Bring unto me your soup!

Cafe Society
21

We love this soup:

Lentil Soup with Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
1 cup sliced carrots
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried rosemary
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and slivered
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup small pasta

  1. Warm oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
  2. Add onions and garlic, saute 3 minutes.
  3. Add broth, water, lentils, carrots,oregano, basil, rosemary and pepper. Bring to a boil
  4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are tender; stir often.
  6. Add pasta.
  7. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and more vinegar if liked.

I don’t bother draining the tomatoes, I just chop them up and chuck them in.

Or:

Potato Soup with Sausage:

2 TBSP butter or oil or a combination
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced thin
1 tsp dried Thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
½ pound Polish sausage (Keilbasa, Farmer sausage,whatever you like)
1 medium zucchini, sliced thin (optional)

-Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and apple and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
-Add shredded cabbage and cook and stir for about another 5 minutes.
-Stir in chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, Thyme, and salt and pepper.
-Cook over medium low heat, simmering, for about 20 minutes.
-Add sausage and zucchini (if using), cook another 5 minutes or so.

22

Posole.

There’s about a million recipes on the internet. The common thread is pork (usually shoulder), hominy, and chili peppers. Usually served with cilantro, lime wedges, and whatever else you want (avocado, radish, cabbage, etc.) on the side.

This soup is hell of delicious. The local taqueria makes some that I love. The hominy makes it very filling. I’m a big guy and a medium bowl is more than a meal.

I’ve cooked it myself as well - buy some dried ancho chiles, boil them for maybe 10 minutes, throw the water + peppers into a food processor, blend and add to a stock pot that has been boiling chopped pork shoulder + whatever spices. Then hominy. Simmer until the hominy is soft. Spicy, complex, filling, delicious.

Squeeze some lime juice into your full bowl of soup, garnish with chopped cilantro. Delectable.

23

Were I swine, I’d swoon.

24

Oooh, so many good recipes. It’s snowing right now, and it’s supposed to be very cold this weekend - I might have to spend the weekend cooking soup in my crockpot! (I even have a fresh pork roast in the fridge - I’ll have to see what I come up with.)

25

Addendum: My recipes are kind of skeletal, the basic quantities and the ingredients are meant to be tickled.

On that note, wiggle the quantities a little bit on the bacon, tomato paste, and paprika, generally add a bit more-- add chicken and egg noodles instead of Hungarian sausages and cabbage and this easily becomes Chicken Paprikas Soup.

26

Two favorites.
One: Harvest Stew (definitely Crock Pot-able)
2lbs boneless beef or venison
3C each apple cider (cloudy version best) and beef stock
1/4C red wine vinegar
1 Bay leaf
6 strips bacon
2 large crispy apples
4 medium potatoes, cubed
4 stalks of celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 large carrots, sliced
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/4C apple cider

In a large dutch oven, brown bacon and set aside. Brown beef/venison in bacon. Put meat in Crock Pot. Salt and Pepper as desired. Add beef stock and cider, vinegar and Bay leaf. Cook on low for about two hours. Add potatoes, celery, carrots and onion. Cook another four hours, adding liquid as needed (make sure added liquid is equal parts beef stock and apple cider).

After meat is almost falling-apart tender, and veggies are tender, mix corn starch with apple cider. Stir into stew until desired thickness is achieved. Remove bay leaf. Finally, crumble bacon and sprinkle on top.
I serve this with some nice crusty Italian bread with plenty of butter.

Second is Cream of Peanut Soup (may sound nasty, but if you like peanut butter, peanut satay, etc. I’ll almost guarantee you’ll like this; it’s featured on the menu at The King’s Arms Inn in Colonial Williamsburg, VA)

2C chicken stock
2 ribs celery, finely sliced
1 small onion, finely diced
2Tbsp butter
3/4C smooth peanut butter
1C light cream
Salt and pepper
Finely diced peanuts for garnish
Toast strips for dipping

Melt butter in a heavy sauce pan. Sautee celery and onion in butter until soft. Add chicken stock, sautee until it comes to a boil.

Drain into a pan, in a sieve. Press onion and celery to get maximum flavor.
Put onion/celery flavored stock into a heavy pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add peanut butter, whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper and light cream. Whisk until smooth and hot through. Put in bowls and add chopped peanuts as garnish.

Serve with buttered toast strips for dipping.

This is like a heart attack in a bowl. But it is delicious and satisfying and somewhat exotic.

27

I kinda skimmed, but didn’t see Split Pea up there, so here’s my homemade and easy recipe (makes about a gallon - I eat it for a week for lunches)

1.5 lbs ham, cubed
1 lb package split green peas
2 lbs red potatoes, cubed w/skins on
1 lb package frozen crinkle-sliced carrots
1 tsp chicken seasoning (powdered rosemary,thyme and whatnot, just herbs)
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cracked tri-color peppercorns
1/3 cup barley
8 cups water

Cube up the ham and potatoes. Fry them in the bottom of a 5-qt pot just until some of it’s browned for extra flavor. Add everything else. Follow cooking directions on the package of peas. Should take about 45-minutes to an hour. When the peas “dissolve” and you can stir the whole mess up into a smooth stewy soup, it’s done.

I have to let it cool for about 6 hours before putting it in the fridge, but I’m lazy and just chuck the whole pot in there and scoop out my lunch each morning. Will freeze up just fine if you want to put it all neat in separate containers and stuff.

Hearty and filling. Croutons on top make a nice crunch.

I think it comes up to about $1 a lunch.

28

Agreed, though I’d never put soy sauce in a Thai soup. And keep in mind that lemongrass does not import the sourness to Thai food. (It’s just a subtle flavoring.) It’s lime juice (not simply zest) that imparts the flavor. Look over these recipes. And galanga (kha) is essential.

29

I think every recipe has sounded wonderful. But this looks SPECTACULAR.

30

Some years ago, a niece of mine who doesn’t know me particularly well drew my name in the family gift exchange. She gave me a good-quality stock pot and a cook book of soups and stews. I have no idea where that book has gone, but I remember how to make the stew, and it’s a family favorite! I’ve never actually managed to make it with venison, but would love to try it!

31

Thanks guys, lots of good ideas. I’m off to hit the store for goodies.

The harvest Stew looks amazing, that is defiantely first. As well as the peanut-butter soup looks good.
The sinigang sounds really good, but I may to to search for some of the stuff. I don’t want to subsitutute until it’s is nothing like it.

The Lentil and Tomato soup is on deck for next batch. I love Tomato soup in Winter, and I have been meaning to try to do stuff with lentils.

32

Did you confuse your two submissions? The last note seems like it should apply to the first. Please unconfuse me. :slight_smile:

33

p.s. I copied a lot of these into Notepad for printing - if I get any made I’ll report back.

34

You can also make a pretty good baked potato soup without having to first bake the potatoes (at least, I do). Here’s how:

[ol]
[li]Start with the taters. Take as many as you like, clean 'em, chop 'em up small, and toss them in water (as if you were making mashed potatoes) just to cover. I don’t peel mine, but you can if you prefer. I think I use four or so.[/li][li]Boil for a good bit until they’re soft. Don’t worry about boiling too long; softer is better.[/li][li]If you feel the need to, drain some of the water off. Don’t drain it all though! That there’s good water with a lot of potato-ey flavor, and you don’t want to lose it. I don’t think I drain mine at all.[/li][li]When they’re nice and squishy, add milk (or cream) to the pot. Type doesn’t matter - I’ve made it equally well with 2% and whole; let your calorie tolerance be your guide. Maybe a two cups or so?[/li][li]Make a slurry with roughly equal parts milk (or cream) and flour (put it in a cup and shake/stir) to thicken. You don’t need much, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a cup’s worth. If you don’t like the flour, you could also use cornstarch. I’ve not ever noticed a floury taste in the finished soup, but others might.[/li][li]Pull out your masher and mash up the potatoes into the soup to whatever consistency you’d like - I tend to leave mine slightly lumpy (because I like lumps of potatoes). They’ll also tend to fall apart, and help with the thickening.[/li][li]Add a crapload of shredded cheese. I go nuts here - probably two-ish cups.[/li][li]Add salt and fresh ground pepper (of course!) to taste.[/li][li]Simmer it for a little while longer, and when it’s as thick as you’d like (the cheese helps with thickening), ladle it into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, and more cheese. Toss the remaining garnishes (or add more) into the soup for leftovers.[/li][/ol]

Sorry about the lack of quantities - for this one, I go pretty much by feel. Taste as you go along to determine when you’re getting close, but it’s easy to fix or change the next time. It scales up and down easily, too - I use my dutch oven pot (about 6 qts, I think) for a big batch, but you can pretty easily make a smaller batch. Just use fewer potatoes.

35

We sorta have snow today YEAH!.. anyways good day for the crockpot and I have almost everything to make this (have to make a quick trip to the store, accidently got juice instead of cider :stuck_out_tongue: ) Couple of questions about this recipe though as I am trying to time Harvest Stew and Pioneer Woman’s Chex Mix while I juggle working on my novel and finishing Bleak House miniseries… :slight_smile:

Does the apple go in with the potatoes? Peeled and cubed? Does this stew suffer or do better if it cooks longer than the additional 4 hours?

Thanks if you are around to give me the extra info- I am not the most intuitive cook out there, need the blow by blow :).

36

One of our favorites is gumbo.

3-4 chicken thighs
3- andouille sausages, halved and cut into slices
1 diced onion
1 rib celery, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP oil
flour
chicken broth
salt & pepper
Slat and pepper chicken thighs and brown then in pan with oil. Don’t worry about cooking them all the way through, just cook them until the no longer stick to the bottom of the pan, and flip em over. Remove from pan. Toss the sausage in there to release some of the oil in there. Remove from pan. Add flour, roughly the same amount as oil in the pan. You should be able to scrape a wooden spoon through it and leave a trail of “clean” in the pan for a few seconds…it shouldn’t be as thick as peanut butter though. Keep an eye on it here…you are toasting this mixture and making a roux. It needs to get to at least the color of paenut butter, but darker is better. If you have the patience, try for something the color of chocolate. Add onions and celery. add 2 to 4 cups chicken broth (and a tiny splash of dry vermouth or white wine if desired), scraping up the bottom of the pan. (If you want to use crock pot, transfer it now) Add garlic, sausage. Remove skin and fat from chicken thighs before adding the thighs to the mix. (There should be enough to completely cover the thighs) Simmer for at least 40 minutes. Dump in a half a bag of frozen okra. Remove chicken thighs, and using two forks, remove the meat from the bones and comb through the meat to shred it up some before adding it back to the dish.

Taste for salt.

Serve over white rice with a sprinkle of file (sassafrass). Traditionally you are supposed to add diced bell peppers, but I have left it out. One time I made it and forgot that ingredient, my family did not miss it at all. I also cheat a little and add 1/2 cup rice to the pot halfway in the simmering phase. It absorbs any excess liquid and makes everything more stew like than soup like. I don't serve this over rice, just in a bowl with the file on top.

37

Man, that soup is the shit. I’m interested!

38

For a quick and pretty decent soup I’ve done this:

Slice brats into “coins”, saute with diced onion and pepper (the lazy cook - like me - can by these pre-diced in many grocery stores). Dump in a few cans of beans. Simmer until hot.

Variations can add stewed tomatoes, corn, etc.

39

My version of chicken and dumplings. I’m not claiming its the best or anything, but it’s how I do it, and we greatly enjoy the results. REALLY easy, even the dumplings.

Chicken thighs, 2-5, cubed
Garlic, chopped - to taste (I usually put 3-4 cloves)
Onion, 1-2, diced
Carrots, 2-3, diced
Celery, 2-3 sticks, diced
Herbs, whatever seems good - I’ve used parsley, thyme, rosemary, summer savoury, dill, and combinations of these. Oh, and a bay leaf. S&P.
Chicken stock, a carton

Sautee the chicken and veg in olive oil or butter until the chicken is golden and the veggies are starting to be soft. Cover with stock - I often find one carton isn’t enough, so if I don’t have two, I dilute it with water. Simmer for 15-20min.

For the dumplings, mix 2 cups of flour, 3 tsp of baking powder, 4 Tbsp of butter, S&P, whatever herbs you still have lying around, maybe a handful of cheese, some garlic, lemon zest - whatever flavourings you’d like. Rub the butter into the flour, then slowly mix in up to 1 cup of milk - you’re looking for a nice soft dough. Leave it to rest for 5 min, then roll up golfball-sized, erm, balls, and plop them into the soup. Make sure you allow room for the dumplings to expand - if you overfill the pot, you get unrisen chewy dough lumps. Simmer for another 20 min, or until a skewer comes clean out of a dumpling.

Yum! Even better as leftovers the next day, even the dumplings. The dumpling recipe above can also be used to make what I would call scones, and what you (generic you) might call biscuits?

Oh, and I made a semi-successful variant last night (see above note about dumpling overload ;)) with chopped up leftover roast beef replacing the chicken, beef stock, potatoes and a splash of brandy. Good soup - bad dumplings… :slight_smile:

40

While we’re on peanut soups, here’s a favorite from the Daily Soup cookbook:

Senegalese Peanut Soup

1 lb dry roasted, salted peanuts (I usually use oil-roasted)
2 Tbs peanut oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and diced
6 cups mineral or filtered water
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp minced fresh garlic

Chop 1/2 cup of the peanuts into small pieces and set aside to use as garnish. Puree the remaining peanuts in a blender or food processor until a thick paste forms; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and leeks and sweat for 4 minutes, until tender.

Add the sugar, curry, cumin, cayenne, and salt and stir to coat the vegetables.
Add the tomatoes, water, and peanut paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
Stir in the scallions, heavy cream, and garlic and simmer for 2 minutes to heat through.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with reserved chopped peanuts.

And here’s the one I’m making tonight, from the Silver Palate cookbook:

White Bean and Sausage Soup with Peppers

4 tbsp. sweet butter
2 c. finely chopped yellow onions
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 parsley sprigs
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
4 c. chicken stock
1 1/4 c. dried white beans, soaked overnight
1 sweet red and 1 green pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. kielbasa (you can change up the flavor by using a different sausage, but I always use kielbasa)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a pot. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook, covered, over low heat until vegetables are tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes.

Add parsley thyme and bay leaf and pour in the stock. Drain the beans and stir them into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until beans are very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Pour the soup through a strainer, reserving the stock (I just use a hand blender right in the pot); discard the bay leaf, and transfer the solids to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, or use a food mill fitted with a medium disc. Add 1 cup of the cooking stock if using the processor and process until smooth.

Return Pureed soup to the pot and stir in additional cooking liquid 2 to 3 cups, until the soup is of the desired consistency.

Cut away stems and ribs of the peppers and dice them. Heat olive oil in a small skillet, add peppers and saute over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but still crunchy, about 15 minutes. Transfer peppers to the soup with a slotted spoon.

Skin the kielbasa if necessary, dice it, and add it to the soup. Set over medium heat and cook, partially covered, until heated through, about 15 minutes. Season to taste. Serve immediately.