Soup, wonderful Soup

Soup has to be one of the most perfect foods I know.  It makes you feel better when you're sick, it warms you when you're cold, feeds a bunch of people, freezes well for later use, and you can use up all the odds and ends in your refrigerator when you make it!

Your soup is only going to be as good as the ingredients that you use.  I'm not advocating using expensive ingredients, but instead, high quality ingredients.  I've become a huge fan of homemade chicken stock, where you add some cheap chicken parts, a bunch of vegetables, and some seasonings to a pot of water, and four hours later, you have 6 quarts of wonderful, thick, flavorful chicken stock.  Plus, my dogs love it when I make stock because I puree the chicken and veggies up for them to eat in their dog food.  In fact, I think I hear Beans telling me it's time to make some more.  For those of you that may be thinking that you can use the chicken for something else after making the stock, don't bother, it's given up all it's chickeny goodness to the stock, but the dogs do truly love it!   For those of you that want to give it a try, here is Ina Garten's chicken stock recipe, courtesy of the Food Network:

Homemade Chicken Stock

• 3 (5-pound) roasting chickens - instead I use a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters, 59 cents a pound at Walmart
• 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
• 4 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half, optional
• 20 sprigs fresh parsley
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
• 20 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Directions

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, and seasonings in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander and discard the solids. Chill the stock overnight. The next day, remove the surface fat. Use immediately or pack in containers and freeze for up to 3 months.

If the thought of making chicken stock doesn't excite you, there are lots of good quality stocks and broths out there, just make sure that the one that you choose is low sodium.

Here are some of my favorite soups:

Ribollita - also known as bread soup.  I make this at Halloween time every year, it gives everyone a nice warm tummy before they set out into the often chilly Michigan Halloween night.  This one comes from Ina Garten.

• 1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini - or you can use 3 cans of already cooked beans, just make sure you rinse them well.
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 pound large diced pancetta or smoked bacon
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
• 1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
• 4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded savoy cabbage, optional
• 4 cups coarsely chopped kale
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1-inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator. - If you're using canned beans, skip this step.

Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid.  If you're using canned beans, skip this step.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their puree, the cabbage, if using, the kale, and basil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.

Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 8 cups.  If you're using canned beans, just add 8 cups of chicken stock.   Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.

Carrot soup - From Melissa D'Arabian - quick and yummy!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream, divided

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and the onion and sweat until the mixture starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, orange zest and oregano and cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Raise the heat and deglaze the pan with white wine. Add the stock and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the mixture for about 5 minutes before processing.

Process the soup in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into serving bowls and swirl in a heaping teaspoon of sour cream before serving.

and here's the one I'm going to make today, mainly because I have some broccoli that's been in the vegetable drawer for a while, and needs to be used up!   I haven't tried it before, but all the ingredients sure sound good.  

Mushroom, Leek and Broccoli Soup

• 2 pkg mushrooms
• 2 sliced onions
• 1 leek - I don't have any of these, so more onions instead!
• 1 pkg broccoli
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 low fat chicken stock
• brown miso paste
• white wine
• water
• 3-4 Tbsp of lemon juice

You’ll need to:

• Sauté mushrooms and onions.
• Slice thinly your leek and separate the crowns of broccoli and put in a large saucepan.
• Cover leeks, broccoli, mushrooms and onions with chicken stock, water and some wine. Add some lemon juice to taste.
• Disolve 1 TBSP of miso paste in 2 cups of water and add to your soup.
• Mince garlic and sauté for 30 sec and add to your soup.
• Add any spices you have on hand, I put in some pepper, salt and crushed chili flakes for a nice kick
• And don’t forget to purée the soup. I left some chunks in it, but made sure all the broccoli was mushed

and this really easy soup, from Giada DeLaurentis.  It takes only minutes to prepare, and is very filling and tasty.  I make this with my kids on cold winter days, or whenever the craving hits!

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand)
• 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

These are only a few of my favorites, but I'm always looking for new ones to try.  So, if you have a favorite, and want to share it, leave me a comment!

thanks, and get in there and make some soup!