Recipe of the Week: Homemade Soup for a Cold Day

Variety is the spice of life. Trying a new recipe each and every week is something that works well for me. Enjoy!

 

The first cold snap of the year feels colder than the temperature actually indicates. Soup is always welcome and it is quite easy to make. The recipe below can be easily modified for what you have on hand using the generalized techniques noted as the bottom of this posting.

5 medium size fresh mushrooms – chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

Small amount olive oil

Beef bouillon and water

Seasonings to your taste: onion flakes, black pepper, a favorite no-salt blend

Egg noodles

1 can rutabaga, drained of liquid (I got it on sale so that is why it was in my pantry)

¼ cup frozen green peas

Dollop sour cream

Dried basil

In your soup pot, sauté mushrooms and celery in a little olive oil. When they are softened, add the water and bouillon.

Process half the rutabagas in a small food processor and set aside.

Add the seasonings to the soup pot. When the liquid is hot, add the noodles set a timer for their minimal cooking time. Toward the end of the time add the green peas and half the can of unprocessed rutabagas.

When the combination is heated through, stir in the processed rutabaga.

Pour hot soup into your bowl, top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dried basil.

Generalized soup making techniques:

1. Sauté the firmer vegetables prior to adding any liquid.
2. Some kind of stock is required. Bouillon cubes are easy to keep on hand and sufficient for most soups since the flavor comes more from the other ingredients. Be aware the they contain salt so don’t add salt while you are cooking your soup.
3. If you want noodles or rice – add them after the liquid is hot and let the seasonings cook into them.
4. If you use canned vegetables, drain off their liquid since it is usually laden with salt – way more than you need in your soup.
5. Keeping frozen vegetables in the freezer (peas and corn, for example) are handy for both salads and soups.
6. Processing a softer ingredient in a food processor before adding it to the soup (or taking some of the veggies out after they are cooked to puree) can give the broth of the soup a natural thickness that makes it easier to keep on the spoon.
7. A dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of a dried herb on top of your soup after it is in the bowl can make a hum drum meal into something quite special!