Soup Ideas
Soup can provide an easy and fast way to satisfy hunger as a healthy snack or meal. Basic soup recipes follow similar directions. Use homemade stocks, or bullion and prepared stocks. Add spices, herbs, vegetables, seafoods or meats for a variety of flavors. Use fruit for summer soups. Ideas for soups are endless, and the homemade varieties are always going to taste better, and be better for you, than those bought in a store. Does this Spark an idea?
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Broths and Stocks
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Broths and stocks, the latter a heavier broth, offer flexibility in meal planning. By themselves, use broths for a snack or meal. Serve with a side of breads and fresh vegetables. Broths and stocks form the basis of soups. Look for recipes for quick and easy fresh broths or stocks that keep in the fridge for two to three days and can be frozen for up to three or four months. Keep basic ingredients on hand. Start with fresh water and ingredients such as garlic, onions, carrots and celery, and enrich with fresh poultry, seafood and meats.
Vegetable and Fruit Soups
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Begin with fresh vegetables. Make a vegetable or fruit stock, then select local vegetables or fruit for a seasonal soup. Winter soups can include mushrooms, peppers, eggplants, beans and peas. Spring and summer soups incorporate garden vegetables and fruit. Fresh peas, beans, corn and zucchini combine for chilled snacks or meals. Miso soup combines tofu, seaweed and miso paste for fast nutrition. Use apples, apricots, peaches and berries for appetizer or dessert soups.
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Savory Chicken, Meat and Seafood
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Make savory soups with poultry, beef, seafood and other ingredients. Browning and caramelizing the meat or seafood, along with the vegetables, and then adding broth gives a unique savory flavor to the soup. Warm up on chilly days with chicken soup. Add various types of pasta for variety. Beef soups and stews make a heavier soup. Substitute game meat for the beef for a hunter's soup. Add herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage.
Gumbos
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Gumbos all begin with a roux, a mixture of equal parts oil and flour. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. As it's heating, crush a few cloves of garlic and toss into the skillet. When the oil begins to crackle, add an equal part flour. Immediately begin stirring the flour and lower the heat to medium. The flour will begin to brown. When the mixture is a dark brown color, add onions or celery and cook until softened. Then add broth and continue heating. As the broth is steaming, add whatever soup ingredients you have on hand. Some choices include diced chicken, beef, sausage, shrimp or crab. Serve the hot gumbo alone or with rice.
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