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Nothing is more comforting than a big, steaming bowl of soup on a cold evening. I often serve it with a salad or sandwich because it’s easy and quick.
My sister Sandy came down with a cold several days after Christmas. I made her chicken soup and a big pot of vegetable soup and she felt better within 24 hours. Many cold-sufferers feel somewhat recovered after eating this soothing, hot comfort food.
People all over the world eat soup. In China, it is always an integral part of a multicourse banquet. Chicken soup takes a proud place at the table during Passover and Rosh Hashana. Minestrone is so popular in Italy each region boasts its own recipe. The French have given the world some of the greatest dishes, including its onion soup, and the lentil and split-pea versions are enjoyed throughout Europe, particularly during winter.
I always use stock as a base. Water may be substituted, but I find it lacks flavor and richness. I used to make my own stock, but since the invention of the 32-ounce packaged variety, I don’t anymore. Now there are always the chicken, beef, mushroom and vegetable types stocked in my pantry.
Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 large carrots, sliced
3 large ribs of celery, diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (32-ounce) package of chicken or vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can of diced tomatoes with their juice
2 cups of water
2 (15-ounce) cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 large bay leaves
1 small green cabbage, shredded
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions, carrots and celery and saut� for about eight to 10 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, stock, tomatoes and water. Blend well. Add the beans and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for about 10 more minutes.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: Substitute 1 small head of escarole or 2 (8-ounce) packages of spinach for the cabbage, if desired. Adding 2 (15-ounce) cans of garbanzo or kidney beans instead of the great northern kind also is an option.
Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of lentils, rinsed and stones removed
1 cup of water
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 (32-ounce) package of chicken or vegetable stock
2 large bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place the lentils in a bowl and cover with the water. Let sit for about eight hours or overnight. Rinse and set aside.
Heat the oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high. Add the onions, carrots and celery and saut� for five to eight minutes. Add the lentils, stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and simmer for about one hour, or until the lentils are soft.
Remove the bay leaves and add the salt and pepper.
Serves six.
Stracciatella Soup
("Giada’s Family Dinners"by Giada De Laurentiis)
Ingredients:
6 cups of chicken stock
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons of chopped, fresh basil
1 cup of lightly packed spinach leaves, cut in thin strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high.
Whisk the eggs, cheese, parsley and basil together in a bowl.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle in the egg mixture, stirring gently with a fork to form thin strands of egg, about one minute. Stir in the spinach and season with the salt and pepper.
Serves four to six.
Mushroom-Barley Soup
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 (32-ounce) packages of mushroom stock
1 (15-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup of barley
1 pound of fresh mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high in a large stock pot. Add the onion and saut� for about eight to 10 minutes. Lower to medium and add the stock and tomatoes. Stir well. Add the barley, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the barley and mushrooms are tender. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to thicken.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: This is my grandmother’s recipe and my mom made it during the cold winter months. There are numerous ways to make this classic deli soup. My sister-in-law adds diced potatoes and "flanken," or soup meat, to her version.
Use white button mushrooms, cremini or a mix of both, if desired.
