Super Simple
Soups
by Jeanie
Rose, a.k.a. “Mom”
What do you do
when you have a half gallon or more of chicken broth in the fridge?
Make a simple, simply scrumptious soup!
This is so simple, you won’t believe it! And it is so delicious,
you’ll never go for canned or boxed soups again.
1. Heat your broth in a large stock pot, large enough to
accommodate the broth and 5 to 8 cups of additional
ingredients.
2. You want plenty of room to be able to stir the veggies as they
cook.
Now you have an unlimited number of options. Here are a few clear
soups to get your creativity in gear:
Mediterranean Chicken
Soup
• Add a
tablespoon of lemon thyme, two teaspoons of grated lemon zest, five
cloves of crushed fresh garlic, and cubes of raw chicken breast.
Figure one breast per person being served. Thoroughly cook the
meat. It will be succulent and tasty in this broth.
• When the meat is done, add about four
cups of sliced okra or four cups of cubed
eggplant.
• Cook until done. Turn off the heat
and add ½ cup of chopped fresh parsley and a tablespoon of fresh
chopped mint. Stir in the herbs and let the soup sit for 10-15
minutes for the flavors to blend.
• Check for salt and
pepper.
• If you want a
heartier soup, add some cooked grain like quinoa left from another
meal.
Chicken and Broccoli
Soup Italiano
• Heat bone
broth in large stock pot along with a good splash of white wine and
a generous amount of dried or fresh basil.
• As a rule of thumb, I like ½ teaspoon
of basil to each cup of liquid.
• Add bite-sized pieces of chicken. If
the chicken is raw, cook until done, about 5 or 6 minutes depending
on how much chicken you have added to the
pot.
• If the chicken is cooked, just reheat
the contents of the pot to a good simmer.
• Add broccoli that has been washed,
trimmed, and cut into bite-sized florettes. Cook to desired
doneness. I like it to still be bright green.
• Remove from the heat and add lemon
juice or some grated lemon zest.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with
grated Romano cheese.
• If you are into pasta, put some hot
pasta in the bottom of the bowl before ladling.
• Almost any vegetable can be
substituted for the broccoli. You just need to change the cook
times.
(Don’t overcook the veggies in this one. Part of the magic of this
soup is seeing the colors and textures so distinctly against one
another.)
Creamed and puréed soups are especially tantalizing in the cold
months. Both the heady aroma and the heavy texture fills your tummy
and satisfies your soul.
Mediterranean Cream
of Carrot Soup
• Heat the
chicken broth just to boiling. Add a splash of white
wine.
• Toss in two finely diced onions, a
teaspoon of tumeric, and two teaspoons of ground
coriander.
• Clean and cut carrots into two-inch
long pieces. You want the pieces to be large enough to easily pull
out after they are cooked, for puréeing.
• Cook the carrot in the broth until it
is thoroughly soft. Remove from the broth with a slotted spoon and
transfer to a food processor along with enough broth to facilitate
the puréeing process. You’ll get some of the onion. That’s no
problem, but be careful! This is a hot
job.
•
Return the puréed carrots to the pot of broth along with some lemon
zest, a teaspoon of two of crushed fresh mint, salt and pepper to
taste.
• Reheat and check
for seasonings. Adjust to suit yourself.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with
freshly minced parsley or mint.
Cream of Asparagus
Soup
(If you grew
up with canned cream of asparagus soup, forget everything you ever
knew about this soup!)
• Buy
asparagus when it is fresh and local. Plan on a pound and a half
for a half gallon of broth.
(But you know, put in as much or as little asparagus as you want.
This is your soup!)
• Wash and
trim the asparagus, cutting it into three-inch
lengths.
• While the broth heats, mince about
five cloves of garlic. Sauté them in a bit of olive
oil.
(Do not brown! Browned garlic will overwhelm the delicate flavor of
the asparagus.)
• Add the
garlic and oil to the broth pot.
• Heat the stock just to boiling and
add the asparagus.
• Cook until done. Times will vary with
the asparagus crop. Keep checking. If you can keep from
overcooking, the asparagus, the soup will be a nice bright green.
That’s what I like to aim for.
• Transfer the cooked asparagus along
with some broth to the food processor.
Process.
• Return the asparagus to the soup pot.
Stir and check for salt and pepper.
• If you want to thicken the soup,
ladle out a cup of broth. Add a little water and about a half cup
of flour. Wisk quickly to kill the lumps and return the liquid to
the soup pot.
• Stir this mixture into the soup and
cook for about another five minutes, stirring
frequently.
• If you want to add cream, and I
highly recommend it, add the cream to each bowl after the soup is
ladled. A tablespoon of heavy cream stirred into each bowl should
be enough.
(If you add the cream directly to the pot and then try to reheat it
later, the cream will probably curdle. The flavor is OK, but the
lovely velvety texture is gone.)
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Consult with your physician before making any changes to your diet.