One Simple Recipe – Five Great Soups

Posted on | February 2, 2010 |No Comments

With the wind howling and the snow pressing against the windows, it’s a good time to make soup. Don’t rush out to get ingredients. Use up what you have. Here’s how to get five great meals from one easy recipe.

Making soup is simple and simply a matter of proportions. Use 3 cups of stock to 2 cups of ingredients – vegetables, beans, potatoes, rice – alone of in combination. Here’s how it works.

SOUP BASE (for 5 Different Soups)
Serves 4 – 6

1 stalk celery, with leaves, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 box (32 ounces) Chicken stock

In a big soup pot, sauté the celery, carrot, onion and parsley in oil or butter until the vegetables are soft. Add the chicken stock and simmer for about 5 minutes. Now you’re ready to create 5 different soups.

CHICKEN NOODLE

Soup base
1 cup cooked noodles
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
Pour into a soup pot, heat and enjoy

SIMPLY MINISTRONE

Soup base
1 cup canned tomatoes
1 cup canned cannelloni or white beans, with liquid
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Pour into a soup pot, heat and enjoy. Garnished with the shredded Parmesan cheese.

CREAMY Mushroom

Soup base
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups chopped mushrooms
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup Sherry, optional
Pour the soup base into a pot and add the thyme and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the mushrooms are very tender. Puree the soup in batches and return it to the pot and heat through. Just before serving, stir in the heavy cream and adjust the seasonings and stir in the Sherry.

CURRIED CARROT SOUP

Soup base
3 cups sliced carrots
1 to 2 teaspoons good quality curry powder or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
½ cup coconut milk
Greek style whole milk yogurt for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Pour the soup base into a pot and add the carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are very tender. Season with the curry powder and the garlic. Add the coconut milk. Puree the soup in batches in a blender and return to the pot to heat through. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

SPICY CORN CHOWDER

Soup base
4 cups corn
¼ cup salsa
Sour cream or grated cheddar cheese for garnish
Pour the soup base into a pot and add 3 cups of the corn. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the corn is very soft. Puree the soup in batches in a blender and return the pot along with the remaining 1 cup corn and the salsa. Heat through and serve with a dollop of sour cream or sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese,

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