Homemade Soups

Start with some fat Butter Oil Rendered fat, such as bacon grease

Choose some vegetables. Classic “mirepoix,” which is a combination of onions, celery, and carrots. You can use almost any vegetable, but some are better than others. Wilted veggies are fine, but do not use decayed ones. “Aromatic vegetables” (mirepoix) are great for making a broth that smells “homemade.” Avoid using strongly-flavored or starchy ones until the end of cooking.

Vegetables- for vitamins, fiber, and taste– use these Carrots, celery, onions (classic mirepoix) Garlic, tomatoes Add in last 5 to 30 minutes: corn, potatoes, peas, cabbage, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, kale But avoid these: asparagus; cauliflower; ones that fall apart, such as cucumbers; ones with unusual textures such as okra.

Select your protein– for rebuilding your body’s cells Beef Chicken Pork/Bacon/Ham Beans and Lentils Tofu If using ground beef, will you make it into tiny meatballs?

Select your liquid base. Will it go with other ingredients? Chicken, beef, ham, or pork broth- will it be homemade or purchased in cans, boxes, or reconstituted from bouillon cubes? Fish stock Vegetable broth Tomato juice/puree base Cream and/or milk base Any combination of the above choices

Select your starch- for fast energy and B-Vitamins Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, or peas Noodles- from bag, frozen, or homemade Pasta (many shapes and sizes) Rice Won-ton wrappers Tortillas or tortilla chips Croutons or bread on the top

Select your spices and seasonings Salt and pepper- don’t salt too much until almost the end of cooking. As the broth reduces, the salt in it becomes a stronger solution. Consider whole spices in a bouqui garni- Make a bag of cotton material and tie it with a string. Remove before serving soup. This keeps the broth clearer and makes whole spices easy to remove. Use spices that go with theme of the soup. (see Word document on teacher’s webpage.) When in doubt, use less, not more!

Put it all together. Make your homemade stock, if you are preparing it that way. Or, get your store-bought stock out. Milk and cream does not go into the liquid until just before serving. Saute vegetables in a bit of fat until they are cooked Add more liquid, if needed, to keep it from drying out. Add liquid and simmer for an hour or two. Remember that some vegetables do not get added until almost the end of cooking.

Protein and Starch If the meat is cooked, then add it just before serving so it does not shred into mush. If it is uncooked, then add it with the first vegetables so it can simmer for an hour or two to tenderize it. To keep the meat from pulverizing, try cubing it before cooking it. It will stay in cubes better. Add the starchy ingredient towards the end of cooking. Some cooks will cook it separately so it does not make the broth cloudy. The choice is up to you. Cream or milk is added just before serving. Heat until hot, but not boiling, or it will sometimes curdle.

Cream of ___ soup: Make it just like the sauce for homemade macaroni and cheese. (Make a roux of flour and butter, slowly stir in milk or cream, and heat just until boiling to thicken.) For cream soups, use proportion of 1 Tbsp. butter, 1 Tbsp. flour, and 1 cup of milk. Increase in amounts, as needed. Often, cream soups have other ingredients cooked separately and then added with milk mixture just before cooking. Cream of: mushroom, celery, tomato, potato, chicken, cheesy potato/bacon, etc. etc.

“Correct the seasoning.” This is tasting the soup when it’s almost ready to serve. Use a tasting spoon, which is used once before being washed! Add salt and pepper, as needed. Be sure to stir well to mix before tasting it again. When in doubt, use less, rather than more. Individuals can always add more, if needed. If you have too much salt, try adding potatoes in 1” chunks and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove potatoes, if needed, Some excess salt will go into the potatoes.

Famous Soups Identify the vegetables, protein, starch, liquid, and spices in each one.

Gumbo 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves Salt and pepper 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4- inch slices 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons margarine 1 large onion, chopped 8 cloves garlic minced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 3 stalks celery chopped 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish 4 cups hot water 5 beef bouillon cubes 1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice 2 cups frozen sliced okra 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

1. Wedding Soup

3/4 pound ground chicken 1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving 3 tablespoons milk 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper For the soup: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup minced onion 1 cup diced carrots (about 3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces 3/4 cup diced celery (about 2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces 10 cups homemade chicken stock 1/2 cup dry white wine, non-alcoholic wine, or white grape juice 1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars 1/4 cup minced fresh dill 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

2. French Onion Soup

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, or non- alcoholic wine, or ½ c. red wine vinegar plus ½ cup tomato juice or water 3 heaping tablespoons all- purpose flour 2 quarts beef broth 1 baguette, sliced (loaf of French or Italian bread) 1/2 pound grated Gruyere cheese

3. Senate Bean Soup

1 lb dry navy beans 1 meaty ham bone 1 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup chopped celery 2/3 cup mashed potato flakes or 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon basil 1 bay leaf salt, to taste

4. Goulash

1 lb ground beef 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green pepper, chopped 1 tablespoon garlic salt 1 teaspoon pepper 28 ounces diced tomatoes 15 ounces tomato sauce 1 lb elbow macaroni or 1 lb medium pasta 1 cup cheddar cheese or 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

5. Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 cup carrot, diced (about two carrots) 1 cup celery (about 3 pieces of celery) 1 cup onion, diced (one medium onion) 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 fresh diced garlic clove 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons corn oil 4 (15 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes, diced (optional) 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies, diced 1 (1 1/4-1 1/2 ounce) packet taco seasoning 1 (10 count) package corn tortillas (broken or cut into small pieces) 12 ounces chicken meat, poached, diced 1 cup milk 12 ounces monterey jack cheese or 12 ounces Mexican blend cheese, shredded corn tortilla chips, broken into small pieces

6. Chicken Noodle Soup

2 teaspoons butter 1 cup sliced celery (about 3 pieces celery) 1 cup chopped carrot (about 2 carrots) 1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1 small) 1 small potato, diced 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon 4 ounces egg noodles 2 cups cooked chicken 2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

7. Broccoli-Cheese Soup

1 tablespoon melted butter 1/2 medium chopped onion (about 1 small onion) 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups half-and-half cream 2 cups chicken stock 1/2 lb fresh broccoli 1 cup carrot, julienned (about 2 carrots) 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese salt and pepper

8. Egg Drop Soup

4 cups chicken broth, divided 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 eggs 1 egg yolk

9. Minestrone

2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup minced white onions (about 1 small onion) 1/4 cup chopped zucchini (about 1 small zucchini) 1/4 cup frozen cut Italian green beans 1/4 cup minced celery (about 1/2 stalk) 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves) or ½ tsp. dried garlic powder 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1 (15 ounce)can red kidney beans, drained 1 (15 ounce)can small white beans or great northern beans, drained 1 /2 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup carrots, julienned or shredded (about 1 carrot) 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1 1/2 cups hot water 3 cups fresh baby spinach 1/3 cup small shell pasta

More soups- Borscht

Fruit soups- for dessert

Pumpkin soup

Pasta-e-fagioli

Bouillabaisse

How would you make your favorite soup? What ingredients would you use?