My 10-Minute (fairly) Healthy Soup!

It will be going down to 18 or so tonight and I decided it was a good night for soup but I also need to make something ahead for this weekend since I work all weekend and don't have time to cook, or if I take the time, it eats into my pay. This is a solution I came up with a while back for those nights I am cooking for two or more days in one evening. This recipe will feed about four people - or if your kids eat like horses as mine do - three! But easy to add to or take away for more or less servings.

10-Minute Spinach Soup

1 9-ounce bag of fresh spinach - or frozen is fine

3 cans Campbell's Chicken Noodle or Chicken Rice soup

2 ounces or so of cream cheese (1/4 to 1/3 of 8-oz block)

1/2 cup or so of cream or a bit more of half and half

few splashes of garlic powder or clove or two of fresh garlic

minced fine

thyme

minced onions or onion powder

dash or two of pepper

big pat of butter

Parmesan cheese - optional

Melt the butter in a big pot, add a couple splashes of water and heat to boiling. Stir in the spinach - if fresh and large, I tear it a bit as I put it in. Stir until wilted or if frozen until thawed. If you want soup thicker, stir a couple teaspoons or so of cornstarch into a bit of cold water and pour into the bubbling mixture. Also add in minced onions and garlic if using so they can soften.

Simmer this about two minutes, then add in cream cheese and pour in the three cans of soup plus two cans of water and add the seasonings. I personally love thyme, garlic and pepper together - you can use whatever you like and however much you like to your taste. I sometimes add a bit of dill as well. Heat till just starting to boil, smushing the cream cheese with your spoon until well melted and blended. Then pour in cream or half and half, stir, and you're done! It's good with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top or mixed in as well. The girls love it and it is really good for something so cheap and fast! Of course, it's high sodium and for me not so low carb either but it's good in a pinch and gets some healthy spinach into them and so fast to make! I also sometimes add a can of Navy or Northern beans drained and rinsed.

Now I have to start chopping celery, carrots, onions, cabbage, garlic and sweet potatoes to add to some tomato sauce, chicken stock and diced tomatoes for a big pot of veggie soup with cornbread for this weekend! This one takes a lot more than 10 minutes, unfortunately!

Let me know if you make it and like it!