The Scoop on Soup!

Soup must surely be the oldest comfort food we have.  It was made in very ancient times in baskets filled with water and food items.  Hot rocks from the open fire were added to heat the water and simmer the soup.  Later, it was made in every country with local ingredients and great ingenuity.  In some places soup and bread were the main part of the daily diet.  Long ago many people kept an "eternal pot" of soup boiling night and day on the back of the stove.  Items were added from every meal, meat scraps, bones, left over vegetables, grains, legumes and even stale bread.  That was always ready for a hungry visitor or family meal.  Our love affair with soup is hereditary and basic to hearth and home all over the world.  So it really is a very basic dish to cook and very easy too.

Over the years I have discovered a few things about making soup at home.  And I would like to share my "soup system" with you here.  Let's start with a very basic vegetable soup that is extremely versatile.  Following a few guidelines will ensure a delicious result every time! I won't be posting a "recipe" for this soup.  You don't need measurements, you need ingredients suggestions, techniques and your ability to taste.   So, from the start, this should be made of things you enjoy eating.  Here's how I do it:

I always use; celery [tops and all], carrots, onion, garlic. And I am of the opinion that most soups will benefit from cabbage.  These should all be sliced and diced.  As for the cabbage, it needs to be sliced very thinly and the turned and sliced the other way too that we end up with little pieces that will nearly melt into the broth as they cook.  The "fabulous 5" all go into the large pot with a can of diced tomatoes and enough water to cover by a couple of inches.  Some of these are going to float so use your hand, push them down and guess!  Add some herbs if you like.  I use a bit of oregano, thyme and basil here. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn the heat down a bit.  You want it to continue boiling but not at full speed.  Use a lid that is cocked to vent the steam. Ideally, this gentle boiling should be an hour or even two. The long cooking time isn't suitable for potatoes, or grains as they get mushy.  Ergo, the next step. 

After the soup has had it's first cooking, you may add what else you would like, I use corn, potatoes, a turnip, green beans and parsley if I have it.  You put in what ever you like. At this time bring the pan back to a boil until the veggies and grains are tender. Then add salt and pepper and adjust seasoning to your taste, perhaps adding some bouillon cubes or soy sauce for richness.  At this point, I usually toss in a can of kidney beans or some leftover cooked pintos and a handful of pasta [macaroni, orzo or?] .  Bring back to a boil, cover and turn off the heat.  Ten minutes later, it's ready to eat. This is satisfying soup,  and is a meal in itself if served with toast or biscuits.  It can be stored in wide mouth pint jars as single servings for lunches, etc. 

Just a note here, this type of soup is so versatile.  When my family was all at home and I was cooking for 7 people I would clean out the fridge on Thursday and make all the left overs into soup for dinner.  My kids called it "day before payday soup" .  And I don't remember any complaints about the meals.  In fact it was somewhat like making an old fashioned quilt using household fabric scraps.  Everyone would look at those quilts and remember their winter pajamas or their special dress.  We had a weeks worth of memories in our bowls and it made for  lively conversation.  More soup coming up soon. 


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