Bring out yer soup recipes!

Cafe Society
1

My group at work does this lunch get-together on alternate Fridays, where one person brings soup, one brings bread and one brings salad. Next Friday, it’s my turn to bring soup. The problem is, I have never made soup in my life that didn’t come out of a can (or a packet). We’re all budding gourmets in this group, and so far the soups have been fabulous. I don’t want to be the lame-soup bringer.

So. Have you got any soup recipes? Especially recipes that work well in a crock pot? And that don’t involve mushrooms?

If you could give me some ideas, I’ll be eternally grateful (or at least grateful for the next few weeks). I know I can count on you, Dopers.

2

Turtle Soup

1-1/2lbs turtle meat
2qts beef stock
2tsp Tabasco
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
2 ribs celery, chopped coarsely
1/4 can tomato puree

Put above ingredients into a 4uart stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, and cook for 1 hour. Remove meat and de-bone, cut meat in half inch pieces and return to pot.

Then add:
2 bay leaves
2tsp mace
1-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3cup sherry

Let cook for another hour.

Then add:

2 hard cooked egg whites chopped
1/2 cup parsley

Serve and enjoy!

3

Green Chile Stew - very simple

2 lbs. beef roast, in 1/2 in cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlics, chopped
2 32-oz cans of beef, vegetable or chicken broth
3 large potatoes, in 1/2 in cubes
2 4-oz cans of whole green chiles (and juice)-mild heat
2 4-oz cans of diced green chiles (and juice)-medium or hot heat
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy (big) soup pot, brown the meat. Add the onion and garlic and stir until onions are clear. Pour in broth and add potatoes. Turn down heat and stir occasionally until the potatoes are fork tender. Add chiles and let simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with warm flour tortillas. Quite yummy!

4

Oh man. Green Chile Stew sounds darn good. Turtle meat is a little too exotic for me, though… I know, I am such a wimp.

5

Oh and just a note:

It will turn out to be a clear soup with lots of tasty parts to it. (The first time MrVena fixed it for me I was a little disappointed when I looked in the pot. This is SOUP - STEW is thick!)

But oh, boy! Dang Tasty Stew!

6

Well, I’ve never made it in a crockpot, although I’m sure you can do so. Here’s a classic:

Split Pea with Smoked Pork Shank

1 large box of Swanson’s chicken stock
1 smoked pork shank, not ham hock
1 pound of green split peas
1 bay leaf
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribbs, chopped

Put the shank and the chicken broth in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour. Add the split peas and enough water to cover the peas by 1 inch, if needed, and the bay leaf. Simmer for another 1/2 hour, then add the vegetables and simmer until the vegies and the pork shank are tender. Check back periodically and add water occasionally to ensure that there’s enough liquid to keep the pease covered by 1 inch. At the end of the cooking time, the peas should have fallen apart. Fish out the shank and remove the meat from the bones and return the meat to the pot. Add salt and pepper, if needed, and serve it up with crusty garlic bread.

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Kale and Sausage Soup (I don’t have exact measurements of things because I’ve sort of combined a couple different recipes to make my own, and I vary it as the mood strikes)

1 bunch of kale, trimmed and torn into largish pieces
About 1 lb of sausage (I’ve used andouille, plain turkey, chicken sausage with pine nuts, and smoked sausage; anything you want can go in); sliced into 1/4 in pieces
3-4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped
Garlic cloves (2-3), chopped
Chicken broth (at least a box, but I always keep more on hand just in case)

In a dutch oven or stockpot, saute onions and garlic in olive oil with sausage until the sausage is browned. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, but maintain consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Just before serving add the kale, simmering until tender. Serve with some crusty bread.

Cannelini beans are good in this soup too, and if you want some more depth you can add crushed tomatoes with juice in whatever ratio you like. You can also mash some of the potatoes to make a heartier broth. Sorry I can’t be more specific in amounts, but I usually go with what I feel like and play around with the recipe. I’ve found it’s fun to build on and it’s great for experimenting with different kinds of sausage.

8

This is a two-part, two-day recipe, unless you buy premade stock (please don’t). I usually make stock on a weekend, you will see why.

Chicken stock- soup base

In a large stockpot half full of water, add 2 bunches of celery cut up, 2 large onions quartered, 1 bunch of carrots cut up, 1 bunch of parsley and one roasted or poached chicken (you can pick some or most of the meat off if you want- more meat = more flavor). Fill to the top with water if necessary.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 6-12 hours. Strain through a cloth into another pot (throw out the soggy chicken & veggies), cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, scrape off the fat with a large spoon. Divide the stock into ziplock baggies (I use 2 cups per baggie) and freeze until needed.

Chicken soup- with or without noodles

Take 2-4 cups of chicken stock and 1-2 cups water and bring to a boil.

Add diced cooked chicken, celery, onion and carrot (or whatever veggies you like). You can also cook noodles, spaghetti or orzo in another pot until almost al dente, then add to the soup as well.

That’s it! Season and serve!

That’s the beauty of making your own stock. Right now, I have a bunch in my freezer, and on a moment’s notice I can defrost some and add poached chicken and veggies and viola! Homemade soup!

This is also great for people who want to strictly monitor what they eat- you control the fat, salt, etc. I will never like soup from a can again- waaaay too salty.

You can use the same stock recipe for other types of soup by substituting turkey, beef or veal for the chicken, or simply make a vegetable stock. Stock is also an excellent base for gravy. Roasting the meat before you put it into the stock pots helps give your stock a lovely color, but don’t expect something really dark. Your stock will probably be rather clear.

Damn I’m hungry now… :smiley:

9

Oh, and my favorite soup of all time- Italian Wedding Soup!

Except that in my husband’s family, the recipe isn’t written down! But it’s chicken stock base, with spinach, meatballs and egg (swirled like in egg drop soup). Throw on some parmiggiano reggiano and you’re all set!

10

I thought turtle soup was considered “illegal” due to endangerment of the species…
Whatever:

A really, really good, and easy soup is a Turkey Tortellini soup from, of all places, the Butterball website:
http://www.butterball.com/DisplayRecipe?r=122

However, I have a plan.
There is a good soup called the Ming Dynasty that looks and tastes like you spent days making it.
No gourmet will ever figure out how you made it.

Ready?

One large can of Progresso Split Pea soup.
One large can of Progresso Tomato soup.
Mix together and heat.
Add curry powder.
Done.

Trust me - fast, easy, great flavor, smells good and it has a gold/red hue that looks great.

11

I’ve developed a LOT of soup recipes lately: kind of on a kick.

If any of these sound good, I’ll post the recipes:
[ul][]Carrot-Crab Bisque with Fennel Crisps[]Duck-Apple Broth with Sage Dumplings[]Salmon-Sake Broth with Forbidden Rice Balls[]Halibut Broth with Roasted White Vegetables[/ul]. . . and a few more I’m working on.

12

Mexican Chicken Soup

At least 9 oz of COOKED chicken meat, or more if desired
8 Cups chicken broth
1 Cup drained, rinsed black beans
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa - whatever strength desired, mild, medium, or hot
1 cup uncooked INSTANT rice
appx 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons fresh (if possible) lime juice
Crushed tortilla chips

Combine broth and salsa
bring to a boil
add UNCOOKED INSTANT rice, BEANS, CHICKEN
bring back to a boil
cover, reduce heat to low or simmer
simmer for 8 minutes, or until rice is tender (I always do exactly 8 mins)
Remove from heat
Add lime juice and cilantro
stir
let sit for a few minutes
Top off each bowl with crushed tortilla chips

This recipe is pretty healthful, and will serve at least 6 people, up to about 8.

It is BETTER if it sits overnight and is reheated, but my wife disagrees.

It sometimes needs salt, but it should be left to the individual to add, not the cook.

This is one of my very favorite recipes…

hrh

13

Geez Louise. I guess my problem now becomes which one to make! I am intrigued by each and every one, so maybe I’ll just sign up to bring soup a few more weeks. :slight_smile: Thank you so much for the recommendations. They’re awesome. I’ll be sure to let you know what I make, and the reactions it gets!

14

Oh yeah, and lissener, both Carrot-Crab Bisque with Fennel Crisps and Duck-Apple Broth with Sage Dumplings sound amazing. I’d love to see your recipes for both, if you don’t mind.

15

Hamburger Soup
In a large pot:
Brown 2lbs extra lean ground beef w/ one medium chopped onion.
Add:
1 package frozen peas
1package frozen white shoe-peg corn
1 small head of green cabbage, chopped.
Add one large can of tomato juice or V8-type vegetable juice cocktail.
Season to taste with garlic powder, ground black, pepper, bay leaf.
Simmer until vegetables are tender.

Variations: You can make this already very substantial soup even more filling by adding cooked rice or barley to the mixture.

16

Cream of Asparagus Soup

First course

Preparation time: 45 Minutes
Serves: 4-6 People

Ingredients:

2-3 Lbs Asparagus
1-2 Qts Chicken stock
1-2 Cups Heavy cream
2 Tbs Butter
2-4 Oz Pancetta or regular bacon
¼ Cup Flour
¼ Tsp Ground white pepper
Salt to taste
Preparation:

Reduce the volume of chicken stock by half. Homemade or canned stock is best. Do not use bullion cubes. Melt the butter over low heat in a deep sauce pan and stir in the flour. Make a roux by lightly browning the butter and flour mixture over low heat to form a thin paste. Allow the roux to cool and rest for fifteen minutes before using.

Start boiling one or two cups of unsalted water in a separate large cook pot. As the water heats, rinse off and pick over the asparagus spears. Remove any wilted, withered or mushy ones. Cut the dense fibrous white length from the bottom end of the spears. Pencil thin asparagus is best. If only larger spears are available, peel them starting two inches below the tip. Remove the woody part of the spear before peeling. This is done by holding each end of the spear and bending it until it snaps. The spear will naturally break at the point where good eating begins.

Once all of the spears have been prepared, remove the top two inches of the tip. Reserve these for later use. Cook off the lower portion of the spears in the cup or two of boiling water until tender. Save this water for cooking off the tips later. Puree the cooked lower portion of the asparagus in a food processor or using a hand blender. Force this mass through a chinoise or strain it with a large mesh sieve using the edge of a spoon to rub it through. Reserve the leftover pulp for later use. If the puree is difficult to force through the sieve, first mix it with some of the reduced chicken stock to facilitate its passage.

Begin frying the pancetta or bacon until crisp but not too brown. Cook off the asparagus tips in the same water that was used before. Slowly mix a very small amount of the reduced chicken stock into the cooled roux in order to temper it. This will help to avoid any lumps. Continue adding half of the reduced stock very slowly until a thin gravy is made. Begin heating this mixture to a low boil in order to thicken it. Once the soup begins to thicken, adjust its texture by first adding the reserved asparagus cooking water. Work in the pureed and strained asparagus stalks next then add the cream. For a coarser country style soup, add some or all of the reserved pulp.

Five or ten minutes before service, season the soup with the ground white pepper and salt to taste. Add the remaining reduced stock if it does not thin out the soup too much. Pour each serving into a bowl, garnish by floating two crossed asparagus tips and top with the coarsely crumbled pancetta or bacon. Serve immediately.
Notes: The unsmoked Italian style pancetta bacon is preferred over regular smoked bacon. Get it sliced very thinly to make it crumble easily. The hickory flavor of most commercial bacons will interfere with the delicate taste of the soup. You will also have lots of asparagus tips left over for another course or meal.

I recently served this as a first course for pancetta wrapped game pheasants napped in Italian blood orange sauce. The diners agreed unanimously that this soup outshone all the other courses.

17

Taco Soup: aka the only dish my husband will eat for leftovers

1 pound hamburger (also good with chicken)
1 can chili beans
1 can corn (undrained)
1 can chooped tomatoes (undrained)
1 pkg Ranch dressing (not dip)
1 pkg taco seasoning

brown meat. add everything else. heat through. That’s it! yummy!!!

mmm…

18

Here’s one we like. I’ve modified it to be low fat, but it’s very yummy, none-the-less. If you want it richer, you can always substitute 2% or whole milk. And if you want it thicker without adding fat, make a paste with 1 tbsp. corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water and slowly stir it into the soup during cooking.

Cauliflower Soup

Total Time: 1 hr. | Preparation Time: 10 min. | Simmering Time: 20 min. | Cooling Time: 30 min.

Ingredients
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
3 cups milk, 1% lowfat
3 cups vegetable broth
1 large leek - thinly sliced
1 medium baking potato - peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks - thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Up to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

In a large heavy pot, combine cauliflower, milk, broth, leeks, potatoes, celery, salt, and nutmeg (everything but the lemon juice). Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until tender (approx. 20 minutes).

Uncover and cool until lukewarm (30 minutes).

Transfer soup mixture to a blender in batches and puree. Return to pot and warm through.

(If you have an immersion blender, you do not have to wait for the soup to cool down. Just puree in the pot and serve warm.)

For a bit of zing, stir in lemon juice, 1/2 tsp at a time, to taste.

Enjoy.

19

A very, very simple one:

Cauliflower Soup

3 T butter or olive oil (to your tastes, but don’t use oleo)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed from the stalk and roughly chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk (skim is okay, but it’ll be a bit thin)
1/8 t allspice
2 green onion, white and the first 2 inches of green, sliced fine
salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese (I like sharp Cheddar) for garnish

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven (or heat the olive oil) over medium heat and saute the onion until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the cauliflower and saute for 2 more minutes. Stir in the broth, then the milk, and bring to just barely boiling. (If you overheat it, the milk will do weird things, but don’t panic; it’ll all be okay when you pureee it later - just turn the heat down as soon as you notice.) Cover, lower heat to whatever the simmer temperature setting is on your stove, and let simmer about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Add the allspice and the green onion, season to taste, put the cover back on and simmer for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat. Puree in the pot with a hand-held blender or in small batches in a regular blender. Reheat gently, if necessary; serve and sprinkle each bowl with the grated cheese of your choice (and maybe a couple of slices of green onion, if you have any left over and you’re into that kind of thing).

Serves four as a first course or two, with bread, for a meal.
Obviously, this one isn’t a good crock-pot one. I also have a sort of semi-soul-food beef and okra soup that would probably adapt well for a crock-pot, but I know a lot of people recoil at okra. Let me know if you’re interested . . .

20

Now what are the odds of that?

JINX! :wink: