Soup Week!

For whatever reason, we've been making A LOT of soups lately. Here are two recent ones we made and enjoyed!

Beef Barley Soup

1lb. boneless beef sirloin or top round steak, cubed into 1" pieces
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
32oz. beef broth
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium celery stalks sliced
1/4t dried thyme leaves, crushed
pepper to taste
1/2 cup quick cooking barley

Cook beef in a nonstick saucepan until browned and juices evaporate, stirring often.
Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until tender
Add broth, carrots, celery, thyme and pepper.
Heat to boil, stir in barley.
Cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes or until barley is done.

While I've made this recipe quite a few times, I tried a new variation on it this past weekend. I was excited to find buffalo stew meat on Peapod a few weeks ago! The great thing about buffalo is that it is a lot lower in fat and calories compared to beef. It works really well in this recipe because buffalo can sometimes be tricky to cook, it can not be cooked over high heat quickly- it does much better in a slow cooker or soup recipe. We found it to be juicy, hearty and a welcome swap for beef in this soup!

Au Gratin Cheese soup

1 5.25oz pre-packaged Au Gratin potatoes mix
1 10.5oz can chicken broth
3 cups water
2/3 cups diced carrot
2/3 cups diced celery
1/2 cup milk

Mix potato slices and cheese packet from au gratin potatoes mix with chicken broth, water, carrots and celery in large saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stir continually. Remove from heat, stir in milk. Enjoy!

This is a great, easy weekday night recipe that uses ingredients you already have in your fridge and pantry. Pair it with a loaf of warm bread, and you're good to go!