RECIPES: Vegetable beef soup ... Creamy chipotle carrot soup

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Vegetable Beef Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

FOR SOUP:

12 cups water

1 to 2 pounds beef roast or stew meat

2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped

1 onion, diced

1 small cabbage, chopped

3 carrots, thinly sliced

1 rutabaga, cubed

1 cup medium pearled barley

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice

1 quart tomato juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

FOR NOODLES:

2 eggs

6 to 8 tablespoons flour

Salt

For soup: Cook meat in pot of water until tender. Remove and cut up into bite-size pieces if using roast. Set aside.

Cut up vegetables and place in water along with tomato juice, meat and pearled barley. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

For noodles: While soup is simmering, beat two eggs in a small bowl. Add flour and salt to taste. Mix with a fork until batter is a little stiff.

Once vegetables are cooked thoroughly, add egg and flour mixture to pot, 1 tablespoon or so at a time. When finished adding batter, cook for about 10 minutes or until noodles are firm.

Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

Creamy Chipotle Carrot Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound carrots, peeled and diced

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

1 canned chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), minced

1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotle peppers)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and ground black pepper

Sliced scallions, to serve

In a large, deep pot over medium, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes and chipotle. Cook for 5 minutes then add the adobo sauce and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and return to a simmer. Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with sliced scallions.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 300 calories, 50 percent of calories from fat, 17 grams fat (8 grams saturated, no trans), 45 milligrams cholesterol, 33 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 7 grams sugar, 5 grams protein, 115 milligrams sodium.