Souper suppers for crisp cool nights
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- October 25, 2009
- 842
Soup can be thin, simply prepared with seasoned broth and finely diced vegetables and poultry. Or soup can be thick, like chowder and potato soup, which may include cream, cheeses, and seafood. Stews are heavy, swimming in gravy-like broths that are great for ladling over homemade biscuits. Thick-sliced bread or soft baked dinner rolls are also perfect for wiping your plate clean at the dinner table.
Condensed canned soups can be doctored in other ways besides crushing your crackers over the bowl. Different flavors of canned soups can be combined for heartier servings. To avoid that straight from the can taste, try combining beef broth with tomato, or cream of mushroom with chicken and rice. Add additional vegetables; canned or frozen, even leftovers from the night before. Secret seasonings of your own choosing can make a can of soup better. Saving small amounts of leftover vegetables in the freezer are great for soup add-ins later.
Sautéing vegetables in margarine or oil before adding them to soup seals in their flavor and keeps them firm. To retain the natural sweetness of onions added to soup, cook them slower than most vegetables. Like many other rich flavored foods, most soups improve their flavor when made a day or two in advance. Adding bouillon cubes to homemade or canned soups will also give extra flavor.
And to top it off, there are numerous ways to garnish soup before serving. Choose your favorite; snipped parsley, chives, croutons, shredded cheese, toasted slivered almonds, crumbled bacon or chipped ham, crushed corn ships, or a dab of sour cream.
But don’t forget what makes a souper supper really super, dessert!
Soups on. Send your soup and stew recipes to Country Cupboard, c/o Daphne Ross, 5973 Blachleyville Road, Wooster 44691. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you request a personal reply. E-mails are always welcome, to thewritecook@sssnet.com.
Sausage Tomato Soup (Marilyn Lee)
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup picante sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
In a large saucepan, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, picante sauce, sugar, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir into the vegetable mixture. Add corn and Parmesan cheese. Cook 10 minutes longer or until heated through.
Lots of Spiced Pumpkin Cookies (Karen Zimmerman, Shiloh)
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups butter
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups pumpkin, cooked
6 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
3 cups chocolate chips
1 cup nuts
Mix everything together well. Bake at 340 degrees, then drizzle with your favorite glaze recipe.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Whoopies (Karen Zimmerman, Shiloh)
1 1/2 cups shortening
3 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin, cooked
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup nuts
1 cup coconut
Mix together all the ingredients. Bake at 340 degrees. When cool, spread your favorite filling between the cookies.
Asparagus Soup (Lois McAtee)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen asparagus cuts
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
Seasoned salad croutons
In a saucepan, combine the asparagus, onion, water, salt, bouillon, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Cool for 5 minutes; stir in milk. In a blender or food processor, process the soup in batches until smooth; return to pan. Stir in cream; heat through. Garnish with croutons. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Beefy Tomato Pasta Soup (Nancy Rollag)
1 pound ground beef
2 medium green peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 to 6 cups water
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
Croutons, optional
IN a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook the beef, green pepper, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add pasta. Cook for 10 to 14 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with croutons if desired. Makes about
2 1/2 quarts; approximately 10 servings.
Gingered White Bread (Lois Lovejoy)
3/4 cup water (70 to 80 degrees)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions, check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if needed. Yield: 1 loaf (1 pound).
Pineapple Biscuits (Carol Henderson)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated biscuits
In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter; stir in the pineapple and cinnamon. Spoon into 10 greased muffin cups. Place one biscuit in each prepared cup. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.