BY ANN CIPPERLY
OPINION —
Whether they are creamy or chunky, comforting bowls of hot soup are welcome on chilly January days. Most soup recipes make a large pot, which can be prepared ahead and frozen in several containers to have on hand for busy days. When you come home tired from a hectic day, you will be glad to have a batch of soup tucked away in the freezer to warm for a blissful supper on a chilly night.
After so much rich food over the holidays, steaming bowls of soup are ideal. Robust soups with meat or beans are hearty enough for a meal or serve with a salad or sandwich for hearty appetites.
Vegetable soups are popular, and there are many versions with ground beef or turkey or chuck roast. When I was growing up in Opelika, my mother’s beef soup on cold days was always popular. During winter, we could hardly wait for the steaming bowls of soup in our drafty, old house. It was easy to prepare by boiling stew beef and onions for a couple of hours, and then adding chopped potatoes and canned tomatoes to simmer another hour or until the meat was tender. When I make it now, sometimes I add carrots.
The late Jane Walker made a similar vegetable beef soup using a chuck roast. Jane was active in civic and church organizations for many years. Her legacy with the Youth Development Center and the Boys and Girls Clubs continue to help children in Opelika and around the state.
Jane and I worked on a soup lunch for the United Methodist Women meeting during winter. We looked over many recipes to pick one for several members to bring. We decided on her Vegetable Beef Soup since it was easy with frozen vegetables. It is still one of my favorites, and I think of Jane when I prepare it. It is good served with crusty bread, crackers or cornbread.
My husband Don’s favorite soups growing up were hearty seafood chowders and split pea with ham. If you have a ham bone leftover from the holidays, use it for making split pea soup. It is easy to prepare by boiling a ham bone a couple of hours for broth, and then adding split green peas and garlic to cook until the peas are tender.
The first time I tried split pea soup was at Don’s parents’ home in Manhattan for lunch on a winter day, as blistering wind whipped through the streets of New York. The soup was filling and warming.
Chicken noodle soup is popular with almost everyone in the family. A busy mother who is director of the Lee County United Way, Tipi Miller makes an easy version using a rotisserie chicken. She uses rotini pasta that is easy for children to eat, but any pasta you have on hand can be used.
A rotisserie chicken can also be used in making the Chicken Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Allison Drake’s Chicken and Broccoli Soup. Both of these hearty soups go together quickly. These soups are also good served year-round on days when you don’t have much time to cook.
If you are watching calories in the new year, try Martha Hill’s Cabbage Soup prepared with ground turkey. Martha, who is always interested in eating healthy, has been making this soup for many years.
Now that the Christmas decorations are tucked away, select a soup recipe or two to serve your family this week. Gather around the table and savor comfort food and a quiet time with your family from the rush of the holidays.
HOPPIN’ JOHN SOUP
Linda Letlow
1 small bunch collard greens
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. smoked ham steak, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and pepper
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
15 ½ oz. can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked rice
Dash of hot sauce like Tabasco
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Remove stems and ribs from collard greens. Slice greens into thin ribbons. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. When oil is hot, toss in ham, garlic, onion, carrot and celery, and cook, stirring until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add collard greens and sauté until they begin to soften. Pour in chicken broth, bay leaf, black-eyed peas and toma-toes with their juices. Bring to a simmer; cook for 30 minutes. Stir rice into warm soup and taste for seasoning. Remove bay leaf. Spoon into bowls. Add more Tabasco if you like it hotter.
EASY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Tipi Miller
1½ Tbsp. oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups water
1 tsp. dried thyme
Rotisserie chicken
1½ cups thinly sliced carrots
2/3 cup thinly sliced celery
1 (32 oz.) container unsalted chicken broth
6 oz. rotini pasta
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Add oil to a large saucepan. Add carrot, onion and celery; sauté 5 minutes. While vegetables cook, heat 2 cups water and stock in microwave (saves 10 minutes in the pot).
Add hot stock mixture to the pan; bring to a boil. Stir in thyme and pasta, reduce heat to medium and cook 8 minutes. Add chicken, salt and pepper to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until pasta is tender.
HEALTHY CABBAGE SOUP
Martha Hill
1 can kidney beans
½ small head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 lb. lean ground round beef
1 onion, chopped
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 large can diced no salt added tomatoes
2 tsp. beef bouillon dissolved in 1-pint water or 2 cups beef broth
¼ cup macaroni
2-3 carrots, sliced
Cook meat until nearly brown; drain well on paper towels. Put tomatoes, onion and garlic in large pot; add well-drained meat. Cook slowly 5-10 minutes. Then add kidney beans, bouillon broth, carrots, macaroni and cabbage. Simmer slowly for 45-50 minutes.
Add the bouillon broth to soup mixture and let it come to a full boil before adding macaroni. Add the cabbage last as it takes less time to cook.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
Ed Cipperly
2 medium butternut squash, split and seeded
2 onions, chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
6 cups chicken broth
Salt pepper to taste
Sour cream and/or croutons for garnish
Preheat oven to 375. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray and place squash cut side down. Bake for about 40 minutes or until fork tender (very soft). Set aside to cool.
In a large soup pan cook onions in butter about 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of the stock and bring to a simmer. Scoop out the squash and add it to the stock. Simmer for about ten minutes.
Either transfer to a blender in small batches or use a submersible blender to achieve desired smoothness. Add more stock or water as needed to reach desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish and enjoy.
NOTE: For creamy butternut squash soup, after simmering the soup for about 10 minutes, stir in 1 cup heavy cream.
MY MOTHER’S HOMEMADE
BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP
1 ½ lb. stew beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
4 or 5 potatoes, cubed
½ to 1 bag whole tiny carrots, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
In a Dutch oven, cover beef and chopped onion with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for three hours. Add tomatoes, potatoes and carrots, if using. Cook about 45 minutes longer or until potatoes and beef are tender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Other vegetables can also be added. Can be made a day ahead.
MOM C’S SPLIT PEA & HAM SOUP
1 ham bone
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. dried split peas
4 or 5 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
Small ham pieces
Boil ham bone and onion for two hours. Add split peas, which have been rinsed, and garlic. Cook for one and a half to two hours longer. Add ham pieces and heat.
CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH CRISPY TORTILLA STRIPS
Two 14 ½ oz. cans chicken broth
14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. chili powder or to taste
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 Tbsp. half and half or heavy cream, optional
Toppings: sour cream, chopped green onions, grated cheese and/or tortilla strips
Combine ingredients except cream and toppings. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in cream. Serve with sour cream, green onions and tortilla strips.
Crispy Tortilla Strips:
Cut corn tortillas into strips. Place on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 350 degrees eight minutes or until crisp.
Tortilla chips can also be made by quickly frying the corn tortillas strips in a small amount of oil in a skillet.
EASY CHICKEN BROCCOLI SOUP
Allison Drake
1 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 large head fresh broccoli, or frozen
2 cups cooked chicken and shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large can evaporated milk
1 tsp. curry powder, optional
1 tsp. lemon juice
Cooked rice
Shredded cheddar cheese
Over medium heat, pour in oil and sauté onion until soft. Add in flour and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in, slowly, broth and broccoli.
Allow broccoli to cook for about 10 minutes and then add in the remaining ingredients except rice and cheese. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle with shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Note: The soup is also good served without the rice and cheese.
CROCK POT POTATO SOUP
Pat Wingfield
If you don’t have a crock-pot cook potatoes in a Dutch oven until potatoes are tender. Then add remaining ingredients.
6 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
Three 14 oz. cans chicken broth with garlic
¼ cup butter
2½ tsp. salt
1¼ tsp. pepper
1 cup whipping cream or half & half
1 cup (4 oz.) sharp Cheddar, grated
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
Toppings: sour cream, crumbled bacon, grated sharp cheddar
Combine potatoes, onion, chicken broth, butter, salt and pepper in five quart crock-pot. Cover and cook on high for four hours or on low for eight hours.
Coarsely mash mixture; stir in heavy cream, cheese and chives. Serve topped with dollop of sour cream, crumbled cooked bacon and grated sharp cheddar.
EASY CREAMY TOMATO SOUP WITH CHEESE TOAST
2 (15-oz.) containers, chicken or vegetable broth
28 oz. can concentrated crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh or dried basil, optional
Cheese Toast, for garnish
Combine broth and tomatoes in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. When soup bub-bles, stir in heavy cream and reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper and basil; simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree soup. If desired, serve with Cheese Toast, if desired.
Cheese Toast:
4 slices crusty bread
2 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
½ lb. shredded cheese of choice, such as cheddar or Swiss
Toast bread slices in your toaster until golden. Rub the toasted bread rounds with crushed garlic. Arrange bread on cookie or baking sheet. Drizzle with extra-virgin oil and top with a grind of black pepper and a layer of shredded cheese. Place under hot broiler to melt cheese until toasts are lightly brown.
CHICKEN, MUSHROOM &
WILD RICE SOUP
Recipe is easy to cut in half for small families or freeze leftovers for another time.
2 (6-oz.) pkg. long grain and wild rice mix with seasoning pack
10 cups chicken broth, divided
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breasts
Bring rice, 4 cups chicken broth, and one seasoning packet from rice mix to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes or un-til liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. (Reserve remaining seasoning packet for another use.)
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms, onion and cel-ery, and cook, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes or until tender.
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, one minute, or until thickened and bubbly. Gradually whisk in remaining 6 cups broth, and cook, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Whisk in half-and-half and wine. Stir in mushroom mixture, chicken, and rice. Cook, stirring occa-sionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (Do not boil.) Garnish, if desired.
HEARTY CORN CHOWDER
4 oz bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large, chopped onions
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups diced potatoes, peeled
4 to 5 cups frozen corn
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, optional
Cook bacon in olive oil until crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Add butter to pan; sauté on-ions until tender.
Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook until smooth. Add chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add corn to soup; add half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve hot topped with bacon.