Creamy Chicken Potato Soup

1 pkg Bear Creek Cheddar Potato Soup Mix
2 chicken breasts, cooked, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup half and half
1 stick butter
1 cup cheddar cheese
Cumin (to taste)

In a large pot cook the soup mix according to package directions.  Stir in half & half, butter, and chicken.  Add a little cumin at a time to fit your own taste.  Stir in cheese.  Makes 8-10 servings.

Martha:  I had a package of Bear Creek Cheddar Potato and decided I wanted to try adding some chicken to it.  It was good but needed a little something more so I added the half and half, butter and ended up adding about 1/2 tsp. cumin.  This was a perfect taste preference for me.  And of course I added just a little more cheese to top it off.  The soup turned out creamy and so delicious! Perfect for any day.

Southwestern Quinoa Black Bean Chicken Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. (4 oz.) Urbane Grain Quinoa Southwest Black Bean
2 qts. of water

Boil the two chicken breasts in the 2 qts. of water until done.  Remove chicken, allow to cool and shred.  Strain the chicken water/broth.  Return to the water/broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil and add the Quinoa Southwest Black Bean and chicken.  Cook until quiona is done, about 35-40 minutes.  Serves 6-8.

Martha:  When I worked up this dish I had no idea how it would come out.  I did as I always do and that is to Think With My Taste Buds.  Well, I'm here to tell you that this soup is delicious!  And it's healthy too.  Since I'm trying to eat gluten free, which the  Urban Quinoa Blends are, this dish worked perfectly into my diet.  I enjoyed it with my gluten free pretzels and had a perfectly delicious, healthy, filling meal.   This is a dish I'll be making often.

Carol:  Thanks so much for a sample of your new soup.  You know that we are always looking for delicious "white" dishes and this was superb because we love the Southwest seasonings, the healthiness of the quinoa and the lightness of the "white" chicken dish.  Using these ingredients in a soup is perfect for us because we tend to like the delicious flavors together with the ease of preparation and digestion and nutrients offered in this dish.  It tastes like some very trendy soups now found on restaurant menus and we like to think of ourselves as being right up to date.  This Southwest soup hits the spot!!!!

Sharon:  I wish I had been lucky enough to have a second bowl of this delicious dish!

Grilled Chicken Soup

3-4 med. potatoes, cut into cubes
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 cup charcoal grilled chicken, chopped
corn starch
water
salt & pepper

In a large pot boil celery and onion in 2 cups of water until tender.  Add potatoes and enough water to cover (about 2 -3 more cups).  Cook until tender.  Add chicken, salt & pepper to taste.  Mix 1 Tbsp. corn starch with 1/4 cup of water.  Add to soup and bring to a boil to thicken.  Serves 6-8.

Martha:  I had cooked chicken breasts on a charcoal smoker the day before making this soup and had some left over.  When I tried to come up with a ideas to use this chicken I thought about soup.  Since celery takes longer to soften than potatoes, that is why I cooked it first, which worked perfectly.  The smoked flavor from the charcoal made this soup some of the best I've ever had.  Yes, you can make this with baked, boiled, and gas grilled but the smoky flavor is the best.

Chicken Bean Soup

1/2 lb. bag of dried soup beans
1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
2 chicken bouillons
salt & pepper to taste
Cumin to taste
water
onion
cabbage
carrots

Soak beans over night.  Cover the beans with water.  Add the bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and cook until beans are done.  Add more water as needed.  Add chicken, onion, cabbage and carrots.  The amount depends on your own taste.  Add about 1/4 tsp. of cumin.  Cook until veggies are done.  Taste.  Add more salt, pepper, and cumin as needed.

Martha:  This soup is so easy to make and it is truly made by Thinking With Your Taste Buds.  I put 1 medium onion, sliced and used a good bit of cabbage cut up into bite size pieces.  I'm not a cooked carrot fan so I only used 1 med. size cut up small.  As for the cumin - I ended up adding about 1/2 tsp. This was added during the last 10 minutes of cooking and by tasting the broth several times until I had it just right.  This is not only a tasty dish but a pretty healthy one too.