Soup

Fall begins a new season of soup making at our house, as well as stews & anything else that can be made in my large stockpot and frozen. Soups can vary from very quick soups, that you can make in a short amount of time (ex: French Onion Soup, Cabbage) to others that will require a longer amount of time, (Chicken soup from scratch) because it will involve making your stock first.

Soups are a nutritious and frugal way to feed your family. Don't be afraid to experiment, this is how heirloom family recipes are created! Always keep extra soup in the freezer, especially if you work, and have a hectic schedule. You can quickly defrost in the microwave and heat. When I was working my million hour a week jobs, I use to make soup on the weekends.

I'd like to share my list of essentials that I use for my own soups:

• Stockpot/s. Here is a link that gives you some good information on choosing a stockpot: Choosing a Good Stockpot I did not spend a fortune on mine. Hubby bought it for me at Costco's, I believe it was $39. And I've had great success with it.
  
• Additional Freezer. Essential for the frugal home. I suggest a self defrosting, high Energy Star Rated model.
  
• Containers. We do eat a lot of soup from the Chinese restaurant. It's cheap, and you get those wonderful sturdy pint & quart containers, which are perfect for freezing soups/stews/chili. They last forever. And you can hear them in the microwave.
  
• Cheesecloth and/or old pantyhose. For straining stock. I also cut off the feet/legs of my old pantyhose. Why? Because I can put my herbs, peppercorns, cloves, etc in each piece, tie it and toss it into the pot as I'm making my stock, then just throw it out afterwards. I also found out this week, that I can actually stretch out the top half (panty part) of the tights over my colander to strain the stock. Yes, they were laundered, ha.
  

Above is the basic equipment, now let's move on to the ingredients. Try to buy veggies in season, or buy, par boil, cut up & flash freeze in large Ziploc bags, or use a vac seal system. You can also save leftover vegetables and put it a Ziploc bag, but, some vegetables will get mushy doing this. I buy all of my veggies/fruits at the produce stands at my local farmer's market, or other farm stands. Everyone's taste varies, but the list below is usually what I use in soups.

• Fresh Veggies I always have on hand: Carrots, Onions, Potatoes, Celery, and Cabbage.
  
• Veggies I buy in season: Corn, Beans, Peas, Root Vegetables, Zucchini, Cauliflower, Tomatoes, Scallions, Leeks
  

Of Course it is so much better & cheaper to grow your own veggies and herbs, (we haven't been able to, the last couple of years) Also check your area & see if they have a produce Co-Op.

Pantry items:

• Beef & Chicken soup base paste (I get at the Wholesale club, lasts a long time)
  
• Tomato or V-8 juice
  
• Legumes
  
• Noodles, Pasta
  
• Seasonings-Italian herb blends, onion powder, Mrs. Dash, etc
  
• Rice-White, Brown, Wild
  
• Canned chicken
  
• Barley
  

Other items:

• Tortellini's (frozen or dried)
  
• Frozen veggies-Whatever is on sale that's good for soup; Peas, Mixed, Green Beans, etc
  

There are only 3 of us in the house, so the amount of items & variety has changed over the years. I usually shoot for making at least 6-7 quarts of soup at a time. Our favorites here are Chicken, Beef vegetable w/barley, Stuffed Cabbage Soup & French Onion, Tortellini.

Basic Chicken Soup Recipe

I usually allow 2 days for this recipe, as I refrigerate the stock overnight to allow all the fat to rise to the top, and be skimmed. You can also place in containers to do this, or if it's colder weather, place outside in a safe place covered.

Stock:

• 1 Whole chicken or Chicken Parts (you can also use the gizzards, etc)
  
• 1 Large Onion, quartered
  
• 2 Celery Stalks, quartered
  
• 2 Large Carrots, scraped and trimmed, cut in half
  
• Peppercorns & Whole Cloves (I put into old piece of pantyhose, tied)
  
• Salt & Pepper to Taste (you can always add more, when the stock is done)
  
• Cheesecloth for straining stock & a colander
  
• Veggies for soup-Carrots, Onions, Celery (you can also add potatoes if desired)
  
• Noodles or Rice
  

Rinse chicken well, place in a large stockpot w/onions, carrots, celery, seasonings. Cover with water, pot should be 2/3 full. Place over high heat, bring to a full boil, and turn down heat to about medium/low. Skim off foam that forms, after that is done (may take a few minutes) lower heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the chicken. Chicken should be ready to fall off the bones when it is done.

When the chicken is done, turn off heat, and get ready to strain your stock. Everybody has their own way of doing this, but the easiest for me, is to put another large pot in the sink with a colander over it, and the cheesecloth on the bottom of the colander. I first remove the larger pieces of chicken, bones and veggies into a large bowl to cool.

I then slowly strain my stock. At this point is when I refrigerate/cool my stock, so I can skim off the remaining fat in the liquid before moving on to the final stage of cooking.

After the chicken you removed has cooled, separate the useable chicken from the skin, bones, and stock veggies. Cut into bit size pieces. Store until you are ready to finish your soup.

After you have skimmed the fat from your stock, place back in pot, and bring to a boil.

Clean & cut up the vegetables you are adding to your soup.

Place chicken and vegetables back into stock, simmering until vegetables are tender, approx. 30 minutes.

Tip: I always make whatever pasta or noodles separately, and then add to the soup.

Please feel free to send my own soup recipes at libbyrose63@comcast.net, and I'll be sure to publish them in a future post!