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Give me suggestions for soup cookbooks. Or soup recipes. Preferably ones that don't take hours and hours of work, because I have an hour commute home every day AND I'm a lazy cook, which is why ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stroppy_baggage and I end up not eating at home very often.
But soup. Soups are (mostly) easy, right? And tasty, and filling, and can be frozen in single-serving containers for taking to lunch or eating on nights when there is no motivation whatsoever. (Or so I've been led to believe.)
So point me at some good cookbooks or recipes, please.
stroppy_baggage and I end up not eating at home very often.But soup. Soups are (mostly) easy, right? And tasty, and filling, and can be frozen in single-serving containers for taking to lunch or eating on nights when there is no motivation whatsoever. (Or so I've been led to believe.)
So point me at some good cookbooks or recipes, please.
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Our current favorite
Chicken Tortilla Soup (http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/ChickenTortillaSoupII.asp)
The recipe doesn't bother to mention it, but the best way to serve it up is this:
Put soup into bowls, break up some tortilla chips on top, shred cheddar on top of that, dump on some avocado cubes, add a dollop of sour cream, and then squeeze on some lime juice. And then stir the whole mess together and devour. It is a soup that can stay warm while you have a heated debate (we learned the first time, as my sister and I did what my family does *grin*) and then taste okay cooled down a tad.
It's like enchilada stew. We have tried changes here and there, and this is the best way to eat the soup. We never get around to freezing it because we just keep eating it for lunch and/or dinner when we make it.
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chicken veggie soup
Chicken Barley Vegetable
If you have 1/2 to 1 pound of cooked chicken, use it. Otherwise, bake a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breast or a package of chicken tenderloins at 350 F for about 35-40 minutes.
Let cool while cleaning and chopping up the following:
1 white or yellow onion
3-4 stalks celery
3 carrots
1-2 cloves garlic
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a goodly sized sauce pan.
Sautee the chopped veggies in the oil. Season with a few shakes of salt. Not too much, though, since the broth below may have salt in it. (As may the chicken if you're using left overs.)
While the veggies are sauteeing, chop the now-semi cool chicken into bite sized pieces.
Add chicken to sauteed veggies.
Add a couple of Swanson waxed cardboard containers of chicken broth to the chicken and veggies.
Add a pinch or two of dried thyme (or use fresh if you have it--thyme is lovely with chicken). After the broth has warmed up a bit taste the whole thing and season as you wish.
After the soup comes to a boil add 1/3 cup dried barley (or more, if you want rather thick soup).
Cook until the barley is soft and the whole thing has achieved "soupness".
It probably takes less prep time than it took to type. You can modify to suit, or to clean out the fridge. Got some left over green beans? Toss 'em in. Some sauteed mushrooms? Eh, why not? I'd avoid using broccoli, since it can overwhelm the soup.
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This corn chowder recipe (http://www.livejournal.com/users/icprncs/187187.html#cutid1) is quite quick and easy, and you could easily add some browned chicken to make it non-vegetarian.
I tend to make soup a lot in fall and winter, and generally find that making it on a weekend and then eating it up the following week works better than trying to make it on the spot for an evening meal.
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Pour olive oil, just enough to coat the pot, into the bottom of a large stockpot.
Add chopped up onion, garlic, and (if you have them on hand) carrots, bell peppers or celery. Not a lot of anything; these are just background notes. Say half an onion, one carrot, three cloves of garlic, etc. Sautee until the onion is golden. Sprinkle with appropriate herbs -- rosemary, cumin, cayenne pepper, etc.
Cover sauteed vegetables with about four cups of broth. I normally use water + boullion cubes. A lot of people dislike the flavor, but I dislike needing to keep broth on hand more.
Add your Main Vegetable. I usually use either a can of black beans or a can of diced tomatoes, or, if I'm feeling really wild, 4-5 sliced carrots. I presume mushrooms, cauliflower, peas or broccoli would also work.
More seasoning. Basil for tomatoes, a tablespoon of brown sugar and more red pepper for black bean, ginger for carrots, etc.
Simmer over fairly low heat for half an hour.
Pour (carefully) into blender. If your blender is like mine, cover blender lid with dish towel and hold down to prevent eruption. Puree.
Return to pot. Add salt, pepper, etc. If you want it creamy, addd a bit of milk or cream -- say, half a cup.
Serve, possibly topped with chives, croutons, sour cream, cheese, etc.
I make this at least once a month, usually in the black bean variation, and love it.
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Also, now I come to think of it, neither of us are keen on recipes that use more than a hint of garlic, FYI.
Thanks
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In any case, here's a favourite of mine, a classic Greek Lemon soup with strips of chicken added. You don't even have to prep the chicken yourself; buy it precooked and add it in with about fifteen minutes left of soup cooking time, since all it needs is to warm up. Plus, the strips and the chicken stock will enhance each other.
1 litre/40fl.oz. Fresh Chicken Stock
125g/5oz Long Grain Rice
3 Egg Yolks
60ml/2fl.oz. Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste (I recommend low on salt - it can bully)
3 - 6 ounces cooked chicken, strips or cubes
4 thin slices Lemon to garnish
Freshly chopped Parsley to garnish
Instructions
1. Place stock in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add rice and stir well.
2. Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
3. In a measuring cup, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice until well blended.
4. Once rice is cooked, remove from heat and add about 240ml/8fl.oz. of the hot soup to the egg and lemon mixture and whisk vigorously to combine - add the soup in small amounts, stirring constantly, since you don't want to cook the yolks. Then pour it back into the saucepan containing the soup and whisk constantly until well blended.
5. Return the pan to medium heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Add chicken strips shortly before finish. (Do NOT boil or it will curdle - remember, it's eggs.)
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the lemons slices and parsley.
More to come later. Will this do as a start? It's a dead simple, very tasty soup, and nicely light.
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His roasted garlic is not to be missed.
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Anbd huzzah, huzzah! It's still in print!
Not flashy, but very, very solid. I go back to several recipes again and again (the Hot and Sour soup is a real hit with my friends).
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671438646/qid=1124227483/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-7690465-1055262?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
I have a couple hundred cookbooks in my collection. Old, reliable ones like this are my favorites.
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Specify, please.
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Y'know, I'm a doofus. I should have just sent email to you right off the bat. :)
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OK - let me get some recipes together for you. They'll be easy.
I personally dislike most cream soups (if forced to eat clam chowder, I want the red, not that nasty white goop), so the lactose factor isn't a factor. And I tend to make a really huge pot of high fiber low fat soup - think five-bean with lentils and roasted pureed garlic and strips of chicken - freeze it in portions, and eat it for a month.
Tell me what your veggie no-thankses are. I seem to recall you had a potato issue, but was that choice-based, ie, diet at the time?
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Erm, low-ish on garlic. Roasted garlic would prolly be okay, as long as there weren't heaps and heaps of it.
I can have potatoes just fine, now that I've abandoned low-carb for learning about nutrition & sensible portion sizes.
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Just posted you a Greek lemon soup with chicken. Will assemble some others for you later, ma'am.
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Saute some green onions or white onions in a bit of butter (or low-fat margarine). Add several largish, chopped/diced potatoes and about two-three cups of fat-free chicken broth.
Simmer until it cooks down and season to taste with chives, salt and pepper. You can add a dollup of dairy in any form--sour cream, half&half, skim milk or cream, however rich you want to make it.
It's pretty flexible and you can cut out as much fat as you want.
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Imagine or maybe Pacific brand also has pureed veggie soups (in cartons just like the chicken broth & in the same place in the store) that are great bases for a hearty soup. The broccoli one is good w/a bag of frozen broccoli & cauliflower added, & the squash is great w/carrots & curry powder.
Obviously, fresh veggies can & prob. should be used, but I hate chopping & veggies tend to go bad in my kitchen faster than I can eat them. So frozen works. I am one of the least picky eaters you'll ever meet.
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I have recipes for everytyhing...and a pen to write it down with. And you were at my house all last night.
Will Peev eat stewed veggies?
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Peev will indeed eat stewed veggies. Okay, he will *try* stewed veggies, and then we'll figure out if he'll eat them regularly.
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James Ernest's Simple Soup Technique
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. to 1 lb. beef or chicken
"Better Than Bouillon" brand concentrated soup base in matching flavor. (Or, if you prefer, a quart of the right kind of broth-in-a-box)
A variety of vegetables, depending on season, meat choice, and personal desire. Required IMHO: Carrots & Potatoes. Optional: Green Beans, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Peas, Yellow or Orange Pepper, whatever else you like that won't completely dissolve when cooked. In winter, for a more hearty soup, skip any of the summer-type veg, and use barley and lentils or split peas instead. I'd say about 4 potatoes, 2 carrots, and a handful (when cut-up) of whatever else. For a tomato-y soup, add a little can of tomato paste in with the broth, and include cut up fresh or canned tomatoes in your veg-mix.
If you like (and don't mind that they'll soak up a lot of the broth): Handful of Rice or Double-handful of Pasta.
Whatever seasonings you like. I recommend black pepper, thyme, rosemary for starters. If you use the bouillon, you may not need much salt, if any.
Brown meat completely in large pot. (If you opt for onions, brown them along with the meat).
Add a bunch of water and several tablespoons of soup base (or less water and quart of broth), and bring to a boil.
Add long-cooking veg, like potatoes, carrots, peppers, and rice if used. Simmer for about 1/2 hour.
While it's simmering, season to taste. And add more water, if it starts looking too crowded.
Stir occasionally.
Once the 1/2 hour has passed, add tender veg, like mushrooms, peas, and pasta if used. Simmer at least another 10 minutes.
Season some more, if warranted.
Put in bowls. Do not burn tongue. (Soup seems to take a damnably long time to cool down from simmering. I usually dip crusty bread in it to pass the time).
This makes about six servings, so you can spend the time one day, and have a couple of really fast meals later in the week. It's pretty dang fool-proof, too - the worst that can happen is that the potatoes dissolve, making the broth thick instead of thin. Oh, and if you do use rice/pasta, be sure to add more water when you reheat - it can turn into "brick-o-soup" in the fridge.
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Once I get unpacked, I'd be happy to share them with you.
We're in SF for another month or so.
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I've not actually had the Harira soup from the Andalous restaurant, but everything I have eaten there was very yummy and healthy-seeming, so it might be worth a look if you feel like getting a little more ambitious with the prep.
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-d
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Oh, veggie preferred? OK
1 can black beans (I prefer organic, because canners often add sugar/corn syrup to other types)
1 can pinto beans (again, organic preferred) (Some come pre-spiced. I generally avoid them, because I'm a control freak.)
1 16-24 oz can of crushed tomatoes. (Some come with extra spices. I avoid them.)
1 wee can (4 oz, maybe? the really small ones) of tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried onion (more or less to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Chili powder (I'd start with 1/4 teaspoon and work up to OMG leves, depending on taste)
Salt and pepper to taste. The tomatoes will probably come with some salt, so be careful.
Splash of red wine, if handy
Mix all of the above in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Serve with shredded cheddar and/or sour cream on the side if desired.
I sometimes add veggie crumbles to the above (Morningstar Farms has some that work) to make it pseudo-meatier. Or I'll use ground turkey or beef, but that's moving away from the whole veggie thing.
Anyway, everything sits nicely in a can/jar until needed, and the resultant chili freezes well. I cook for one and this makes about 4-5 lunches worth.
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Intro and Recipe
My favorite is /easy/ and really impressive if you ever cook for other people. It's Carrot soup with Dill.
Take 1-2 lbs of carrots. I like the baby ones in the bags.
2 Large cans or boxes of chicken stock or chicken broth.
(Please do not use the bullion cubes, they are too salty.)
An onion (about med. sized) chopped. I like yellow.
About a teaspoon of oil (veg, cannola, or olive)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dill. 3x that much if it's fresh.
Black Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Sour Cream
A Blender either stick (if you have one) or regular.
Take a large sauce pan (or a smallish stock pan) and put the teaspoon or so of oil in the pan to heat. Add the onions and turn the heat down (you want them to sweat and carmelize). When the onions are nicely carmel, add the carrots and the chicken broth/stock to cover the carrots. Cook on medium low heat for 40 minutes. Add Cayenne and dill, take off of heat.
Place by ladles full into blender and blend until smooth. Pour back into pot and continue until soup is smooth. If you have a stick blender just puree it in the pot until smooth.
Taste, add salt and black pepper. Taste again.
Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream. The sour cream can be swirled in, but then you don't get the whole cold/creamy/ hot/ spicy/sweet thing going.
I like to serve it with good bread or those cresent rolls from the grocery bread dough section. (I know there cheap and full of fat, but they are too tasty.) The soup re-heats nicely and is good without the sour cream if you are watching the fat intake in your diet.
The soup can also be made with Parsnips and turnips and most other root vegtables, except potatoes, which are a whole other recipe.
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