Homemade soup can be quite simple and needs no formal recipe. Every culture around the world serves soup giving us a soup for nearly every taste. They can be rustic or fancy, hot or cold, lean or rich, clear or creamy. We offer basic cooking instructions here on this page as well as several recipes to help you find your favorite soup. Don't forget to click on the blog for even more soup recipes!

 

    The story of Stone Soup came from the long-ago times of the Crusades. Each retelling changes the characters but originally we're told of hungry soldiers traveling home with their leader. Stopping in a village they ask all of the villagers to provide an item whether herb, vegetable or bit of meat to share with the pot while the soldiers provided the stock which consisted of putting a stone into a large cauldron of boiling water. Legend has it that this became the first minestrone, and the leader of the soldiers was none other than Godfrey of Bouillon.

 

    Whether or not these events really happened doesn't matter - the lessons learned here are true. In times of scarcity and poverty we are still able to provide nourishment and delicious food to our own families and have enough to share in hospitality with others in need. Soup provides a way to do all of that and more.

"Whenever possible give your soups the full flavor of homemade stock." - Julia Child

"There is no way that you can run a proper kitchen without having fresh stocks on hand. If you buy commercially prepared products you are generally getting little more than salt, and in a very expensive form." -Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet

 

    Bone broths, which have been around for as long as there have been cooking pots, are an obvious beginning to most soups. Historically households would not waste any part of the animal, and bone broths allow even the hard, normally inedible bones to be used in nourishing ways. This practice shows common sense, frugality and a respect for the life of the animal that was given for your sustenance. The bones of any and every creature were used for stock which then became soup, sauce, gravy or even beverage.

 

    To learn how to make a basic bone broth go here and scroll down the page to see recipes for both chicken and beef broth. Or use the link on the left side of this webpage to go to Well Fed Family's basic beef broth recipe.

"There is no such thing as a good chicken bouillon, and you should stoop to using canned chicken broth only during times of dire emergency." - Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet

 

    Most restaurants do not make soup from scratch anymore. They are made from a "soup base" which is nothing more than powdered or liquid flavorings made mostly of hydrolyzed vegetable proteins and autolyzed yeast extracts loaded with MSG and quite toxic to our nervous system and brain.

 

    Delicious soup is easy to make. Just find a soup that you like and use that recipe as a template to create other soups. Or follow the directions below to create a basic soup that is easy to personalize to your own tastes.

Saving Scraps to Build a Soup

 

    Having the means to make a good soup is much like the Stone Soup story; little bits of this and that go together with a tasty base of bone broth. Cultivate the "pack rat" habit with your kitchen scraps and soon you will have a freezer full of the perfect soup tidbits. You can make soup even if you don't have stock by using what normally might be thrown out such as potato peelings, stems of parsley, leek leaves, tomato skins and leftover bones. Freeze these treasures in plastic containers or large zip-top bags. When the container is full empty it all into the stock pot. Don't worry about proportions because it doesn't matter. Fill the pot with filtered water and simmer for several hours. Strain out the solids and you are left with a wonderful base for a weeknight soup. Now you can add some leftover bits of meat, a few chopped vegetables and salt and pepper, simmer until the vegetables are tender , salt to taste and you have an easy soup.

 

    Save the pan juices from your roasting pan when you roast a chicken, leg of lamb, pot roast or turkey. These pan drippings have enormous flavor concentrated into a small volume and can be added to soups to intensify flavor or to stand in when you don't have enough stock.

Soup Techniques

 

    Many soups begin with a base of what are called "aromatics". These are ingredients having characteristically stronger flavors that lend complexity to the finished dish. Aromatics are frequently sauteed together in butter, lard, duck or chicken fat at the beginning of soup making. Sometimes, in the case of the herbs, they are bundled together and allowed to simmer with the soup and then removed just before serving. Aromatics can include: onion, carrot, celery, shallots, scallions, garlic, leek, ginger, hot chilies, bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme sprigs, lemongrass, pancetta, prosciutto, salt pork and bacon. Indian soups often use powdered spices such as turmeric, cumin, fenugreek or cardamom during the sauteing of aromatics. Take care not to burn the spices when you do this.

 

    Saute aromatics three to five minutes then add any other sturdy vegetables and toss to coat with the hot butter or fat. These include things like potatoes, turnips, and other root vegetables or cubes of winter squash. Next the stock is added. Bring the stock to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Add in a little salt and pepper at this time and simmer until the vegetables begin to get tender. This could be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Near the end of the cooking time add in any softer vegetables such as sliced kale or chopped zucchini and any cooked, cubed or chopped meat such as chicken, beef, lamb or pork. Taste for salt and add more if needed.

Enrichments and Garnishes

 

    At this point you can add any enrichments you like. Traditionally in some Mediterranean countries one egg per person is added. This can be beaten into the soup to thicken or the egg can simply be poached in a separate saucepan with some of the broth and then returned to the pot. Other enrichments could include a handful of freshly grated cheese, sour cream, creme fraiche or heavy cream. If you use cultured dairy enrichments first remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool somewhat or you risk curdling the dairy and pasteurizing away the cultured nature of the food.

 

    Ladle the soup into the serving bowls and garnish with your choice of toppings. Delicious garnishes add flavor to the soup and also give a beautiful presentation to a humble dish. Garnishes can include: a dollop of pesto or spicy tomato paste, spoonful of capers or sliced olives, lemon zest and finely chopped parsley, chopped fresh chervil or chives, a bit of butter or swirl of extra virgin olive oil, some buttered croutons, or a drizzle of fish sauce. You can also add a spoonful of lacto-fermented salsa, sauerkraut or fruit chutney for added flavor and a probiotic boost.

 

    Nourishing Traditions reminds us that adding sour cream or other cultured and raw cream products or lacto-fermented foods into a bowl of soup will add more beneficial enzymes to your meal. Using cream adds fat-soluble vitamins which are important in helping your body to more fully digest all of the minerals present in the homemade soup.

Variations on a Theme

 

    Once you have made a big pot of basic vegetable soup you can divide it into portions for weekday lunches. Don't think you have to eat the same thing every day, instead get creative and dress up each portion with a different personality. Add in cooked black beans, brown rice and a spoonful of chili powder then garnish with chopped oregano, sour cream and salsa for a Southwest soup. Stir in lentils and curry powder then garnish with chopped parsley and tomato drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice for a middle eastern flair. Add little meatballs and a spoonful of pesto and garnish with toasted pine nuts and salty sliced olives for a Mediterranean flavor. Let your taste buds be your guide. Keep notes of the combinations you especially like so you can remember them for another time.

Quick Chicken Soups

 

    If you have chicken stock in the freezer you can have chicken soup in a flash.

Quick Creamy Chicken Rice

 

    This quick fix was originally from Julia Child! Saute' chopped shallots or onion in butter in a soup pot until they are soft. Add four cups of stock and bring to a boil. Meanwhile put two more cups of stock in a blender with two cups of leftover cooked rice and puree until it is smooth. Pour the pureed rice into the soup pot and add some sliced mushrooms and leftover bits of chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer until heated through. Taste again for salt then ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and chopped chives.

Quick Chicken Noodle

 

    Saute' three or four chopped scallions with butter in a soup pot. Add in 4 cups of homemade stock and bring to a boil. Stir in 4 oz. of angel hair pasta broken up into shorter pieces or use 4oz of alphabet pasta. Add salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook gently until pasta is done, about 4-5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper again and serve.

Quick Coconut Chicken Soup

 

    This is a simple variation on a soup from Eat Fat Lose Fat. Saute' some diced fresh ginger and a few chunks of lemongrass stalk in a soup pot in a bit of coconut oil or butter. Add 4 cups of homemade chicken stock and a can of whole coconut milk, stir well and bring to a boil. Remove the lemongrass pieces. Add a sprinkle of fish sauce or salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime and chopped green onion if desired.