What's your favorite soup recipe?...

Rec: Minestrone from Cook's Illustrated

A great surprise to me what flavor a piece
of cheese rind can add to a soup! I save
the rinds of the parmesan I buy and freeze
them until I am ready to make this soup.

Pay attention to the amounts as it is easy
to "add a little extra" and before you know
it, it is pretty thick. Then I just add a
little more water. I have noticed that it
will seem thick when you first mix all the
vegetables in, but it thins as they cook and
release liquid and the tomatoes cook down. I
usually add the tomato juice from the
tomatoes, at least part of it. The soup
doesn't re-heat as well with the rice or
macaroni as it does without it, but it is a
lovely addition. I gave their suggested
vegetable subs below. I found the Rosemary
mixture to be a little strong for my taste
but love the pesto, which I keep in the
freezer, but it's good without either. This
couldn't be any easier, if you don't mind a
bit of chop-chop to get it started. I
really love it.

Classic Minestrone from Cook's Illustrated
Sept/October 1998

Serves: 6 to 8

2 small or one large leek, white and light
green parts sliced thin crosswise and washed
thoroughly (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into a
small dice (about 3/4 cup)
2 small onions, peeled and cut into a small
dice (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium celery stalks, trimmed can cut into
small dice (about 3/4 cup)
! medium baking potato, peeled and cut into
medium dice (about 1 1/4 cup)
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into
medium dice (about 1 1/4 cup)
3 cups stemmed spinach leaves, cut into thin
strips
1 can (28-ounces) whole tomatoes packed in
juice, drained, and chopped
8 cups water
1 Parmesan cheese rind, about 5 x 2 inches
(I assume this means a triangular piece
about 5 inches long and two inches wide at
the wide end...I've used more)
Salt
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained
and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup basil pesto (or 1 tablespoon minced
fresh rosemary mixed with 1 teasoon minced
garlic and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
oil)

Bring vegetables, tomatoes, water, cheese
rind, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in a soup
kettle or pot. Reduce heat to medium-low;
simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally,
until vegetables are tender but still hold
their shape, about 1 hour. (The soup can be
refrigerated in an airtight container for 3
days or frozen for 1 month. Defrost if
necessary and reheat before proceeding with
recipe.)

Add beans and cook just until heated
through, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from
heat. Remove and discard cheese rind. Stir
in pesto (or rosemary garlic mixture).
Adjust seasonings, adding pepper and more
salt, if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls
and serve immediately.

To make Classic Minestrone with rice or
pasta:

Follow the recipe and when the veggies are
tender, add 1/2 cup arborio rice or small
pasta shape, such as elbows, ditalini, or
orzo and continue cooking until rice is
tender but still a bit firm in the center of
each grain, about 20 miutes, or until pasta
is al dente, 8-12 minutes, depending on the
shape. Add beans and continue with the
recipe.

Some suggested variations on vegetables:

Savoy Cabbage ( I use regular), shredded and
subbed for up to 1 1/2 cups of the spinach
Cauliflower, cut into tiny florets and
subbed for up to 1 cup of potatoes or
Zucchini
Escarole, chopped and used in place of
spinach
Fava beans, up to 1 cup added with other
vegetables in place of 1 cup of the white
beans
Green beans, cut in one inch pieces and
subbed for zucchini
Kale, ribs removed and chopped, subbed for
up to 1 1/2 cup spinach
Peas, up to 1/2 cup subbed for 1/2 cup
zucchii or white beans
Swiss chard, ribs removed, chopped and
subbed for spinach
Turnips, peeled and diced and 1 cup subbed
for 1 cup of potatoes
Winter squash, peeled and diced, sub 1 cup
for 1 cup potatoes or zucchini

 
Meryl - I would love the curried lentil one - they serve the Au Bon Pain version....

here in our cafeteria and we love it. I always have to buy an extra serving or two and take home for DD so I would love a good recipe.

 
Add the German Peasant Soup from above - cooked it last night - BIG hit! Also....

I'll post recipes later if anyone wants but top of the list has to be Consumer Reports Chicken Noodle Soup. It's quick and about as easy as opening a can of soup but MUCH better - it does cheat and use banned broth and dry noodles. I try to take time to make plenty with homemade stock and homemade noodles and keep a few quarts in the freezer at all times but especially as cold weather approaches.

Papa e pomodoro - a Tuscan bread, tomato and pancetta (or bacon) soup that is really my all time favorite.

Firehouse Stew (Diago as the firefighters around here call it).

Cooks Illustrated lentil soup but I do splurge and use French lentils.

Gretchen's Sausage and Corn chowder

Quick and easy tortilla soup (using all canned and packaged stuff - heavy on the sodium but quick and yummy)

Not sure where you draw the line between soups, stews, etc. but these are sort of served like hearty soups around our house.....

Cuban black beans

Red beans & rice soup

Grandma Onie's Chicken & Dumplins

 
Here ya go MCM - Curried Lentil Soup

This was much too hot/spicy for me the first time I made it, so the second time I reduced the curry powder and red pepper flakes. Also, since I doubled the lentils, onion, and garlic, it was a little too thick, so next time I'll use an extra cup of broth, as noted in parentheses.

CURRY-LENTIL SOUP

Source of Recipe: Cuisine at Home

"Curry powders vary in spiciness - use more or less depending on how hot you prefer your soup."

List of Ingredients

1 yellow onion, finely diced (I used 2 medium-small or medium, chopped small)
2 T. garlic, minced (I used 9 large cloves, about 4 Tbsp, crushed and minced)
2 T. fresh ginger, peeled, minced (I used 2 rounded Tbsp)
1 T. curry powder (I used 1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1/8 tsp)
Pinch of sugar
4 cups vegetable broth (my note: I used low sodium chicken broth - next time I'll use 5 cups) (my note: a few people used half chicken broth and half coconut milk)
1/2 cup red lentils (I used 1 cup)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used nonfat plain yogurt)
Salt to taste (I omitted it)

Garnish:
1/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut, toasted
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 T. scallions, coarsely chopped
2 T. coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves

Recipe

DIRECTIONS:

Saute onion in melted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, 3-5 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, red pepper flakes, and sugar; saute about 1 minute.

Add broth, lentils, and lime juice. Simmer, uncovered, until lentils are soft, 15 - 20 minutes. (I simmered it about 30 minutes). Remove soup from heat.

Stir in cream and salt.

Garnish soup with coconut, peanuts, scallions, and mint. (I omitted this).

(My note: I served this with baguette slices - some people served it over basmati rice).

Makes 4 Cups

 
Hi Ruth, here are the recipes:

CARROT SOUP WITH SPINACH CHIFFONADE

*Note: I increased the amounts of ground ginger and fresh ginger, plus I added some ground cardamom and curry powder.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth (I used 4 cups)
1 pound carrots, peeled, sliced
1 8-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used about 1 1/2 tsp)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger (I used about 1 1/2 tsp)
2 cups packed thinly sliced spinach leaves (I used flat leaf spinach, whole leaves)
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt (I used more)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine 4 cups broth, carrots, potato, onion and ground ginger in large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. (I simmered vegetables about 15 minutes).

Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to processor. Puree until smooth. With machine running, gradually add soup broth to processor. Return soup to same saucepan, thinning with more broth if necessary. Add lemon juice and fresh ginger; simmer 3 minutes. Add spinach and simmer until wilted, about 2 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Swirl 1 heaping spoonful of yogurt into each bowl. (I used about 1 1/2 heaping tablespoons per bowl).

Serves 4.

Bon Appétit
June 1995


PEASANT'S SOUP

Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread, cut into thin slices
1 garlic clove, halved (or more to taste)
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups broccoli florets
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Toast bread on both sides. Rub cut the side of the garlic generously over each slice of toast.
2. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add broccoli and cook for 30 seconds until broccoli is tender-crisp.
3. Ladle soup into heated soup bowls, place two or three slices of garlic toast in each, and sprinkle with Parmesan.

VARIATION:
Use thinly sliced mushrooms instead of broccoli and substitute garlic croutons-bread cubes cooked in garlic butter until crisp-for the garlic toast. If you feel extravagant, brown the mushrooms lightly in butter before adding to the stock.

recipecenter.com
http://www.recipecenter.com/Recipe.asp?code=84921

http://www.recipecenter.com/Recipe.asp?code=84921

 
This is similar to the pumpkin I make - I love it. But had never thought of using cranberry relish.

Will try it next time! Thanks.

 
Thanks, everyone. These look great!

Will get the pot on the stove going & let you know as I cook my way through them.

 
Here ya go, Andrea. This soup is fantastic! REC: Yellow Pepper Soup

YELLOW PEPPER SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, chopped (I used 1 large)
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used 9 large cloves, crushed)
2 teaspoons olive oil (I used 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil)
1 1/2 lbs yellow peppers (I used 1 large yellow pepper and 1 large red pepper)
3/4 lb potatoes, cut into chunks (I used 1 medium potato, about 10 oz)
3 cups unsalted chicken stock (I used 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth)
1 tablespoon salt (less if using salted chicken broth) (I used less, of course)
1 chipotle pepper (canned) (I used a 4 oz can of mild green chilies and several shakes of some Cajun hot pepper sauce)
parmesan cheese (for garnish) (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)
extra virgin olive oil (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook (sweat) onion, celery, carrot and garlic in olive oil until soft (about 10 minutes).
2. Bring stock to a boil.
3. Add peppers, potatoes, salt, chipotle and boiling stock.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
5. Puree in food processor or use an immersion blender.
6. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of parmesan and EV olive oil.

4 servings

http://www.recipezaar.com/22104
(originally posted by Mean Chef)

http://www.recipezaar.com/22104

 
I hate to say this, but neither. It's not an obvious flavor, it marries

well w/ the other ingredients, it adds to the depth of flavor of the soup.

 
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