Hearty warming soups
A call from the kitchen: “Soup’s on” is bound to evoke warm and homey feelings to most of us. While cold summer soups are refreshing, the somewhat dreary days of February require something hot and substantial to give us warmth and comfort.
Soup may be a comfort food in the winter but need not be boring. For soup allows for as many variations as there are cooks. Different parts of the world may have their specialties like Minestrone, Petite Marmite or pot au feu, which are guaranteed by their ingredients to vary according to the individual cook and the ingredients available at the time. Other soups are created simply by fortunate pairing of ingredients by the cook on any given day. A cold winter afternoon will often have me surveying the possible ingredients on hand and explore the possibilities for a hearty new soup or a variation of an old standby.
Fesh and dried mushrooms are some of my favorite ingredients for such explorations. Not only do they provide the delightful umami taste to the final product but also add different textures to enhance its visual appearance. The following mushroom-barley soup was adapted from “A Feast of Soups” by Jacqueline Hérieau.
Mushroom, barley and kale soup
Soak 3-4 oz wild dried mushrooms in 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove mushrooms and strain the soaking liquid trough a paper towel lined sieve to remove sand. Set aside the liquid and coarsely chop the mushrooms.
Prepare the following: 1 chopped onion; 1 trimmed and washed leek with the white part thinly sliced; 2 medium carrots sliced; 1 large potato peeled and diced; 2 minced garlic cloves; 3-4 leaves Lacinato kale, washed, de-ribbed and torn in bite size pieces.
Sauté the onion in a 4-quart pot in 1 tblsp. olive oil and 1 tblsp. butter for 5 minutes, until translucent. Lower the heat and stir in leek and carrots and cook for 10 minutes with occasional stirring. Stir in garlic, potatoes, 2-3 tblsp. pearl barley, bay leaf, 1 tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, mushrooms and their soaking water and 4 cups water. Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the kale and cook an additional 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tblsp. butter and serve hot with garnish of a dib of sour cream and dill. Can be reheated or frozen.
Lentils make wonderful winter soups, they cook in just 30 minutes and unlike beans, do not require overnight soaking in cold water. For best texture of the soup use green French lentils of black Beluga lentils and simmer after initially bringing the pot to boil.
Lentil - chorizo soup
Rinse 1 ½ cups Beluga lentils in cold water. Prepare the following: 1 medium onion chopped; 1 medium carrot and parsnip chopped; 2 stalks celery chopped; 2-3 garlic cloves minced.
In a 4-quart pot sauté the onion in 1 tblsp. olive oil for 5 minutes, stir in the garlic for an additional minute. Then add the chopped vegetables, lentils, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp. thyme, ½ tsp. lemon pepper and bring to boil. Turn heat down to simmer and cook for 30 minutes with occasional stirring. Add 1 smoked chorizo sausage chopped to ½ inch size and simmer for additional 10-15 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with parsley or chives. The soup reheats well and can be frozen.
Making a pot of soup is one of those relaxing chores on any
dreary afternoon. Simmering soup on the stovetop will fill your house with
delicious aroma and guarantee several ready-made meals to be enjoyed for lunch
or dinner. “Soup’s on!”
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