Episode 98: Soup’s On! With Beth Kennedy

Posted on by Victoria

Happy New Year, Friends!

We’re taking a little liberty. Is it still okay to cheer in the New Year when we’re 10 days into 2025? We hope so! As we get rolling with podcasts in January, we’re thrilled to offer soothing comfort. In the form of soup and good company. We can serve up a fab guest, but you’ll need to make your own soup (see recipe below). In this episode we visit with the ever delightful and creative Beth Kennedy. We loved our recent chat with her soooo much we saved it to kick off the new year, soup style.

You may not be experiencing a January chill where you live, but here in Chicago it’s definitely t-t-t-t-time for soup. Big bowls of thick chili? Yes, please. Savory broths that warm us from the inside-out? Yes…and I’ll take a second helping.

You will enjoy our lively chat with Beth as we talk about the power of soup. Nothing fancy, but soul-satisfying. Homemade with love. Better leftover…and a reminder of what to do with good bread. Dip, dip, dip and savor. Scoop up the good stuff from the bottom of the bowl.

Join us…and share your favorite soup recipe in the comments and/or try out Beth’s “Some Like it Hot” chili. Winter screams for good soup and a classic movie. I can’t think of a better combo. A little Beth…our very own Marilyn…and a classic goofball crime comedy featuring Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis? A reason to savor the season and curl up.

Beth said it best when she quoted Beethoven in her post ‘good soup‘ back in November: “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.” Who are we to quibble with that?

Enjoy! Watch, listen and get your soup on!

Vicki and Wynne 😊

Beth’s “Some Like it Hot” Chili

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breast
3/4 buffalo wing sauce
1 – 16 oz. can pinto beans (drained, but not rinsed)
1 – oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 cups of corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
1 medium diced onion
1 cup of diced celery
1 cup of diced carrots
1 – 14.5 oz can or box chicken broth ( i usually add more)
1 TBSP. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic power (fresh option as well)
4 oz. cream cheese
1 pkt. Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1 tsp. each of dill weed, ground cumin, oregano and smoked paprika
**In a crockpot, add chix breast, beans, corn, tomatoes with chilies, carrot, celery, buffalo wing sauce, chicken broth, ranch seasoning packet, and all other spices. Stir together.
**Cook in crockpot on low for 7 hours, or until desired thickness. Once done cooking, remove chicken and shred or cube it.
**Return to crockpot and add cream cheese, (do not add cream cheese until this point.)
**Stir really well and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
**Modification options: Add more heat with additional buffalo wing sauce, green chillies, chili powder. Some like it hot!! Can use veg broth instead of chicken broth, adjust either broth depending on desired thickness, and chicken breast is optional. All veggies can be fresh or frozen. Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, crispy tortilla strips, crispy onions, sour cream, diced avocado. Makes 8 (1 – 1 1/2 cup servings

Search (and subscribe!) for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Apple, Amazon, Spotify or Pocket Casts OR Listen to it from your computer on Anchor: Episode 98: Soup’s On with Beth Kennedy

Episode 98 transcript

AND subscribe to our YouTube channel to see a video clip of each story: @SharingtheHeartoftheMatter.

Links for this Episode:

Beth’s Blog: https://ididnthavemyglasseson.com/

Good Soup by Beth

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

Wynne’s book about her beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith; Blog: https://wynneleon.com/

55 thoughts on “Episode 98: Soup’s On! With Beth Kennedy”

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  5. What a fabulous podcast! It was lovely to hear your voice, Beth. You three ladies had a wonderful thing going on there.

    Now… if only I was home so I could make some soup…

    Liked by 3 people

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  9. Easily one of the most delicious podcasts I’ve listened to. Who doesn’t love soup?! My go-to this time of year is Italian Wedding Soup. I make it at least half a dozen times during the fall and winter (and I’m proud to say I never once had to cut it into slices!).

    And yes, Beth is a real hoot.

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. Soup is wonderful when we have family dinners on Sunday and want to stretch our main course of meat. I enjoyed Beth’s lively conversation about homemade soup and chili. Thanks for the soup recipe and the suggestions. Beth’s solid “everything but the kitchen sink soup” was hilarious. 🙂

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    1. Ah — I agree, Nancy! Beth is so much fun. Everything but the kitchen sink – yes! And the memories so many of us have of stretching soup to make multiple meals. Appreciate you oodles for tuning in — thank you, thank you! 🥰💕🥰

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  12. I don’t know what’s more impressive? That Beth has written 21 posts about soup, or that she knows how many posts she’s written on the topic.

    You won’t get any criticism of seashell soup here. Who doesn’t like noodles and butter?

    And on the 4th day, Beth declared a day of rest. (Phrase borrowed from the Bible)

    Are any of you familiar with the children’s book called Stone Soup? It’s a classic.

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    1. You have me rolling, Pete! Yes! The number of posts and the fact that she remembers each one. Impressive! And yes…Beth is quite the storyteller about stone soup. 😉 Now I want buttery noodles for breakfast…mmmm….seashell soup style! 🥰😉🥰

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  13. Oh, thank you for a fun post that made me laugh and feel warm all over. 🙂 I love Wynne’s comment about how soup is or feels curative. That is one of the main reasons I love soup so much. I feel so good ingesting all those fresh veggies and a healthy broth of nutrients; I am helping my body prepare for anything that might come my way. And well, yes, I happily slurp up the noodles too. 100%. Soup is fantastic. I love Beth’s commitment to writing about soup and her labor in creating it – cutting off a piece of soup? 😂😂 I’ll carry that with me all day!

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  14. A funny and warming episode that made me hungry 🙂 I really liked what you guys said about the spontaneity of making soup: throwing in the foods and spices you have on hand. How that causes soups to be different at the various times you make them. And a fun idea to name soups!

    What great timing for your episode… yesterday, I made soup from the recipe below. The kitchen smelled comforting while it cooked. Delicious! I didn’t include noodles, as I wasn’t in the mood for them, so I just tossed in other vegetables.

    https://www.dianekochilas.com/protoyiahni-tomato-chicken-noodle-soup/

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  19. What a truly delightful conversation. I knew going into this that it would be deeper and more soothing than simply about soup. I love the metaphors you drew about soup being about community, about life, about writing – and loved the connection Wynne made between soup and musical orchestras!

    Soups are indeed so comforting. As I let Wynne know earlier this weekend, I made a chicken fennel soup tonight. My first time making chicken soup from scratch and it was wonderful. Also used whatever I had in my fridge including a celery that had gone limp. Love the frugal and no waste approach.

    And I gotta laugh at the sliced soup. Vicki had me in stitches with her tears from laughing. These are the kind of conversations to savour like a good bowl of soup!

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