Basics- Soup in 7 steps

Soup is like magic.

Really.

Magic.

Even the cooking challenged can improvise a good soup as long as they follow this simple formula. (Which means soup is more like math….but I like magic better.)

1.    Base ingredients- begin by sautéing the base ingredients. Things like onions, garlic, carrots, celery, chilies, or spices. You can also add aromatic herbs such as bay leaf, parsley, thyme, garlic, etc. Make sure you sauté in oil or butter. The fat captures the flavors and holds them. You don’t need a lot of fat, but you do need it.

2.   Liquid- Add a liquid such as a stock, juice, or water, this will determine a lot of what the flavor will be, so choose carefully…

3.   Slow cooking things- Here add the slow cooking root vegetables, winter squash, lentils, split peas, etc. This is also a good time to add salt if you’re using it.

4.   Watery vegetables- Next add watery vegetables such as tomatoes or summer squash. Also, add any precooked beans, pasta, or grains here.

5.   Delicate veggies- Save leafy greens and delicate veggies such as asparagus tips and peas for the end.

6.   Final touches- Here you can add cream or yogurt to make it creamy. Or blend all or part of your soup to make it thicker. Or add a thickener such as cornstarch or flour. Or leave it alone.

7.   Garnish and serve!

Make sure to taste your soup at all stages and make adjustments as you go. Add ingredients slowly and deliberately and also, remember simplicity is the key to all great art. Let each ingredient contribute.

Julia Child's Garlic Soup

I had never heard of Julia Childs until a couple years ago, let alone knew who she was. (I know. Sad.) But Lately I have been swept up into the Julie/Julia craze. It's all about good food and love and people; all my favorite things! So while I will not be deboning a duck any time soon (I stay away from things that have bones) I will be offering a few recipes from her amazing book Mastering the Art of French Cooking that do work with my cooking preferences. For more info feel free to check out wiskblog.com. There working right now to catalog all of Julia's recipes on the web!

Garlic Soup With Poached Eggs
Makes 6 servings

1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried sage
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
4 parsley sprigs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 eggs, as needed per person
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Crusty bread, optional.

1. In a large saucepan, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, bay leaf, parsley sprigs and olive oil. Add 2 quarts of water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Pour through a fine-meshed strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing on the garlic to squeeze out as much flavor into the broth as possible. Let cool and then transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
3. To prepare a serving for one, ladle about 1 1/3 cups of broth into a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Carefully break an egg into the broth (do not break the yolk) and poach until the white is just set, about 1 ½ minutes. (It will continue to cook off the heat....not gonna lie, I cook mine longer. Not a runny egg person.) Transfer the egg to a soup bowl and pour the broth gently over it. Garnish with parsley and cheese. If desired, serve with crusty bread.

Black Bean & Chipotle Soup

¼ cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
2 cups peeled and diced carrots
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green or red bell peppers
2 cups cooked black beans (two 15-ounce cans, undrained) (or cook 1 cup dried beans)
½ dried chipotle pepper, or 1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce (recommended)
2 cups chopped fresh or undrained canned tomatoes (12-ounce can)
½ cup orange juice
½ cup water
salt to taste
sour cream to top
chopped fresh cilantro

Warm the oil in a non-reactive soup pot. Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots and cumin and cook on medium heat, sitting often for a few minutes. Add the celery and peppers, lower the heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the beans chipotle, tomatoes, orange juice, and water, and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. If you're not using canned beans, add ½ cup of beans cooking liquid or additional water.

If you like a thicker broth, you can blend one or two cups of the soup until pureed, and stir it back into the remaining soup. Top with optional sour cream and cilantro.

Reprinted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

Eastern European Vegetable Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup peeled and diced parsnips
2 cups peeled and diced turnips and/or rutabaga
2 cups peeled and diced beets
6 cups of water or mock chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme and/or dill (1 teaspoon dried)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
5 cups rinsed and chopped Swiss chard or spinach
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream or plain nonfat yogurt (optional)

Procedure:

In a soup pot on medium heat, warm the oil and cook the onions and garlic for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and/or rutabaga, beets, water or stock, salt, bay leaves, and thyme and/or dill. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the vinegar and chopped greens and simmer for 10 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Find and discard the bay leaves. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, if you like.

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Soups & Stews Deck

Basic Miso Soup

Check specialty or oriental food markets for "exotic" ingredients

• 3 cups dashi soup stock
  
• 1 block tofu
• 3-4 tbsps miso paste
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion

Put dashi soup stock in a pan and bring to a boil. Cut tofu into small cubes and add them to the soup. Simmer the tofu for a few minutes on low heat. Scoop out some soup stock from the pan and dissolve miso in it. Gradually return the miso mixture in the soup. Stir the soup gently. Stop the heat and add chopped green onion. Remember not to boil the soup after you put miso in.

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 2 breasts, 4 thighs, or 2 leg quarters
• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 2 T chicken bouillon
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 celery
• 4 carrots
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Grandma Swenson's Homemade Noodles:

• 1 cup flour
  
• 1 egg
• 2 T butter
• 1/2 egg shell water

Add all ingredients except noodles to a pot. After chicken is cooked thoroughly, take the meat from the bones and return the meat to the soup. Mix together noodle ingredients, knead. Roll out very thin and slice into strips. Add to soup. Bring to a boil and cook until noodles are done.

Clam Chowder

• 1 medium onion
  
• 3 stalks celery
• 3 Tblsp. melted butter
  
• 2 cans clams with liquid
• 3 cups water
  
• 3 tsp. chicken bouillion
• 1 cup clam juice
  
• 3 med. potatoes
• 5 Tblsp. melted butter
  
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup half & half
• dash thyme
  
• dash salt/dash pepper

Directions:

Saute onion and celery in 3 Tblsp. butter until transparent. Add liquid from clams, clam juice, chicken broth and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Melt butter in pan, add flour. Mix in milk and half & half until smooth. Add to clam mixture and stir as it thickens. Add clams & seasonings.

(can substitute skimmilk for milk and half &half to lower fat content of recipe)

Borscht

• 1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage (any kind of meat will work)
  
• 3 medium beets, peeled and shredded
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
• dill for garnish
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Crumble the sausage into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.
4. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream and dill.

Lentil and Green Collard Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 6 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch collard greens - rinsed, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir in onion and salt; cook until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in lentils, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in water, then bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add collard greens, and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. When the lentils are tender, stir in the collard greens and season with cumin, cinnamon, and garlic; allow to simmer 10 more minutes. Stir in lemon juice before serving.

Moroccan Lentil Soup

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans (small white beans common in italian dishes. I use american white beans)
  
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In large pot saute; the onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the water, lentils, chick peas, white kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, garam masala, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer, until the lentils are soft.
3. Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir and enjoy!

Notes:

• Garam masala may be purchased in Indian markets and in the gourmet section of some supermarkets. If Garam masala is not available, use 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1 teaspoon ground coriander.

Mulligatawny Soup

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 apple, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup white rice
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half - cut into cubes
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pinch dried thyme

DIRECTIONS

1. Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
2. Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.

note: is traditionally served with cream