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This basic soup recipe is the only one you will need from now on! Making homemade soup will save you money and it's easy to make. So start making soup from scratch for healthier ingredients and fewer cans!
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Tips for Making This Basic Homemade Soup Recipe
Soup is one of those things I almost never buy premade. I am too cheap to pay the ridiculous prices they ask for them and there is just way too much salt in it. Not to mention the MSG, mushy noodles and questionable meat-like ingredients they include as well. Once you start reading up about canned soups, you will think twice about buying them!
I have come up with a basic soup recipe to help you put together just about every kind of tasty soup you might think of. This simple homemade soup formula will let you just plug in the ingredients you have on hand and create something tasty for your family.
You can serve this simple soup with some corn muffins or garlic bread and a glass of milk. It's a quick and easy weeknight meal! This is not meant to be an exact soup recipe...just a general formula for you to follow.
Basic Soup Ingredients:
Liquid:
8 to 10 cups of stock. You can use premade but I usually use at least ½ homemade that has been frozen back in the freezer. If you want a creamy soup you can replace a portion of this with cream or milk right before serving. For a tomato based soup recipe you can add a can of tomato paste. Can you make soup without stock? Well, you can use water, however, it won't be as flavorful.
Meat or Protein:
You will need about ½ pound of meat. This can be leftover cooked chicken or a steak that you thaw and cut into small pieces. You could also use frozen shrimp or chunks of sausage. If you prefer a vegetarian soup recipe, try adding tofu or chickpeas
Best Veggies for Soup:
Choose about 3 to 4 cups of veggies. This could be a couple bags of frozen peas and carrots, leftover green beans and a can of corn, or fresh spinach or shredded cabbage (add those at the end...) Use whatever you have in the fridge/freezer/pantry that you think sounds good.
Starch for Heartier Soup:
This isn't really necessary but I find that it helps fill people up a little bit more. Use leftover rice, pasta, diced potatoes, or whatever you have on hand. Amounts will vary depending on the starch chosen and if it is dried for already cooked.
Something for Sauteing:
4 to 5 tablespoon of oil or butter. Olive oil is obviously a healthier choice than butter or bacon fat but depending on your combination of soup ingredients you may want to play around with this.
Whether you choose dried or fresh is up to you but use more fresh than you do dried. Salt and pepper are a must and I love the flavor of tarragon or rosemary in a chicken soup and basil or oregano in a tomato based soup. Start out with just a pinch or two and then taste. If your soup is still bland, add more. Adjust amount according to taste and if it is dried versus fresh.
There are many types of salt for you to choose from but be careful, you can quickly ruin your soup recipe with too much salt!
The extra tidbits:
Up to 1 cup garnishes. You can top your soup with anything from shredded cheese and crumbled bacon to croutons and diced green onion. Be creative!
Directions for Making This Easy Homemade Soup Recipe
Making soup from scratch isn't complicated. You need a large soup pot to start. And maybe a long handled wooden spoon. Other than that, just follow these easy directions.
In a large pot, add 2 to 3 tablespoon of your choice of fat for sauteing
Throw in your meat and veggies and cook for a few minutes.
Add in liquid and tomato paste if using (not the milk if using, save that til the end)
Add in the seasonings
Simmer until things are done. If you are using raw meat or raw carrots it will take longer than if you are using precooked chicken and a can of corn. Use your best judgement.
Add milk if using
Divide into bowls and top with cheese, croutons, or whatever other extras you choose to add.
Buying canned soups might be convenient but the quality is usually lacking! This basic soup recipe will take you from start to finish quickly and it is a much healthier choice! It is also a great way to clean out the fridge!
I would love to know what your favorite soup recipe is!
Diane Hoffmaster
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time. You can learn more about her HERE.
Homemade soup can also save you money compared to canned soup. Cook a large batch of soup, then freeze small portions for meals that you can heat quickly. Some healthy soups to cook for yourself include chicken soup (everyone's favorite!), minestrone, cabbage, Tuscan bean, and borscht (which is beet soup).
For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.
Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.
Amy's Organic Low Sodium Lentil Vegetable Soup is one the healthiest canned soups because it's made with non-GMO, organic ingredients, is low in sodium, and is a great source of protein and fiber. With 11 grams of plant-based protein and 8 grams of fiber in one can, this lentil vegetable soup is filling and nutritious.
As a result, stock is usually a healthier product, delivering a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth. Stock is a versatile culinary tool that can deliver taste to any number of dishes. Darker in color and more concentrated in flavor than broth, it's ideal for use in soups, rice, sauces and more.
From a health perspective, fresh soup typically comes out the winner, thanks to its higher nutritional value and lower sodium content. However, today, many healthier canned soup options are low in sodium, high in fiber, and free from artificial additives. It all comes down to balance.
Which soups can help with a cough that brings up phlegm? Soups with ingredients like loquat leaf, apricot kernel, and bitter almond are believed to be effective in reducing phlegm. You can also try soups with herbs like platycodon root and fritillary bulb, which are believed to have expectorant properties.
Try light meals of clear soups, such as chicken soup or bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water. Drink plenty of fluids to replace what you are losing with diarrhea. Stay hydrated by sipping clear liquids throughout the day. High-protein foods, such as skinless chicken or scrambled eggs.
One story about the origin of the term stone soup is that during the US's Great Depression, families unable to put food on the table every day simply placed a porous rock in the stock pot on days when there was food - and subsequently flavour - to absorb.
To thicken a soup, stew, or sauce, leaving the lid uncovered is ideal. "It must be off, or semi-covered, if you are slowing down the reduction process," says Stephen Chavez, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Foods in the Brassica family, such as Bok Choy, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste. Foods in the Brassica family, such as broccoli, are too strong for stock/broth and can impart a bitter taste.
"Soups and stews really need to simmer for long periods to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taking that a step further, most soups and stews are better if you prepare them the day before serving. Allowing them to cool and then reheating them really helps bring out the flavors and textures."
A soup's quality is determined by its flavor, appearance and texture. A good soup should be full-flavored, with no off or sour tastes. Flavors from each of the soup's ingre- dients should blend and complement, with no one flavor overpowering another.
Celery, carrot, and onion are the base vegetables for most preparations of this kind. That's because when you gently fry them in extra virgin olive oil, they become a tasty flavor base for your soup, adding depth of flavor.
Introduction: My name is Rueben Jacobs, I am a cooperative, beautiful, kind, comfortable, glamorous, open, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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