Come Into My Kitchen
by

As this column is being written, the thermometer on my balcony registers 12 degrees, happily up from an overnight of 8 degrees. Today's forecast promises a high of almost 20, but warns of snow and perhaps ice by nightfall. Translation: Soup!

To prove how times have changed, during the 1920s author P. Morton Shand wrote, "A woman who cannot make soup should not be allowed to marry."

Well Mr. Shand, wherever you are, I learned to make soup after I married and have been making soup ever since—thin soup, thick soup, soup with beef bones and without, with hambones and without; elegant soup and peasant ones. In fact, I have seldom been caught without a little cache of some kind of soup "laid by" in the freezer for those days, which are bound to come, when nothing takes the place of a comforting bowl of hot soup.

Try these recipes while it's still cool enough to appreciate them.
 
Soup tips: If your soup is too thin, tear up two or three slices of bread and add, with a cup or two of the soup, to a blender. Puree and return to the soup pot. This avoids the lumps that can occur when adding flour as a thickening.

If you're using herbs to season your soup, wait until the last half hour of cooking.
 
 

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
2 medium onions, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
2 green onions, minced with tops too
1 bunch broccoli (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
6 cups chicken broth
generous dash nutmeg
dash of your favorite seasoning
2 cups whole milk

In large saucepan with tight-fitting lid put butter, onions, celery and green onions. Cover with a sheet of wax paper buttered on one side, then cover with lid. Cook over low heat about 20 minutes, just until tender. (The wax paper prevents vegetables from browning.)
 

Rinse and trim broccoli, peeling stalks. Cut stalks into one inch slices and remainder into flowerets.

Add stalks to saucepan along with broth and all seasonings. Cover and simmer about a half hour; add florets and simmer another 20 minutes. Puree soup in blender, check for additional seasoning and reheat. A handful of tiny florets sprinkled over the top before serving is a nice touch.
 
 

1 1/2 pounds dried small white beans, soaked overnight
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
4 cans (10 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
3 cans water
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
salt and pepper

Drain soaked beans and rinse. Heat oil in heavy pot; add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.  Add rosemary and thyme and stir half a minute to release flavors. Add liquids and beans, cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer about an hour or until beans are almost tender. Add vegetables, seasoning and simmer about 40 minutes or until beans and vegetables are very tender, adding more broth or water if needed.

Place about 2 cups of soup with vegetables in blender, puree, then return to soup pot so texture of whole is slightly thickened. Reheat. Serves 10.
 
 

1 Tablespoon oil
1 green pepper, chopped
4 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic (or more) minced
1 can (15 oz.) tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed

In large saucepan, heat oil, cook green pepper, onion and garlic until tender but not brown. Add all other ingredients; bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes.

For a lovely fish or seafood chowder: Cut up 1 pound of previously frozen perch or similar fillets. Check carefully for bones. Add to above sauce; simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 can (4 1/2 oz.) shrimp, drained and 1 can (7 1/2 oz.) oz. undrained clams. Simmer 3 minutes. Serves 6

Note: Freeze only the soup base; the fresh or frozen fish or seafood is added to thawed soup base.
 
 

1 pound (2 cups) dried lentils
5 cups chicken broth
5 cups water
1 smoked ham hock
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can (28 oz.) Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, but not drained.
seasoned salt and pepper
 
Put lentils in large bowl, cover with water and soak for several hours. Drain and rinse. Put lentils, broth, water and ham hock or bone into large pot. Cover and simmer gently for an hour or so, stirring now and then.

While lentils cook, prepare tomato sauce as follows. In saucepan heat oil, add onion and sauté slowly about 5 minutes, until onion begins to color. Add garlic, parsley and green pepper, cook a few minutes longer. Sir in tomatoes; add seasoned salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered about 20 minutes.

Transfer half of lentils to processor or blender; puree until smooth. Return to soup pot, add tomato sauce and cook about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serves 8 as main course.

Note: If you're using a ham shank with a good bit of meat on it, dice and use as garnish for each serving.
 
 

1/2 stick butter
1 pound mushrooms cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 Tablespoons flour
8 cups canned vegetable or chicken broth
3 tablespoons mince parsley
2 tsp. dried dillweed
salt and pepper

Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushroom, carrots, celery, onion and barley. Sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes.

Add flour to pot and stir a few minutes. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer (not quite covered) until barley is tender and soup begins to thicken, about an hour. Stir in parsley and dillweed; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: if soup is too thick, add more broth or water as it cooks, or omit the flour next time you prepare it.