Soup's On!

When I was growing up, my mom would make homemade soup at least once a week. There were several reasons for this: It was a great way to use up left-over veggies, meat, any rice, and/or cooking water (all kept in containers in the freezer for the right time); it was an easy meal to throw together; it just plain tasted good.

It also gave Mom a chance to bring out her soup tureen that she'd received years earlier (possibly as a wedding gift). She'd frequently add some homemade rolls and dessert. Yum!

Mom

Of course, while you can make soup the way Mom did - leftovers all simmered together - you can always make homemade soup from scratch, as these recipes will attest. Check out the Three-Bean Soup, the West African Peanut Soup, and the rest of today's yumminess. Add homemade rolls (or buy some at your local bakery), add dessert, and you have a yummy meal. Enjoy!

This looks very similar to the tureen we used. The handles were a little different, but this is close enough that I wouldn't mind getting this.

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP

This recipe is from Vegetarian Times, and begins, “Add a slice of crusty bread and a tossed salad to this soup for a quick, satisfying cold-weather meal.

“To make the soup without the Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, simply substitute two 15-ounce cans whole tomatoes for the slow-roasted tomatoes and water used.”

View this online at https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/italian-white-bean-and-kale-soup-recipe/.

Servings 4

Ingredients

10 thawed Slow-Roasted Tomatoes (1 cup)

1 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)

6 oz. lacinato kale, coarsely chopped

1 cup cooked white beans

Directions

Blend tomatoes with 2 cups water in blender or food processor until smooth (you should have about 3 cups); set aside.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until translucent. Add tomato purée and 4 more cups water, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Add kale and white beans; cook 10 minutes more, or until kale is tender. Serve drizzled with oil.

VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP

This is from Alison Roman in The New York Times cooking email. Alison wrote, “This vegetarian version of tortilla soup is no less complex than its chicken counterpart, thanks to plenty of vegetables, spices and a secret ingredient: canned chipotles in adobo. Smoked and dried jalapeños softened in a vinegar-tomato mixture, these little powerhouses do much of the heavy lifting in this vegetarian soup, offering depth and a certain meatiness to an otherwise light and tangy broth.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 1/4 hours

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chile powder

2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed

For the Tortillas and Assembly:

2 cups vegetable oil

8 small corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Kosher salt

1 avocado, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Cheddar or Monterey jack

3/4 cup sour cream or crema

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 red or yellow onion, finely chopped

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chile powder and stir to coat. Cook a minute or two to toast the spices, then add chipotles and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pot, concentrating their flavor.

Add vegetable broth, corn and 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer until flavors meld and broth tastes rich and flavorful, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron or stainless-steel skillet or heavy-bottomed pot. Bring oil to 375 degrees and working in batches, fry tortilla strips until light golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt.

Place about 3/4 of the tortilla strips into broth and stir to submerge and soften for a few minutes. Divide soup among bowls and top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, onion and remaining fried tortilla strips. Serve lime alongside for squeezing.

HERBED CARROT SOUP



From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett



Ingredients

2 pounds of carrots, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tbs of butter

6 C of vegetable stock

Freshly grated mace or nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Lightly sauté the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the stock and carrots and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, and put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread and garnish with some fresh parsley and a little chopped fresh thyme.

Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.

THREE-BEAN SOUP

This is one of my favorite quick meals that I usually only fix on weekends, especially if it happens to be cold and/or rainy. It’s from the November/December 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37, in that issue’s “30 Minutes; Quick, Fast Food” section. This vegan recipe serves 6, and starts off, “Here’s a straight-from-the-pantry soup that’ll become a weeknight favorite. (Or, in my case, weekend favorite.) Pureeing one of the cans of beans creates a creamy base without adding extra fat or cholesterol. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese and serve with vegetable chips, if desired.”

Ingredients

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1 15.5-oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.5-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs.)

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

1 15.5-oz. can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add navy beans, black beans and garlic, and continue cooking and stirring 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in 1 cup broth.

Meanwhile, put great Northern beans and remaining 1 cup broth into food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour puree into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth or water, if desired.

Spoon into individual soup bowls, and serve hot.

Per serving: 231 calories; 13 g protein; 5 g total fat (0 g saturated fat); 39 g carbs; 0 mg cholesterol; 557 mg sodium; 11 g fiber; 5 g sugars

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN AND BARLEY SOUP

This is from the August 2013 issue of Heart Insight, page 25. (This is the magazine for the American Heart Association.)

This recipe begins, "An Italian twist on a classic bean band barley soup, this hearty bowl of goodness is pantry-friendly and sure to keep you warm on a chilly fall night." Serves 4

I was unable to find a link online for this, but did want to give a head's up on where I got this.

Note: This recipe originally called for either vegetable or chicken broth. I’ve changed it to only the vegetable broth.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 celery stalk, trimmed and chopped

1 carrot, peeld and chopped

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 cup barley

1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained & rinced

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable broth

2 Tbls greated parmesan cheese, optional

2 Tbls chopped fresh basil, optional

Directions

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute more. Add barley, beans, tomatoes and stock, and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until barlye is tender. Season to taste with salt and more pepper. Divide among serving bowls and garnish with parmesan and basil, if desired.

WEST AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP

This interesting soup comes from Drumnwrite in Allrecipes. The recipe begins, "Tomatoes and peanut butter? YES! The first time I tried this at a health food restaurant, I was hooked. About 5 years of tweaking the recipe to my personal taste has created a spicy, sweet favorite amongst my friends and family. Luckily there is always enough for everyone!"

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes; Servings:10

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/68530/west-african-peanut-soup/.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, very finely diced

2 large bell peppers, (any color) finely chopped

6 large cloves garlic, minced

1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice

8 cups vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 (18 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Add rice to soup and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.

When rice is cooked, whisk in peanut butter and return to a simmer, and serve. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts, if desired.