Soup, has any cuisine made a lasting mark in every ethnic food worldwide, given immorality status by poets, songwriters and even television media (who hasn’t seen Sienfled’s Soup Nazi episode. Soup heralds in all seasons with a signature addition and nearly every region of every country has a soup they call theirs.
The mark of a good cook is not how fancy of a meal he or she prepares, but rather how good of a meal is prepared, and nothing expresses excellence as a delicious bowl of soup. Creating a good soup pushes the cook to the limits, knowing when it reaches its peak of perfection or is about to slip into the mundane.
The age old expression comes to mind when served a hearty bowl of soup, that being “all of natures goodness on one spoon”. One could not express it truer, for as one simmers the meats, vegetables and seasonings, the aroma alone gives the beholder a sense of goodness. After all Mom has always known that a bowl of homemade chicken soup will make you feel better. Perhaps she didn’t understand that the slow simmering of the meat and vegetables drew out all the nutritional value into the broth, and that as you consumed it, it really was good for you. She just knew it worked and that is all she cared about.
The soup still holds the first place in most cooks heart, for they know that the making of the soup is the best time spent in the kitchen. After all, you may make a meal and have it consumed within an hour, soup may only take minutes of finishing preparation time, yet takes many hours of simmering and its aroma waffles through the house like the king of all potpourri.
Whether your soup is a starter course or the main meal in itself, care should be taken in the preparation of it. Fine ingredients chosen, scraps are in the trash bin and not a quality food product, many believe, just throw the scraps into the simmering stock, however the addition of things to a recipe changes the final product of course, for success stick to what works. Your soups can be as memorable as any other dish and should be, if you follow the recipe.
With few exceptions, most ingredients can be found within your local supermarket. Be sure to use the freshest and finest ingredients you can find. Soup is no place to compromise quality. When an appetizer is not served then soup sets the pace for the remainder of the meal, inferior soups states that the following courses may be of the same quality. One who will compromise on soup will do so with the other dishes of the meal.
Whether your menu requires a puree, cream, bisque, chowder, or a bouillon type of soup, they all begin with a superior stock (broth) The soup du jour when made with love, time and attention to detail, as with all cuisines. Many believe that leftovers play the major role in preparation of the daily soup. High quality leftovers can, but to throw things into a simmer pot “just because” is the earmark of a super lazy cook.
Soups have their classifications which are:
- A) Thin: clear soup, bouillon, consommé, broth or fonds
- B) Light: cream, bisques, vegetable
- C) Hearty: thickened, chowders
Bouillon, consommé broth or fonds are liquids that have cooked with meats, poultry, fish, seafood or vegetables, clarified or cleared and flavored with another ingredient as wine or sherry. The broth is generally not clarified, but is strained well. Both are garnished with various other ingredients, yet that is done sparingly.
The fond is the browned particles found at the bottom of the pans after cooking meat or vegetables, then released by simmering liquids, strained and used to boost the flavor of the main dish. Such as a soup or stock, sauce or gravy.
Light soups consist of cream soups, bisques or vegetable soups. Usually the soup is an introduction to a meal often replacing the appetizer.
Hearty soups, these are meal soups they replace an entree.
You of course can’t discuss without identifying the stocks they are made of, of which there are five:
- A) Brown
- B) Fish
- C) Gravy
- D) White
- E) Vegetable
All stocks need to be well seasoned and to extract the flavors using herbs and spices often added directly or via a bouquet garni.
Stocks, of course, are the bases for not only soups, but also for most sauces so care and concern must be taken in the preparation of the stock. Use clean, quality fresh ingredients (so much for the leftover theory). Fresh, uncooked meats create the best stocks, bones should be cracked to extract the gelatine therein assisting in the flavor complexion. Both the fresh quality and the seasoning, add to the strength of the stock. Keep in mind the use of the meat after the stock is made is now a low quality and void of its nutritious value. When making soup from the stock use once again fresh quality produce and proteins. Following the stock recipes should produce the color your recipe calls.
The most important keys to keep in mind in making a good quality stock are:
- A) Use fresh cold distilled water.
- B) Simmer slowly a coddle is best.
- C) Skim, skim, skim remove any of the impurities that floats to the top, they appear as scum, foamy bits, or small bundles of congealed fat, allowing them to remain could cause the stock to become cloudy and bitter.
- D) Stocks have the best flavor after standing 24 hours. Use as required.
- E) Find a good butcher and get the bones you require, have them cut into 2” (5 cm) sizes, be sure they are meaty bones with marrow centers. If you become a regular customer of your local butcher they may provide the bones to you for free or at a very low cost. Save any bones you may use in your daily cooking, just place them in a freezer bag and freeze until required. Keep in mind organic and grass fed animals will produce bones with the greatest health benefits.
As stated, bone broth is packed full of health values, nutritious, and great for your well being. The content will depend on the type of bones used, how and with what the animal was fed, and whether or not you allow the cooking process the time required for creation of the stock (broth).
Bones are rich in minerals, particularly calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium many of which have diminished with the packaged food diet most people consume today. Glycosaminoglycans (Gags), collagen, and healthy fats are all found within marrow bones, grass-fed animals are an excellent source of these. Their marrow will have a higher amounts of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids, as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), another healthy fat. Collagen of course helps to build connective tissue, the main component of tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and ligaments. Proline and glycine are just a couple of amino acids that is found in the collagen and released into gelatin.
Bone broth consumed on a regular basis may assist in the digestive system, health care providers have known this for centuries, while they may ban solid foods quality broths and gelatins are served as the meal replacement. Gelatin of course is a derivative of collagen found in the bones and released into the broth during the cooking process. Gelatin contains an amino acid called glutamic acid, which once in the body helps maintain the function of the intestinal wall. Several chronic gastrointestinal diseases (such as leaky gut) are helped with the consumption of gelatin and bone broth.
Bone broth is packed full of essential amino acids, such as arginine, glutamate, hydroxyproline, proline, alanine, and glycine, which have anti-inflammatory properties assisting in the healing and prevention of serious diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer. The amino acids found in bone broth (especially glycine) may assist in sleep management. Glycine helps you to fall asleep faster, maintain a deeper sleep and even assist in waking up fewer times throughout the night. So perhaps a cup of bone broth before bed may be just what Mr. sandman requires of take.
High in protein yet low in both calories and carbohydrates bone broth is an excellent source of fighting obesity. Full of protein a cup of bone broth may satisfy the hunger pangs and satisfy as a snack food instead of a something packed full of calories and carbs yet having no nutritional value.
Beef Broth (Stock)
2 1/4 lbs 1 kg meaty beef marrow bones (cracked)
2 tbsp 30 ml oil
1 tsp 5 ml salt
1/4 tsp 1 ml pepper
2 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 1 onion, coarsely chopped
10 cups 2.5 L cold water
¼ cup 60 ml apple cider vinegar
1 cup 250 ml chopped tomatoes
1 1 bouquet garni (follows)
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
Toss the bones with the oil, season the bones with the salt and pepper. Place the bones in a heavy Dutch oven or roaster, roast until beef bones are brown, 1.5 hours or longer if required. Remove from oven, toss in the vegetables, return to the oven and continue to roast for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer all into a large stock pot.
Add water and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours, skimming off any fat or impurities that may rise to the top. If too much water evaporates you may top it up, but it should reduce over the simmering time by ⅓ rd .
Remove meat, bones, and vegetables, strain through a sieve. Remove additional impurities and fat. Chill the stock 6-8 hours and remove fat from surface.
Your stock (broth) is now ready for any additional seasonings, re-heat the stock and taste, adjust the seasoning with salt and whatever you may like to add. Keep in mind, however the final dish you are preparing and what seasonings you may be adding to it.
To make a double strength broth simply reduce the strained broth by half, simmer the broth, boiling with cause the liquid to become cloudy, which may be fine for sauces and stews but is a not good for clear broth soup. A double strength broth will produce a delicious cold consomme with a gelatin type setting, very nice on a hot summer day.
To concentrate the broth into a paste or powder: Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Carefully pour the broth onto the dehydrator sheets. Place in the dehydrator at 135 °F – 140 °F (57 °C – 60 °C). Depending on the dehydrator this process may take 12-26 hours to concentrate and up to 48 hours to a powder.
For powder: After 24-48 hours, lift the broth off the sheet all in one piece. Turn over and return to the dehydrator for an additional 24-48 hours. The sheet will now be a hard and a bit transparent. In a coffee grinder or spice mill, process the sheet into a fine powder. It can last 45-60 days as a shelf stable product, however it will last longer with a a silica gel pack within. It stores yet even longer in the freezer. Rehydrate by using 1 tablespoon (15 ml) to 8 ounces (250 ml) of boiling water.
Yields 6-7 cups (1.5 L) of broth.
Chicken Stock
6-7 cups (1.5 L)
2 1/4 lbs 1 kg chicken bones (cracked)
10 cups 2.5 L cold water
2 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 tsp 3 ml salt
1/4 tsp 1 ml pepper
1 1 bouquet garni*
In a heavy Dutch oven or stock pot, add the bones. Cover with the water and remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 6 to 12 hours, skimming off any fat or impurities that rise to the top.
Remove meat, bones, and vegetables. Strain through a sieve.]
Chill stock and remove fat from surface.
To make a double strength broth simply reduce the strained broth by half, simmer the broth, boiling with cause the liquid to become cloudy, which may be fine for sauces and stews by is a distraction for clear broth soup. A double strength broth will produce a delicious cold consomme with a gelatin type setting, very nice on a hot summer day.
Broth stocks have the best flavor after standing 24 hours. Use as required.
Fish Stock
8 cups (2 L)
5 lbs 2.2 kg fish, trimmings and bones
1 1 onion, diced
3 3 carrots, diced
3 3 celery stalks, diced
2 2 bay leaves
3 3 parsley sprigs
1 1 garlic clove
1 tbsp 15 ml salt
10 10 peppercorns
1 1 bouquet garni*
12 cups 3 L water
Cut the fish into small pieces. Place in a large pot. Add the vegetables and seasonings. Cover with water. Add the bouquet garni.
Heat gently without boiling. Simmer gently for 2 hours. While simmering, remove any scum which may rise to the top.
Drain through a sieve, then through a cheesecloth.
Use as required.
Vegetable Stock
6-8 cups (1.5–2.5 L)
1/4 cup 60 ml butter
2 2 onions, diced
6 6 carrots, diced
4 4 celery stalks, diced
1 1 garlic clove, crushed
1 lb 450 g tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp 30 ml parsley
10 10 peppercorns
1 tsp 5 ml thyme
2 2 bay leaves
2 tsp 10 ml salt
1 1 bouquet garni*
12 cups 3 L water
In a pot, heat the butter.
Saute the onions, carrots, celery and garlic until tender.
Add the tomatoes, seasonings and water. Add the bouquet garni.
Simmer gently until water is reduced by half.
Strain and use as required.
Seafood Stock
8 cups (2 L)
5 lbs 2.2 kg shellfish, trimmings and bones
1 1 onion, diced
3 3 carrots, diced
3 3 celery stalks, diced
2 2 bay leaves
3 3 parsley sprigs
1 1 garlic clove
1 tbsp 15 ml salt
10 10 peppercorns
1 1 bouquet garni*
12 cups 3 L water
Cut the shellfish into small pieces. Place in a large pot. Add the vegetables and seasonings. Roast in a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven for 1 ½ hours remove to the stove top. Cover with water. Float the bouquet garni in.
Heat gently without boiling. Simmer gently for 2 hours. While simmering, remove any scum which may rise to the top.
Drain through a sieve, then through a cheesecloth.
Use as required.
Court Bouillon
16 cups (4 L)
16 cups 4 L water
1 tbsp 15 ml green peppercorns
1 tbsp 15 ml salt
1 1 onion, sliced
2 2 carrots, chopped
1 1 celery stalk, chopped
1 1 lemon, cut n half
1 cup 250 ml white wine
1 1 bouquet garni*
Combine all the ingredients.
Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes.
Strain through a cheesecloth. Reserve the liquid.
Use liquid for cooking fish and shellfish.
* A bouquet garni is: thyme, marjoram, black peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley, tied together in a cheesecloth.