Cold, rainy weather is the time to make soup
Rainy weather is good for one thing. Well, for a lot of things, really—one of which is to keep my winter vegetable garden going. Carrots, garlic, and lettuces are looking pretty good right now!
But here’s my real point. Rainy weather is the best time to make soup. It’s warming, satisfying, flavorful, versatile, and easy to make. Even if you lack many cooking skills, you can still make soup.
In fact, Faith Durand, who writes an emailed newsletter called “In the Kitchen with Faith,” is participating in a “soup swap” with 15 friends. Each one makes 15 quarts of soup, ladles them into one-quart containers, and exchanges them door-to-door. What would be even more perfect is to include recipes, like with a Christmas cookie swap. Can you imagine the possibilities?
My friends Blaine and Connie Brokaw do a soup supper each year. She makes several pots of soup, and all the guests bring sides and snacks. After 30 years, they had to suspend this year’s event because of the pandemic. However, they sat on the curb and had a drive-up event wherein they supplied containers of soup to their usual guests.
When we were growing up, Dad used to make a soup of broccoli florets, shell pasta, caramelized garlic, and chicken broth. Mom often made pasta fazool, which is really spelled pasta e faggioli—or pasta and beans. The tomato base was dressed up with small tubeshaped pasta and white beans. In fact, when we visit Mom (who just turned 96), there’s always a pot of pasta fazool on the stove waiting for us to arrive.
Today, I’m making a beef and vegetable soup in the slow cooker. But I’ve also used a rotisserie chicken carcass to make a rich broth, which I freeze for future use. Other times, I’ve
made tiny meatballs from ground beef, turkey or pork and used them as the basis for a rich soup. Chopped escarole and white beans form the basis for another soup that my Grandma Carmela used to make.
Every ethnic group has its soup traditions, like Indian dahl, Russian borscht, Greek avgolemono, Mexican pozole, Chinese wonton, Liberian cassava leaf, Cuban black bean, Ecuadorian locro de papa, Vietnamese pho, Nigerian pepper, Australian lamb shank, and a lot more. So, trust me, you can Google any number of soup recipes to make everyone happy.
Soup toppings
We all “eat with our eyes” before we put food into our mouths. That’s why presentation is important. In fact, food photographers typically add a finishing touch to a dish to make it look more appetizing. For the same effect, try some of these toppings on your soups.
Croutons, of course. But let’s move past the obvious. Think of contrasting colors, like chopped chives, toasted sage, or basil pesto for tomato-based soups. Top a vegetable-based soup with packaged crispy onions or make your own caramelized onions. How about a dollop of sour cream or yogurt?
Shredded cheeses are good—Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, or gruyere, for example. Chopped crisp bacon is great on potato soup. Spicy pumpkin seeds add
a crunchy touch to creamy soups. Chopped toasted nuts are good for the same reason.
Try Parmesan crisps. (Grate real Parmesan, place a tablespoon of it in a hot non-stick frying pan so it forms a disk, and cook on both sides until browned and crispy.) Corn chowder is good with a swirl of sesame oil or toasted sesame seeds.
And hey, how about Chex Mix? Use your imagination.
Iscream,Fidoscreams
And we all scream for ice cream! We’ve even given our pups a lick or two. Now Ben & Jerry’s has introduced Doggie Desserts—mini cups for doggies. They come in two flavors—peanut butter with pretzel swirls, and pumpkin with mini cookies.
Because they are lactose intolerant, most dogs can eat only very small amounts of dairy products. So, these are made with sunflower butter, which they can eat. Even so, it’s best to start your dog with a small spoonful first. If the pup eats it too fast, they can get an “ice cream headache,” just like some humans.
Doggie Desserts can be found in most stores that carry Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. By the way, if you find recipes for dog desserts, don’t use the ones with milk or cream. They can give your furry friend an upset stomach.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Start saving eggshells. Dry them out and crush with a mortar and pestle.
Then put a handful in the planting hole for this summer’s vegetables. They provide good calcium.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Red wine adds a bit of richness to the flavor. The balsamic vinegar helps to tenderize the beef. This is wonderful when served with cheese toast.
Vegetable Beef Soup with Red Wine
Serves 8
Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat 1½ cups red wine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning, or similar spice mix
2-3 teaspoons beef bouillon (or 2-3 cubes)
½ cup chopped yellow onion
2 medium carrots, diced (peeled if you wish)
2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can (15 ounces) sweet corn, with water
Additional water if needed
Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup dry orzo pasta or other small pasta
Packaged french-fried onions
Directions:
1. Add olive oil to a wide frying pan. Heat over medium flame, and brown beef on all sides. Transfer to a pressure cooker or InstantPot. Add red wine, vinegar, garlic, seasoning, and bouillon. Pressure cook for 1 hour, allowing steam to release naturally.
2. Remove beef from the pot. It should be tender enough to shred it by pulling it apart on a cutting board. Return the shredded beef to the pot.
3. Stir in the onion, carrots, tomatoes, and corn. Add more water if necessary. Change the setting to “slow cook.” Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes.
4. During the last 10 minutes, stir in the pasta and cook until al dente. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Serve topped with the french-fried onions.