Mayby I am getting old now, or maybe it gets cold now in the mountantous wilderness that is Austria, but I am getting fond of soups.
Unfortunately I am a soup noob and rely on others to soup me up.
This is, obviously, unacceptable.
So, if you are the Waltz of soup, please share your wisdom.
If not, some simple recipes would be appreciated, especially when it comes to tomato or onion soup.
Just to clarify we’re talking soup, not stew? Maybe I’m over simplifying here but the way I do soups is heat a broth and throw in whatever I want in the soup and let it simmer until the flavors are married. But here’s tomato soup:
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.
Not all that simple? Try Campbells Tomato soup in the can. goes great with a grilled cheese sammich
and onion:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth
1 baguette, sliced
1/2 pound grated Gruyere
Directions
Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn’t burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Or you could just have me over and I’ll cook for you.
Well, you caught me, I like me soups of substance and there is a of course a blurred line when it comes to stews.
And while the offer is tempting I am not sure if flying you in for your soup expertise…, that might actually be worth it…
Thank you, will try both before end of week, will report back.
[quote]orion wrote:
Well, you caught me, I like me soups of substance and there is a of course a blurred line when it comes to stews.
And while the offer is tempting I am not sure if flying you in for your soup expertise…, that might actually be worth it…[/quote]
I think flying Beth in would be worth it even if she never made a solitary pot of soup ever.
Beth is a woman of multifarious talents over and above soupdom.
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]orion wrote:
Well, you caught me, I like me soups of substance and there is a of course a blurred line when it comes to stews.
And while the offer is tempting I am not sure if flying you in for your soup expertise…, that might actually be worth it…[/quote]
I think flying Beth in would be worth it even if she never made a solitary pot of soup ever.
Beth is a woman of multifarious talents over and above soupdom. [/quote]
While that is probably true, I have no Moose to skin and I am not easily distracted once I have a goal in mind.
Right now, that goal is soup.
Two soups, both are made with flavors not typically found in soups and both are easy to make.
Avgolemono
8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade, if not, low sodium
1 cup orzo pasta, or rice
4 eggs, separated
Juice of 3 lemons
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring stock to a boil and add orzo or rice. Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Season stock to taste with salt, if necessary.
When the orzo or rice is nearing tenderness, whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until medium peaks. Add egg yolks and lemon juice, whisking continuously.
When the orzo or rice is finished, transfer 2 cups of the hot stock to the egg/lemon mixture, adding very slowly in a constant stream and beating vigorously to prevent the eggs from solidifying.
Take the soup off the heat and add the beaten mixture back into the pot, whisking to incorporate. Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper.
Second one is a Korean Kim Chi soup:
3/4 lb beef or pork thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 cups kimchi (the kind made with Napa cabbage), roughly chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp kochujang
1 Tbsp kochukaru
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 cups of water
1/2 block of tofu, cubed
2 scallions, chopped
Preparation:
If using beef or pork, saute in 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil in soup pot for a few minutes. If using pork, you can halve or omit the oil at this point.
Add kimchi to pot and stir-fry for about five minutes.
Add remaining oil, onion, garlic, kochujang, and kochukaru, mixing to combine.
Pour water into the pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer.
Cook for 20-30 minutes, adding tofu after the first 10 minutes and scallions at the very end.
One of the more “authentic” hungarian goulash soups. I really like this one.
From: http://homepage.interaccess.com/~june4/goulash.html
[quote]Slow cooking is the secret and you can never use too much paprika.
2 lb. beef chuck
1 tsp. salt
2 onions, white or yellow
2 Tbsp. lard or shortening
3 Tbsp. imported sweet paprika (most important to use real hungarian paprika for ultimate flavor)
2 bay leaves
1 Qt. water
4 peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Cut beef into 1 inch squares, add 1/2 tsp. salt. Chop onions and brown in shortening, add beef and paprika. Let beef simmer in its own juice along with salt and paprika for 1 hr. on low heat. Add water, diced potatoes and remaining salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are done and meat is tender. Prepare egg dumpling batter:
1 egg
6 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
Add flour to unbeaten egg and salt. Mix well. Let stand for 1/2 hour for flour to mellow. Drop by teaspoonful into Goulash. Cover and simmer 5 minutes after dumplings rise to surface.
Serve hot with dollops of sour cream.[/quote]
It’s amazing somewhere around the 6-8 hour range when the potato cubes look more like potato balls, and the beef falls apart at a mere touch.
There’s also a gumbo recipe I’ve really liked: Simple Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
[quote]Perhaps the simplest of the gumbos, but a hearty one and a classic combination. If you can’t find andouille, use a local smoked sausage or kielbasa or whatever smoked sausage you like. This one’s easy to knock off quickly for a great evening’s meal.
1 cup oil
1 cup flour
2 large onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
4 quarts chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces
2 pounds andouille or smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 bunch scallions (green onions), tops only, chopped
2/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
Filé powder to taste
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly. Brown the sausage, pour off fat and reserve meats.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish-brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you’re nervous about burning it.
Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes. Serve over rice in large shallow bowls. Accompany with a good beer and lots of hot, crispy French bread.[/quote]
That one’s a little tricky to make, since you want to cook the roux to the right color, not burn yourself, not burn the roux, and then quickly incorporate the vegetables to cool it down.
I personally like this one somewhere in the 3-5 hour mark of cooking. You have to be careful with the salt, since I think the recipe as is it too salty. So bring everything back, and add salt to taste while it’s all stewing.
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]orion wrote:
Well, you caught me, I like me soups of substance and there is a of course a blurred line when it comes to stews.
And while the offer is tempting I am not sure if flying you in for your soup expertise…, that might actually be worth it…[/quote]
I think flying Beth in would be worth it even if she never made a solitary pot of soup ever.
Beth is a woman of multifarious talents over and above soupdom. [/quote]
Oh you! Thanks Varq. By the way, your captivating epistles are missed…
Orion: Haven’t you ever read the classic tome “Stone Soup”? The reality is soup is just a blend of various veggies, herbs, leftover animal juice (stock) and meat (optional). Btw I make a killer egg drop soup. There’s a finesse to it, as it so happens, the only area I seem to have finesse.
When you say soup you mean stew.
And read this:
(site NSFW)
[quote]theBeth wrote:
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]orion wrote:
Well, you caught me, I like me soups of substance and there is a of course a blurred line when it comes to stews.
And while the offer is tempting I am not sure if flying you in for your soup expertise…, that might actually be worth it…[/quote]
I think flying Beth in would be worth it even if she never made a solitary pot of soup ever.
Beth is a woman of multifarious talents over and above soupdom. [/quote]
Oh you! Thanks Varq. By the way, your captivating epistles are missed…
Orion: Haven’t you ever read the classic tome “Stone Soup”? The reality is soup is just a blend of various veggies, herbs, leftover animal juice (stock) and meat (optional). Btw I make a killer egg drop soup. There’s a finesse to it, as it so happens, the only area I seem to have finesse.[/quote]
If you have it in one area, you know how its done.
Cant say that for most people.
[quote]csulli wrote:
When you say soup you mean stew.
[/quote]
No, I am pretty sure there is no tomato stew.
I want a hot cup of textured flavored satisfying goodness.
Especially if I am going to freeze my balls off going outside.
Yes, the lines are blurred, but I know it when I see it.
The lines are especially blurred with tomato soup, pea soup, and pumpkin/squash soups. All of which are thick, slightly textured, and coat your palate with creamy goodness. There must be another name for this…
[quote]orion wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
When you say soup you mean stew.
[/quote]
No, I am pretty sure there is no tomato stew.
I want a hot cup of textured flavored satisfying goodness.
Especially if I am going to freeze my balls off going outside.
Yes, the lines are blurred, but I know it when I see it. [/quote]
There is definitely tomato stew. Or else where would stewed tomatoes come from?
I am right now about to make some tomato stew, which will also contain spinach, peppers and large chunks of beef.
I was about to make beef stew with tomatoes, peppers and spinach, but I am changing the nomenclature just to defy you.
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]orion wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
When you say soup you mean stew.
[/quote]
No, I am pretty sure there is no tomato stew.
I want a hot cup of textured flavored satisfying goodness.
Especially if I am going to freeze my balls off going outside.
Yes, the lines are blurred, but I know it when I see it. [/quote]
There is definitely tomato stew. Or else where would stewed tomatoes come from?
I am right now about to make some tomato stew, which will also contain spinach, peppers and large chunks of beef.
I was about to make beef stew with tomatoes, peppers and spinach, but I am changing the nomenclature just to defy you. [/quote]
You know, Beth GETS my soup needs.
Just saying.
Also, POIDNH
[quote]theBeth wrote:
The lines are especially blurred with tomato soup, pea soup, and pumpkin/squash soups. All of which are thick, slightly textured, and coat your palate with creamy goodness. There must be another name for this…[/quote]
Potage.
[quote]theBeth wrote:
The lines are especially blurred with tomato soup, pea soup, and pumpkin/squash soups. All of which are thick, slightly textured, and coat your palate with creamy goodness. There must be another name for this…[/quote]
Thats the most erotic thing I have read in a long time.
Stop your filthyness, this is a clean soup thread.
Or rather, was.
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]theBeth wrote:
The lines are especially blurred with tomato soup, pea soup, and pumpkin/squash soups. All of which are thick, slightly textured, and coat your palate with creamy goodness. There must be another name for this…[/quote]
Potage. [/quote]
You have no soul.
[quote]orion wrote:
[quote]Varqanir wrote:
[quote]theBeth wrote:
The lines are especially blurred with tomato soup, pea soup, and pumpkin/squash soups. All of which are thick, slightly textured, and coat your palate with creamy goodness. There must be another name for this…[/quote]
Potage. [/quote]
You have no soul. [/quote]
Well, you’re the one getting wet over the thought of thick, hot, creamy goodness coating your palate. I am simply supplying the proper term for said goodness.