The Soup Topic (2005–2006)

[maggiethecat]

The lentil soup was an unqualified success. A good thing, too, because I have about a half gallon left over! (If you're in the neighborhood, give me a call!)

Actually, it was a qualified success in one little detail: I should have added more vinegar with the madiera. But it worked well enough a little sweeter, and it sure was pretty.

Thanks for all your ideas! I wish I had twenty heads of garlic right now--still feel punk.

[reesek]

i ended up making chili last night instead of lentil soup. i had a bunch of left over pulled pork and it was late so i went with a quick simmer of canned kidneys, some of the lovely pork jelly, guajillo and chipotle chili powders, a roasted pasilla and a can of diced tomatoes. (plus some sweated onion and garlic.) a resounding success. i brought some with me for lunch. is it 12 yet?

[baconburner]

Found a great Szechwan Carrot Soup on Epicurius.com the extra ingredients are

1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 1/2 tbs peanut butter

1 ts sugar

1ts sesame oil

3/4 in piece of ginger root

Sreve with sour cream as garnish

Baconburner

[ruthcooks]

Several soup tips you might find useful:

Nothing rounds out the flavor of soup like including a single finely diced turnip and/or several leeks.

When making a soup containing noodles, rice or pasta, I cook the starch separately and add to each serving individually. When packaging for the freezer, I freeze the soup in individual containers, leaving some room at the top. When the soup is frozen, I place a spoonful of the cooked starch on the top and place back in the freezer. I find that the pasta, etc. DOES get mushy when left in the soup, whether frozen or refrigerated.

The worst offender in freezing soups is cheese, especially cheddar or other "real" cheeses. They inevitably get too hot, separate and clump. Fake cheeses, such as Cheez Whiz and American cheese types behave quite nicely and in my restaurant days I found that the public prefers them overwhelmingly. A little goes a long way in flavoring soup.

I like thickened soups, whether pureed, creamed or thickened with roux. I've never had any problem with separating after freezing, even with flour roux. If available, Signature Secrets thickener will ensure no separating. Don't overheat frozen soups.

Freeze small leftover amounts of different cooked vegetables and puree together for soups like "Seven Green Vegetables Soup".

My "kick it up a notch" kit for improving lackluster soups: chicken stock base, white pepper, Lawry's seasoned salt and hot sauce. Sometimes a little sugar or coffee. Onions are a must for all savory soups. A bit of heavy cream smooths out the flavor of pureed soups, you don't need a lot.

[dawnie2u]

Found a great Szechwan Carrot Soup on Epicurius.com the extra ingredients are

1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tbs soy sauce

1 1/2 tbs peanut butter

1 ts sugar

1ts sesame oil

3/4 in piece of ginger root

Sreve with sour cream as garnish

Baconburner

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This is a great soup. I have made this using pumpkin too. I added a can of coconut milk to it and garnished it with fresh cilantro, no sour cream. I think I might have added a little curry powder also.

[vinelady]

I also add some lemon grass with the coconut milk and if possible galangal and limes leaves. Makes a great thai inspired soup. Drizzle a bit of hot chili paste on top and you are ready to go.

[tanabutler]

Soup, soup, beautiful soup!

Maggie, I've set a few of my favorite soup recipes into HTML and posted them (modifed and with suggestions) here:

Oyster Chowder (from The NY Times cookbook) (probably the easiest soup recipe I have)

Green Bean Soup with Basil Butter (from Tassajara cookbook) -- a family favorite.

Roasted Corn Soup with Smoked Chile Cream (Bobby Flay's Bold American Food)--make that in the summertime with fresh corn--God, it's fantastic!

Indian Tomato Soup with Coconut (from Molly Katzen's Still Life with Menu Cookbook)--another insanely flavorful and simple recipe.

And a couple of others (asparagus, and carrot-cashew).

Also, from the Greens cookbook, Tuscan White Bean Soup with Rosemary Croutons is wonderful in winter.

Edited January 5, 2005 by tanabutler (log)

[forever_young_ca]

I made Sam Kinsey's cauliflower soup minus the spinach bottom over the holidays. It was wonderful - creamy, soothing and very very cauliflowery. Just what you want in the cold winter.

This was my first attempt at the curry drizzle so it looks a bit odd, but next time I will have a more artistic touch.

[tanabutler]

I made Sam Kinsey's cauliflower soup minus the spinach bottom over the holidays. 

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Funny, your spinach must have gone to my house, because (inspired by this thread) I made a lentil soup that included wilted spinach in the bottom of the big wooden bowls.

Maggie, thanks for the inspiration.

Soup blogs for all!

[hazardnc]

I made Sam Kinsey's cauliflower soup minus the spinach bottom over the holidays. It was wonderful - creamy, soothing and very very cauliflowery. Just what you want in the cold winter.

This looks delicious! back when I waited tables, the sous chef made a daily soup for our comp meal. Lalo made the best cream of caulflower soup.

Can you tell me where to find the recipe for Sam Kinsey's soup?

[forever_young_ca]

Can you tell me where to find the recipe for Sam Kinsey's soup?

Here is the link:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=55282&st=120. Pictures at post #130, 149 and recipe at post #188.

My first batch of curry oil I burned because the oil was too hot. The second batch I infused the curry in slightly warmed oil.

[YKL]

I feel (and fear) that I am coming rather late to this thread, but have definitely enjoyed catching up!

I also love soup - and only yesterday had a very fine lunch from the final portion of Hot Butternut squash soup from my freezer. MMMMM - central heating from the inside!

Anyway, it looks like you already have plenty of recipes for the carrot and butternut squash soups - but if anyone's interested - here's a very quick summary of how I make these soups:

Carrot and Coriander (cilantro in US?) - from Covent Garden book

heat oil and butter in large saucepan, and fry a finely chopped onion with some ground cumin and coriander until soft and aromatic. Add 1lb of peeled and chopped carrots, enough stock to cover (probably about 1.5L from memory) ... and season. Bring to the boil and then cover and simmer until carrots are tender. (I also throw in the stalks from the fresh coriander I'm using). Let it cool slightly and then blend until smooth with stick blender. Stir in 4oz of grated carrots, fresjly chopped coriander, and a touch of cream (although I tend to leave this out - result is creamy and sweet enough for my taste without).

Hot Butternut Squash

Roast chunks of butternut squash until soft. In meantime, soften a chopped onion in butter / oil with spices such as cumin, coriander, chilli powder and ginger. Peel the squash, and then blend the flesh with the spicy onions, a tin of plum tomatoes and some stock. Season to taste, with some chill sauce if you like (e.g. tabasco or Jamaican hot sauce), serve garnished with some creme fraiche and freshly ground chilli flakes

Errm ... think that's it. They are very simple and easy to make, but very nice - honestly.

Am also very keen on curried parsnip soup (a la Jane Grigson) ... and wun tun soup ....

Yin

[hazardnc]

Thanks to whoever gave the link for Soupsong.com

Tonight I made the Tomato Bisque to go with leftover turkey sandwiches. We roasted another turkey on Sunday because we decided turkey once a year is not enough!

Initially, I followed the recipe as written. I decided the tomato flavor was not strong enough. I added a can of tomato sauce, and still not enough tomato flavor. After I added a can of tomato paste I was satisfied. This soup was good - and comforting, though I think I over pureed - would like more tomato bits in the soup.

Next time, I will try Bobbly Flay's Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Edited January 6, 2005 by hazardnc (log)

[Varmint]

Do stews count? If so, you could always try to recreate Dave the Cook's version of Brunswick Stew, more commonly referred to around these parts as VD Stew!!!

[Abra]

I made a lovely and different lentil soup last night, because after a long day of cooking for a client I didn't feel like going back to the grocery store. So, made from what was on hand, it was a soup of pancetta, onion, celery hearty and leaves, celery root, vermouth, chicken broth, and lentilles du Puy. It was one of the best lentil soups I've ever had, and totally amazed me by having no herbs or spices at all, other than salt and smoked black pepper. It's freezing here, so I am really looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch.

[Jaymes]

Maggie, I've set a few of my favorite soup recipes into HTML and posted them (modifed and with suggestions) here:

Tana....am eager to see your recipes, but can't get this link to work.

[JAZ]

I made goulash last night -- does that count?

[jgm]

I'm having Campbell's Chicken and Noodle tonight. Does that count?

We are smack in the middle of the area hit by the ice storm. The President Himself has declared our county a disaster area. Woohoo. We've had no power since Tuesday noon, the temperature on the interior of the house is 37 degrees, and the only reason I came to work today was to get warm. (I never imagined I'd think that peeing in a warm restroom was such a wonderful thing.) It's so cold we're not even worried about what's happening to the food in the freezer. The power company says the power will be back on "7 to 10 days maximum."

I can light the burners on the stove with a match; the oven is electronically controlled, so it's not available. We do have hot water, so I carry around a hot water bottle all the time. That, and a battery-operated lantern.

Is there a soup I can prepare in the dark (no chopping, in other words), top of stove only, that will keep me from going off the deep end????? If this continues for 7 to 10 more days, I'm not making any promises about my ability to conduct myself in an adult and civil fashion.

I'm feeling extremely sorry for myself. Looking forward to celebrating light and heat by making a big pot of potato & leek.

Everybody, enjoy a bowl of something, anything, for me.

[Jaymes]

Is there a soup I can prepare in the dark (no chopping, in other words), top of stove only, that will keep me from going off the deep end????? 

Oyster stew. And a chunk of good bread.

[hazardnc]

JGM - I can sympathize! Two winters ago, Charlotte was hit with a major ice storm and we were without power for five days! Luckily, we have a gas water heater, so I could take hot baths, but our stove and over were electric at the time - we have since remodeled and switched to a gas coooktop.

I became an expert at cooking on the camp stove, plus we have a gas grill and a gas cooker for frying turkey. I also had a stove-top espresso pot which was a life saver.

You're lucky you have a job! I was stuck at home with two kids and we were all pretty damned miserable by the end of our ordeal.

As for a soup requiring no chopping - try avgolemono:

Ingredients

3 cans of chicken broth diluted with 2 cans of water

1/4 C raw rice

3 eggs

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

Optional - shredded cooked chicken

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs untill fluffy, then beat in lemon juice. Slowly stir about 2 C hot broth into the egg mixture and whisk vigorously. Pour back into rest of soup. Whisk until slightly thick. Add shredded cooked chicken if desired. Serve hot or refrigerate until cold. Garnish with lemon slice.

Oyster stew is another good bet - and very warming b/c it is so rich: Oyster stew

[saskanuck]

I am just so pleased to find this thread. I've been looking for soup recipes to make this winter as soup is something I haven't made a lot of. I am trying to expand my cooking repertoire, and this sounds like a good place to start, because I love soup.

Of course the eGulleteers would come up with the best sounding recipes I've seen anywhere. It's going to be a long, cold winter here, and soup will be just the ticket for keeping warm.

I don't know if I'll have the time to make a new soup every weekend, but I'm going to be lurking around here and trying quite a few of the recipes, avgolemono being one of the first.

Again, many thanks for starting this thread, maggie.

[purplewiz]

Is there a soup I can prepare in the dark (no chopping, in other words), top of stove only, that will keep me from going off the deep end?????  If this continues for 7 to 10 more days, I'm not making any promises about my ability to conduct myself in an adult and civil fashion.

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This soup is my "emergency entree" - I always have the ingredients around. Proportions are approximate at best, and items can be added or deleted as necessary.

The soup:

If you have any chopped onions in the freezer, sautee them in some olive oil in a soup pot. Add a little garlic if you have that around, too. If not, if you have dried onions and garlic powder (look, it's an emergency!), you can throw them in later with the spices.

Add two to three cans of chicken broth. Or 4-6 cups of water and appropriate chicken base or bouillon or whatever you have around. Add a can of diced tomatoes with juice. Add some Italian spices, or oregano, or basil, or some of all. I dunno, tbsp or two? A little handful. Bring to a simmer.

If you have frozen meatballs, throw in a handful. Or if you have a can of chicken, throw that in.

Add a package of frozen tortellini (it's what, 8oz? 16oz? Something like that.). Or dried tortellini. Or ravioli. Or whatever other pasta you have around. But tortellini is best. Simmer until the pasta is almost cooked.

Add a package of frozen spinach (if you have frozen kale or turnip greens or whatever, they're good, too). Simmer until pasta is cooked and the greens are heated through. Salt and pepper to taste, if you can find them in the dark.

Serve. If you have parmesan, throw some over the top.

It's very hearty, very flexible (!), and uses mostly frozen and canned ingredients, and measured by the handful, so it's good for cooking in the dark.

I hope your power returns long before their prediction!

Marcia.

[Marlene]

I'm sorry I didn't make the soup of the week DL, but I had confit, and I had beef stock, so I had to make French Onion Soup. It's simmering away as I type.

I hope you're feeling better.

[snowangel]

I've done two soups this week. Chicken noodle, spiked with chili peppers (we all have colds) and pasta and bean (pasta a fagioli?). Both were sustaining, yummy and warm.

If my head cold does not show signs of improving soon, it's time for something really spicy and brothy.

[fifi]

Ah . . . There is a convergance in the eGullet universe.

On this thread about preserved lemons, andiesenji is adding preserved lemon to onion confit.

On the lengthy and venerable Onion Confit thread, I was complaining about my last batch being too sweet.

Now I am thinking that the addition of the lemon to the confit in an onion soup might be a good, maybe great, thing.