The Joy of Soup

Fresh Green Pea Soup

Finally! After a winter that seemed like it would never let go, spring is in the air here in the Northeast. And what better way to celebrate its return than with the very vegetable symbol of the season: the spring pea. While the Soup Lady often relies on the hearty died split peas soup - heavy with dried thyme and flavored with bits of ham or bacon - to get through the winter months, the spring pea soup experience is something entirely different.

Use fresh peas for this recipe. Sit yourself down with a big bowlful of peapods and begin pea'n. Shelling peas is something that comes naturally to everyone; it is a soothing ritual that inspires daydreams and puts you in the right frame of mind so that all of the creative ideas percolating under the surface of your conciousness can emerge and seem really possible. Use any fresh herb yuo like, but I especially like the combination of marjoram and oregano in this. Chop the herbs at the last minute to get the full benefit of their frangrance and flavor. In a light soup like this, the herbs take center stage.

FRESH PEA SOUP 1 small onion, peeled and diced 1 small clove garlic, chopped 2 T. butter 4 cups fresh peas, shelled chicken stock or vegetable stock or water 1 tsp. of fresh oregano, chopped 1 tsp. of fresh marjoram, chopped

Saute the onion in butter in the bottom of a 5-quart soup pot. Add a bit of salt and cover the pot to ensure that the onions slowly become translucent and do not scorch. Add the chopped garlic and continue sauteing for an additional 3 minutes. Add the liquid and the peas. Stir in the chooped herbs with a little salt and cover. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer unitl the peas are tender.

Use a hand-held immersion blender to puree the soup into a smooth consistancy. ( If you preffer to use a blender, let the soup cool down and blend small batches - one cup at a time.) Stir in 1/2 cup of cream and serve.

Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of chopped herbs and some fresh whole peas that have been blanched in salted water.

Pretzels and Beer Soup

This should bring 'em running to the table when you announce what kind of soup you are serving today. Top off this cheesy beer-fest by serving it with a handful of broken pretzel sticks (the thin ones.) Popcorn would be okay as a topping, too, but it's a little mushier. The pretzels keep their form longer and have the added attraction of a sudden salt infusion into your system. Yum.

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Pretzels And Beer Soup
1. Saute 2 ribs of celery, sliced thin, and one small onion, chopped, in 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy soup pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper .
2. Add 4 cans condensed of cheddar cheese soup, 1 can of chicken broth, 1 can of beer , 2 cans of milk. (Use the empty soup cans to measure the milk and beer). Heat to simmer.
3. Garnish with thin pretzel sticks that have been broken in half or thirds.
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Yes, yes. Canned soup. Sure, you can go through the effort to make your own cheese soup, but this works pretty well with the canned soup. You can keep this warm in a crock pot and set it out on your buffet table. The Soup Lady likes something a little tart to go on top as well - a nice dill pickle chip or chopped black olives can be gently placed on top of the pretzels. That way, they don't sink into the soup and you get a nice salty/tart kick that is immediately countered by the smooth chessiness of the soup. Try it - you'll like it.

Amenian Lentil Soup with Apricots

The Soup Lady is always looking for something unusual to do with a lentil. Heaven knows I've done all the ususal things. This little bean lends itself very well to becoming the vehicle for carrying odd mixtures of flavors and this recipe is no exception. Doesn't it just cry out to be served with a dollop of cool plain yogurt on top?

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Armenian Lentil Soup with Apricots
The Ingredients:
Part 1:
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
3 cup peeled, cubed eggplant
1 cup diced green pepper
6 clv garlic, minced
Part 2:
6 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cup lentils
1 1/2 cup chopped tomato
4 oz dried apricots
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tbl paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
Finish with:
3 tbl parsley
1 tbl mint
The Process:
Saute Part 1 in olive oil until lightly browned.
Add Part 2.
Simmer until lentils are tender.
Adjust seasonings to your taste and Garnish.
found at Food Down Under
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Cabbage Soup for Immunity

Let's continue with our series of "How To Get Healthy or Stay That Way In The First Place".

*** Click here for the world's best Cabbage Soup. ***

Our friends at Value Recipes report that "Cabbage stimulates the immune system and the production of antibodies, and is an excellent remedy for fighting bacterial and viral infection, such as colds and flu." Did I not tell you that cabbage was the best?

Although I stand by my claim that my mother's soup is the best, I offer two alternative recipes that illustrate the wide lattitude you have when thinking of cabbage soup to suit your mood. You know that the Soup Lady tires to guide you through life whenever she can, so I will issue a friendly word of warning: no raisins - no brown sugar - no treacly sweetness when dealing with King Cabbage. Whoever thought up that combination deserves to be covered in brown sugar and then stuffed with raisins.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cabbage Cooler from ValueRecipes.com Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced 3 medium carrot, washed and sliced 2 sticks of celery, washed and sliced 1 medium leek, washed and sliced thinly 4 1/2 cups chicken stock salt and freshly ground pepper 1 medium cabbage, shredded 1 cup natural yogurt fresh parsely, to garnish

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the vegetables, except the cabbage, and stir over a low heat for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the stock and seasoning, cover, and bring to the boil
then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the cabbage in a little water for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
3. Add to the soup with half the yogurt and heat gently. Serve topped with the remainder of the yogurt and garnish with parsley.

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This first soup soup manages to be warm & filling and light & refreshing at the same time. Now we go to the other end of the spectrum and consult the disgusting and almost useless 1997 version of the Joy Of Cooking, who this time surprises us all by getting something right for a change.
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Cabbage Soup with Roquefort Cheese
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add 2 small leeks, chopped (white part only), 2 medium onions and 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic and cook until tender but not browned. Stir in 4 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups of water, 2 large carrots (sliced), 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds. Bring to a boil and then add 2 small potatoes (peeled and diced). Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups of shredded green cabbage and continue simmering for another 15 minutes until the cabbage is wilted, adding enough water to cover. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/4 cup of chopped parsley. Ladle into warmed bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of crumbled Roquefort cheese.
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The Soup Lady squirms uncomfortably when the Joy of Cooking produces something good, but I am a big person and I will give credit where credit is due. This one time, they produced something good but don't get your expectations raised by this single incident. It's still a lousy resource.

Radish Soup With Dried Tangerine Peel

The Soup Lady is very concerned about your health. So if the chicken soup and the garlic soup didn't do anything for your cold, then this little beauty makes a promise that it "can prevent phlegm from forming. Stop coughing. Avoid constipation and fat accumulation. " How's that for simple soup?  Better keep this one under your hat - if word gets out,  the over-the-counter pharmaceutical business might just be over with.

I found this recipe on-line at a site called Value Recipes and the creator is listed as "Value Recipes Editor". The poor guy must be a real cook at heart. Observe: all he has to work with is a single radish and a dried up orange, and yet he is happily 'cubing' and 'mincing' away.

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Ingredients: 1 radish 3 dried tangerine peel 1 coriander 6 cups water Instructions: 1. Pare and cube radish. 2. Rinse and mince coriander 3. Bring water to boil. 4. Put all ingredients into water. Turn to low heat, cook until radish is soft. Add salt to taste.

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Those are the complete directions. Now don't ask me how much '3 peel' is or 'one coriander'. Is that one corriander seed? Or one tsp.  of dried coriander leaves? I don't know. Still there's plenty of additional information there about the ingredients, just nothing that is going to help you make soup:
Dried Tangerine Peel:
Benefits:
* Regulates the digestion. Used for bloating, nausea and vomiting.
* Clears Phlegm.
Properties:
*Pungent and bitter taste with a warm energy
Radish:
Nutrition:
*They are nearly all water, with some vitamin C, folic acid
Trace minerals, including iron, zinc, silicon, and selenium.
Benefits:
*The chlorine content may actually help in digestion. The spicier radishes can help clear the sinuses and any mucus in the upper airways.

And there we have it. It's worth a try anyway. It looks like it's not too much effort even with the cubing and mincing. And it's possible that it might handle one of those embararasing bloat situations you might find yourself in one day.

Bread and Garlic Soup

Did the chicken soup cure what ails you? No? Then maybe we need to pull out the big guns and get serious about Therapeutic Soup. Garlic as an antibiotic - who knew?

"Garlic is the only antibiotic that can actually kill infecting bacteria and at the same time protect the body from the poisons that are causing the infection ... Louis Pasteur acknowledged garlic to be as effective as penicillin ... Even the blood of garlic eaters can kill bacteria and it is also reported that the vapour from freshly cut garlic can kill bacteria at a distance of 20 cms"

If you follow this soup recipe that calls for 1/4 cup of chopped garlic, the vapor that you'll be producing will kill your crabgrass, the mold on your bathroom walls and your plans for the evening. You won't care, though, because you will be totally happy, filled with a satisfying soup and maybe a little healthier, too.

Bread and Garlic Soup

Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 2 cups chopped onions, 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic, 1 crushed bay leaf, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Season with salt. Saute until slightly caramelized, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts of chicken stock. Bring the liquid up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for 40 minutes.

Turn the heat up and whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of diced day old French bread. Continue whisking until the bread has dissolved into the soup, about 10 minutes. With a hand-held blender, puree the soup until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese . Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into individual soup bowls and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley.

People who are convinced about the health and healing benefits of garlic swear that the most benefit for health and healing comes from raw, crushed garlic. Cooked garlic seems to be somewhat less powerful but still efective. Following this advice, you could garnish the soup with a bit of finely chopped fresh garlic. Let me know how it works out.

Christmas Soup

Ah, tradition. What I wanted to talk to you about was meatless soup for the traditional Slavic Christmas Eve dinner. The Soup Lady is a delightful combination of ethnicity: Polish, Slovak and Lithuanian. If they seem indistinguishable to you, pay close attention: Ye shall know them by their Christmas soups. If you need to find out about French Christmas Soup or Mexican Christmas Soup, you'll have to go elsewhere. But if your aim is to pass yourself of as a Slovak when you are amongst the Poles, well then, you've come to the right place. Take my advice and don't try to fake it as a Lituanian - can't be done.

Slovak Christmas Soup

Caution: Use elbow macaroni only; using anything else brings you dangerously close to an Italian influence and the Slovak-Americans like to pretend that they invented elbow macaroni and would call it something else if they could.

In a large saucepan, gently saute 1 onion (chopped ) in 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir in a 15 oz. can of sauerkraut (with the juice). Add 6 cups of water, 3 cups of chopped mushrooms, 1 clove of garlic (chopped fine) and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 1 hour. Add 3/4 cup ELBOW macaroni and simmer for 10 more minutes. Makes 6 servings .

Lithuanian Christmas Soup
You take your red beets ... what the heck. It's borscht. For this , I refer you to Mrs. Smith's Zippy Beet Soup. My Mrs. Smith is a bona fide Lithuanian-American, do don't be fooled by the name. Of course, you can make a hot version, but this is the most lovely, tangy concoction that the Soup Lady has tasted in a good long while. Of course, you would have to be partial to vinegar to agree with me.
To see the recipe for Mrs. Smith's Zippy Beet Soup, click here.

Polish Mushroom Soup
This is the one that Martha Stewart makes and this recipe is lifted straight off of her TV show. Note the specific and detailed instructions. I doubt that they have shiitake mushrooms and orzo in Poland (or even in Nutley NJ) but still, it's the authentic version of what's on every Polish American Christmas Eve table. Can't argue with that. Observe how Martha seems to be unfamiliar with the Elbow Macaroni Rule.

5 to 6 ounces (about 4 to 6) dried mushrooms such as Polish borowik or cepes
12 large dried shiitake mushrooms
3 quarts beef stock
5 medium ribs celery, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup orzo
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rinse the dried shiitake mushrooms. Place mushrooms in 2 cups of cold water, and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight, refrigerate. In a large pot, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the celery, onions, and carrots. Strain the dried mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the strained soaking liquid to the soup. Chop the hydrated mushrooms into 1/4-inch pieces slightly larger than the diced vegetables, and add to the soup. Add the sliced white button mushrooms. Cover, and cook the soup until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Bring the soup to a boil. Stirring constantly, add the orzo. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil, and, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking, cook until the orzo is cooked through, another 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and cook, stirring constantly until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove 1 cup of the broth from the soup, and add to the roux, whisking constantly until slightly thickened and free of lumps. Stir the thickened liquid into the soup. Add the chopped parsley and dill. Finish the soup with sour cream: Add 1/4 cup of the thickened soup to the sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Add the sour cream to the soup, whisking constantly until it is well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Beef Barley Soup

One of the permanent images of the Soup Lady's childhood is being plunked down in front of a bowl that containted a strange brew. For years, I shivered at the recollection of it's dark brown broth with the alien white things half-sunk in it. Never in my short life did I see such a concotion, let alone be expected to eat it. My mother called it soup, but it sure didn't look or smell anything like the canned chicken noodle or alphabet soup that I was used to. I sat in silent protest, refusing to even try it as the minutes and hours (could it have been that long?) ticked by. My sister went so far as to refuse to even sit at the table. That poor reception squashed my mother's first and only foray into the world of homemade soup. Years later, I realized that it was Beef Barley Soup and I have been apologizing to it ever since.

This is a basic beef barley soup jazzed up with a little catsup. You know the Soup Lady believes that catsup is the world's most underrated and underappreciated condiment. This is a wonderful opportunity to see for yourself how a little bit goes a long way to add a certain something to the broth here. So today, during the first real snow storm of the season in the northeast, fill your crockpot, go out and shovel and return inside to your warm house, your dry socks and your steaming bowl of Beef Barley Soup. There will be plenty left for tomorrow, too.

BEEF BARLEY SOUP
1 pound of stew beef, cut into 1/2" chunks
2 c. carrots, diced
1 c. celery, diced
1 lg. onion, diced
1/2 c. uncooked barley
1/4 chopped parsley
6 cups of beef or vegetable broth
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. catsup

Brown the beef in a non-stick saute pan in minimal oil. Remove beef chuinks and place in crockpot. Add the diced vegetables to the pan and stir them around to pick up the flavor bits. Add 1/4 cup of water to the saute pan and stir. Move vegetables to the crockpot with the beef and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Check near the end of the cook time to see if you need to add more liquid. (The Soup Lady likes this a little on the thin side.) Remove bay leaf before serving. And don't tell my mother that I'm making this.

Acorn Squash Soup with Horseradish and Apples

Thanksgiving has been over for three days now. If you're still looking for recipes to use up your left-overs, you may be on dangerous ground by now. Throw them away and make some fresh soup. This one has an unexpected complexity: it's has a sweet, rich flavor with a nice bite provided by the horseradish.

Acorn Squash Soup with Horseradish and Apples 3 acorn squash 3 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups apple cider 1 tablespoon horseradish , divided 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 Granny Smith apples Juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsleyleaves 1. Heat oven to 450°. Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place, cut side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. 2. Combine chicken broth, apple cider, 1 teaspoon horseradish, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Scoop squash flesh out of skins, and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 cup hot stock mixture, and puree until smooth. Stir squash mixture into pan with remaining stock, and keep soup warm. 3. Peel and core apples, and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Transfer to a small bowl, add lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons horseradish, and toss to combine. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add apple mixture, and sauté until golden brown. Serve soup garnished with sautéed apple mixture and chopped parsley.

Cranberry Soup

And so as we prepare to go out to the stores armed with a list of items to get for the traditional Thanks giving meal on Thursday, why not take advantage of the glut of produce in the stores now and pick up a few extra packages of cranberries? After you make your sauces, relishes and breads, try some soup. And when you're done with that, make a nice cake.

CRANBERRY AND CARROT SOUP 1 cup cranberries 5 carrots, large, peeled, sliced 4 cups water 1 cup milk, scalded 2 tablespoons butter seasonings to taste

Put all ingredients in a stock pot. Boil together for about 20 minutes. Drain off liquid into a saucepan. Remove from heat and carefully puree the mixture in batches or use a hand held immersion blender. Bring back to a boil, and serve.

CRANBERRY BEAN CHOWDER 8 oz. fresh cranberries beans 6 cups water 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, diced 3 oz. fresh cranberries 3 potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup half and half 2 tbsp. fresh mixed herbs, finely chopped ( parsley & chives) 1 large bay leaf 1 large clove garlic, crushed 2 tsp. salt 3 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper Bring water to a boil in a deep pan. Add beans, onion, celery sticks, cranberries, potatoes, herbs, bay leaf, garlic, salt and black pepper. Boil for 15 minutes until frothy. Remove froth with a spoon and discard. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours until smooth. Put in blender for a smoother soup. Serve immediately hot with buttered hot rye bread. WARM CRANBERRY CAKE with ORANGE CREAM Cake 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon grated orange peel 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 2 cup flour 2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 1 cup cranberries, chopped 1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Grease 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with waxed paper; grease and flour paper. 2. Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in mixer bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 3. Add orange juice and peel. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to beaten mixture alternately with milk. 4. Chop 1/2 cup cranberries and stir into batter. Pour batte into prepared pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining cranberries and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. 5. Cool pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Serve warm with Orange Whipped Cream. Makes 10 servings.

Orange Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur
Beat cream and sugar in chilled mixer bowl with chilled beaters until stiff. Beat in liqueur. Makes 2 cups.
recipe from The Cranberry Lady. Hey! Why didn't I think of that?