Windy Days Call for Soup

Cold days in late winter seem more cruel than most. Often they come just as cruel as in December, but are sandwiched between ones that are often quite mild. The dance between the coat closet and back deciding to retire that winter coat for the year can make a person hungry. Add to that winds that seem to slice through even several layers of clothes, and soup is just the meal to patch up the seasonal conflict.

Many soups can be creamy and calorie-filled, but since it is getting closer and closer to spring time, broth-based soups rich in vegetables and lean protein deliver all the warmth without the extra pounds thick sweaters long for. Soups are often the true test of a great chef, but are often the most simple dish to make. They have pretty much no rules. They cook long enough that even ingredients a few days past their peak can be enjoyed, and are forgiving to mediocre chopping and all other kitchen woes.

The easiest way to take a soup to another level is by using stock or broth instead of water. Even vegetable juice can be used, just be careful to look for reduced sodium always. Salt creeps into dishes very easily when using help from the store and taking it out of a dish is something no expert can help with. Grocery stores often have most vegetables pre-chopped and frozen. This is a very economical option and often the vegetables are very fresh.

This is a good skeleton recipe for soup. With chicken and noodles this becomes chicken noodle soup, but can be adjusted for vegetarians and people avoiding gluten. It is fast and easy and needs nothing more than a cutting board, knife, stock pot, ingredients, a little patience and a lot of appetite.

Ingredients

6-8 cups of broth (chicken or vegetable)

2 cups of chopped onions (fresh or frozen)

3-4 ribs of diced celery

2 carrots, diced

2 portobello caps

2 potatoes, diced OR 4 oz of any pasta OR 1/2 cup of any rice

3 chicken breasts or 5 chicken tenderloins (poached and diced)

Salt & Pepper

2 cloves garlic (fresh or frozen)

Bay leaf (optional)

Basil (fresh or dried)

Parsley (fresh or dried)

2 tbsp ground corriander

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

slice of lemon (optional)

Preparation

First chop all the ingredients first. Have them ready to go into the pot like an assembly line. This prevents any further frustration.

Start by sweating onions in olive oil with salt and pepper and garlic. Sweating is done on medium low heat. The objective is to bring out the moisture in the onions and not to caramelize them. After about 5 minutes once the onions begin to soften, add the potatoes and about 1/2 cup of the broth. Keep the heat on about medium until the potatoes break down and get very soft. Add a little bit of broth if all of it evaporates and continue stirring often. This process builds the base of the soup and helps make it thick in the end.

After about 20 minutes, add the rest of the broth and vegetables and chicken (optional). A good option in place of chicken is lentils. They need no presoaking and soften in about 30 minutes. Also go ahead and add the herbs at this point as well. Bring to a simmer and cover for about 30-40 minutes... if you can wait that long. Remove the bay leaf (they aren't edible) and serve with a slice of lemon.

>If using pasta, add about 20 minutes into the cooking process. With rice, add as soon as the soup starts to simmer. 

>This is a great way to use up other vegetables, too. Zucchini is wonderful, so are canned tomatoes, etc. One of the best ways to add an extra vitamin boost is to open up a whole bag of baby spinach and wilt into the soup right before serving. It wilts down to a reasonable amount and makes soup almost like a salad - great for vegetarian options.

Feel free to comment on any recipes or a soup that you'd like to see recreated.