Sensational Soup
Soups are nourishing, economical, and easy to make. And — whether
you're using fresh produce or this week's leftovers — spices can
make any soup sensational, too!
Ask someone about his or her
favorite food when the temperatures drop and the flurries threaten to fly,
and chances are good that a lot of them are going to say soup. When you're
chilled to the bone (and if you live in a snowy climate, you know what
that phrase means), there's nothing like a bowl of hot soup to warm the
body and spirit. Ditto any time you're feeling under the weather. In fact,
the first restaurants — located in Paris — were so called because
they sold hearty soups to restaurer (restore) patrons.
A pot of soup or stew simmering on top of the stove brings a steamy
warmth to the kitchen, disperses delicious aromas throughout the house,
and provides a splash of color to a season that can often get a little dreary.
Many of us include soups in our
weekly menus, with recipes reflecting personal tastes and preferences,
nutritional values, and even family culture and heritage. We all have our
favorites, but when it comes to these stovetop concoctions, there's great
advice to be followed in the classic children's French folktale, "Stone
Soup." In this story, a hungry traveler tells a village of peasants
(who have related that there is nothing to eat) that he will make a delicious
soup from nothing but stones and share it with them. Water is added to
a kettle with a stone, and then, one by one, the villagers make seemingly
insignificant contributions — a carrot, a little meat, and other
ingredients — in response
to the traveler's comments that the items will make this Stone Soup the
best ever. In the end, of course, they all share a delicious pot of soup.
There are two great lessons about cooking soup to take from this story:
one, that when it comes to soup-making, anything goes—and
two, soup always seems to taste better when enjoyed with others.
But we're not only talking a delicious potpourri of leftovers on a cold
night. There's a soup
for every occasion and every taste. Whether it's a light consommé served
as the first course of a special meal, a refreshing fruit soup on a warm
afternoon, or a hearty stew in the midst of a snowstorm, soup fits the
bill. And when you make your own soup you can customize—chunky or
smooth, spicy or mild, light on onions, heavy on garlic, hot or cold, and,
of course, seasoned to perfection.
Soups offer a tasty meal packed with nutrition for
all members of the family. For the younger set, vegetables are often more
palatable in soup or stew than when served by themselves on a dinner plate.
Soups are also easy to concoct for special diets, such as vegetarians or vegans, or those watching their salt intake. Decreasing—or even eliminating — salt
is easy with the help of herbs and spices.
Affordable
fare
Soup's wealth of nutrition
and flavor comes without a lot of expense, too. A beef roast that would
typically feed the family for one or two meals can be stretched to provide
several meals when used as an ingredient in soup. The grains, beans,
pasta and vegetables in your soup recipes are relatively inexpensive ingredients
that help you create healthy meals, even on a tight budget. And, of course, soup is the perfect solution for myriad leftovers, such as turkey, cooked rice, and any assortment of vegetables.
Be sure to make more than you'll need, while you're at it, and freeze
the rest for a quick meal at a later date. First chill the soup in the
refrigerator, and then place in freezer containers. (Because liquids expand
when they freeze, you'll want to leave about 1/4-inch headspace at the
top.) Though many will last a few months, most soups are best when served
within a month of freezing. When ready to serve, thaw soup in the refrigerator
and then reheat. If your cream soup has separated during freezing, simply
whisk after defrosting.
Soup
vocabulary
With so many culinary influences
from around the world, it's no wonder we have such a wide glossary of terms
when it comes to soup. What are the differences between soup and stew, broth
and bisque, purée and potage?
Basically, soup is a combination of foods (meat, fish, vegetables, fruit,
beans, grains, etc.) that are cooked in water or broth. By definition,
soups contain more liquid than stews contain. While a stew may feature
the same basic ingredients as a soup, it differs in that it's usually cooked
in a covered pot for a much longer period of time and at a lower, simmering
temperature. In stew, the cooking liquid and the natural juices of the
other foods are combined during the boiling-down process, and a thicker
end product is the result.
Soups are generally classified as clear soups or thick soups. Clear soups
include broth (also sometimes called stock or bouillon), which is made
by simmering meat, fish, grains, or vegetables in water and then skimming
off the fat and straining out the ingredients. Broth can be enjoyed on
its own, or as the base for other soups, sauces, or gravies. Consommé is a more refined broth that is clarified through additional strainings and
cooked down for a more concentrated flavor.
Stocks are defined by their color. White stock is made from poultry,
veal, or fish, while brown stock comes
from beef, beef bones, or a combination of beef and veal. While the terms
broth and stock are often used interchangeably, some cooks claim that stock
is actually made from just water and bones.
Thick
soups include cream soups, purées, and bisques. Cream soups rely on a combination of milk (or cream) and
flour for the base, while a purée is
thickened with pulp or starch, typically from a vegetable source. A thick soup
made with puréed shellfish and milk or cream is called bisque.
And potage? Apparently, it was a staple in the peasant diet in Medieval
and Early Modern Europe and consisted of meat and vegetables that were
boiled in water until they formed a thick soup. Hmmm. Sounds like stew
to us!
Soup Herbs, Spices & Other Seasonings
Getting Started (recipes and tips)
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Quick Links
Broth Powders and Soup Mixes
Dehydrated Beans
Dried Vegetables
Soup & Chili Recipes
