Soups - Good place to start?

[Phantom of the Kitchen]

So ever since I started cooking I've thought that soups would be a nice place to start cooking, since you can basically make the entire thing in one pot and I can freeze and refidgerate them with relative ease. I also really like soup, so that was a big incentive. I've probably made about 6 different soups and none of them really been above average. I'm not sure if it's because making good soup is difficult or if I'm doing something wrong.

I've never had anyone else try my soups, so it might just be my non-confidence in my cooking or something else like that. Isn't there a saying or don't a lot of people say that food tastes better when other people cook it? That seems really familiar for some reason.

So if someone could help me on my way to better soup making, I'll....send you some Free shipping!

brad

[KellyM]

What kind of soups have you made? I find stock-based soup to be the easiest and most fun to make, though no doubt there are people out there who would disagree. You will never find me wasting a good turkey carcass after a holiday meal, for instance. Plus, stock simmering in the kitchen makes the whole house smell wonderful!

Kelly

[Phantom of the Kitchen]

Kelly - I probably should have mentioned this earlier but all my soups have been vegetarian soups; not sure if that makes a difference.

brad

[Haggis]

I find stock-based soup to be the easiest and most fun to make, though no doubt there are people out there who would disagree.

Stock based soups are also quite difficult to make right. This is simply due to the fact that the stock must be of high quality if it is to taste its best (and the best stock is homemade stock).

Kelly - I probably should have mentioned this earlier but all my soups have been vegetarian soups; not sure if that makes a difference.

Vegetarian soups do not have to taste average. Perhaps the best way to start would be to post the recipes of the soups you have made and we can go from there.

[KellyM]

Brad,

This does make a difference, but you can still make vegetable stock.
I repeat, what kind of soups have you tried?

Oh, and by vegetarian, do you mean vegan, or do you still do fish and the like? Or however that goes... I'm an omnivore, myself, with definite leanings toward carnivorism.

Kelly

[pdswife]

If you don't mind seafood.. here's a great ( if I do say so myself clam chowder recipe. Enjoy.


three 10 oz cans chopped clams
1lb bacon
three cups peeled and chopped potatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme (some times I use parsley instead)
2 cups half and half
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
open canned clams reserving all juice
set aside

cut up bacon, removing a lot of the extra fat
in large sauce pan cook bacon until crisp. Keeping the bacon and the grease in the pan
add potatoes, clam juice, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, onions, pepper,bouillon cubes.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about ten minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Combind milk, cream and flour till smooth. Add to potatoe mixture. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir in Clams. Return to boiling reduce heat. Cook for a few minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If soup is too thick add more milk or cream
if soup is too thin add more flour mixing with milk or cream first!

We add a tablespoon of butter to each bowl when serving ( not at all good for you
but it tastes great!!!

Add some nice frech bread and a green salad and you've got a wonderful dinner! Use small bowls so you can have seconds! As with most soups this is better the next day!

[pdswife]

And... if you don't mind trying meat...

Lentil Soup 8 cups water ( or chicken or beef broth may be used instead of or in a combo with the water)
2 cups lentils
1 medium onion chopped fine
8 cloves of garlic ( more or less is fine)
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Rince lentils.
Add all ingredients ( except salt)
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes or until lentils are soft. Then add salt.

You can add ham or sausage if you wish and amounts are really all up to you. I always have extra garlic and onions in mine and sometimes celery too.

Add one tsp of vinager to each bowl at serving time.
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[Little Miss J]

I have only ever made vegie based soups too (love my meat so not sure how that happened - have not been making soup for long) and I have been forcing it on family and friends in an effort to improve (and hoping that they
will pass on their yummy soup to me - hasn't worked so far but they want more)

Praps you could post a recipe you've use..plenty of people round here would be able to give you great feedback...not me though...i just shove it it the stockpot and hope for the best.

[CharlieD]

Hey neighbor, the vegetarian soup IMO is the hardest to make to taste excellent. It takes practice. You have to play around with seasoning to accommodate your taste. Also, personally I like to add some fake chicken or beef soup powder or seasoning.

[vyapti]

start with a good stock. I keep all of my extra greens and shavings in the freezer (when there's room). There are a number of other tricks that you can pick up by reading or practicing. For instance, you can change the thickness by either adding cream (do you use dairy?) cornstarch or flour, or by blending some of the chunks in the soup.

As you try different recipes, you'll also learn what you like and don't. You'll have better luck picking recipes you're going to enjoy and you'll be more prepared to adapt recipes.

I reallly enjoy soups and have about a dozen that I cook with some regularity. If you'd like, I can e-mail them. Just PM me.