Scoop Some Soup

I am a big soup person. This autumn I've found the Pinterest website to be indispensable in finding new unique soup recipes that I can work around my diet issues that restrict gluten and dairy. There are some awesome ideas out there, starting with a play on Pozole soup, which I didn't even know existed until I visited Jason's Deli in Roswell, Georgia last week. It reminded me of a Mexican Brunswick stew, and I found a great original recipe of it from Emeril Lagasse online. We're having a poblano pepper Pinterest version tonight. My crockpot is breaking down some pork shoulder as we speak.

A few nights ago, I had a big hit (which is rare with the pizza and hotdogs gang in this house) with a Potato and Kielbasa Sausage Chowder someone pinned up on Pinterest. It was really tasty, and my boys ate every drop. The only drawback was they kept calling the polish sausage "hot dogs," which insulted my sense of chef-dom. I think next time I may try ham. It's a relatively simple recipe, but it sure warmed us up and left everyone satisfied.

If you're a soup lover looking for something different, give this chowder recipe (with a few of my changes) a try, and next time you're out and about, see if you can find yourself an authentic bowl of Pozole. Thank me later!

Cheesy Potato and Kielbasa Chowder

1 medium onion or to taste, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth

6-8 medium potatoes, peeled & sliced into chunks

1/2 (of 16 ounces) kielbasa, sliced into small chunks

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces of reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 of fat free Half and Half

Cornstarch to taste

Add all of the ingredients into a crockpot except the cream and cheese. Stir to combine, then cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and Half and Half to the soup, and stir to melt the cheese. Add a little cornstarch to thicken if desired. (I remove about a cup of soup and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch then return it to the crockpot.) Serve with cornbread on the side.