SOUP - *The Ultimate Comfort Food*

Two missionaries were captured by a tribe of cannibals who put them in a large pot of boiling water. After a few minutes, one of the missionaries started to laugh uncontrollably. "What's so funny?" said the other. The first missionary replied: "I just peed in the soup!"

Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. Soups are considered to be a Dinner item as well as a snack, or appetizer. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, lentils, flour, and grains.

One of the first lessons of any cooking course is learning how to make stocks. Stocks form the basis of most sauces and soups. A stock is basically the liquid that eventuates from simmering bones and/or meat with vegetables, herbs, & seasonings. Types of stock include beef, veal, chicken, fish, and vegetable. Let's peruse the stock making procedure.

*How To Make Chicken Stock*

*Spicy Chicken Soup*

"A shredded chicken soup flavored with garlic, onion powder, salsa, tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, beans and sour cream."    

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 5 cubes chicken bouillon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.

            

*Broccoli Soup*



Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream
• Homemade Croutons, recipe follows

Directions

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.

Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Serve hot with Homemade Croutons.

Homemade Croutons:

• Day old French bread
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

*Chicken Noodle Soup*

Ingredients

Stock:

• 1 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) fryer chicken, cut up
• 3 1/2 quarts water
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

• 2 cups sliced carrots
• 2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup cooking sherry
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
• Seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Cream of Green Garlic & Potato Soup*
"Green garlic is young garlic which is harvested before the cloves have begun to mature. The resulting vegetable resembles a scallion, with a deep green stalk and a pale white bulb. It can often be found for sale at a farmers' market in the spring, and can also be grown at home relatively easily. Many large grocery stores do not stock green garlic, although growing consumer demand may change this. It can also usually be special ordered through a greengrocer."

*Butternut Squash & Turnip Soup*

"This spiced up soup is a little sweet and chock full of flavorful veggies. It's a tasty way to warm up on a chilly winter day."

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups cubed butternut squash
• 2 cups cubed turnips
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt to taste (optional)
• 
  Directions

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the butternut squash, turnips, celery, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until the vegetables just begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a large pot over medium heat until simmering.
2. Transfer the vegetables to simmering stock, and add the bay leaf, honey, pepper, nutmeg, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt. Continue simmering until all the vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving.               

*Italian Sausage Soup*

"This soup is easy to put together, and the flavor of the spicy sausage is balanced nicely by Great Northern beans, zucchini, fresh spinach, and carrots. Makes a delicious winter supper."

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
• 2 small zucchini, cubed
• 2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Directions
  

  1. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
  2. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
  3. Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.               

*Black Bean Soup*

"You'll want to make this ahead of time so you're not faced with the prep-work when you and your friends just want to kick back and chow down. Using smoked bacon makes all the difference in the world because those beans are just begging for that rich, smoky flavor."

Ingredients

• 10 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro
• juice of 1/2 lime
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

*Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder*

"This creamy chicken and corn chowder, made spicy with ground cumin, green chilies, and hot pepper sauce, will warm you right through. Shredded Monterey jack cheese and half and half make this soup rich and delicious."

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 cup hot water
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tomato, chopped
• fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)
• Directions
  1. In a Dutch oven, brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink.
  2. Dissolve the bouillon in hot water; Pour into Dutch oven, and season with cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in cream, cheese, corn, chilies, and hot pepper sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Garnish with cilantro.               

*Clam Chowder*

"A delicious, traditional, cream based chowder, this recipe calls for the standard chowder ingredients: onion, celery, potatoes, diced carrots, clams, and cream. A little red wine vinegar is added before serving for extra flavor."

Ingredients

• 3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 cups cubed potatoes
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 quart half-and-half cream
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.
3. Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

*Zuppa de Farro*

"Farro is a delicious alternative to rice or pasta in this Tuscan-inspired soup, made with chicken broth, pancetta and tomatoes, and seasoned with garlic, basil and thyme. It's easy to make and it's absolutely delicious!"

Ingredients

• 1 1/8 cups uncooked whole cereal farro grain or pearl barley
• 4 ounces pancetta or deli ham, chopped
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Directions
  

  1. Place the farro in a large bowl. Add water to cover and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the farro in a strainer.
  2. Place the farro and 8 cups of water in a 6-quart saucepot and heat over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  3. Add the pancetta, onion, garlic and thyme to the saucepot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the pancetta is well browned. Add the farro, broth, tomatoes, basil and black pepper and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve with the cheese, if desired.

*French Onion Soup*
"When you make homemade beef stock, and you have Gruyere cheese in the fridge that needs to be used up, you know French onion soup is in your future."

Who invented soup? It's common knowledge that the word soup comes from the same source as the English term "sop," meaning a piece of bread soaked in liquid. In common parlance, soup replaced sop at about the same time that people began serving the heated liquid without the ever-present piece of bread (approximately one-hundred years after Catherine de Medici arrived in France with her entire kitchen in tow and proceeded to transform the world of French cuisine). However, it's likely that people have been enjoying some version of meat cooked in heated water since the days when Prehistoric man was forced to stalk and kill his dinner before he could even think about cooking it.