Soup's On! - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with homemade soup.

Seriously, is there anything nicer on a cold day than a bowl of homemade soup? (Hint: If you still have the remains of your Thanksgiving turkey in the refrigerator, you can simmer the bones for an hour or so, then strain the liquid, throw the bones out, and have turkey stock for you soup!)

Today's offerings include Chunky Pizza Soup and Rainbow Vegetable Soup. Enjoy!

SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL

This comes from Martha Rose Shulman in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

This was featured in “Summer Minestrone with Fresh Basil” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

Salt

4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1 medium turnip, peeled and diced

3/4 pound zucchini, diced

A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe; you'll need to subscribe to The New York Times cooking e-newsletter to get this)

Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

Preparation

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.

While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.

Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.

Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

CHUNKY PIZZA SOUP

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

1 tb Oil, vegetable

1 Onion, chopped small

1/2 c Mushrooms, sliced

1/4 c Green peppers, slivered

1 c Tomatoes, undrained

1 c Stock, beef

1 c Pepperoni, thin sliced

1/2 ts Basil, dried

1 c Cheese, mozzarella shredded

Directions

Preheat oven broiler. Heat oil over medium heat, stirfry onion, mushroom and green pepper till soft, not browned. Add tomatoes, stock, pepperoni and basil, cook till heated through. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Broil till cheese melts and is bubbly.

ZUPPA DE FARRO

This comes from FamilyTime, and begins, “Farro is a delicious alternative to rice or pasta in this Tuscan-inspired soup, made with chicken broth, pancetta and tomatoes, and seasoned with garlic, basil and thyme. It's easy to make, and it's absolutely delicious!”

Serves: 6 servings (about 1 3/4 cups each); Prep Time: 100 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes

View this online here.

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons uncooked whole cereal farro grain or pearl barley (about 8 ounces)

4 ounces pancetta or deli ham, chopped

1 small onion, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness® or Certified Organic)

2 medium plum tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

Place the farro in a large bowl. Add water to cover and let soak for 1 hour. Drain the farro in a strainer.

Place the farro and 8 cups of water in a 6-quart saucepot and heat over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add the pancetta, onion, garlic and thyme to the saucepot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the pancetta is well browned. Add the farro, broth, tomatoes, basil and black pepper and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve with the cheese, if desired.

WINTER SQUASH SOUP

This comes from Ina Garten from the Food Network show Barefoot Contessa.

Level: Easy; Total Time: 50 minutes; Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings.

To view this recipe online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/winter-squash-soup-recipe-1925833.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon good olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

1 (15 - ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in chunks

3 cups homemade chicken stock or canned broth

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup half - and - half

Creme fraiche, grated Gruyere, or croutons (see Note), for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy - bottomed stockpot, add the onions, and cook over medium - low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the pumpkin puree, butternut squash, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium - low heat for about 20 minutes, until the butternut squash is very tender. Process the mixture through the medium blade of a food mill. Return to the pot, add the half - and - half, and heat slowly. If the soup needs more flavor, add another teaspoon of salt. Serve hot with garnishes, if desired.

Cook's Note: To serve with croutons, remove the crusts from 2 slices of white bread, cut them in 1/2-inch cubes, and saute them in 1 tablespoon of butter until browned. Season with salt and pepper.

VEGETARIAN PHO (VIETNAMESE NOODLE SOUP)

This is from the Vegetarian Times website (May 10, 2017), and begins, “The national soup of Vietnam is a bowl of rice noodles, fresh herbs, and bean sprouts swimming in a fragrant broth.”

Makes 6 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Broth

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

3 large shallots, sliced (1 cup)

1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms

10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

12 1/4-inch-thick coins fresh ginger

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

5-6 fresh basil stems, leaves reserved for soup

5-6 cilantro stems, leaves reserved for soup

Pho

1 8-oz. pkg. rice noodles

1 8-oz. pkg. Asian-flavor baked tofu, thinly sliced

2 cups soybean sprouts

2 cups watercress

4 green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

To make Broth: Place all ingredients in large pot with 8 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Strain broth, and return to pot. Discard solids.

To make Pho: Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Divide among 6 large soup bowls. Ladle Broth over noodles, and top with tofu, sprouts, watercress, and green onions. Serve cilantro, basil, and lime wedges on the side to be stirred into soup.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 290; Carbohydrate Content: 42 g; Fat Content: 5.5 g; Fiber Content: 3 g; Protein Content: 16 g; Saturated Fat Content: 1 g; Sodium Content: 578 mg; Sugar Content: 5 g

RAINBOW VEGETABLE SOUP

This comes from VeryWellFit, and begins, “We've all heard nutritionists say, "eat the rainbow," and this soup is a great way to do just that. In fact, that's what makes rainbow soup unique—while it is generally challenging to eat all of the colors of fruits and vegetables at one meal, rainbow soup makes it possible. Rainbow vegetable soup has vegetables from all the color groups, so it is filled with lots of antioxidants and other nutrients for your family.

“Despite the unusual seasoning combination of sweet paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, and hot sauce, this vegetable soup is one that people tend to love. You can put leftover turkey or chicken in it, but it can stand on its own without meat. It is also good with beans or chickpeas if your diet allows. If you have any fresh herbs around, feel free to throw them in as well.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Servings: 9 (1 cup each).

You can view this online at https://www.verywellfit.com/rainbow-soup-2242419.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion (chopped)

2 large stalks celery (chopped)

4 cloves garlic (pressed)

1 medium red bell pepper (chopped)

1 cup carrot (chopped or chopped pumpkin if available)

1 heaping tablespoon sweet paprika

3 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 (15-ounce) can tomatoes (chopped)

5 cups vegetable stock

10 ounces green beans (frozen or fresh)

1 large leaf chard (cut into thin strips, or spinach or kale)

Directions

In a large soup pot, simmer oil, onion, and celery. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to develop more sweetness in the onion.

Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium and add the peppers and carrots. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes and add the spices. Stir and cook until fragrant—another minute or so.

Add tomatoes and stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add beans and chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the beans are cooked. (If using cooked cubed meat such as chicken or turkey, add at this time.) Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed.

Serving Suggestions

As the main course this soup is perfect, but be sure that you add other items for adults to eat so that they won't be underfed. A nice starter salad with a vinaigrette dressing is appetizing before the soup. You might also try adding meat to the soup as an option for those who are not vegetarian. Or grill up some chicken, fish, beef or sausage kabobs and place them on separate plates for those who are interested in making the meal a little more hearty.