It's Time for Soup

It’s Time for Soup

No matter where you live, it is probably a very good time to make soup.  I love soup.  There are many styles of soups and stews.  I thought it would be fun to give you a few examples of all the soups and stews you can serve to your family and friends.  While researching for this posting, I learned a lot about something I thought I knew a lot about already.  Over the years, while cooking in the many kitchens I worked in, I have made thousands of gallons of soups and stew.  Soups and stews are by far some of my favorite things to create.  In the postings at the beginning of my blog you can find all the seasonings you can use for just about any soup or stew you want to make.  One of them tells you what goes with each meat, fish, vegetable or any combination.  Also, if you have a favorite type of cuisine there are lists to tell you which spice or herb goes with each cuisine.  All of these tips can be used if you making soup, as well.  So, go forth and create.  Explore all the possibilities. Your taste buds will thank you.  Your family will thank you.  ENJOY !!!!

Note:  If you prefer what would be called a pot roast (a stew with larger pieces of meat and vegetables) just cook it longer in your oven or crock-pot to allow the juices to thicken and the meat to be more tender.  You can also make a roux (thickening agent of butter and flour) to create a thicker, richer sauce.  

Below is a glossary of soups and stews.  This is the info I found and I want to pass along to you all.  Have fun. Thank you all for letting me share with you. 

Glossary of Soups and Stews

Bisque – A thick, rich soup usually made up of pureed seafood and cream. New recipes may use poultry or vegetables instead of seafood.

Billy bi – French soup made with mussels, onions, wine, cream, and seasonings. Some recipes strain the mussels to have a smooth soup, but the mussels can be left in for extra flavor. (also called billi-bi).

Bird’s nest – Chinese soup made from the black or white nests of a small Asian bird.  They are difficult to harvest, thus expensive.

Borscht – Russian/Polish soup made with fresh beets, assorted vegetables, and sometimes with meat or meat stock; served with a dollop of sour cream; served hot or cold.

Bouillabaisse – French seafood stew made of fish, shellfish, onions, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron, and herbs.

Bouillon – Broth made from cooking vegetables, poultry, meat, or fish in water.

Bourride – Mediterranean fish broth made with garlic, onions, orange peel, and sometimes saffron, thickened with egg yolks and flavored with garlic mayonnaise.

Broth – Liquid resulting from cooking vegetables, meat, or fish in water (same as bouillon)

Brunswick Stew – Hearty squirrel meat and onions stew. Newer versions substitute chicken or rabbit and sometimes add other vegetables like okra, lima beans, tomatoes, and corn.

Burgoo – A thick stew made with a combinations of meats, including pork, veal, beef, lamb, and poultry with various vegetables, including potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, sweet green peppers, corn, okra, lima beans, and celery. (This was originally made with small game, such as, rabbit and squirrel.)

Callaloo – Caribbean soup made with callaloo leaves (from taro roots), coconut milk, okra, yams, and chiles.

Chowder – Thick, chunky seafood or other rich soup containing chunks of food.

Cioppino – Rich Italian fish stew made with tomatoes and a variety of fish and shellfish, usually highly spiced.

Consommé – Clarified meat or fish broth.

Coulis – Juices from cooked meats. It can also be a thick pureed shellfish soup. (Also thick purees of vegetables and fruit mixtures)

Court-Bouillon – Broth made from cooking various vegetables and herbs, usually an onion studded with a few whole cloves, celery, carrots, and a bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf), perhaps with a little wine, lemon juice, or vinegar; used as a poaching base for fish, seafood, or vegetables.

Fumet – Concentrated stock made of fish or mushrooms, used to add flavor to less intensely-flavored stocks or sauces.

Gazpacho – Uncooked soup made of a pureed mixture of fresh tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, onions, celery, cucumber, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and sometimes lemon juice which is served cold; also served chunky. (You may see it spelled “gazpacho”.

Menudo – Hearty, Spicy Mexican style soup made with tripe, calf’s feet, chiles, hominy, and seasonings reputed to be a hangover cure.

Minestrone – Thick Italian vegetable soup made with pasta, peas, beans and sometimes other vegetables.

Mulligan Stew – Stew made from “what’s on hand”, meat, potatoes, and vegetables in any combination.

Mulligatawny – Rich meat or vegetable broth highly seasoned with curry and other spices with bits of poultry or other meats; can include rice, eggs, coconut shreds and/or cream;  originally from India.

Irish Stew – Stew made of seasoned lamb or mutton chops, potatoes and onions, covered with water or broth and stewed for several hours.

Pepper Pot – Thick soup of tripe, meat, vegetables, pepper and seasonings also known as Philadelphia Pepper Pot.

Posole – Mexican thick, hearty soup made of pork or chicken meat and broth, hominy, onion, garlic, dried chiles, and cilantro.  It is served with chopped lettuce, radishes, and onions. Cheese can be added at the table.

Potage – French soup usually pureed; often thickened with cream or egg yolks.

Scotch Broth – Scottish soup made with lamb or mutton, barley, and vegetables.

Soup – Any combination of vegetables, fruit, meat, and/or fish cooked in a liquid. (water or broth)

Stew – A dish containing meat, vegetables, and a thick soup-like broth made from a combination of the stewing liquid and natural juices of the food being stewed.

Stock – Strained liquid that is the results of cooking vegetables, meat, or fish and other seasonings in water.

Vichyssoise – Rich, creamy potato and leek soup garnished with chives; served cold.

Won Ton – Chinese soup made of won tons (bite-size dumplings filled with minced mixture of meat, seafood and/or vegetables) cooked in and served in a clear broth (chicken or pork) flavored with scallions, celery, and soy sauce.

For a change of pace, I thought I would also post a couple of different recipes during the cold weather to warm you up.  One is a gingerbread recipe that is especially good this time of the year.  The other one is a little more for a warmer time but it is good any time.  It is Lime Pie.  Keep these recipes handy for whenever you decide to make them for family and friends.  ENJOY !!!

Whole Grain Gingerbread

      Ingredients: DRY

            ¾ cup – Whole Wheat Flour

            1 cup – Spelt Flour

            ½ cup – Brown Sugar (light is good too)

            ¼ teaspoon – Baking Soda

            ½ teaspoon – Sea Salt

            1 Tablespoon – Ginger (ground)

            ¼ cup – Crystallized Ginger (chopped)

            1 Tablespoon – Fresh Ginger (grated)

            ½ teaspoon – Cinnamon (ground)

            2 Tablespoon – Orange Zest (grated)

      Ingredients: Wet

            9 Tablespoons – Butter (separated)

            (8 T.-melted) (1T.-for greasing the pan)

            ½ cup – Molasses (black strap)

            3 Tablespoons – Honey

            ½ cups – Almond Milk (plain or vanilla)

            ¼ cup – Greek Yogurt (plain)

            1 – large – Egg (beaten)

      Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350°.

2)  Use 1 teaspoon (+ or -) to grease pan (9 inch square).  Put a little flour into pan and shake to coat it.

3)   In a large bowl, mix together the flours, sugar, salt, 3 kinds of ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and orange zest. Mix well.

4)  In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter.

5)   Add the molasses, and honey and heat until the mixture is warm, but not boiling.

6)   Pour into flour mixture. Stir to combine.

7)   Add milk, yogurt, and egg. Fold together until combined.

8)   In a small bowl, put add 2 Tablespoons cold water.  Add the baking soda. Mix with a fork. Add to other ingredients.

9)   Pour batter into treated (greased/floured) pan.

10)      Bake until edges pull away from the sides of the pan slightly. Or until a toothpick (inserted into center) comes out clean; about 35 to 40 minutes.

11)      Let gingerbread cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.

Note: Left-overs can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days, or wrapped tightly and frozen for future use.

Mexican Lime Pie

      Ingredients:

            7oz. – Graham Cracker Crumbs

            7 Tablespoons – Butter (unsalted-melted)

            14oz. – Condensed Milk (sweetened)

            12oz. – Evaporated Milk

1 teaspoon – Lime Zest (Mexican, Key or Standard Limes (grated)

1/3 cup – Lime Juice (freshly squeezed)

     Directions:

1)  Set aside 1 Tablespoon Graham Cracker Crumbs for topping.

2)  In a small bowl, add the rest of the crumbs.

3)   Pour the melted butter and stir with a fork until well mixed.

4)   Press the crust into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie dish (pan). Let it chill in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

5)   Pour condensed milk and evaporated milk into a blender; and mix on low for 2 minutes until tiny air bubbles can be seen along the edges.

6)   Add lime zest and blend briefly.

The next part is where the “magic” happens.

7)  With the running on medium-low, pour in the lime juice through the hole in the lid in a slow – thin stream.

The acidity of the lime juice will cause the mixture to thicken about half-way through.

8)   Mix just until incorporated, increasing the blender speed if necessary.  Do not over-blend or it will thin out.

9)   Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle with extra crumbs. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Note:  You can use a prepared crust if you want.  You can use bottled juice but fresh-squeezed is better. The different limes are very different in size, so the amount of juice will vary.  Squeeze the juice into a measuring cup to assure the correct measurements. Use the same limes for zest and juice.

Extra note:  The type of pie will vary depending on which lime you use. (Mexican Limes – Mexican Lime Pie, Key Limes – Key Lime Pie, etc.)  There will be a slight taste variation as well.

Happy New Year to All !!!