Soups

Soup Garnish

Boil lasagna noodles, drain and lay flat, cut with cookie cutters into shapes, like hearts.

Add to any hot soup broth.

Amy's Vegetable Broth

Save vegetable stalks, pieces and ends in the freezer and when you have enough, use the scraps to make vegetable broth for soup, adding herbs for seasoning.

Other scraps you can save in the freezer include the rinds and hard ends of cheese: add to your soup broth or pasta sauces for extra flavor.

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Serves 6-8

• 9 cups chopped cauliflower (about 2 lbs/1 kg)
• 1 to 2 large carrots, chopped (optional)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 cups milk
• ground nutmeg to taste
• 1-1/2 cups shredded old or extra-old Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1. In a large pot, combine vegetables, garlic, pepper, chicken broth, water.
2. Cover and bring to boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to medium low.
4. Cover and boil gently 15-20  minutes or until vegetables are soft.
5. Whisk flour into milk, stir into pot with nutmeg to taste.
6. Cook, stirring, about 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Use an immersion blender and puree soup until smooth.
9. Return soup to medium heat and stir about 5 minutes until bubbling.
10. Remove from heat.
11. Stir in 1 cup of cheese until melted.
12. Season with pepper and salt.
13. Ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Variation: Use Gouda or Swiss Cheese instead of Cheddar.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Use homemade fresh noodles, store-brought dry noodles, or lasagna noodles cut in shapes as suggested here (clover shapes for luck, hearts for love, etc)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 bone-in chicken breast halves (3 lb)
• 2 Tbsp chicken bouillon base
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1. Heat oil in large pot on medium heat.
2. Sautee carrots, celery, onion. Cook covered 6 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Stir in garlic, cook 2 more minutes.
4. Add: 10 cups water and raw chicken. Bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat, add bouillon base and 1/2 tsp pepper.
6. Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes.
7. Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top.
8. Lay cooked lasagna noodles flat on cutting board.
9. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter.
10. Transfer chicken to bowl.
11. Let cool a little then shred meat.
12. Discard skin and bones.
13. Stir chicken back into soup along with cut-out noodles.
14. Cook until heated through.

Clam Chowder

• 2 (6-1/2 oz)  cans of clams
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cups diced cooked potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 pint half and half 
• 2 cups milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vinegar
• crisp bacon

1. Drain juice from clams and pour over the juice over the vegetables in a large pot.
2. Add enough water to cover vegetables.
3. Add sugar, vinegar, salt.
4. Cook until tender.
5. Melt butter in a pan. Saute celery and onions, add flour.
6. Add half-and-half and keep stirring, add milk.
7. Add celery and onion mixture to pot of vegetables, stir.
8. Add clams.
9. Garnish with crisp bacon.
10. Serve steaming hot with bread.

Gail's Ham Bone Soup

"The family and friends you see on New Year's Day will be friends you'll see the New Year through," according to Scottish tradition. So on January 1, Norm's mom and dad, Nan and Earl used to invite us for dinner and serve a big holiday ham. Nan called it "the Sarco Ham" because the ham was an annual holiday gift from Earl's employers at Sarco, and they continued to send him a ham after he retired.

We still usually cook a big bone-in ham during the holiday season, and the bone makes great soup.

1. After baking and slicing a large bone-in ham, remove the ham bone and leave some meat on it.
2. Place the bone in a stock pot large enough for the bone to be just covered with water.
3. Bring water to a boil, cover the pot, turn the temperature down to low.
4. Simmer for hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
5. Turn off the heat.
6. Remove bone and any clinging meat to a platter, to cool.
7. Once broth has cooled enough, pour it in to a large bowl (I use an 8-cup measuring cup) and put in the fridge to cool overnight. Any fat will solidify on top.
8. Bones and fatty bits of meat can be discarded, but dice the lean meat and refrigerate to use next day in the soup.
9. To make the soup, remove the cold broth from the fridge and spoon off all the fat that has solidified on top of the broth. You can put the fat back in the fridge to use for cooking, or discard if you won't use it. Remaining broth will look a bit like gelatin.
10. Put the broth in the pot, removing any large pieces of meat to dice and add back to the pot with meat diced previously.
11. Dice any leftover ham that wasn't on the bone and add to the pot.
12. Peel 4-5 medium potatoes, dice and add to the pot.
13. Grate a large carrot over the pot, and dice the remainder to add to the soup.
14. Add more water if necessary so that the pot is 3/4 full.
15. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot with a lid and turn heat to low to simmer.
16. Add about a tablespoon of dried thyme.
17. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are soft and soup is heated through.
18. Taste and add salt if needed. A few turns of the pepper mill and your soup is ready. 
19. Serve with hot cheddar biscuits (you can try using the ham fat to make them.)

Beet Soup

Make beet soup the same way as the ham bone soup above, except use the bone from a roast leg of lamb. After skimming off the cold fat, add peeled, diced beets to the lamb broth.

My mother made beet soup using the broth from boneless lamb or mutton, simmered in a pot of water until tender with a few bay leaves.

Top hot beet soup with a dollop of sour cream.

Hot-and-Sour Soup

Norm always orders hot-and-sour soup when getting Chinese Food. I don't really like it, so I have never made it. Here's a recipe he could try.

• 4-6 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in warm water 30 minutes
• 4 ounces cooked pork or chicken
• 8-ounce package fresh tofu
• 1/3 cup sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 2-1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• salt and ground white pepper
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch paste

1. Squeeze soaked mushrooms dry, discard hard stalks.
2. Thinly shred mushrooms, meat, tofu, bamboo shoots.
3. Bring chicken stock to a rolling boil in a wok.
4. Add shredded ingredients.
5. Bring back to a boil and simmer 1 minute.
6. Add wine or sherry, soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper.
7. Make a paste of cornstarch and water, stir in until soup thickens.
8. Serve.

Nora's Split Pea Soup (Ham Bone)

This recipe from Newfoundland won 2nd prize in a Saltscapes.com 2019 recipe contest.

Susan Cameron, a retired Antigonish, Nova Scotia teacher,was taught to make this soup by her friend and mother-in-law Nora.

• 1 large ham bone with lots of ham on it (about 4 cups diced)
• 1 bag yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
• 3-4 stalks diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6-7 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp each dried OR 1 Tbsp each fresh dried chopped herbs (basil, oregano or thyme)

1. Place ham bone in a large stock pot and cover with water (about 10 cups).
2. Add rinsed split peas.
3. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer for 3-4 hours or until ham leaves the bone easily.
4. If water reduces too much while cooking, add more boiling water.
5. Remove from heat, remove bone and as much ham as possible and let cool.
6. Slice meat from bones, chop into bite-sized pieces, return to pot.
7. Peas should be soft and mushy in the pot by  now.
8. Return to a simmer.
9. Add onion, garlic, celery, cook 10 minutes.
10. Add carrots, simmer 10-15 minutes more or until tender.
11. Season with salt and pepper, add herbs.
12. If soup is too thick, add more boiling water.

Lentil Soup

From a recipe collection put together by a Hadassah chapter in Columbia, Missouri.

Serves 10, 140 calories per serving.

• 2 cups dried lentils
• 2 quarts water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Wash and drain lentils.
2. Place in a 4-quart pot with water and salt.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Add carrots, onion, celery.
5. Cover, reduce heat, simmer until lentils are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.
6. Strain soup, reserving liquid in pot.
7. Puree vegetables and return to pot with liquid.
8. Reheat and add pepper to taste.

Minestrone

Serve with hard cheese and Italian bread.

• 1/2 lb. dried kidney beans or white beans, soaked overnight
• 1/4 lb. salt pork or thick-cut bacon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 Spanish onion
• 2 quarters beef stock
• 4 finely sliced carrots
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 small head cabbage, sliced
• 4 springs curly endive
• 4-6 tomatoes
• 1/2 lb. green beans
• 1/4 lb. green peas
• 4-6 oz. pasta, broken into 2 inch lengths
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp fresh grated parmesan

1. Soak beans overnight, drain.
2. Simmer beans in 1 quart water 2 hours on stove.
3. Dice salt pork or bacon and saute in heavy skillet until brown.
4. Chop garlic finely, dice onion, saute both with pork.
5. Add beef stock, finely sliced carrots, diced celery, simmer gently.
6. Meanwhile slice cabbage, endive, tomatoes. Add to pot.
7. Add green beans in large pieces. 
8. All vegetables except peas should now be in the pot. Simmer 1-1/2 hours.
9. Twenty minutes before serving, add peas and pasta.
10. Simmer until pasta is tender, add salt and pepper to taste.
11. Just before serving, stir in chopped parsley and olive oil.
12. Grate parmesan cheese on top of each bowl.

Lima Bean & Mushroom Soup

Serves 8

• 1/2 cup dry baby lima beans
• 6 cups cold water
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 Tbsp pearl barley
• handful fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano or thyme)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced

1. Rinse dry beans and soak overnight.
2. Drain beans. Pour water into large soup pot.
3. Add all ingredients except mushrooms.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1-1/2 hours.
5. Add mushrooms, cover again, cook 30 minutes more.

 Potato Soup

• 2 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
• 3 large potatoes, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup homogenized milk
• 1 Tbsp flour (optional)

1. Cook chopped bacon in the bottom of  medium soup pot, do not allow to burn.
2. Remove bacon and set aside.
3. Add diced onions and potatoes to the bacon fat. Stir and fry a little.
4. Add 1/2 cup water, cook until tender.
5. Add 1 cup milk. When hot, season with salt and pepper.
6. If necessary, thicken with 1 Tbsp flour.
7. Serve hot with bacon on top.

Onion Soup

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 medium onions sliced (2 cups)
• 5 - 6 cups beef broth
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a pan and sautee onions until lightly browned.
2. In a pot, heat the beef broth, then add the browned onions.
3. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer.
4. For a heartier soup, beat a large egg in a bowl and add just enough flour to form a crumbly dough. Scrape the dough into the onion south broth with a knife and simmer, covered, about 10 minutes until the dough is cooked and the soup has thickened.

Root Vegetable Soup

A Saltscapes.com recipe contest winner from Tusket, Nova Scotia.

• 1 lb. (500 g) mild Italian sausage meat
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2-3 medium white potatoes
• 2-3 medium to large carrots
• 2 parsnips
• 1 medium turnip
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• dash nutmeg
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• celery salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel all root vegetables and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large stock pot, saute onion in olive oil.
3. Add sausage meat and cook until lightly browned.
4. Add garlic, nutmeg, thyme, parsley, celery salt, pepper.
5. Add veggies and combine with the onion, meat and herb mixture.
6. Stir slowly while adding the stock, bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat and adjust seasoning.
8. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.
9. Puree vegetables in batches and return to stock pot (or use a stick blender)
10. Bring soup back up to serving temperature, serve hot.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

• 1-3/4 cups canned or fresh pumpkin 
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 green onions chopped
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 2 medium tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup half and half
• salt and pepper 
• sour cream

1. Simmer pumpkin with stock, onion, green onions, tomatoes.
2. When tender, cool, puree, mix in half and half.
3. Season to taste, reheat, serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Cold Squash Soup

• 1 kg butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 2 long red chilies, seeded, finely chopped (optional)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup greek yogurt or sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 200 C or 180C convection.
2. Combine squash and 1 Tbsp oil in a baking dish.
3. Bake 30 minutes, turning once, till golden.
4. Heat remaining oil in large saucepan on medium.
5. Cook onion, stirring, 5 minutes till soft.
6. Add garlic and ¾ of chilli. Cook 1 minute.
7. Reduce heat to low.
8. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes till onion is golden.
9. Add squash and stock to onion mixture.
10. Bring to boil on high heat, then remove from heat.
11. Cool slightly.
12. Using a stick blender, blend till smooth.
13. Stir in 1/3 cup of sour cream.
14. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
15. Ladle into serving bowls.
16. Chill.
17. Serve topped with remaining sour cream.

Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

Serves 4-6

• 680 g (1-1/2 lbs) thawed and peeled shrimp
• 2 cups diced raw acorn squash
• 2 cups shrimp broth
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 fresh sage leaf
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• pinch of salt
• fresh ground pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1. In a large pot, bring 5 cups water to a boil.
2. Add shrimp and squash, cook 5-7 minutes over medium heat until shrimp is cooked.
3. Remove shrimp and set aside.
4. Let squash cook 5-7 minutes more until tender.
5. Drain squash and liquid from pot into a large bowl.
6. Return 2 cups of the cooking liquid (shrimp broth) to the pot with the cooked squash.
7. Blend until smooth.
8. Stir in white wine, chicken broth, celery, onion, bay leaves, sage and pumpkin puree.
9. Cook 10  minutes.
10. Stir in heavy cream.
11. Add salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste.
12. Add reserved cooked shrimp and lemon juice.
13. Cool 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Curried Squash Soup 

Pick a squash that feels heavy and has firm, smooth skin with no sign of wrinkling.

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 medium butternut or large acorn squash, peeled and chopped (about 6 cups)
• 2 apples, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk, warmed
• salt and pepper to taste
• sprigs of thyme or parsley

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot.
2. Add onion and garlic, saute 5 minutes or until soft.
3. Stir in curry powder, squash, apples. Saute 2 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth, cover, bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium low, simmer covered 15-20 minutes or until squash and apples are soft.
6. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
7. Stir in warm milk, heat till steaming but do not boil.
8. Season to taste (up to 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper).
9. Ladle into warmed bowls, garnish with fresh herb.

Tomato Soup

• 2 cups canned, stewed tomatoes
• 2 cups homogenized milk
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda if needed

1. On low heat, in bottom of pot,  mix flour and butter together.
2. Whisk in milk, stir till thickened.
3. In another pot, heat onion if using, add tomatoes, bay leaf, sugar.
4. When tomatoes are hot, slowly add to thickened milk stirring constantly, heat through but do  not boil.
5. Note: if soup starts to curdle, stir in 1/2 tsp. baking soda.
6. Serve with croutons or soda crackers.

Betty's Company Cold Vichyssoise 

This recipe is from Atlanta, Georgia. It doesn't have any potato in it but apparently, "No one will ever believe that this isn't authentic French cold leek and potato soup."

• 1 lb. leeks
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tsp vegetable bouillon
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup frozen cauliflower, defrosted
• 1 cup evaporated skim milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp minced chives for garnish

1. Wash and dry leeks, slice thinly.
2. Sautee in butter over medium heat until soft and golden.
3. Blend leeks, butter and bouillon till smooth.
4. Combine leek mixture, cauliflower, evaporated skim milk, salt and pepper in pot.
5. Heat then simmer on low 10-15 minutes.
6. Using a stick blender (or blender or food process) blend till smooth.
7. Chill in fridge.
8. Service garnished with minced chives.
9. Serves 5.

94 calories a bowl.