Becoming a Soup Master
It’s the dead days of winter and I am really loving soup. Soup is great and easy food to make and store. Part of the deal with winter is patiently waiting to get sick. I get a cold or the flu and am knocked down for a little bit. If not me, then definitely my husband does. Covid certainly hasn’t helped! Something that helps get through this winter time-of-uncertainty is having a stockpile of tasty soups put away to whip out at a moment’s notice. Here’s how you can also become a soup master.
Master the basic recipe!
I very rarely use a recipe to make basic soups. Instead, it’s a matter of what’s hanging out in the fridge. So, here’s a basic recipe for just about any occasion.
Saute these things if you have them: garlic, celery, onions, spices of your choosing.
Add in your meat (chicken, turkey, beef, whatever) and brown/cook through. Vegetarian? I love to use mushrooms for this step!
Add in your vegetable choices
Add in some liquid - stock or broth that matches your meat.
Let it simmer for about an hour or two, tasting and adjusting as needed.
If you want a cream-based soup, add heavy cream or sour cream and stir immediately before serving, otherwise it may split.
Use up those food scraps
One of the best things that I learned in quarantine was making my own broth, boiling down vegetable scraps or bones from meat dishes to create our own. We save all our vegetable scraps in a freezer bag until it’s full and then add them to a pot of water and boil to make stock every few months We haven’t bought any from the store in nearly a year! Chicken stock is equally simple when you’re done eating the meat off a rotisserie chicken, to throw in some water and boil to make delicious rich bases for soups. Just make sure to strain it and put it away for later. It freezes so well, which brings me to my next point…
Make in bulk and save for later!
When it’s time to make soup, I don’t just make soup for one meal…I make a TON. Soup is one of those foods that stores so incredibly well. There’s a reason that there’s so much canned soup out there! It’s super easy to throw into your freezer thanks to Souper Cubes. I linked them below if you’re interested! It’s a sturdy, flexible soup-freezing container that’s made of silicone with a reinforced top edge. I freeze soup in them, then pop out the one-cup portions into a freezer bag to save in the freezer. When it’s time for soup night, it’s easy to grab exactly the right amount and heat it up. It’s also easy to grab out just one portion for a fast lunch.
Hopefully, these tips will help you make soup a quick and flexible part of your winter! Let me know if you have any soup recipes you love. We’re always looking for new combinations.
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