Let's talk soup.

When I have Asparagus, I break off the tough ends that are tough and save the pieces of tough stuff. I cut the tough pieces into about a quarter inch wide chunks, rinse them and put them in about a half cup of water in a pot and cook them until they get tender. I add a little butter to the water and dump in a can of cream of celery soup. Stir it till it just boils. Cream of celery is a lot cheaper than cream of asparagus and just about any cheap brand of cream soup tastes good this way. It doesn't go well with cream of mushroom though.

I make soup every week but most of them are made from scratch. I don't mind making a big pot that takes way over half the day to make. It is worth the effort.

Well Mr Intrepid, Ill share my world famous Advantage eye ball it Potato and Sausage Soup.
I dont measure usually, so thats where the eyeball it comes in .

Cut up a bunch of hog jowl in to small cubes. ( I usually use the whole package
put the jowl in the pot and fry it until you have some good grease and add in a whole yellow onion and a whole red onion minced/diced very small.
Mince about 4 Shallots and put in.
Put in 2 big spoons of butter
Put in flour ( about a 1/2 cup) and whisk it with a fork until smooth and almost a golden brown.
Add the whole container of heavy whipping creme slowly and whisk it in so the flour and onions are smoothly in it.
Add in about 2 TSP of minced garlic
Add in about 3 stalks of cut celery
Add in about 1/3 cup of parsely
2 tbsp or so of sour cream
Add in about 4 or 5 tbsp of Stubbs liquid smoke ( mesquite) ( I just add it till it tastes good!)
Cut up as many potatoes as you want to put into it
Cover the potatoes with water and add salt/ pepper to taste.
Add in some cut up smoked sausage/polish sausage, This last batch I used deer sausage!

Boil it till the potatoes are done. Might have to whisk in some flour if it gets too runny depending on how many potatoes you added. I serve it with some shredded cheddar on top and chopped greeen onions or when I have them, chives.

I serve this in the winter mainly.. its a heavy warming soup for those cold winter nights when youre playing beached whale on the couch.

A good chicken noodle soup with some capsicum can heal any cold.. And also if you don't think stews and soups are the same, leave your soup in a slow cooker for 10 hrs.
Intense flavor!
I did it with chicken little soup, only problem is, the noodles had a strange texture from vcooking so long!

reply to post by Leuan


I usually add some diced peppers to my chicken soup too, helps to clear the sinuses....

Traditional Finnish pea soup, its not the prettiest one as a soup but very tasty

Rustic Finnish pea soup with smoked bacon and pig's foot is a traditional Scandinavian dish commonly prepared in the coldest winter months as a hearty meal. Traditionally, it was a cheap dish to make, which showcased the spirit of many Finnish cooks, making sure that no part of any animal is wasted. Rustic Finnish pea soup makes an excellent meal on cold evenings, particularly when served with a loaf of freshly baked French bread and butter and a glass of crisp, dry white wine or pilsner beer

Tho we also put each portion smetana (1 spoon ), raw minced onions just a tad mustard
recipe

reply to post by intrepid


K. That potato soup on page 2. OMG. Good good good.
I didn't have tarragon, didn't need it.

Cook bacon well - chop smallish.
Carmelize the onion in butter and bacon fat - less chopping
Roast whole garlic in olive oil (wrapped in foil) til super soft.
Melt butter in sauce pan, stir in flour to make a rue. Add heavy cream 35% (whipping type cream)
Stir in puréed roast garlic and carmelized onion (once you've blended onion and garlic with a bit of water).
Add pepper.

Keep heat down on above, don't let the cream scald.

Add above to potatoes and chopped bacon AFTER potatoes have softened enough from simmering in chicken stock. Add diced celery.

Let cook on really low heat for a while. Stir lots.

So good.
Next time I might add some firm white fish or scallops. It's thick and creamy enough.

a reply to: snowspirit

Giving this thread a bump. Winter is here - soup making time.

originally posted by: snowspirit
Winter is here...

Canada. It's nearly always winter.

It's 75 here. Maybe I can make gazpacho or vichyssoise.