Top 10 Best Soups

Happy Fall folks!  Now that Fall is officially here, I wanted to reflect on one of my ultimate comfort foods...soup, any kind, especially quick and easy cooking soups.  There's just something about a pot of comforting soup cooking on the stove that softly says, "come, sit, get warm, and stay a while".  Ok, maybe not quite like that, but you get the idea;)

With more than 20 types of soups, we have just the thing to warm you and your family.  Traditional Soup Mixes are good any time, or heat things up with our Spicy Soup Mixes.  Need something quick and easy for dinner tonight? Keep our Quick Cooking Soup Mixes on hand! 

I have put together a list of my 11 (I gave you another bonus...I couldn't decide on just 10) favorite Cherchies® Soups for you, just because.  Yes, "soup for you"! (Seinfeld soup episode).

Traditional Soup Mixes

• Ham and Bean Soup Mix - A savory combination of hearty pinto beans, freeze dried green beans and select spices. A delicious way to use leftover ham!
• Mixed Bean Soup Mix-  Several different beans, split pea and barley along with pasta and sun-dried tomatoes and a tasty seasoning mix make this a family favorite.
• Barley and Red Lentil Soup Mix - Barley, red lentils, pasta and sun-dried tomatoes and a unique seasoning mix are the recipe for this flavorful soup!
• Pasta e Fagioli Soup Mix- Pronounced ("Pasta Fazool"),  is so easy to prepare and enjoy. Chock full of nutritious white beans, savory seasonings, and petite pasta shells, it was developed from our Italian family recipe.

Spicy Soup Mixes

• White Bean Chili- This unusual chili, made with white beans, is especially delicious when served while watching that Sunday afternoon TV football game or on a cold winter night.
• Jambayla Soup Mix- Jambalaya is a Creole dish of Spanish and French influence. A mixture of vegetables, rice and piquant seasonings cooked with your choices of meats and seafood makes a spicy and hearty dish.
• Buffalo Chicken Soup Mix- Everyone enjoys a good chicken hot wing. Now you can enjoy the flavor of Buffalo wings in a hearty soup, sans the messy fingers.
• Sante Fe Chicken and Brown Rice Soup Mix- A delicious and healthy Southwest influenced chicken and rice soup.

Quick Cooking Soup Mixes

• Mexican Tortilla Soup Mix- An appetizing blend of mixed vegetables with a special mix of spicy seasonings.  Ole!
• Chicken Pot Pie Soup Mix- With its rich homemade flavor, extra-wide noodles, our chicken soup is nourishing and delicious. It is a "quick cooking" comfort food.
• Italian Wedding Soup Mix- This classic Neapolitan soup is a delicious combination of greens, meats and pasta and is good enough to serve at a wedding.

Lemon Dill Lox Recipe

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Lemon Dill Lox Recipe

About ten years ago, my hubby and I were visiting New York City, and the thought of eating raw fish (sushi, tartar, and lox) repulsed me. I kept wondering how people ate raw fish and didn't throw up. I had heard of bagels and lox, but it wasn't on my food radar or even my bucket list, for that matter.

I was introduced to this fabulous concoction by a chef at the hotel where we were staying. He said, "Miss, (I love it when I'm called Miss rather than ma'am...makes me feel younger) you've never tried bagels and lox?" I politely said, "no." (I tried not to, but I may have wrinkled my nose just like my kiddos do when introducing something new). 

Perhaps the chef noticed my boring bagel and cream cheese in the buffet line and needed to convince me that I would love the freshly smoked salmon he had prepared. I allowed him to put a small sample on my plate away from harming my bagel.

Guess what? I LOVED IT!! (and the chef was pleased). What was once taboo had become one of my rare morning treats, bagels and lox!

Recently it dawned on me I could "amp" up the flavor even more. I've seen this culinary delight often garnished with dill, so I tried our Lemon Dill Seasoning, sprinkled on the cream cheese. Oh my goodness, folks, if you are a bagels and lox fan, you've got to try this seasoning blend for a different approach to bagels and lox! The lemon and dill will elevate this dish to the next level and tantalize your tastebuds. So what are you waiting for? Adding Cherchies® Lem’n Dill Seasoning on your favorite bagels and lox may be your next favorite thing.

Comment below and let us know if you have tried this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 bagel, sliced in half (increase for more people)

• Cream Cheese (could substitute Neufchatel cheese)

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) (or more to taste) Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill No-Salt Seasoning (could substitute Cherchies® Lem 'n Dill Seasoning if you'd like more salt)

• Chopped red onion (optional)

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) capers (optional)

Preparation

Slice bagel in half and toast lightly in a toaster (this step is optional).  Next, spread a generous amount of cream cheese onto each half.  Sprinkle with Cherchies® No-Salt Lem 'n Dill Seasoning.

Generously add the smoked salmon lox to the bagel halves and top with your favorite toppings (diced red onion, capers, tomatoes...It' up to you).  Enjoy my new version of Bagels and Lox!

Peachy Fish Taco Recipe

Peachy Fish Tacos Recipe

I love fish tacos! I made these tacos recently for my family, and they were devoured- even the slaw! (My kiddos ate cabbage, AND they put it on their tacos!!! I'm so proud of them.) The crunch of the slaw (seasoned with Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro), the savory fish (seasoned with Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend), Cherchies® Vidalia Onion & Peach Salsa, and the special sauce was a flavor party in our mouths.  

"Mom, these are so good!" Music to my ears;)

For your next taco night, whip up a batch of these flavorful fish tacos for your gang, but grab some for yourself because they will disappear before your eyes. Serve these tacos with our Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Rice and Cherry Applesauce for a complete meal.  

Thanks for stopping by. :) Comment below if you have made this recipe. Visit our blog for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 4-5 fillets of white fish (I used Tilapia for this recipe, but you could use any white fish)

• Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning (for fish rub)

• 1-2 Tablespoons Coconut oil (I've been using this lately)

• 1-2 cups coleslaw mix

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cilantro, chopped

• Juice of 1/2 of a lime

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime and Cilantro (or to taste)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning

• Corn tortillas

• Cherchies® Vidalia Onion Peach Salsa

• Lime wedges (optional) for garnishing

Preparation 

This step is optional, but I think it added a nice smokiness to the tacos.  Toast the corn tortillas on both sides over a low flame.  I tried toasting the tortillas in a cast iron pan for a few minutes, and although good, I preferred the tortillas over the flame.  You decide.  After the tortillas have toasted, place them in a tortilla warmer or cover them with a paper towel until ready to use.

Next, prepare the slaw.  In a medium bowl, add the slaw mixture, the lime juice, the chopped cilantro, and Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime and Cilantro Seasoning.  Set aside.

Now for the "special sauce".  Combine mayonnaise and our Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend.  I had this cute decorator bottle I purchased a while ago, but you can get the same effect by putting the special sauce into a plastic bag and snipping off the corner.  Either way, the sauce will finish off the tacos at the end.

Add oil to griddle or pan (I have a griddle attachment that fits over my burners) and turn to medium heat. While griddle is heating up, season both sides of fish with a generous amount of Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning.   Cook fish a few minutes on each side, or until done (use a fork to check doneness by checking to see if fish flakes).

Now assemble to tacos.  After fish is finished cooking, flake the fish into chunks with a fork and place on tortillas.  Next add a generous amount of the slaw.  

Then add the peach salsa, and finally the special sauce.  There you go folks, fish tacos:) Ole!

Cooking Tip: How to Test the Freshness of Baking Soda

How do you test the freshness of baking soda you ask?  It's all in the bubbles!  That would be a bummer to bake something you spent some time and love on only to find out your baking soda was flat (I'm passing this onto you, because this happened to me...luckily only once.   The moral of the story...check your baking soda if you haven't used it in a while).  Find out below:)

"Test baking soda by adding a teaspoon-ful to a 1/2 cup hot water.  If it doesn't bubble, then it's time to throw it out". - Julia Child.  

Look at that...bubbles! I guess mine's good;)