Soup

[corkybstewart]

Raised on the Gulf Coast we had 2 kinds of soup-Campbells Cream of Mushroom for casseroles and Chicken Noodle for when nobody wanted to cook food. In the Southwest we make posole with green chile, pork and hominy. But I never really understood soup until spending this fall in France.
My wife was raised on a farm post WWII, life was a struggle that had just begun to ease when she grew up. There was little meat to eat other than the chickens and rabbits her mom raised but this area is great for growing veggies, so they got creative with them.
Most fall nights the weather is cool so we eat soup. Sometimes we eat meat dishes or leftovers with the soup, but many nights it's just soup. But we ain't talking Campbells concentrated Chicken Noodle. Last night I made soup with half a pumpkin, an onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Boiled an hour and then pureed with an immersion blender, with a little heavy cream added at serving time. Tonight it was more basic, a leek, 3 carrots, three potatoes, an onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Sometimes there's lettuce, turnips, green peas, green beans, wild mushrooms, the combinations are endless. With stock from a beef bone or chicken carcass it's richer but even without any animal input it's delicious.
I love reading everybody's cooking experiences here, so I know there are some amazing cooks. What kind of soup do you eat wherever you live? Let's see some recipes please

 

[soccerdad]

I could eat soup everyday. Meat or not doesn't matter. One of my favorites is minestrone. Lots of veggies and some garlic and garbanzos and small pasta. My wife always wants Italian sausage in it, but it doesn't need it.

 

[Golddiggie]

I just started a batch of turkey soup. It will cook for a few hours (at least 3-4) before I let it cool and put it up in containers. I always make a good size batch (16qt pot). For at least a few years now I use a smoked turkey to make this. IMO, it makes for even better turkey soup. This time I decided to put two red onions into it as well. Will see how that comes out. I do add fresh garlic cloves into the soup. Usually 4-6 of them in the batch size (depending on the head of garlic).

In the past, I've used the breast sections from the turkey for sammiches. This time I'm only using one of the breasts for sammich meat, the other is in the pot (cut into chunks). Everything else from the turkey went in (except the neck and gizzards), including the skin. IME, the skin gives it the most smoked flavor (and the color).

If you have a smoker/bbq (I use a BGE) smoke a turkey and then make soup at least with the carcass and skin. You might need to add some more meat to the batch, depending on your preferences.

 

[bracconiere]

my go to soup is split pea....i grind my split peas into flour, and like 3ozs to the water with curry powder and chicken broth....as soon as it comes to a boil, and thickens, done....serve with pepper....more of a poridge i guess....

 

[corkybstewart]

my go to soup is split pea....i grind my split peas into flour, and like 3ozs to the water with curry powder and chicken broth....as soon as it comes to a boil, and thickens, done....serve with pepper....more of a poridge i guess....

Last night my sister in law next door added curry to the pumpkin soup, I tried it in my second bowl and it was pretty good, but I like the straight pumpkin a little better.

 

[bracconiere]

Last night my sister in law next door added curry to the pumpkin soup, I tried it in my second bowl and it was pretty good, but I like the straight pumpkin a little better.

i don't know but the indians make marsalas a lot, maybe something like gram marsala for pumpkin? but soup ain't nothing with out a coffee grinder full of spices! think savory cinnamon?

 

[MaxStout]

I could eat soup everyday. Meat or not doesn't matter. One of my favorites is minestrone. Lots of veggies and some garlic and garbanzos and small pasta. My wife always wants Italian sausage in it, but it doesn't need it.

I could too. Faves include clam chowder (New England, not that Manhattan abomination); good chili (just hot enough to get your attention); beef barley soup; ham & bean soup; and turkey carcass soup with the leftover T-giving turkey remains boiled into stock, then add vegetables and noodles or pasta.

Comfort food.

 

[bracconiere]

turkey carcass soup with the leftover T-giving turkey remains boiled into stock

now you're just talking to your self for ideas on what to do with it aren't you?

 

[Golddiggie]

Smoked brisket is great in chili too. Pulled a container out of the freezer for dinner sometime this week.

 

[MaxStout]

now you're just talking to your self for ideas on what to do with it aren't you?

No talking into. We do that every year. If you toss out your turkey bones, you're letting one of life's culinary pleasures pass you by.

Edit: leave some chunks of meat on the bones before you boil.

 

[corkybstewart]

i don't know but the indians make marsalas a lot, maybe something like gram marsala for pumpkin? but soup ain't nothing with out a coffee grinder full of spices! think savory cinnamon?

All we put is salt or stock(wife is allergic to black pepper) and the soup is excellent. Let the veggies shine.

 

[bracconiere]

No talking into. We do that every year. If you toss out your turkey bones, you're letting one of life's culinary pleasures pass you by.

Edit: leave some chunks of meat on the bones before you boil.

pressure cooker, strainer....love it!

 

[bracconiere]

All we put is salt or stock(wife is allergic to black pepper) and the soup is excellent. Let the veggies shine.

i was trying to think up a savory use for cinnamon, then got to thinking of smoking the pumpkin first?

 

[soccerdad]

Turkey soup after turkey day is also therapy

 

[Golddiggie]

Turkey soup after turkey day is also therapy

I typically make two or three batches of smoked turkey soup each year. Depends on how fast I'm going through each batch. Which typically depends on how cold the winter is.

I'll probably be making another batch of chili in January at the rate I'm going through the current batch. Will just get a decent sized brisket to smoke for that.

 

[InspectorJon]

Turkey carcass to make stock. Then turn that into gumbo with turkey pieces, andouille sausage and shrimp. Dat’s da way to do it. You start with a roux… then the Cajun trinity, Cajun spice mix to taste and the meat and sausage. Hold the shrimp until just a couple minutes before serving. Serve over a scoop of long grain white rice.

 

[ba-brewer]

Growing up we always had a variety of Campbell's soup, beef barley was my favorite and I actually liked the Manhattan style clam chowder(mom bought on accident the first time). My mom would make all kinds of soups from scratch, split pea(my favorite), navy bean, chicken noodle. chicken and dumplings(did not like), beef barley once in a while. We had beef stew which I liked too.

Last night I made sort of a stew, cut up a polska kielbasa, browned with a cut up onion, then added a few cut up carrots and cut up potatoes with some chicken stock. simmered until the potatoes and carrots were done. The smaller potatoes broke down to thicken the stock.

edit: I often make chilli, I prefer mine without beans but I actually think chilli started out as beans and vegetables without meat.

 

[corkybstewart]

I'm also a huge fan of a pot of chicken soup full of carrots, taters, lima beans and whatever else I have around. Of course living in New Mexico it's also full of sphincter flaming green and red chile.

 

[Oldskewl]

I am not a big soup lover. But there are a few I enjoy. French Onion Soup, Tom Kha - Thai Coconut Soup, Homemade Beef Noodle soup cooked in the pressure cooker w/chuck roast and soup bones, and after Easter - Ham, Potato, cabbage and carrots with the ham bone. I do enjoy a good texas chili cerveza also.

 

[Cameronl]

I just finished up the last bowl of 15-Bean Soup moments ago. I don't have a go-to recipe, it's what ever I find online that looks good. Just pick up a pack of multi-beans (# varies by packager, 15-bean, 16-bean, 9-bean... I'm convinced that at the end of the day, they just sweep up whatever fell on the floor during packaging of individual types). For me, it must have tomato in the recipe.

 

[Kee]

When we lived in Colombia, soup was on the menu almost everyday, either something simple or as the main course (you have to try ajiaco and sancocho if you're ever down that way). I love soup.

Back in the States now, we eat lentil soup once or twice a week, which is not near enough in my opinion. Onions, green onions, garlic, carrots, okra, broccoli, picante sauce, salt, black pepper, ginger and lots of lentils, usually along with a small amount of chicken breast. Served with rice, fresh cilantro and hot sauce.

 

[InspectorJon]

Bean Soup (snip). For me, it must have tomato in the recipe.

I have read several places that it is best to add tomato to bean recipes after the beans are soft. Acid from tomatoes or other sources can slow or prevent the beans from softening. I also like tomato in my bean soup. I like to cook a ham bone in the instant pot with plenty of water for 2-4 hours. I then clean the usable meat off the bones and use the meat and stock to make bean, pea or lentil soup. I find that method easier to get the bones out of the soup and get better bone broth that way.

 

[Cameronl]

I have read several places that it is best to add tomato to bean recipes after the beans are soft. Acid from tomatoes or other sources can slow or prevent the beans from softening. I also like tomato in my bean soup. I like to cook a ham bone in the instant pot with plenty of water for 2-4 hours. I then clean the usable meat off the bones and use the meat and stock to make bean, pea or lentil soup. I find that method easier to get the bones out of the soup and get better bone broth that way.

A good, meaty hambone is great in any bean soup. I haven't bought one in a few years, but Honeybaked Ham used to give away their hambones for the asking. Later they only charged a couple of bucks. Still a great deal as there was a TON of meat still on it. Made a killer spilt pea soup.

 

[jtratcliff]

We have enjoyed every soup that we've tried from this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Soup-Cuisine-Soups-Around/dp/0761501908
Just water and veggies... Super simple, yet very tasty..

SWMBO makes an awesome chicken soup where the whole chicken is simmered in the pot w/ leek, carrot, potato, and celery root. Once bird is cooked thru, it's removed from the pot, meat stripped from carcass and cut into bite size pieces and added back. Large bones are cracked and added back.

 

[jtratcliff]

i was trying to think up a savory use for cinnamon

I just made a moroccan-spiced lamb stew that called for cinnamon... quite tasty.

Edit to add:

I think I used this recipe:
https://www.hwcmagazine.com/recipe/moroccan-mambo-lamb-and-chickpea-stew/

 

[NickTheGreat]

I freaking love soup. I lived on Campbell's Chunky in college. Or for at least 4 or 5 meals a week.

I still love Campbells, but we make our own too. I made clam chowder last fall that was amazing. Often times make chili, and more of the noodly kinds occasionally (Ramen and such). Both of my kids love tomato soup, which i'm not a huge fan of.

 

[InspectorJon]

Let's see some recipes please

Butternut Squash Soup. This may be similar to @corkybstewart 's Pumpkin soup. It is relatively quick to make as soup goes and always a hit with who ever I make it for. The apples kind of make it.

 

[corkybstewart]

Butternut Squash Soup. This may be similar to @corkybstewart 's Pumpkin soup. It is relatively quick to make as soup goes and always a hit with who ever I make it for. The apples kind of make it.

That looks excellent. We harvested about 3 bushels of tart green apples of unknown variety and are down to about a dozen. And butternut is very popular over here for soup. |I'm gonna give this a shot this weekend. Thanks

 

[jtratcliff]

SWMBO also makes a pretty awesome curried pumpkin soup... Her gimmick is to serve it *in* the pumpkin...

Clean it like making a jack-o-latern... cut off top, scrap out punkin' guts... Then instead of chopping up the pumpkin to get to the meat, continue scraping the insides. Scrap out to your desired level (not too thin! don't pierce the skin!), use the scraped flesh to make the soup, then return finished soup to the scraped out pumpkin...

Makes for a nice presentation at the table.

 

[MaxStout]

Sliced andouille sausage works well in chili.

And I like beans in it, which is heresy to Texas chili fans. Usually black beans, and sometimes add some baked beans for a hint of sweetness to balance the heat.

If you can find these, they are awesome, BTW:

 

[jtratcliff]

my throw back to my Appalachian roots comfort food is "Soup beans and corn bread"

My Mom always used navy beans with a couple slices of bacon for the soup beans, and then we served it over top of crumbled up cornbread dotted w/ chunks of butter, and garnished with some finely diced onions... Dinner for 5 for just a couple bucks... leftovers, too! We had it pretty often.

I still make it once in a while but my non-Appalachian family are less enthralled w/ my po' white trash comfort food than I am. They like it well enough, but once or twice a year is plenty for them... vs. the once or twice a month I had it as a kid

 

[jtratcliff]

Tom Kha - Thai Coconut Soup

This is my litmus test dish for any new Thai restaurant I go to... If they can make a good Tom Kha Gai, then I'll give them a few chances on their other dishes... But if the Tom Kha is just "meh"... I won't go back....

We've tried making our own. It comes out OK, but not as good a well done one from a good Thai restaraunt.

 

[Cameronl]

Both of my kids love tomato soup, which i'm not a huge fan of.

Campbell's Cream of Tomato (gotta use milk) with a peanut butter sandwich (dunked in the soup) is one of my comfort foods from my childhood.
Or, instead of the sandwich, crush enough saltines into it until it's a thick mush.
Good eatin'

 

[ba-brewer]

Anyone remember the TV commercials "Is it soup yet?"

 

[NickTheGreat]

Campbell's Cream of Tomato (gotta use milk) with a peanut butter sandwich (dunked in the soup) is one of my comfort foods from my childhood.
Or, instead of the sandwich, crush enough saltines into it until it's a thick mush.
Good eatin'

I don't mind the tomato soup, like once or twice a year. But these girls could eat it once a week.

 

[Velnerj]

Here are the soups that are either in my regular rotation or that I particularly like:

Potato and leek soup
Baked potato soup
Broccoli cheddar soup
Garlic soup (great for hangovers)
Lamb and lima bean soup

 

[MaxStout]

my throw back to my Appalachian roots comfort food is "Soup beans and corn bread"

My Mom always used navy beans with a couple slices of bacon for the soup beans, and then we served it over top of crumbled up cornbread dotted w/ chunks of butter, and garnished with some finely diced onions... Dinner for 5 for just a couple bucks... leftovers, too! We had it pretty often.

I still make it once in a while but my non-Appalachian family are less enthralled w/ my po' white trash comfort food than I am. They like it well enough, but once or twice a year is plenty for them... vs. the once or twice a month I had it as a kid

That actually sounds kind of good, and I'm not even from Appalachia.

I did something similar in my "starving college student" days. Usually a can of Van Camp's pork & beans heated up and dumped on top of a couple slices of toast.

 

[corkybstewart]

I did something similar in my "starving college student" days.

That's a whole other discussion I don't want to have, there are things I ate In college I still won't allow in my house

 

[Golddiggie]

Had some of the batch of soup made earlier this week for dinner tonight. When cold it was a bit gelatinous, in a very good way. Skimmed the excess fat off the top and added carrots into the simmer pot. I put some diced carrots when I make the batch, but add more when heating it up. I've found that sliced carrots don't fare well in the freezer. So no point in adding the desired amount into the original batch. Served it up over some freshly made brown rice (noodles are not an option for me). The smoke flavor/aroma is very mellow, but enough to enhance the recipe.

I'm hoping that the grocery store has whole (fresh) turkey on sale again after xmas (like they did after Thanksgiving).

 

[pfmeyer]

I found a recipe for a Thai influence peanut soup using Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Sorry, couldn’t find exact recipe online but there are plenty there to choose from. Came out really good.