Soup Recipes

[Blithe Morning]

I am going through a tomato soup phase as it is my quintessential comfort food when paired with a grilled cheese sandwich. As part of my on-going quest to eliminate processed foods from my diet, I want to master a few soups that are easy, cheap and taste really really good.

Please share your current soup fascination.

This is the tomato soup recipe I'm currently dinking with.

14 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes in tomato sauce
32 oz chicken broth (I like Kitchen Basics No Salt Added if I don't have any homemade.)
1/2 an onion
1-2 clove garlic
1/2 red pepper (may try green next time)
1 small red potato
Slug of extra virgin olive oil
Basil

Heat EVOO over med low heat in large sauce pan. Dice veggies fine. Saute veggies till soft. Add tomatoes and broth. Add spices. Simmer for a long time. Just before serving, blend with an immersion blender.

I've been thinking about eliminating the peppers and instead using a mirepoix. I'll keep the potato though because I think it thickens the soup nicely.

[Okaybear]

My favorite soup is super duper easy. Butternut squash and leek soup.

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1 in. cubes
1 medium white onion, diced
3 leeks, sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups veg. or chicken broth
salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste (I personally like cayenne or hot sauce)

Boil the squash until soft, drain, and set aside. Saute the white onion and leeks in a little bit of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Combine squash and onion mixture and add the broth. (If necessary to cover veggies, add additional water.) Heat through and blend in blender, or use immersion blender. Season to taste.

You can add a 1/2 cup of cream or milk for a richer soup, or leave it alone and be super healthy. Best with a big slice of crusty bread.

[Eileen7316]

My current favorite is a spin on Hoppin' John (a southern favorite). I don't usually follow a recipe to make soup, so here's my best approximation:

1 tb oil
onion, chopped
celery, chopped
green and/or red bell pepper, chopped
garlic, minced
Cajun seasoning
thyme
hot sauce
leftover pulled pork or chicken
can of petite diced tomatoes
chicken broth (or stock is even better)
frozen collard greens, just a handful or so
can of purple hull or black-eyed peas, drained
small amount of rice, uncooked (maybe 1/4 - 1/3 cup)
diced pickled jalapenos, with some of the juice, to taste (I use about 1-2 tablespoons)


Saute vegetables in oil; when they are soft, add spices and cook for 30-60 seconds or so. Add remaining ingredients, except the jalapenos. Cook for 30 minutes or so. If you have longer, it will be better, but then I wouldn't add rice until close to the end. Add jalapenos at the end of cooking. Oh, also! If your meat doesn't have any barbecue sauce on it, add a tablespoon or 2 to the soup. Trust me, it's delicious!

[Marsie]

Here's my current favorite:

Saute chopped leeks in evoo about 5 minutes until tender, add 8 seeded chopped tomatoes, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp of thyme and simmer 5 mins. Add 4 cups vegetable broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Puree until smooth. Add 1 tsp basil, salt, pepper. The recipe calls for 12 oz evaporated milk, but I just put in a splash of skim.

Next time, I'll use canned tomatoes, chicken instead of vegetable broth.

Blithe's idea of the potato sounds good. This soup is a bit thin.

[Too solid flesh]

My favorite soup is super duper easy. Butternut squash and leek soup.

I had all the ingredients to make this in the house, and made it yesterday. Very good it was, too. Thank you for the recipe.

[Okaybear]

Too solid, that's great! Glad to hear that it was helpful!

[Bobcat]

I love soup at this time of year too, and it's very filling!
Yesterday at the supermarket they had loads of veg seriously reduced in price because it was just before it's "best before" date. So I bought loads, and figured I could make soups before they go off, and freeze them. I usually make the recipes up as I go along but here are a few or my faves:

Leek and potato
Few leeks
Medium potato
Very small onion
Chicken or veg stock ( about 2/3 cups)

Sauté onion, add chopped leeks and peeled/chopped potato. Stir for 5 mins, add stock (enough to almost cover the veggies) put lid on pan and simmer for about 20 mins until potato is soft. Whizz up until smooth, add a little more water/stock if desired to thin. Season to taste!

Broccoli soup:
Onion, small
Garlic
Broccoli
Small potato

Directions as above! When finished, add a little Stilton to serve..mmm!

[NoelFigart]

We had a turkey yesterday. Why yes, I'm having Turkey Carcass Soup!

[Marsie]

OK Tomato Soup fans, let's crank it up! Make your favorite version, then: saute a chopped medium onion, minced garlic, and some parsley in butter and a splash of Worcestershire til softened, then add a drained/rinsed can of minced clams. Simmer for a spell, then add to your homemade tomato soup with salt & pepper, plus a dash of Tabasco to taste. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and serve. This may seem ho-hum to you real cooks, but for me, the Ultimate UnChef, this was quite the creation!

[Okaybear]

Marsie, you're from New England, and your soup recipe involving clams is not New England clam chowder???

...I'm disappointed in you.

I grew up in Mass, so I can't fathom clams in soup that are not clam chowder. However, I'm sure your recipe rocks, and is far healthier than chowder.

[Blithe Morning]

Marsie's recipe looks similar to a Manhattan clam chowder. Technically, you need pork, either bacon or salt pork, to make it a true Manhattan clam chowder but otherwise, it looks pretty close.

I like the Worcestershire idea. I think I will try that today along with some finely diced portabello mushrooms. Both tomatoes and mushrooms, particularly portabellos, have an umami taste to them. I expect the mushrooms will give the soup an extra savoriness which will be nice for winter.

[snapdragon]

I like bean soups myself.
One I am thinking of making tomorrow is....
Half a pound of navy beans rinsed picked through and soaked. Glub some olive oil in a pot and soften some chopped onions, celery, and a carrot,add the beans.
Cover with chicken broth add bay leaves, thyme a russet potato chopped and peeled, and lots of garlic. Let it simmer covered and stir and add liquid as needed. Sometimes I add red pepper flakes too. if I have some bacon I might brown that and use the drippings instead of the oil, or use diced ham.

I really want to try that tomato soup though. I love tomato soup!

[Blithe Morning]

Tonight I'm making vegetable stock to make round two of the tomato soup. I'm using a variation of Mark Bittman's recipe: http://markbittman.com/very-flavorful-v ... -in-1-hour

I didn't have white mushrooms and wanted to save the portabellos for the tomato soup. I also did not have soy sauce so I tried a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. I also did not have (I know, this isn't really that recipe anymore, is it) parsley so I'm using bay leaves.

I am counting on stock being forgiving.

Incidentally, the Worcestershire sauce rocked the tomato soup I had today. I use Lea & Perrins reduced sodium brand in the brown wrapper.

Snapdragon, that sounds like a lovely bean soup.

[wosnes]

I'm always fascinated with soup -- even in summer! My current favorite is Lidia Bastianich's Rice and Potato Soup. It's so simple and tasty. If the full amount of rice is used, it's thick and stew-like. I usually cut the amount of rice in half. Also, sometimes I substitute lentils for half of the rice. I've also browned Italian sausage in the pot before cooking the potatoes and other vegetables. I remove the sausage, then return it to the pot when I add the rice.

[snapdragon]

Ooooohhhhh rice and potato soup DOES sound good. Will have to make that soon. I need to finish mt navy bean soup and then planning on tomato, so when that's done rice and potato it is!!!!

[wosnes]

This recipe comes from A Year in the Village of Eternity: The Lifestyle of Longevity in Campodimele, Italy. It is meant to be the first course of a meal as is Lidia's recipe. I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's on my list of "recipes to try."

"The notion of putting pasta and potatoes together may seem strange at first, but this hearty soup is a classic example of cucina povera. Both he and pasta are relatively cheap and rich in energy-giving carbohydrates, making this an ideal dish for those who work the land. It's even more delicious if you include the chicken joints to create a brodo. If you do, remove the chicken before eating the soup and serve it as the secondo.

POTATO AND PASTA SOUP

1 pound potatoes
2-3 splashes extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced fine
1 stalk celery (with leaves) diced fine
4 skinless chicken thighs (optional)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Crushed dried red pepper flakes
1 cup tomato sauce
Fine sea salt
3/4 pound small pasta shapes or spaghetti broken into 1" pieces
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano, to serve

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2" dice.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, and gently fry the potatoes, onion and celery together for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the chicken thighs, if using, and cook for a minute or two until they are browned on all sides.

Add the garlic, parsley and dried chili (if using) and cook for one minute more, stirring frequently and ensuring the garlic does not burn.

Add the tomato sauce to the pan along with a couple of good pinches of salt, cover the pan with a lid, and cook gently for around fifteen minutes, stirring frequently.

Next, add around 1 litre (1 3/4 pints or 3 1/2 cups) of cold water to the pan. Return to the boil, and when the water is bubbling, add the pasta and cook for a further eight to ten minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.

Remove the chicken pieces to a warm plate to eat after the soup.

Serve the soup immediately, sprinkled with grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano if desired or an extra splash of olive oil and crushed chili.

Serves 4."

[Miyabi]

Soups that include beans, vegetables and a little meat are my favorites. They get you from lunch to dinner better than anything. I freeze batches of soup so I leave out any pasta or rice, as these get mushy - I just have bread or crackers with the soup instead.

Italian sausage, white bean and vegetable -
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/italian-sa ... etail.aspx

Chicken tortilla - add black beans, and who makes the tortilla chips? Crumble in a few from a bag instead-

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooke ... etail.aspx

Another southwestern flavor soup:
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2005/12/ka ... antro.html

[Too solid flesh]

My current favorite is Lidia Bastianich's Rice and Potato Soup.

Thanks, wosnes, I made this today (with your suggested lentil variation, plus some onions that needed using up), and we enjoyed it.

I've put a number of my favourite soup recipes in previous threads, but don't think I've mentioned the lovely Nigella's noodle soup for needy people:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/noodl ... dype_87338

This gets vegetables into fussy children (remove the star anise before serving), and is really quick and easy.

Let me know if the link doesn't work overseas.

[wosnes]

I linked to a bunch of soup recipes here. I also like Mark Bittman's cream soup formula: 3 cups stock, 2 cups vegetable (plus I add onion or garlic) and 1 cup milk or cream. Cook vegetables in stock until are cooked through and blend. Return to pot and add milk or cream, heat until hot, but not boiling. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Easy and delicious!

[overly beige]

cannelini (white kidney beans) garlic basil soup:

1 T olive oil
1 head of garlic*
4 15 oz. cans cannelini beans
water as needed
1 32 oz. canned plum tomatoes
basil
salt
fresh ground pepper

Thinly slice the head of garlic and saute in the olive oil. I add a couple of tablespoons of liquid from the canned beans part way through to keep the garlic from burning. Add the canned beans with liquid. Add 1 to 2 cups of water (this is approximate) and simmer the beans for about 15 minutes to soften. Drain and chop the canned tomatoes and add to the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash some of the beans to thicken the soup. Add chopped up basil to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. For those who are curious the tomatoes are not added earlier as the beans will not soften as much with tomatoes.

This is a very hearty soup and can be served with bread and salad for a meal.

*Yes, I do use a head of garlic. Of course you can use much less such as a couple of cloves if you don't want such a garlicky soup.

Also I highly recommend the Joy of Cooking. The newer (not sure if it has been updated since) edition which I have has a fantastic black bean soup recipe, wonderful minnestrone recipe and a great cannelini bean recipe (not the one above).

[Andie]

Great thread! I eat a lot of soup. Yesterday I made French Canadian Pea soup:

Boil a ham bone to make stock
Soak a pound of dried yellow peas overnight

Sautee in the bottom of a pot:
A little oil, diced onion, diced celery, thyme, pepper, grated carrots, diced garlic.

Add stock and peas, a couple of bay leaves, cook all day. Before serving add in some cooked ham (from the ham bone or left overs from the ham) Very filling and delicious!

[Over43]

I never make soup the same way twice. Personally I like clam chowder (New England). Potatoes, bacon (fried and crumbled), canned clams, chicken stock, carrots (diced). Then when that has all cooked long enough I add half and half. To thicken it I mash up the potatoes and carrots slightly.

A slice of sourdough is great with it.

[snapdragon]

Over 43 I like clam chowder myself. Brown the bacon cook onions in some of the drippings, add some thyme, clam juice chicken stock, cubes potatoes, canned clams and some half and half.....yum yum.

[wosnes]

Over 43 I like clam chowder myself. Brown the bacon cook onions in some of the drippings, add some thyme, clam juice chicken stock, cubes potatoes, canned clams and some half and half.....yum yum.

I like clam chowder, too. I also like Mark Bittman's Basic Corn Chowder, but only make it when corn is in season. I've never tried it with frozen or canned corn.

[Sweetness]

An old standby soup for me is Chicken vegetable soup with egg dumplings. I don't use a recipe, but here's how I make it, not fast but delicious.
Start with chicken pieces (or a turkey carcass) maybe 3 chicken thighs and 2 wings, a back if you have it. Cover with water and start boiling, add
2 celery stalks with leaves, 2 carrots, a med onion, all cut into 2-3 inch pieces, and 3 or 4 peeled garlic cloves, sea salt and pepper.
Simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain everything out, set aside.
Add 2 diced potatoes and some sliced mushrooms also zuchini, if you have it, to stock and simmer.
Remove chicken from bones, and chop cooked veggies into soup size pieces, slice garlic finely and add all back to stock and simmer.

Set another small pot of salted water on to boil for the dumplings.
Mix 6 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup milk, add about 1 1/2 cups flour till mixture is stiff (more flour if needed) Drop by teaspoons into the boiling water, the dumplings will fluff up as they absorb the water, after about 5 minutes, transfer them to the simmering soup, and add more till they've all cooked about 7-10 minutes. My mother taught me how to make this soup, her mother taught her. Very filling.

[oolala53]

In the freezer, I keep the bones from the chicken and turkey (roasted) that I cook or buy cooked until I have a fair amount. Actually, I do it with other bones, too, but there are fewer of those. Then I put them in a crockpot, cover with water, add a teaspoon of salt, sometimes some garlic and/or onion powder, and two or three cracked dried lemons (in Iran, they were called "limoo amani"), which you can get at Middle Eastern groceries, and cook all day or night. The flavor is much like avgolemono (sp?) but it's a broth. I keep that around and add various solids to it at different meal times. It works with other animal bones, too, as the Iranians use it with lamb, their flesh of choice for meals.

[snapdragon]

I put together a tasty soup the other day let's see if I remember it....
1 coarsely chopped leek sautéed in a bit of olive oil
A generous pinch of red pepper flakes
A few chopped baby carrots
Half a red bell pepper
8 cups chic broth
A can of drained garbanzo beans
A head of garlic coarsely chopped
A few handfuls of old fashioned oats
A few leaves of collards chopped
Bay leaves.
I think I added a little tomato past I had in the freezer.

It was pretty good.

[sheepish]

My current favourite is carrot, sweet potato and coconut milk featuring:

some carrots
some sweet potatoes
a tin of coconut milk
vegetable stock
fresh ginger
a couple of green chillies
salt, pepper, paprika to season

It's really tasty!

[snapdragon]

Just made some Greek egg and lemon soup!!! Not feeling to well today so I put this together easy quick and filling (cheap too)

2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup rice
1 egg
1/2 - 1 lemon

Bring broth to a boil and add rice oral can be used too cook about 20 minutes until soft. Remove from heat for ten minutes. Lightly beat the egg and lemon together. Add about 1/2 cup broth very slowly while stirring. Then add the egg mixture slowly to the rest of the broth stirring the whole time. Put the heat back on and warm up but do not boil.

Very comforting.