Soup

For years, I've had a soft spot for homemade Soup. There's just something comforting inthe stuff, no matter the time of year.

To that end, here are six yummy soup recipes to help you through the day, including Turkey Club Soup and Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Enjoy!

RED LENTIL SOUP

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Melissa wrote, "This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be. Based on a Turkish lentil soup, mercimek corbasi, it is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make. The cooking is painless. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, then stir in tomato paste, cumin and chile powder and cook a few minutes more to intensify flavor. Add broth, water, red lentils (which cook faster than their green or black counterparts) and diced carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Purée half the mixture and return it to the pot for a soup that strikes the balance between chunky and pleasingly smooth. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavors."

Total Time: 45 min utes; Yield: 4 servings

This was featured in "A Lentil Soup to Make You Stop, Taste and Savor," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup.

Check out Melissa Clark's guide, "How to Cook Beans." While you're at it, if you haven't already signed up for The New York Times cooking enewsletter, I highly recommend it.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper

Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste

1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup red lentils

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, cumin, 1/4 teaspoons each salt and black pepper and the chili powder, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.

Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder, if desired.

HERBED CARROT SOUP



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



Directions

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 & pepper to taste

Directions

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

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

HEARTY HAM AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

This is by Pam Anderson and was in the January 2010 issue of Runner's World (page 44; "The Athlete's Palate"). It begins, "The cabbage in this dish is rich in vitamin C and fiber, as well as phytonutrients that helpl protect against some cancers. To save time and speed up the cooking process, heat the broth and tomatoes in the microwave while chopping the vegetables."

Pam Anderson has a really great cooking site, called Three Many Cooks. I really recommend it. Go ahead, I'll wait. (Tap, tap, tap.)

And now, on to the soup.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced into medium pieces

1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 large carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin

1/2 cabbage, cored, cut into bite-size shreds

12 ounces lean ham steak, diced into small pieces

1 quart chicken broth

1 14.5-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes

2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, undrained

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Heat the oil over medium-high in a soup kettles. Add the onion, saute until soft and golden, about five minutes. Add the Italian seasoning and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Add the remaining ingredients, then bring to a full simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to low, simmer gently (partially covered) until the vegetables are just cooked and flavors blended, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley; cover and let stand five minutes. Serve's six.

TACO SOUP

This is from Naz Deravian at The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Naz wrote, "A cozy mash-up of tacos and hearty chili, this soup fills the spot on those days when you're in need of a quick bowl of comfort. You can use a taco seasoning packet from the store, but it’s very easy to make your own blend to suit your taste (and whip up extra, if you like, to have on hand for other dishes). If using a packet, it will also include salt, so adjust accordingly when seasoning. You can easily make this soup vegetarian by omitting the meat and using an extra can of beans or subbing in a meat substitute. Set up a colorful toppings bar and be sure to squeeze on a little lime to brighten up all the flavors."

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024354-taco-soup.

Ingredients

For the Taco Seasoning (equivalent to a 1-ounce Packet)

1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder, to taste

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

For the Soup

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped, plus more for serving

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef, (or pork, turkey or chicken)

1 to 2 jalapeños, finely chopped, to taste, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles (see Tip)

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 (15-ounce) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes

2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, or water

2 cups frozen corn

Handful cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped, plus more for serving

Chopped avocado, pickled red onion, grated Cheddar, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, tortilla chips and/or lime wedges, for serving (optional)

Preparation

If making your own taco seasoning: Mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and dried oregano in a small bowl. Set aside.

Make the soup: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt, reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Increase the heat to medium, add the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and brown until all the pink is gone, about 5 minutes. Season with salt (about 1 teaspoon) and black pepper. Add the jalapeño and the taco seasoning and stir for 1 minute. Push the meat to the sides of the pan, making a little space in the center, and add the tomato paste. Cook to deepen its color, about 1 minute, then stir everything together.

Add the green chiles and their liquid, and the pinto and black beans. Season with salt (about 2 teaspoons). Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, and the broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 20 minutes.

Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and chili powder, if desired. Stir in the frozen corn and cilantro. Cover and simmer until the corn has heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve with toppings of choice. Thin out with stock or water when reheating, if necessary.

Tip

If your fire-roasted tomatoes include green chiles, omit the 2 cans of green chiles.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This is from MyRecipes, and begins, "Once you've made your own veggie-packed pot of chicken noodle soup, you won't go back to the canned, supersalty stuff again."

Hands-on Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Makes 6 servings (serving size: about 1-1/4 cups)

To view this online, go to https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-chicken-noodle-soup.

Ingredients

1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1-1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot

1 cup finely chopped onion

2/3 cup thinly sliced celery

2 cups water

1 (32-ounce) container unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 fresh thyme sprigs

6 ounces whole-grain rotini (such as Barilla; about 2 cups)

8 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast, shredded

4 ounces skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken thigh, shredded

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add carrot, onion, and celery; sauté 5 minutes.

While vegetables cook, pour 2 cups water and stock into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 5 minutes. (This saves up to 10 minutes in the pot.)

Add hot stock mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in thyme and pasta; reduce heat to medium, and cook 8 minutes.

Add chicken, salt, and pepper to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated and pasta is tender.

TURKEY CLUB SOUP

This yummy recipe is from Betty Crocker. It begins, "All of the classic club sandwich ingredients – bacon, turkey, tomato and cheese – come together in this satisfying soup."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 55 minutes; Makes 7 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

Croutons

3 cups cubed (1-inch) French bread

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

Soup

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

3 cups Progresso™ unsalted chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

8 oz prepared cheese product, cut into cubes (from 1-lb loaf)

1 lb smoked turkey breast, coarsely chopped (3 cups)

1 medium tomato, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chopped avocado, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, mix Crouton ingredients until bread is well coated. Spread in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in 5-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel-lined plate, leaving bacon drippings in Dutch oven; set cooked bacon aside.

Return Dutch oven to stove; reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot and garlic to bacon drippings. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened. Stir in chicken broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly stir in cheese, stirring constantly with whisk, until cheese is melted. Stir in turkey. Add tomato, spinach and salt; cook 3 to 5 minutes longer or until heated through and spinach is wilted.

Serve soup topped with croutons, bacon and chopped avocado.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Reheat cream or cheese soups slowly. Boiling can case the soup to separate and curdle.

tip 2

Ask for thick slices of turkey breast at the deli, then chop them at home. Or use leftover turkey breast that you have on hand.