Category: Vegetable Dishes

Joy’s Spinach Salad

You’ll love Joy’s Spinach Salad, with bacon, eggs, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and fresh baby spinach drizzled with a delicious, homemade salad dressing!You will love Joy's Spinach Salad, with bacon, eggs, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and fresh baby spinach drizzled with a delicious, homemade salad dressing!

The recipe I want to share today is called “Joy’s Spinach Salad”. The salad and the homemade dressing that tops it all of is outstanding and would be a delicious, welcome addition to any dinner table!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How I Got The Recipe For Joy’s Spinach Salad

Years ago (almost 20), we lived in Central California, where my husband was a Music Pastor in a large church. We were privileged to get to know many wonderful and truly kind-hearted people during our five year ministry there, and always enjoyed getting to share a meal with some of these friends.

My husband and I were fortunate to have dinner one evening with a sweet couple from our church…Marv and Joy. We were served a wonderful dinner, which included an absolutely delicious spinach salad.

Well… I * totally * loved that salad, and decided right then and there that I needed the recipe for all time forward! So I asked Joy for her recipe…and she graciously shared it with me.

Simple Ingredients and Homemade Salad Dressing

The ingredients are simple for the salad… and the homemade salad dressing!  Baby spinach leaves, hard boiled egg crumbles, crispy bacon, etc. all pair wonderfully with the delicious homemade salad dressing.

Baby spinach used for Joy's spinach salad.

Hard boiled eggs are cut then crumbled for Joy's spinach salad.

Bacon is cooked until crispy, then crumbled for Joy's spinach salad

The Salad Dressing For The Spinach Salad

Joy’s Spinach Salad is the only traditional spinach salad recipe I have used ever since then.  Joy made her own salad dressing, too (kind of like a French dressing), which is not heated as some spinach salad dressings are. It is delicious!

To this day, I think of them fondly when I prepare this and see her name on that stained 3×5 index card. I accidentally took the picture of the salad before I added the mushrooms and bean sprouts… my bad! (just use your imagination!)

Here’s the homemade Spinach Salad Dressing…ready to go! (I hope you like the bottle label…keepin’ it classy!)

Homemade salad dressing for Joy's spinach salad

This absolutely delicious spinach salad and salad dressing are very easy to prepare (my favorite kind of recipe!). Give my friend Joy’s recipe a try…I think you will love it! If you enjoy a good spinach salad, be sure to also check out my recipes for Bacon Lover’s Spinach Salad or Spinach, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad. YUM!

Looking For More SALAD Recipes?

You can find all my delicious salad recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page.  A few of our family favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Author's signature

Recipe Source: Joy Scott

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Joy's Spinach Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
You will love Joy's Spinach Salad, with bacon, eggs, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and fresh baby spinach drizzled with a delicious, homemade salad dressing!
Category: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spinach salad
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 193 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For salad:
  • 2-3 bunches fresh spinach , leaves torn into small pieces (or use equal amount of baby spinach)
  • 1 can water chestnuts , drained and chopped
  • 3-4 green onions , chopped (both green and white parts)
  • 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
  • 6-8 slices bacon , cooked crisp, then crumbled
  • 2 hard boiled eggs , chopped
  • 8 white mushrooms , sliced thinly
For the salad dressing:
  • 1 cup oil (I use olive, but vegetable or canola work, as well)
  • 1/4 cup wine vinegar (red or white-both will work)
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 medium brown onion , finely chopped
  • salt (to taste)
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk all the salad dressing ingredients together till fully blended. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving, and whisk again.
  2. Mix all the salad ingredients together (reserving some bacon, egg, and mushrooms for garnish on top so it looks nice).
  3. When ready to serve, pour the dressing on top (you will not need it all-just put on as much of the dressing as you prefer), and toss to coat. Serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

The salad dressing is NOT part of the caloric calculation (recipe makes more than you will need for the salad). The calorie count is approximately 43 calories per Tablespoon of salad dressing.

*The leftover dressing is great on any mixed green salad. Store it in a closed bottle or mason jar in the refrigerator. It will keep for quite a while!

Nutrition Facts
Joy's Spinach Salad
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 193 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 115mg38%
Sodium 254mg11%
Potassium 268mg8%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 265IU5%
Vitamin C 4.2mg5%
Calcium 19mg2%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You will love Joy's Spinach Salad, with bacon, eggs, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and fresh baby spinach drizzled with a delicious, homemade salad dressing!

 

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Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Nothing is as comforting as a hot bowl of soup on a cool day. This delicious, creamy tomato basil soup will really hit the spot, and it’s simple to make!Nothing is as comforting as a hot bowl of soup on a cool day. This delicious, creamy tomato basil soup will really hit the spot, and it's simple to make!

Writing this post made me laugh…my entire life I have despised (I know, harsh words!) tomato soup. Really, really despised it. However, I am married to a guy who loves it. Go figure! But the truth is… I have come to love the taste of this Creamy Tomato Basil Soup!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Tomato Soup Was NOT On The List Of Foods I Enjoyed… Originally!

Years ago I worked at a school where occasionally they would serve the students and staff grilled cheese sandwiches with a small cup of tomato soup.  Word on the street was the soup was good with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side, but I could never even bring myself to try the soup.

I grew up watching that gelatinous blob of tomato soup come out of canned tomato soup when my Dad would have it for lunch. No Thanks! I had such an “ugh” factor going on.

Then I married a guy who LOVES tomato soup, so through the years I would occasionally buy him a can of the stuff to make him happy. He sometimes even buys a carton of freshly made tomato basil soup from the grocery store deli to “heat and eat”.

Why I Ended Up LIKING Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Fast this story forward to this past summer –  our little garden was overflowing with fresh basil. I decided to combine my home-grown basil with my deep love of cooking and my love for that “tomato-soup-lovin’ husband of mine”. 

 I searched online to find a homemade tomato basil soup recipe he could enjoy.  This recipe for creamy tomato basil soup is the one I tried, and guess what? I had a tiny cup of it and it was absolutely delicious…who knew? Wait… now I like this soup? I was totally surprised!

Now I really enjoy this yummy tomato basil soup! That has to be some kind of miracle! Maybe my taste buds have changed as I’ve gotten older. Perhaps it is the fact that it didn’t come sliding (in one gelatinous blob) out of a little red and white labeled can?
 

How To Make Homemade Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

In a medium sized pan, sauté onions and garlic in butter over medium heat until they are fairly clear (about 4-5 minutes).  Don’t let the garlic burn!

Add the canned tomatoes (including juice) and the chicken stock to the saucepan. Bring the tomato mixture to a full boil.  Reduce the heat, and let it simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.  Once the tomato mixture has cooked for 10 minutes, remove pan from heat.

 
Cooking the tomato soup before pureeing the tomatoes.
 
Use an immersion blender to puree. Be careful… the soup is HOT! NOTE: If you don’t have an immersion blender, no problem! Carefully transfer the “hot” tomato mixture to a blender or a food processor and puree. You may need to do this in batches.
 
 
Using an immersion blender to puree the tomato soup.
 
Creamy tomato basil soup, AFTER it has been pureed.
 

Add The Fresh Basil

Once the tomato mixture has been pureed, add in the fresh basil and pulse (or blend) a few more times to incorporate the basil into the soup.
 
Fresh, chopped basil is added to tomato soup, then blended in.
 
If you used a blender, return the hot soup carefully to the saucepan. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream, until blended.
 
Whipping cream is added to creamy tomato basil soup.
 
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Heat on low until the creamy tomato basil soup is fully heated through. Do NOT let the soup boil!
 
Creamy tomato basil soup, after whipping cream has been whisked in.
 

Serve This Delicious Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Ladle the hot soup into cups or bowls. Garnish each portion with croutons and fresh basil leaves, if desired. ENJOY!
 
Creamy tomato basil soup is served in white bowl, with croutons and basil leaves as garnish.
 
This creamy tomato basil soup is very EASY to make and it’s DELICIOUS. Hope you will give it a try!  Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of soup recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest:
The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram:
jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://unsophisticook.com/tomato-basil-soup/
0 from 0 votes
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Nothing is as comforting as a hot bowl of soup on a cool day. This delicious, creamy tomato basil soup will really hit the spot, and it's simple to make!
Category: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: creamy tomato basil soup
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 210 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 brown onions , chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced
  • 2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil , chopped (plus additional leaves for garnish, if desired)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • salt (to taste)
  • pepper (to taste)
  • Croutons and additional basil (for garnish, if desired)
Instructions
  1. In a medium sized pan, saute onions and garlic in butter over medium heat till they are fairly clear (about 4-5 minutes). Don't let the garlic burn!
  2. Add the canned tomatoes (including the juice) and the chicken stock to saucepan. Bring the tomato mixture to a full boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. When the tomato mixture has cooked for 10 minutes, remove from heat.

  3. Use an immersion blender to puree. NOTE: If you don't have an immersion blender, no problem! Carefully transfer the "hot" tomato mixture to a blender or a food processor and puree. You may need to do this in batches.

  4. Once the tomato mixture has been pureed, add in the fresh basil and pulse (or blend) a few times to incorporate the basil into the soup.
  5. If you used a blender, return the hot soup to saucepan. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream, till blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat on low until the creamy tomato basil soup is fully heated through. Do NOT let the soup boil!

  6. To serve: Ladle soup into cups or bowls. Garnish with croutons and fresh basil leaves, if desired. ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8th of total))
Calories 210 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 38mg13%
Sodium 447mg19%
Potassium 737mg21%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 900IU18%
Vitamin C 21.2mg26%
Calcium 93mg9%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Nothing is as comforting as a hot bowl of soup on a cool day. This delicious, creamy tomato basil soup will really hit the spot, and it's simple to make!



 

 

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Curried Zucchini Soup

Simple curried zucchini soup has a chicken stock base, is flavored with onion, zucchini, curry powder, and potato. It’s easy to make and very tasty!Simple curried zucchini soup has a chicken stock base, is flavored with onion, zucchini, curry powder, and potato. It's easy to make and very tasty!

“Oh, man…this is soooo good” were the first words I said after tasting this Curried Zucchini Soup for the first time. Once again I had a bumper crop of zucchini having babies growing in my vegetable garden and I was ready to try another new recipe for zucchini. I found a recipe for curried zucchini soup, thought it sounded interesting, and so I tried it!

Quick, easy to fix, and absolutely full of flavor, I give this recipe a two spoons up! If you like the flavor of curry OR you have approximately 3,000 lbs. of zucchini growing in your garden (note: this might be a slight over-exaggeration), then I anticipate you will like this recipe.

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What Is IN Curried Zucchini Soup?

Curried zucchini soup only has a few ingredients. It has a chicken stock base, but it is flavored with onion, zucchini, curry powder, salt, and is thickened with potato. For the potato called for in the recipe, you can use either small, diced potatoes or dried instant potatoes. It’s a VERY simple, but tasty soup!

Curried zucchini soup is easy to make. Once made, the soup is pureed slightly in a food processor or blender, which results in a creamy soup, with tiny pieces of zucchini still present to give it some “bite” in texture.

This curried zucchini soup recipe is also very easy on the budget ($), if that is a factor in your meal-planning. I grow zucchini in my garden, so I tend to have a lot of zucchini needing to be used each summer. This recipe is a great way to use up all those zucchini, by making curried zucchini soup!

Growing the zucchini used to make this curried zucchini soup.This recipe for curried zucchini soup serves 6 and is fantastic as a “leftover”, or “take to work” kind of soup. It reheats well in the microwave. The little pieces of zucchini give the soup a nice texture. 

Sure hope you enjoy this simple curried zucchini soup recipe. It is very unique and tastes great!  Have a wonderful day, and thank you for stopping by. I hope you come back again soon!

Looking For More SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of soup recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do soIf you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/curried-zucchini-soup?invite=xyz-p

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
Curried Zucchini Soup
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Simple curried zucchini soup has a chicken stock base, is flavored with onion, zucchini, curry powder, and potato. It's easy to make and very tasty!
Category: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: curried zucchini soup
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 148 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large. brown onion , halved, then thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon curry powder
  • Salt , to taste
  • 4 small zucchini , halved length-wise, then cut into 1" slices
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup instant potatoes OR 2 small , cubed russet potatoes (To thicken soup- I add instant potatoes)
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • Croutons (used as a garnish, if desired)
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large pot. Stir in the onions (and cubed russet potatoes, if using these). Season with curry powder, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook and stir on medium heat until onion (and potatoes) are tender.

  2. Stir in the sliced zucchini, and cook till tender.

  3. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then add the instant potatoes (if using). Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

  4. Remove soup pot from heat. Use a hand mixer OR transfer in batches to a food processor or a blender, and blend till almost smooth. Transfer hot soup to serving bowls and garnish with croutons, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Curried Zucchini Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 148 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 4mg1%
Sodium 242mg11%
Potassium 603mg17%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 270IU5%
Vitamin C 29.1mg35%
Calcium 35mg4%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Simple curried zucchini soup has a chicken stock base, is flavored with onion, zucchini, curry powder, and potato. It's easy to make and very tasty!

 

 

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