recipe tastes gourmet and it has only a few ingredients. I think you will be so impressed with yourself when you try this soup. Even more important your guests will think you are professional chef! Watch this cooking video and try this easy, healthy, tasty White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil recipe!

Yield: 4 servings

White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients

  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons chicken broth/seasoning, instant
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 cup roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped OR 1 teaspoon basil, dried
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (or as desired)

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan heat the oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
  2. Add the beans, water and chicken broth/seasoning. Stir well. Leave the heat on low or turn off the heat
  3. Turn the heat to low or off and remove one cup of the bean mixture. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.
  4. Return the pureed bean mixture back to the saucepan. Stir well.
  5. Bring the bean mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  6. Stir in the tomatoes and basil. Simmer 4 more minutes or until the tomatoes are hot and soft.
  7. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Notes

Cannellini beans are the same as white kidney beans.

This White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil recipe can be doubled.

If desired, use 2 cups of liquid chicken broth in place of the chicken broth/seasoning and water.

See a cooking demonstration of this White Bean Soup with Tomatoes and Basil recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Super Energy Garden Soup

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You will love this Super Energy Garden Soup recipe! You can grow most of the ingredients for this vegetable soup in your garden! In this cooking video Karen Breyer will show you step-by-step how to make Super Energy Garden Soup so you can try it today!

This Super Energy Garden Soup recipe has lots of fresh vegetables and tons of flavor! I think you will feel super healthy and energetic after eating this delicious soup. Serve this soup as a healthy appetizer, side dish or main dish for lunch or dinner. It is great served with bread or crackers, a sandwich and a salad. You could even eat if for breakfast to make sure you have lots of energy for the day!

Grow these vegetables and herbs in your garden and you won’t even need to go to the store before you make this delicious vegetable soup! Everyone I know who has tried this Super Energy Garden Soup loved it and I expect you will too! Get your soup pot out and make this healthy Super Energy Garden Soup today!

Yield: 6 servings

Super Energy Garden Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 5 cups water
  • 5 teaspoons chicken broth/seasoning, powdered
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups red potatoes, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 3 - 4 cups kale, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sage, dried
  • 2 - 3 teaspoons thyme, dried
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in large pot.
  2. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot until the onion is soft (translucent).
  3. Add water and chicken broth powder. Stir.
  4. Add the carrots and celery. Stir and bring to a boil.
  5. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes.
  6. Add red potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes).
  7. Add kale, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for 10 more minutes or until desired taste and texture.
  8. Add more powdered chicken broth and seasonings if desired. Serve.

Notes

You can substitute regular liquid chicken broth for the powdered chicken broth/seasoning and water. I use a vegetarian powdered chicken broth/seasoning that does not have MSG.

If you use fresh herbs use three times the amount (for 1 teaspoon dried, use 3 teaspoons fresh).

You can use more or less seasonings and vegetables to taste.

You can also sauté the onion and garlic in a skillet and transfer it to the pot when it is cooked.

You can double this Super Garden Energy Soup recipe if desired.

See a cooking demonstration of this Super Energy Garden Soup recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel

© Karen Breyer

 

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