4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded

1 (4.5 oz) pkg quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

2 cups heavy cream

in a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. cover and remove from heat.

in a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

stir cream mixture into broth and rice. cook over medium heat until heated through, 10-15 minutes.

8 servings

2 qts vegetable broth

1 cup uncooked barley

2 lg carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 zucchini, chopped

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained

1 onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

pour the vegetable broth into a large pot. add the barley, carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, garbanzo beans, onion, and bay leaves. season with garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, curry powder, paprika. and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. the soup will be very thick. you may adjust by adding more broth or less barley if desired. remove bay leaves before serving.

8 servings

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 onion, minced

4 carrots, minced

3 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1/2 cup barley

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 cups water

3 (10 oz) cans beef broth

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup

1 bay leaf

1 tbs parsley

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried thyme

ground black pepper, to taste

heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat, and crumble in the ground beef. cook and stir until the beef is evenly browned and no longer pink. drain, and discard any excess grease.

stir in the onion, carrots, celery, and barley. pour in diced tomatoes, water, broth, and tomato soup. season with bay leaf, parsley, garlic, thyme and pepper. bring to a boil. reduce heat and cover. simmer for 2 hours, stirring frequently. remove bay leaf before serving.

10 servings

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1″ pieces

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1 (11 oz) can mexicorn, drained

1 cup thick & chunky salso

1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tbs fresh lime juice

4 corn tortillas

spray a 6-qt sauce pot with cooking spray. heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. add the chicken to the sauce pot. cook until it’s browned, stirring often.

stir in the broth, cumin and rice. heat to a boil. reduce the heat to low. cover and cook for 20 minutes.

stir in the corn, salsa, cilantro and lime juice. cook until the rice is tender.

heat the oven to 425 degrees. cut 4 corn tortillas into thin strips and place them on a baking sheet. spray with cooking spray. bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

top each serving of soup with crisp tortilla strips.

6 servings