Enjoy
50 Easy Soups
Source: Food network
1. Basic Chicken: Chop 1 onion, 1 celery stalk, 2 carrots and 1 tablespoon thyme; sauté in butter until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add 6 cups chicken broth; simmer 20 minutes. Add 2 cups shredded cooked chicken,
1/3 cup mixed chopped dill and parsley, and some lemon juice.
Rachael's Recipe Note: If you don't have thyme, use extra dill or parsley or cilantro. If you don't have fresh, substitute 1 tsp. dried.
2. Chicken Rice: Make Basic Chicken Soup (No. 1); omit dill and add chives, chervil and tarragon. Stir in 1/3 cup cooked basmati rice.
Rachael's Recipe Note:
Don't have basmati? Use long grain white or brown rice.
3. Italian Wedding: Make Basic Chicken Soup (No. 1) with a rind of Parmesan in the broth. Add 1 pound mini meatballs,
1 cup orzo and 3 cups torn escarole; simmer until the orzo is tender.
Rachael's Recipe Note:
No "rind of Parmesan"? Use 2 cloves finely minced garlic and 2 Tbsp. of grated Parmesan. No fresh garlic? Use 1 Tbsp. garlic powder.
No orzo? Use pastina. No escarole? Omit or use 1/2 package frozen spinach that has been thawed, drained and all the water pressed out.
4. Chicken Dumpling: Mix 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1 beaten egg, 1/2 cup dry farina (cream of wheat) cereal and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Drop half-teaspoonfuls into simmering chicken broth; cook for 3 minutes after the dumplings float.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No farina (cream of wheat)? Use a tube of refrigerator biscuits, cut each biscuit into quarters. Drop into simmering chicken broth, cook for 3 minutes after the "dumplings" float.
5. Escarole and White Bean: cook 3 chopped garlic cloves and some red pepper flakes in olive oil.
Add 3 cups chicken broth, 1 head chopped escarole and a Parmesan rind; simmer 15 minutes. Add 1 can white beans, Parmesan and salt.
Rachael's Recipe Notes: No "rind of Parmesan"? Use 1 to 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan.
6. Butternut Squash: Sauté 1/2 sliced onion with a pinch of thyme in butter until soft. Add salt, pepper, 2 pounds diced butternut squash and 5 cups chicken broth. Simmer until tender, then puree.
7. Squash and Sage: Make Butternut Squash Soup (No. 6) using 2 shallots instead of onion. Fry sage leaves in the butter.
Replace 1-1/2 cups of the broth with apple cider; add nutmeg. Top with crème fraîche and the fried sage.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No fresh sage leaves? Instead of frying sage leaves and putting them on top, add a scant 1/2 tsp. ground sage to the broth. No creme fraiche? Use sour cream. No apple cider? Use apple juice.
8. Parsnip-Bacon: Make Butternut Squash Soup (No. 6) but substitute 2 pounds parsnips for the squash. Top with crumbled bacon and crème fraîche.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No creme fraiche? Use sour cream. No bacon? Use bacon bits.
9. Asian Chicken: Puree 2 garlic cloves with a 2-inch piece peeled ginger; fry in oil with 1 bunch sliced scallions (green onions). Add 3 cups each chicken broth and water, 1 tablespoon each soy sauce and sherry, and a pinch of sugar; boil.
Add shredded cooked chicken, sliced carrots and snow peas; drizzle with sesame oil.
10. Spicy Dumpling: Make Asian Chicken Soup (No. 9); add frozen dumplings instead of chicken. Top with Asian chili sauce.
11. Spicy Tortilla: Puree 2 seeded, soaked ancho chiles, 1 onion, 2 tomatoes and 2 garlic cloves; fry in oil.
Add 6 cups chicken broth, 4 torn corn tortillas, some shredded cooked chicken and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer
until thick. Add salt; garnish with crisp tortilla strips, Mexican cheese, avocado, cilantro and lime juice.
12. Stracciatella: Beat 2 eggs with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan. Drizzle into 6 cups simmering chicken broth; cook 2 minutes.
13. Egg Drop: Cook 1 tablespoon chopped ginger and 3 chopped scallions in sesame oil. Add 6 cups chicken broth
and 2 tablespoons each soy sauce and sherry; bring to a simmer. Slowly pour in 2 beaten eggs and cook 2 minutes.
14. Sausage-Bean: Make Escarole and White Bean Soup (No. 5); sauté 4 chopped sweet Italian sausages with the garlic.
15. Egg-Lemon: Cook 1/2 cup pastina in 6 cups simmering chicken broth with 3 tablespoons lemon juice.
Beat 2 eggs, 2 yolks and 3 tablespoons lemon juice; whisk in a little hot broth, then stir the mixture into the soup.
Cook over low heat until thick.
16. Potato Chowder: Sauté 4 ounces chopped bacon; add 2 tablespoons butter, 2 sliced leeks and 2 teaspoons each
sage and thyme. Add 4 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups cream, a bay leaf and 3 chopped potatoes.
Simmer until tender; top with chives.
17. Potato Cheese: Make Potato Chowder (No. 16); stir in 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar.
18. Clam Chowder: Make Potato Chowder (No. 16); omit sage and use 2 cups each clam juice and water in place of broth.
Season with cayenne. Add 2 cups chopped clams during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
19. Corn Chowder: Make Potato Chowder (No. 16); omit sage. Stir in 2 cups corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Garnish with diced roasted red peppers.
20. Minestrone: Chop 3 garlic cloves, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 celery stalk and 1/4 head cabbage; sauté in oil.
Add 1 can each white beans and diced tomatoes, 4 cups chicken broth and a Parmesan rind; simmer 20 minutes.
Add 1 cup ditalini pasta and simmer until tender. Add salt and pepper.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No "Parmesan rind"? Use 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan. Substitute any combination of chick peas, pink beans and kidney beans for white beans. Substitute pastina or cooked elbow macaroni for ditalini. Substitute 2 cups diced zucchini for the cabbage.
21. Fish Chowder: Make Potato Chowder (No. 16) with just 2 ounces bacon. Omit sage; swap the cream with half-and-half.
Add 1 pound white fish chunks and 1/2 pound flaked smoked trout during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No smoked trout? Substitute tilapia.
22. Pistou: Make Minestrone (No. 20); add 1 sliced zucchini and 1 cup diced butternut squash with the vegetables.
Swirl in pesto.
23. Tortellini: Make Minestrone (No. 20); substitute 1 cup tortellini for the ditalini.
24. Sweet Potato: Sweat 2 chopped onions, 4 chopped garlic cloves, 3 peeled and cubed sweet potatoes, and 1 teaspoon coriander in olive oil. Simmer with 6 cups chicken broth until soft. Puree; top with salsa.
25. Curried Sweet Potato: Make Sweet Potato Soup (No. 24); use butter instead of oil and add 1 tablespoon curry powder with the potatoes. Top with chutney.
26. Curried Red Lentil: Cook 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 each chopped onion and carrot, 1/2 tablespoon chopped ginger and a pinch of cayenne in oil. Add 6 cups water, 1 can coconut milk, 1 cup red lentils and 1/2 cup rice; simmer 20 minutes. Garnish with lime, cilantro and scallions.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No red lentils? Substitute brown lentils. Different taste and texture, but just as delicious.
27. Split Pea: Simmer 1/2 pound split peas with 1 each chopped celery stalk, onion and carrot, a ham hock and a bundle of fresh herbs in 5 cups water until tender. Remove ham and bone; pull off the meat. Puree the soup; stir in ham.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No ham hock? Use a ham bone
28. Vegetarian Pea: Make Split Pea Soup (No. 27); omit the ham hock. Puree just half of the soup and mix it back in; add 1 cup diced carrot. Top with croutons.
29. Cheddar-Horseradish: Sweat 2 each diced carrots and leeks in butter. Add cayenne, salt, 3 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons dry mustard; cook 2 minutes. Add 1 bottle beer, 1/4 cup horseradish, 3 cups water and a dash of Worcestershire; simmer until thick.
Whisk in 2 cups half-and-half and 1 1/2 cups cheddar.
30. French Onion: Cook 4 sliced onions and 2 thyme sprigs in butter, covered, 20 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 hour, or until caramelized, stirring occasionally. Add 6 cups beef broth; simmer 10 minutes. Add cognac, salt and pepper. Top with shredded Gruyere.
No Gruyere? Use mozzarella or provolone.
31. Tomato Alphabet: Boil 3 cups chicken broth, 2 cups tomato juice and a pinch of dried oregano. Add 1/2 cup alphabet pasta, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Stir in grated Parmesan.
32. Tomato Orzo: Make Tomato Alphabet Soup (No. 31) with orzo instead of alphabet pasta. Omit Parmesan; top with feta and dill.
33. Carrot-Ginger" Sweat 2 sliced shallots and 3 tablespoons minced ginger in butter; season with salt and pepper.
Add 1 pound sliced carrots, 2 tablespoons rice, 2 cups chicken broth and 3 cups water. Simmer until the rice is tender, then puree.
34. Carrot-Dill: Make Carrot-Ginger Soup (No. 33); omit the ginger and add chopped dill. Garnish with sour cream.
35. Pappa al Pomodoro: Sauté 1 chopped onion in oil until tender; add 3 chopped garlic cloves, some red pepper flakes, 1
large can chopped tomatoes, 1 cup water and a basil sprig. Add 2 cups stale bread cubes; simmer 20 minutes.
36. Thai Coconut: Sauté 3 sliced garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons grated ginger, 1/4 cup chopped lemongrass, 1 teaspoon each cumin and coriander, and a Thai chile in oil. Add 1 sliced raw chicken breast and 1 sliced onion; cook 5 minutes. Add shredded bok choy, 4 cups water, 1 can coconut milk, cilantro and 2 tablespoons fish sauce; simmer 8 minutes.
37. Black Bean: Soak 1/2 pound dried black beans overnight; drain. Sauté 1 each chopped celery stalk, onion and carrot and 2 smashed garlic cloves in oil. Add beans, thyme, a bay leaf, a ham hock and 5 cups water; simmer 40 minutes. Remove ham and bone; pull off the meat. Puree the soup; stir in the ham.
Rachael's Recipe Notes:
No dried black beans? Use 2 cans undrained black beans. This also makes the soup quicker to make.
38. Mexican Bean: Make Black Bean Soup (No. 37); omit thyme and add 1 teaspoon each chipotle chili powder and cumin.
Puree just half of the soup and mix it back in. Mix in the juice of 1 lime; top with sour cream, cilantro and salsa.
39. Curried Cauliflower: Cook 4 sliced leeks with 1 tablespoon curry powder in butter. Add 1 head chopped cauliflower and 1 garlic clove; cook 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 5 cups chicken broth; boil until soft, then puree.
Simmer with 1 cup cream.
40. Thai Shrimp Make Thai Coconut Soup (No. 36); omit the chicken and add 1/2 pound peeled small shrimp during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
41. Potato-Leek: Sauté 3 cups each sliced leeks and cubed potatoes in butter. Add 1 sliced garlic clove and a pinch each salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg; cook 5 minutes. Add 5 cups chicken broth; boil until potatoes are tender, then puree.
Reheat with 1 cup cream.
42. Beef Borscht: Sweat 1/2 head chopped cabbage and 2 each chopped celery stalks, leeks, carrots and parsnips in oil.
Add thyme, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, a bay leaf and 10 cups beef broth; simmer 30 minutes. Add 4 diced roasted beets
and 2 cups shredded cooked beef; simmer 15 minutes. Top with sour cream and dill.
43. Potato Broccoli: Make Potato-Leek Soup (No. 41); add 3 cups broccoli and simmer 5 minutes before pureeing.
44. Vichyssoise Make: Potato-Leek Soup (No. 41) with water instead of broth. Strain after pureeing, then chill.
Omit the cream; stir in half-and-half and top with chives.
45. Watercress: Make Potato-Leek Soup (No. 41); add 2 bunches chopped watercress and simmer 3 minutes, then puree until smooth.
46. Garlic Broth: Sweat 2 heads garlic (smashed and peeled) in olive oil. Add 8 cups chicken broth and a bundle of fresh herbs; simmer 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
47. Garlic-Chorizo: Make Garlic Broth (No. 46); add 1/4 pound sliced chorizo during the last 10 minutes. Add chopped spinach.
48. Garlicky Broccoli Rabe: Make Garlic Broth (No. 46); add chopped broccoli rabe and small pasta during the last 10 minutes. Top with grated Parmesan.
49. Tomato-Lime: Make Garlic Broth (No. 46); add 3 chopped plum tomatoes during the last 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro.
50. Peas and Pesto: Make Garlic Broth (No. 46); add 1 cup frozen peas during the last 5 minutes. Stir in pesto and grated Parmesan.
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