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Soup is either our main meal or a first course for many of our meals. Not only is a good soup healthy and filling but some researchers have found that it can be a help keep people from overeating and control weight gain.
Here are some of our favorite recipes but don't forget to check Ebay's cookbook section cookbooks to find books specializing in soup recipes as well : soup cookbook
RECIPE ONE: LENTIL SOUP
Step 1: Rinse the lentils and get rid of any stones.
Step 2: Fill a pot with water or stock, depending on whether you want a vegetarian version. Either way will work. I prefer beef or chicken stock with plenty of water so the taste is not overwhelming.
Step 3: Simmer lentils gently till done, leaving a lid partially over the top, a nice slow simmer, till done. This can take an hour or more. I like to keep mine simmering all day, adding water as necessary. I also like to add a bay leaf, some chopped garlic, chopped carrots and celery. Plain lentil soup is fine, too. Experiment to discover what YOU like. Try it with a dollop of sour cream on top.
RECIPE TWO: BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP
1. Step one: Make a rich stock. If you use canned beef broth as a base, try adding oxtails or soup bones (with meat) to the water to add an extra layer of richness. It really DOES make a difference!
2. Step two: Gently saute some onions, carrots and any other hard root vegetables, such as potatoes and turnips. This adds nice flavor as well.
3. Add vegetables to soup. I basically eyeball my mixture of vegetables so I have a thick soup and use canned, drained, rinsed kidney beans and/or green beasn, diced Italian style tomatoes (canned, I like the kind with Italian seasoning already in them) , fresh chopped celery, carrots (yes, in addition to the sauteed ones).
4. Add spices of choice. Oregano and basil are my usual choice but occasionally I'll add garlic salt.
5. At the very end, add fresh chopped parsley, letting it heat until soft and tender but still bright green. Garnish each serving with fresh chopped parsley. If you like noodles in your soup, try cooking them separately (in broth or water) and add them to each bowl. That way, leftover soup won't have soggy, overcooked noodles in it.
RECIPE THREE: FRENCH ONION SOUP - so simple my kids can make this!
1. Take 1-2 onions and slice them in rings. Saute in butter until tender. I would give you exact proportions except that you really can't go wrong with this recipe. I like to use 2 onions just so I have extra to freeze. You'll know the onions are done when they are transclucent and you can almost see through them. My kids say they CAN see through them.
2. Pour enough homemade or canned beef broth on top to have plenty of onions but not so many that it overpowers the broth. Taste to get the right mix.
3. Take some French bread or sliced plain buttered Italian bread (you can buy this pre-frozen, Texas toast) . Toast it. Put on top of soup. Add cheese of choice - we like Swiss and we put the soup in bowls and microwave it to let it melt. ALternately, if your bowls are oven - proof, you can toast the cheese on top of the soup.
4. If you want to doctor this basic recipe, try adding some wine to the soup. But it is fine just the way it is and a good onion soup can be the base for many other recipes as well. Try it as a base for vegetable or chicken soup, for instance.
Here's to joyful SOUP SLURPING!
Here are some of our favorite recipes but don't forget to check Ebay's cookbook section cookbooks to find books specializing in soup recipes as well : soup cookbook
RECIPE ONE: LENTIL SOUP
Step 1: Rinse the lentils and get rid of any stones.
Step 2: Fill a pot with water or stock, depending on whether you want a vegetarian version. Either way will work. I prefer beef or chicken stock with plenty of water so the taste is not overwhelming.
Step 3: Simmer lentils gently till done, leaving a lid partially over the top, a nice slow simmer, till done. This can take an hour or more. I like to keep mine simmering all day, adding water as necessary. I also like to add a bay leaf, some chopped garlic, chopped carrots and celery. Plain lentil soup is fine, too. Experiment to discover what YOU like. Try it with a dollop of sour cream on top.
RECIPE TWO: BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP
1. Step one: Make a rich stock. If you use canned beef broth as a base, try adding oxtails or soup bones (with meat) to the water to add an extra layer of richness. It really DOES make a difference!
2. Step two: Gently saute some onions, carrots and any other hard root vegetables, such as potatoes and turnips. This adds nice flavor as well.
3. Add vegetables to soup. I basically eyeball my mixture of vegetables so I have a thick soup and use canned, drained, rinsed kidney beans and/or green beasn, diced Italian style tomatoes (canned, I like the kind with Italian seasoning already in them) , fresh chopped celery, carrots (yes, in addition to the sauteed ones).
4. Add spices of choice. Oregano and basil are my usual choice but occasionally I'll add garlic salt.
5. At the very end, add fresh chopped parsley, letting it heat until soft and tender but still bright green. Garnish each serving with fresh chopped parsley. If you like noodles in your soup, try cooking them separately (in broth or water) and add them to each bowl. That way, leftover soup won't have soggy, overcooked noodles in it.
RECIPE THREE: FRENCH ONION SOUP - so simple my kids can make this!
1. Take 1-2 onions and slice them in rings. Saute in butter until tender. I would give you exact proportions except that you really can't go wrong with this recipe. I like to use 2 onions just so I have extra to freeze. You'll know the onions are done when they are transclucent and you can almost see through them. My kids say they CAN see through them.
2. Pour enough homemade or canned beef broth on top to have plenty of onions but not so many that it overpowers the broth. Taste to get the right mix.
3. Take some French bread or sliced plain buttered Italian bread (you can buy this pre-frozen, Texas toast) . Toast it. Put on top of soup. Add cheese of choice - we like Swiss and we put the soup in bowls and microwave it to let it melt. ALternately, if your bowls are oven - proof, you can toast the cheese on top of the soup.
4. If you want to doctor this basic recipe, try adding some wine to the soup. But it is fine just the way it is and a good onion soup can be the base for many other recipes as well. Try it as a base for vegetable or chicken soup, for instance.
Here's to joyful SOUP SLURPING!
Guide created: 10/10/06 (updated 05/28/08)
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