By Kristen Thorpe
Is there anything better that enjoying a warm bowl of rich soup on a cold day? The tastes, the textures, the endless varieties, and let’s not forget the comfort food factor. While soups are often thought of as a wintertime food, there’s no reason they can’t be a year-round favorite. Many of the heartier soups can be a complete meal. And for the hottest days, you can always switch to chilled soup if you prefer. Below are some of are some of the basics about the types of soups you can make. It’s interesting that most soups can be broken down into a few categories, basically that there are soups that begin with or without a stock base.
Then there are also the fruit soups. Some examples of soups requiring stock include your broths, bouillon, and consomm. Soups without stock would be bisque, chowders, creams, and purees. When creating your own meat-based soup stock, any of your favorite meats would be a good starter. Anything including beef, turkey, lamb, chicken, veal, fish, etc. would work fine. Using dark-colored meats will produce brown stock while white soup stock is made from light-colored meats. Vegetables commonly added to soup stock include onion, celery, and carrots. Soups in this category include beef vegetable, chicken soups, tomato soups, cabbage soups, and broth’s.
Being much thicker and richer, and generally quite nutritional, a puree or a cream soup can often be served as a main course, especially for a luncheon or a light dinner. These soups include varieties such as split pea, bean or potato puree, cream soups such as corn, broccoli or mushroom, bisque of oyster or lobster, and clam chowder.
Then there are the fruit soups – these are delicious chilled soups that are perfect on a hot summer day. Refreshing varieties include cherry, honeydew melon, strawberry, peach, and cantaloupe. Some cold soup recipes will list fruit juices as a mixer while others use a vegetable-based soup stock in the recipe.
Whatever soup you choose to make, there’s nothing quite like coming home and savoring a well-made soup. Finish your cream soup off with a small garnish and serve in a large, flat bowl. Covered soup bowls are ideal for bean and onion soups. And don’t forget to make enough for second helpings.
About the Author: Homemade bread is a great side dish for your soup. Bake up a fresh loaf in this great clay bread pan . You’ll find that having quality kitchen bakeware helps produce great baking results.
Very Scrumptious White Bean Soup
When you’re in the mood for a soup dish that’s certain to bowl you over, this white bean soup is the ultimate comfort food. Can the cans and go homemade.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups kale leaves, cut into bite-size pieces (remove the thick stems)
3 cups chicken broth , or vegetable
1 leek, cut into 1/4-inch slices (1 cup)
1 cup dried white beans
1 cup evaporated skim milk
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Methods/steps
In a large soup pot set over medium heat, saute the onion in the oil for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add celery and kale and saute another minute in 2 tablespoons broth for about another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining broth, leek and beans. Heat to boiling. Boil 2 minutes; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Stir milk into soup. Place 1 cup of the soup in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high speed about 30 seconds. Stir blended mixture into remaining soup mixture. Spice it up with cayenne and black pepper to taste.
