Even though I have lived in NC for over 30 years, my body is still programmed to the schedule of my youth in NY for some things. A big one is the weather. In September, I expect kids to be wearing long pants and sweaters to school, and I start craving cold-weather foods like soup. Every day this week when I stopped in to get my lunch from Subway, I expected them to be offering broccoli soup. Alas, the only sides on offer were chips and apple slices. So I took matters into my own hands today and made chicken noodle soup for dinner.
I wish I could say I made it from scratch, but my pantry isn't stocked for real cooking. I used a soup starter by Wyler's called Mrs. Grass Hearty Soup. It says that you can eat it as a soup just by adding water, but I wouldn't recommend it. All you will end up with is broth because there aren't enough noodles and vegetables in the pouch to make a difference. It is best used as a seasoning base for your soup. All I had on hand was chicken breast, but the soup still tasted pretty good with tortilla chips crumbled in it. Next time, I would add some other vegetables like broccoli or some more noodles.
As the title suggests, this is only the first soup of the season. I plan on making at least one soup a week during the fall and winter. Right now with me working, the kids are eating hot dogs and sandwiches for dinner practically every night. I'm sure they would welcome having a soup waiting for them in the crockpot when they get home. I also have found that I consume fewer calories a day if I make soup one of my meals. Hopefully, this soup adventure will work out for everyone.
4 comments:
I would make homemade soup find recipes online, because the difference is so much better and most soup mixes contain too much salt and other chemicals.
Potato and leek soup is very easy and maybe 30-45m of work.
While I am not a fan of Rachael Ray on the Food Network site there is a sausage and kale soup that is excellent, if you ignore her 30m mantra and cook it for an hour before serving.
Chicken stock from BJs or local warehouse club is cheap or often grocery stores will offer discounts at certain times of the year. Last if you are cooking chicken, after the meat is gone save the bones, right now we have 2-3 birds bones in the freezer and will be making stock of them soon once it's a bit cooler.
Thomas, when I say my pantry isn't stocked for real cooking, I'm not kidding! I flipped through "Love Soup" this weekend and there are only one or two recipes in that book that wouldn't require a major expenditure on my part. That's why I often turn to soup bases (mixes, starters, whatever) because it is cheaper than buying jars of spices I may never use again.
Having said all that, I DO plan to ease myself into cooking at least semi-homemade soups. Eating soup out of a can is not even appealing to my junk-food taste buds any more.
Find a store with a Mexican section often times you will find the very same spices for half the prices. Also discount stores is where we currently find a lot of bargains. I haven't reached my old level of employment from before the move yet, bad timing with the economy. I am looking to other options for future work and it may find fruit soon I hope. So we have been cooking on a tighter budget than we like so it can be done.
Hi Dani, It's Kris- You don't need a well stocked pantry for soup, just a few things sitting in the refrigerator. For most soups I don't bother with a recipe, unless I'm trying to create a specific style (chili, chowder, or french onion) and then I use it only as a guide.
Here's the trick- choose a protein or two (beans, beef, pork, chicken, or fish) choose 3-5 veggies. Onions and garlic are a must for Thomas and myself, but carrots, celery, tomato, peas. Choose a starch (rice, pasta, potatoes). Beyond this you just need a bouillon/broth, a bit of fat, and and herb or two at most, thyme and marjoram are my two favorites and I add them to most dishes. If I don't have broth, I use Knorr bouillon cubes. If you can afford only 1, go with vegetable which is the most flexible of the flavors.
Brown the meat using an oil. Reserve the excess fat and use it brown onions, adding garlic (if using) when the onions are soft. Add hard veggies (carrots, celery) saute until starting to soften. Add meat/beans, and potatoes if using and broth/bouillon to cover (4-8c). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-40 minutes until potato/meat are tender. Add peas/tomato and rice/pasta and herbs in the final 10-20 minutes and simmer, covered until all ingredients are fully cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want a thicker stew, the meat can be dredged in flour prior to browning. Milk or cream can be used to create cream soups or chowders. Soups should be fun and easy. That said, bisques, french onion soup and a few others require some extra work. Feel free to contact me with questions or if you need a rescue.
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