Traditional Scottish Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Ingredients:
4 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into bite-size pieces 
10 C Chicken Broth 
1 Onion, chopped 
1 lb. Potatoes
7 Leeks, sliced (may substitute onions or green onions)
2 stalks Celery, sliced ½” thick
1 sprig fresh Thyme, chopped 
1 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley 
1 tsp Salt 
½ tsp ground Black Pepper 
Directions:
In large pot combine chicken, chicken broth, onion and barley, at high heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken, discard bones, skin and cartilage; chop meat into bite-size pieces, return to pot.  Add leeks, celery, potatoes, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer 30 minutes, ‘til vegetables are tender.

Corn Chowder
You know what’s really nice about all these chowders?  They all have potatoes and celery and onions… Yum!
Ingredients:
½ C. Chopped salt pork
1 medium onion, chopped
½ C. Celery, chopped
2 C. Raw, peeled, (1/2 inch cubed) potatoes
2 C. Water
½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Paprika
3 tbsp flour
½ C. milk
1 ½ C. hot milk
2 C. Corn, removed from cob
Directions:
Saute salt pork slowly – do not burn. Add and saute until brown: the onion and celery.  Add potatoes, 2 C. water, salt, paprika, and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Combine, stir in slowly and bring to the boiling point the flour and ½ C. milk.  Add the hot milk and corn and heat, but do not boil the soup.  Serve immediately.

Cream of Broccoli Soup
This is really yummy soup!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
½ C. celery, sliced small
2 tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. Salt, or to taste
Dash pepper
3 C potatoes
1 ½ C chicken broth
3 C fresh broccoli, cooked
1 tsp fresh thyme, snipped
1 tsp fresh flat leaf parsley, snipped
1 C milk or, a mix of milk and cream, plus?
Directions:
Clean and prepare broccoli; process with ¾ cup of the broth in food processor or blender for a minute or so. Set aside. In medium saucepan cook potatoes until fork tender, set aside. In soup pot melt butter and sauté onion and celery until onion translucent.  Stir in flour, seasonings, salt and pepper.    Add milk/cream all at once and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Cook 1 minute more.  Add potatoes, broccoli mixture, remaining broth (if necessary, add additional milk at this time, and heat soup thoroughly.  Check for seasonings again, and add as needed.

My Grandmother’s Simple Potato Soup
Yummy and Delicious!  This is my “comfort” food and never fails to bring my grandmother to life again for me.  She used to bring me this when I was sick, even after I was married and had kids, and she’d tuck me into bed and care for me…
Ingredients:
4 Russet potatoes, cut into half-inch cubes
1 small onion, diced
Water
Whole Milk
2 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut up potatoes and onions, rinse well and place into large saucepan.  Add water until you can just see it through the potatoes, and then add milk until it covers them well.  Place butter on top and season well with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil slowly, watching it carefully to make sure it doesn’t boil over.  Lower heat immediately when it starts to boil, and simmer until potatoes are done.  With the back of a spoon or a potato masher, mash some of the potatoes to thicken, but not all of them.  Let simmer another couple of minutes and then remove from heat.  Serve while hot.  Serves 4.

My Minestrone Soup
I like Minestrone, and have been looking for a recipe so I could make some, homemade.  What I have found is that there are as many kinds of minestrone as there are recipes.  In other words, every single one is different, and I have not been too impressed by what I’ve seen.  I’ve decided to create my own, so here we go:
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 ½ C celery, sliced thickly
1 C carrots, sliced 1/8” thick
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 good-sized potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
Salt, pepper
1 C. fresh green beans
Two cans Chicken broth
1 can tomatoes, 14 ½ oz.
Water
2 tbsp fresh flat-leafed parsley
2 tbsp fresh basil
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 C. pasta, small shells
1 C. pasta, penne
Directions:
Melt butter in soup pot, saute carrots, onion, celery and garlic.  Add potatoes, chicken broth, parsley, basil and water to cover.  Bring just to boil, reduce to simmer and cook until vegetables are done.  Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, pasta and beans, and simmer until penne pasta is al dente.  Check seasonings again, and serve.  Do not overcook, as pasta will become too soft. 
I prefer my minestrone without meat, as a luncheon dish.  Cooked chicken (diced) can be added, or beef broth can be substituted, and cooked beef, diced, can be added.  In fact, I have seen recipes where there are more beans, more veggies (or less), and just about anything you like.  I saw one recipe that was all green.  All ingredients were either colorless or green, and they added pesto to it when done.  Suit your own taste.

Yvonne’s Quick Split Pea Soup
Yvonne was my best friend in high school, but she moved to Yucaipa in our Junior year.  We remained in contact until after school, but then I lost her, and thought it would be forever.  This last year, Doris Thorson (a mutual friend) tracked us both down on the Internet, so we are all still catching up with one another.  Yvonne has been in Kansas for many years, the home state of her husband.
1 C Onions
1/8 tsp Red Pepper flakes (I use the ones in the Pizza Hut pkgs.)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sauté this in ½ tbsp. olive oil
Add:
l C Dried Split Peas (washed)
Garlic to taste
1 Bay leaf
4 C Chicken Broth (I use one can, with water added to make 4 c)
Then:
Simmer for 45 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and add 1/2 C milk.  Blend in blender and reheat, but do not boil.