Soups

Image result for soups clipartI can think of very few ways to stretch a budget.  By utilizing your leftovers in a soup your family won't know they are eating re-runs.  Something else I do, I'll look at each ingredient and see if I can make it myself rather than buying it prepackaged.  Learn to can, make flavored rice, even learn to make your own mayonnaise.

Vegetable Soups
 
Chitmacha Corn Soup

1 can diced tomatoes
Salt meat (you can use some bacon or some such)
12-16 ears of corn
1 stick of margarine
2 onions, diced

Melt margarine in pot and then saute the onions for about 10 minutes.  Add the scraped corn in the pot and cook on medium-low for about 15 minutes.  Next add water to the corn and let it come to a boil, then add the diced tomatoes.  Also after you have boiled the salt meat, add it to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper.

Green Bean Soup

6 red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 handfuls of fresh green beans, tails off, cut in half
1/2 pound bacon
Water enough to cover the vegetables
Milk, and equal amount to water
1/2 stick butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Put beans and potatoes in pot cover with water and begin cooking.  Cook bacon and add to vegetables.  When veggies are done, add milk - the amount which would double the amount of water left.  Add butter, salt, and pepper.

Roasted Pumpkin Stew

Roast a leek, some tomatoes, carrots, peppers, garlic, onion, etc.  Add to a pot of water and let stew (or vegetable or chicken stock).  Hollow out pumpkin and roast in oven with some of the liquid.  Roast with olive oil and Italian seasoning for an hour.  Add veggie stew into pumpkin and roast another hour or two.  Make sure you put a deep drip pan under the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Soup

2 whole pie pumpkins
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup maple syrup
Dash of nutmeg
Salt to taste
Extra cream for serving

Preheat oven to 300°.  Place pumpkins on cookie sheet and roast them until slightly shriveled and soft.  Allow to cool slightly, then slice in half and carefully scoop out the seeds and pulp.  Scoop flesh into bowl.  In a pot, heat up the pumpkin flesh with the stock and maple syrup until simmering.  Mash out the big chunks beforehand to help.  Transfer to a blender and blend til smooth.  Add cream and nutmeg.  Blend again.  Reheat some to make piping hot.  Serve in hollowed out pumpkin.  Top with extra cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Tomato Soup

4 cups crushed or diced tomatoes (do not drain)
4 tablespoons butter or bacon grease
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Shredded Parmesan for garnish

Heat butter in pot; add onion and celery and saute until tender.  Stir in the flour and let it brown 2 to 3 minutes.  Puree tomatoes.  Place them in separate saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Add in brown sugar, salt, pepper, and basil, then pour in milk all at once.  Cook and stir constantly over medium heat until it reaches a simmer and begins to thicken.  Stir in heated tomatoes and allow flavors to blend, around 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Baked Potato Soup


4 large baked potatoes
4 slices bacon
6 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
4 green onions, sliced, divided.
1 1/4 cups cheddar, shredded, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces sour cream

Cook bacon in Dutch oven til crisp.  Remove and crumble.  Add to Dutch oven milk and flour; mix well.  Cook over medium heat 15 minutes til bubbly and thickened, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat.  Scoop out potatoes and discard skins.  Mash well.  Add potatoes, 2 tablespoons onions, 1 cup cheese, salt, and pepper.  Cook and stir til cheese is melted and heated through.  Add sour cream; cook and stir til thoroughly heated.  Sprinkle with remaining onion and cheese.

Cream of Any Vegetable Soup

2 cups diced carrots, celery, or other vegetable
2 cups water
1 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fat
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt

Cook carrots in water til tender.  Melt fat.  Add dry ingredients, add gradually 1 cup carrot water and milk.  When at boiling point, serve.

Bean Soups

Bean and Bacon Soup

8 slices bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
2  (15.5 oz) cans navy beans
1 cup water
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Cook bacon in large saucepan til crisp.  Remove bacon.  Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings.  Add celery, carrots, and onions; cook 5 minutes til vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Reduce heat to low, simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in bacon.  Serve with honey drizzled cornbread.

Black Bean Soup

1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 pound black beans, cooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

In a pot, combine the first 6 ingredients, simmer 10 minutes.  Add half the beans, salt, and cumin; cook for 5 mintues.  Mash other half of beans and add to soup.  Combine corn starch with 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.  Add lemon juice and corn starch mixture to the soup.  Cook and stir til thickened.

White Bean and Tarragon Soup

2 cans cannallini beans, drained and rinsed
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 scallions, roughly chopped
1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup fresh tarragon, roughly chopped

To a large pot add butter and olive oil.  Heat over medium then add scallions.  Cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add carrots and cook about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Add beans and stock.  Turn heat to high.  Once it's boiling add bay leaves and tarragon.  Drop heat to medium-low.  Simmer 15-20 minutes until beans are falling apart.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with a little olive oil on top with some tarragon if desired.


Grains

Scotch Broth

Put 1 cup of pearl barley into 4 quarts of cold water with a little salt, let boil, add 2 onions, 2 turnips, 2 carrots (1 sliced and 1 grated).  Boil slowly 3 hours.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Lentils Soup

1 cup lentils (rinsed)
Swiss Chard (4 large leaves chopped thinly)
1 cup lemon juice
6-8 cloves garlic
4 large potatoes cubed
1 tablespoon salt
8 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch fresh cilantro, optional

Boil the lentils on medium heat.  5-7 minutes after boiling has been reached pound cilantro with garlic and fry in oil, then add to the pot.  Lower the heat and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let simmer for a few minutes.

Dairy Soups

Mozzarella Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound baby carrots, chopped
2 small celery ribs, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 whole bay leaf
1 3" sprig rosemary leaf
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
4 oz finely shredded mozzerella
1/3 cup pitted Greek olives
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large, heave saucepan over moderate heat 1 minute.  Add red onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary.  Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and "sweat" vegetables 10 minutes.  Add broth, bring gently to a boil, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Add evaporated milk, milk, and hot sauce and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat, add mozzarella and stir until smooth.  Stir in olives and seasonings.  Discard bay leaf and rosemary sprig and serve.

Egg Drop Soup


Peel a potato and cube small, put in pot.  Put in chopped onion.  Add a teaspoon of olive oil and brown.  Add a bay leaf, salt, and pepper while browning.  Once brown add 1/2 pot water.  Cook over medium til potatoes are softened.  Keep adding salt and pepper to taste.  At boiling point add a few whole eggs and a couple scrambled eggs.  Put Parmesan in and stir.  Pour over a thick slice of toast.

Beef Soups

Irish Famine Soup


1/2 pound beef, cooked and diced
1/2 cup drippings
5 medium onions, diced
Peelings from a turnip, or 1 turnip diced, plus greens
Celery tops, minced
1 carrot, plus top, diced
1 potato in its jacket, diced
4 gallons water
1/3 cup brown sugar
Salt to taste

Cook beef in fat/drippings.  Put in large kettle.  Cook vegetables in drippings.  Put in kettle.  Put most of water back in kettle.  Put skillet back on stove and get it very hot.  Add some water to it and stir with a fork to get all the fat and cooked on drippings.  When pan is cleaned, add the fat and drippings and remaining water to the big kettle.  Add the sugar and salt.  Cook until flavors are melded together.  Serve hot.  Depending on the size of the family this soup should last the week.

Spicy Cabbage Beef Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
5 cups chopped cabbage
2 cans red kidney beans
3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup picante sauce
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet.  Drain.  Pour into crock pot.  Stir in cabbage, beans, tomato sauce, water, pepper, picante sauce, bouillon, and seasonings.  Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.  Serve when cabbage is tender.

Mexican Meatball Soup

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans beef broth
1 pound meatballs
2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup roughly crumbled tortillas or corn chips

Bring beef broth to a boil, add meatballs.  Cover and simmer til heated through.  Remove cover.  Add corn and salsa and simmer til done.  Top with cheese and chips.

Beef Stock

1 1/2 pounds beef marrow bones
1 1/2 pounds beef meaty bones (knuckle or neck)
4-5 carrots, whole unpeeled
4-5 celery stalks, whole
1 onion, unpeeled cut in half
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large baking dish brown meaty bones for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes.  Transfer to stock pot.  Add raw marrow bones.  Then add the rest.  Cover with water leaving a 1" head space at least.  Cover, let sit 1 hour.  Bring to a good boil.  Simmer on low 12 to 72 hours.  Add water as needed.  Strain and put into bowl.  Remove tallow.  Refrigerate.  Strain out tallow again.  (Save the tallow for candles.)  You can re-use bones 3 times.

Pork Soups

Porkolt (Hungarian Stew)

5 slices bacon, diced
2 large onions, diced 
1/4 cup Hungarian paprika 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
 5 pounds boneless pork chops, trimmed
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2/3 cup beef broth
2 cups sour cream
2 (6 oz) packages wide egg noodles

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat til evenly browned, about 10 minutes.  Drain; reserve drippings.  Add onions to skillet with bacon and cook til onions are translucent.  Remove from heat.  Add paprika, garlic powder, and pepper.  Transfer to a large stock pot.  Heat a small amount of drippings in skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chops in batches til evenly browned on both sides.  Drain chops and cube into bite-sized pieces.  Stir into bacon mixture.  Heat small amount of drippings in skillet.  Stir in bell pepper and cook til softened and fragrant.  Drain.  Stir into stew mixture.  Add to stew tomatoes with juice and broth and place over medium-high heat.  Bring to a simmer and reduce to medium-low.  Cook until stew starts to thicken, stirring occasionally, about 90 minutes.  Stir the sour cream into the stew just before serving.  Bring a pot with lightly salted water to a boil; add the egg noodles and return to a boil.  Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally until cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes.  Drain well.  Ladle stew over noodles to serve.

Depression Pork Stew

2-3 large pork chops
4 large white potatoes
2 large yellow onions
6 stalks celery, including leaves
1/2 gallon water
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken bouillon cubes

Boil pork until it falls from bone.  Cut into small bit-sized pieces (fat as well) and return to pot with some salt and pepper.  Keep on a low simmer.  Peel and cut potatoes into bit-sized chunks.  Roughly dice onion and celery.  Add all vegetables and bouillon cubes to pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low until vegetables are done.  Thicken with a mixture of cold water and flour.  Variations:  No potatoes, add 1 can northern beans.  Add 1/2 head cabbage.  Add Worcestershire sauce.  Add carrots and/or tomatoes.

Split Pea Soup With Ham Bone

8 cups water
1 large ham bone
2 cups dry green split peas
2 large carrots, peeled and diced small
2 medium onions, diced small
2 large celery ribs, including leaves, chopped small
1 large bay leaf
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 pinch dried thyme

Rinse peas well in cold water and add to large pot.  Measure 8 cups of water and add to pot.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let sit 1 hour.  Return to stove and bring back to a boil.  Add ham bone, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf, beef bouillon, salt, peppercorns, and dried thyme.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove ham bone and cut off any remaining ham.  Cut into bite-sized pieces and return to soup.  Discard ham bone.  If there are big pieces in soup cut those up as well and return.  Remove and discard bay leaf.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Puree soup in batches if desired.  If soup is too thick, add more water.  For a smoky flavor add 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke.

Ham and Potato Chowder

1/4 cup melted butter
1 medium minced onion
3/4 cup diced ham
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups finely diced raw potato
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups milk

Saute onion, celery, and ham in melted butter in a large saucepan.  Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes longer.  Remove from heat and add flour, salt, and pepper.  Add milk and return to heat.  Warm slowly.  Do not boil.  Serve immediately.

Chicken

Chicken Stock

Chicken Bones
2 carrots
2 celery stalks, leaves and all
1 onion
Garlic, fresh herbs, peppercorns, bay leaves
Salt (optional)

Roughly chop your vegetables.  Roast them and bones for 20 minutes at 400°.  Put in large pot and fill with boiling water.  Turn to low and leave it covered 8-12 hours.  Strain.  Put in fridge overnight.  In the morning, skim the fat.  Freeze in muffin tins, then turn over in sink.  Run warm water over bottom til they pop out.  Store in freezer.

Chicken Broth

2 1/2 pound chicken pieces
2 celery ribs, chunked
2 carrots, chunked
2 onions, quartered
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
8-10 peppercorns
2 quarts cold water

Place all ingredients in a soup kettle or Dutch oven.  Slowly bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Skim foam.  cover and simmer 2 hours.  Set chicken aside until cool enough to handle.  Remove meat from bones.  Discard bones and save meat.  Strain broth, discarding vegetables and seasonings.  Refrigerate for 8 hours.  Skim fat from surface.

Chicken Cream Soup (1880)

Boil an old fowl with an onion in 4 quarts of cold water until there remains but 2 quarts.  Take it out and let it get cold.  Cut off the whole of the breast and chop it very fine.  Mi with the pounded yolks of 2 hard boiled eggs, and rub through a colander.  Cool, skim, and strain the soup into the pot.  Season; add the chicken and egg mixture; simmer 10 minutes and pour into a tureen.  Add a small cup of boiling milk.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
1 can green chilies, undrained (4 oz)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
3/4 cup corn kernels
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
3 corn tortillas, cut in 1/2" strips

Combine stock with tomatoes, lime juice, jalapeno if using, green chilies, cilantro, green onions, carrots, and corn in a large saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat for 45 minutes.  Add chicken about 5 minutes before done.  Heat 1" oil in deep saucepan.  Cook tortilla strips til crispy.  Top each bowl of soup with tortilla strips and cheese.

Velvet Chicken Soup

3-4 pounds chicken 
3 quarts cold water
1 tablespoon salt
6 peppercorns or 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 cups milk or cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
Salt to taste
2 eggs, well-beaten

Thoroughly clean chicken and cut up into pieces.  Pout in covered kettle with cold water and salt.  Bring to a boil quickly and simmer til chicken is tender.  Remove chicken from stock and de-bone.  Save meat for another recipe.  Return bones to pot and add peppercorns, onions, and celery.  Simmer til little more than a quart of stock remains.  Strain, cool, refrigerate overnight.  Skim fat.  Add milk, bring to a boil and thicken with corn starch mixed with a little cool water.  Add butter and season to taste.  Beat eggs.  Pour 1 cup soup over eggs stirring well, then pour back into soup stirring constantly and cook 2 minutes.  Add croutons if desired.

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