Just Cook It: Soups on
Before I dive into talking about soup, which is what his column is about, I want to touch on one other topic. I have received quite a few emails from readers who are looking for recipes from previous columns. If you are one of those readers, I would like to remind you that you can access all of my previous columns complete with recipes at www.HeraldStandard.com.
You can simply go to the site and type my name along with the name of the recipe you are searching for in the search box and the column should appear at the top of the list of search items. You can even watch my videos from my “Just Cook It” columns on the site while you’re there!
Now that we’ve addressed that issue, let’s talk soup.
I’ve always been a big fan of soup. My grandfather, who I credit with starting my interest in cooking, eats soup every day. Whenever I would stay at his house as a child we would have soup with at least one meal and he still makes soup quite often to this day.
When I talk about soup, I’m not referring to opening a can and heating it up. There are perfectly respectable ways to prepare soup quickly without eating sodium-laden mixtures from aluminum cans. I was taught to actually make soup and to treat it like a real food, not a convenience product.
The most important thing when it comes to soup is unequivocally without a doubt the stock or broth. I know what some of you are thinking, “What’s the difference between stock and broth?”
The answer to that question can be found in one of my previous “Just Cook It” columns that I wrote all about that very topic. You can read that column, as mentioned above, at www.HeraldStandard.com.
A properly made flavorful stock or broth is the difference between a delicious soup and forgettable soup. I must make a distinction – while I am opposed to canned soups, I am not opposed to using organic premade stocks as long as you fortify them with more flavor.
What I mean by that statement is that I am not a fan of simply opening a carton of stock, heating it up, and slurping it down. However, I am perfectly fine with using an organic stock from a carton and adding other ingredients to enhance the flavor and create your own soup.
A lot of people use water when making chicken soup, for instance. This method is fine, however why use water if you have a flavorful stock that you can add even more flavor to and make even more delicious?
The key to making soup with a premade stock is to use the world famous wine rule. Taste the stock before you use it in your soup the same way you should always taste wine before including it in a recipe. If the stock doesn’t taste at least pleasant to you on it’s own then don’t use it in your soup. Good stock is better than water, but water is better than bad stock.
Another tip when making soup is to carefully monitor your heat situation. You want to simmer your soup, not boil it. Simmering occurs when a few small bubbles rise to the surface every few seconds. If you see a small city of bubbles ferociously and violently breaking on the surface of your soup, then the heat is too high. Boiling leads to overcooked vegetables, which will end up soft and mushy and overcooked meats, which will end up tough and even dry.
My final soup tip for this column is – control your grease. Nothing ruins a delicious bowl of soup quite like a film of grease resting on its surface. To avoid this pitfall, you can do a couple of things. First, if you are using meat in your soup (as in the recipe below) be sure to drain any excess rendered fat before proceeding and adding liquid.
Second, as your soup simmers, impurities (including fat) will rise to the surface in the form of foam. Use a ladle to skim this foam from the surface and then discard it. The foam isn’t good for anything or anybody, so dispose of it and move on with your non-greasy and consequently more delicious soup.
In closing, I would like to share one of my favorite winter soup recipes. I created this recipe last January and actually made it on my radio show (Just Cook It Radio). It was a requested recipe so I developed it for that reason, but it turned out so well that it instantly became one of my favorite soups to make and enjoy in cold weather…and any weather for that matter.
Enjoy the recipe and don’t forget to send in your food/cooking related questions for me to answer in this column. Email your questions/comments to features@heraldstandard.com.
Mario Porreca of Belle Vernon is an entrepreneur, author, lifestyle solutions expert, and the host of Just Cook It Radio. He can be reached via his website at: www.MarioPLS.com. Twitter: @MarioPorreca.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Yield: 8-10 servings
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 yellow bell pepper, medium dice
1 bay leaf
陆 pound ground pork
陆 pound ground veal
1 pound ground beef
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup tomato juice
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
6 cups beef stock
2 cups cooked rice
Sea salt to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
8-10 green bell peppers (optional for serving)
Procedure:
1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and sweat the onions and garlic until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the diced red pepper, yellow pepper, and bay leaf to the pot and sweat an additional 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the ground pork, veal, and beef to the pot and season with a pinch of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, dried thyme, oregano and basil. Stir to combine and brown the meat while stirring occasionally. When the meat is browned, drain and discard any excess fat that has rendered before proceeding.
4. Add the tomato juice and stewed tomatoes to the pot and simmer for 25 minutes while continuing to stir occasionally.
5. Add the beef stock to the pot, bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 45 minutes while stirring occasionally and skimming off and discarding any fat or foam that rises to the surface.
6. When the soup is finished simmering, add the cooked rice to the soup and season to taste with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. You can add the rice separately to each serving if you are expecting to have leftovers, as the rice will continue to absorb the soup broth as it sits.
7. To serve the soup in a green pepper – trim the top and bottom of the green peppers so they will stand up sturdy without moving. Also, be sure not to trim too much off the bottom of the pepper so that it will hold the broth of the soup. Using a pairing knife and a spoon, gently remove the seeds and ribs of the peppers to hollow out the inside. Drop each pepper into boiling salted water for about three minutes each or just until al dente. Immediately submerge the peppers into ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process (if serving later). Lightly dab the peppers dry with a paper towel, fill with Stuffed Pepper Soup and serve immediately.