Vegetarians need not feel left out. The recipe below maintains the golden hue and soothing warmth of regular chicken soup, but instead of oily schmaltz it gets its depth of flavor from long-simmered garlic and vegetables. The addition of lemongrass provides a hint of bright citrus fragrance, which adds a welcome complexity to the broth. It is a simple-to-make alternative for the vegetarians at the table, and a satisfying start to any dairy meal. And while the chicken-free version cannot claim to have exactly the same healing powers as the original, a steamy bowl on Friday night still does wonders for the body and the soul.
Serves 4-6.
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large celery stalks (with leaves), roughly chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped
5 large garlic cloves, smashed
1 leek, cleaned well and roughly chopped
9 cups water
2 bay leaves
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, split into four small pieces
2 Tablespoons coarse kosher salt (or to taste)
In a large stockpot, heat oil and sauté onions for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, parsnip, garlic, and leeks and sauté for another 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add water and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about one hour uncovered.
After one hour, add lemongrass, parsley, and salt, and simmer for another thirty minutes. Let soup cool a bit, then strain into a large bowl using a cheesecloth or mesh strainer. If desired, add some of the vegetables back (discard the rest). Serve hot as is or with matzah balls, noodles, kreplach, etc.
Vegetarian Chicken Soup, A schmaltz-free version of the Jewish classic cure-all.
Leah Koenig is a freelance writer whose work has been published in The New York Times Magazine, Gastronomica, Jewish Living, Lilith, Culinate, Beliefnet and other publications. Thank you http://www.myjewishlearning.com/culture/2/Food/Ashkenazic_Cuisine/Poland_and_Russia/chickensoup/vegetarianchickensoup.shtml
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| Garlic Flower Head. Artist: Julia Wright |
In this recipe, she calls to simmer uncovered for an hour. I would cover and let simmer, rather than without a lid. This captures the flavor and reduces water loss. One thing that uncovered does do is make all the flavors condense, as we do with all bouillabaisse, traditionally a fish stew, however it is often referred as a condensing of flavors.
Bouillabaisse: [French, from Provençal bouiabaisso : boui, imperative of bouie, to boil (from Latin bullre, from bulla, bubble) + abaisso, imperative of abeissa, to lower (from Vulgar Latin *abbassire : Latin ad-, ad- + Medieval Latin bassus, low).] Bouillon: [French, from Old French, from boulir, to boil, from Latin bullre, from bulla, bubble.]
Thank you http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
As you can see boiling, reducing (lower) and simmer is all part of any good broth. But at times, more soup base can heighten flavor. If one is satisfactory in taste without reducing, then simmering itself will allows greater flavor to be known. Condensing and mingling of all flavors unite to make a rich broth. One more thing, I do not strain from the soup, but tend to omit larger pieces not eaten but used for flavor, for instance dry fish. All parts are edible in most soups, even if we don't think about it sometimes. The bulk of things (cellulose and fibers), keep our bowls healthy. Enjoy your soup, especially during Winter Months. And don't forget to bless and prayer for the goodness from our Mother Earth and Father Sky.
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Dry anchovies
Boiling stock of water
Salt and lots. (The magic ingredient in chicken soup is salt. Soups carry lots of salt and is an electrolyte your body needs.)
Pieces of jalepeno
Pieces of garlic
Cracked pepper
Two Mexico Dry Chiles (which added to the richness of the soup)
Broccoli stalks cut into small pieces (for flavor and substance)
Together boil, reduce slightly, cover and simmer for 45 minutes +/-
Cilantro added before serving. 30 seconds to one minute immersed in hot soup.
Serve over hot rice or with hot bread and butter.
note: Omit butter if one is using beef stock. As you can see soup is easy. Basic ingredients are boiling water, salt and garlic. Everything else flavors your hot soup especially on Winter days. Look and see what you have in your kitchen. I'll bet you can make a wonderful soup with what you have now. Have fun and don't forget to share.
A bouillon cube or stock cube is dehydrated broth (bouillon in French) or stock formed into a small cube about 15 mm wide. It is made by dehydrating vegetables, meat stock, a small portion of solid fat (such as hydrogenated oil), salt and seasonings and shaping them into a small cube. Dehydrated broth is also available in granular form.
Broth made from rehydrated cubes is different in taste from fresh broth because of its higher salt content and flavours changed by the boiling process. Bouillon cubes are convenient and inexpensive. The cubes are widely used in English cooking to add flavour, particularly in soups, stews and casseroles.
Bouillon cubes were commercialised by Maggi in 1908 and by Oxo in 1910 as a cheaper version of meat extract. By 1913, there were at least 10 brands available, with salt contents of 59–72%.
Its invention is attributed to Nicolas Appert in 1831 but the principle was known long before, and called portable soup. Thank you Wikepedia.
UNDERSTANDING SOUPS
Soup, according to the dictionary, is a liquid food derived from meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables. This definition is all right as far as it goes, but there’s a lot it doesn’t tell us. Is a stock, straight from the stockpot, a soup? Is beef stew liquid enough to be called soup?
We’re interested more in production techniques than in definitions. However, a few more definitions are necessary before we can go into the kitchen, so we can talk to each other in the same language. Definitions aren’t rules, so don’t be alarmed if you hear other books or chefs use these terms differently. What matters is that you learn the techniques and are able to adapt them to many uses.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF SOUPS
Soups can be divided into three basic categories: clear or unthickened soups, thick soups, and special soups that don’t fit the first two categories. Most of these soups, no matter what their final ingredients may be, are based on stock
Clear soups are all based on a clear, unthickened broth or stock. They may be served plain or garnished with a variety of vegetables and meats.
1. Broth and bouillon are two terms used in many ways. In general,they both refer to simple, clear soups without solid ingredients. We have already know that broth is a flavorful liquid obtained from the simmering of meats and/or vegetables.
2. Vegetable soup is a clear, seasoned stock or broth with the addition of one or more vegetables and, sometimes, meat or poultry products and starches.
3. Consommé is a rich, flavorful stock or broth that has been clarified to make it perfectly clear and transparent.
Far from being just a plain old cup of broth,a well-made consommé is one of the greatest of all soups. Its sparkling clarity is a delight to the eye, and its rich, full flavor, strength,and body make it a perfect starter for an elegant dinner.
Unlike clear soups, thick soups are opaque rather than transparent. They are thickened either by adding a thickening agent, such as a roux, or by puréeing one or more of their ingredients to provide a heavier consistency.
1. Cream soups are soups that are thickened with roux, beurre manié, liaison, or other added thickening agents, plus milk and/or cream. They are similar to velouté and béchamel sauces-in fact, they may be made by diluting and flavoring either of these two leading sauces. Cream soups are usually named after their major ingredient, such as cream of chicken or cream of asparagus.
2. Purées are soups that are naturally thickened by puréeing one or more of their ingredients. They are not as smooth and creamy as cream soups. dried legumes (such as split pea soup) or from fresh vegetables with a starchy ingredient such as potatoes or rice added. Purées may or may not contain milk or cream.
3. Bisques are thickened soups made from shellfish. They are usually prepared like cream soups and are almost always finished with cream. The term bisque is sometimes used on menus for a variety of vegetable soups. In these cases, it is really a marketing term rather than a technical term, so it is impossible to give a definition that covers all uses.
4. Chowders are hearty soups made from fish, shellfish, and/or vegetables. Although they are made in many ways, they usually contain milk and potatoes.
5. Potage is a term sometimes associated with certain thick,hearty soups,but it is actually a general term for soup. A clear soup is called a potage clair in French.
SPECIALTY AND NATIONAL SOUPS
This is a catch-all category that includes soups that don’t fit well into the main categories and soups that are native to particular countries or regions. Specialty soups are distinguished by unusual ingredients or methods, such as turtle soup, gumbo, peanut soup, and cold fruit soup. Cold soups are sometimes considered specialty soups, and, in fact, some of them are. But many other popular cold soups, such as jellied consommé, cold cream of cucumber soup, and vichyssoise (vee shee swahz) are simply cold versions of basic clear and thick soupsVEGETARIAN SOUPS AND LOW-FAT SOUPS
Because the appeal of vegetarian vegetable soups depends entirely on the freshness and the quality of the vegetables and not on the richness of meat stocks, be especially careful to use high-quality ingredients and to avoid overcooking.
Clear soups are especially suitable for people seeking low-fat foods. Consommés and clear vegetable soups are virtually fat-free, especially if the vegetables were not sweated in fat before being simmered.
Thick soups can be kept low in fat by thickening them with a slurry of starch (such as arrowroot, potato starch, or cornstarch) and cold water rather than with a roux. For cream soups, reduce or omit the cream and instead use evaporated skim milk.
Purée soups are usually more adaptable than cream soups to low-fat diets because the vegetable purée adds body and richness to the soup without requiring added fat. A little yogurt or evaporated skim milk can be used to give creaminess to a purée soup. Even garnishing a serving of soup with a teaspoonful of whipped cream gives a feeling of richness while adding only a gram or two of fat.
SERVICE OF SOUPS
STANDARD PORTION SIZESAppetizer portion:6 to 8 oz (200 to 250 mL)
Main course portion:10 to 12 oz (300 to 350 mL)
Soup garnishes may be divided into three groups.
1. Garnishes in the soup.
Major ingredients, such as the vegetables in clear vegetable soup, are often considered garnishes. This group of garnishes also includes meats, poultry, seafood, pasta products, and grains such as barley or rice. They are treated as part of the preparation or recipe itself, not as something added on.
Consommés are generally named after their garnish, such as consommé brunoise,which contains vegetables cut into brunoise shape [1?8-inch (3-mm) dice].
Vegetable cream soups are usually garnished with carefully cut pieces of the vegetable from which they are made. An elegant way to serve soup with a solid garnish is to arrange the garnish attractively in the bottom of a heated soup plate.This plate is set before the diner, and then the soup is ladled from a tureen by the dining room staff.
2. Toppings.
Clear soups are generally served without toppings to let the attractiveness of the clear broth and the carefully cut vegetables speak for themselves. Occasional exceptions
are toppings of chopped parsley or chives.
Thick soups, especially those that are all one color, are often decorated with a topping. Toppings should be placed on the soup just before service so they won’t sink or lose their fresh appearance. Their flavors must be appropriate to the soup.
Do not overdo soup toppings.The food should be attractive in itself.
Topping suggestions for thick soups:
Fresh herbs (parsley,chives),chopped
Fried herbs, such as parsley, sage, chervil, celery leaves, leek julienne
Fine julienne of vegetables
Sliced almonds,toasted
Grated cheese
Sieved egg yolks
Chopped or riced egg whites
Croutons
Grated parmesan cheese
Crumbled bacon
Paprika
Flavored butters
Flavored oils
Sour cream,crème fraîche,or whipped cream,either plain or flavored with
herbs or spices
3. Accompaniments.
American soups are traditionally served with crackers. In addition to the usual
saltines,other suggestions for crisp accompaniments are:
Melba toast
Corn chips
Breadsticks
Cheese straws
Profiteroles (tiny unsweetened cream-puff shells)
Whole-grain wafers
Thank you http://www.wizardrecipes.com/blog/understanding-soups.html
Pray With Elders around the World
Winter heart, feels apart, but inside my heaven is praying to be a part. Glory be, share in me, the soul that fights to find liberty. Seek within, then begin, to realize how far you've come so far. Reach inside, feel with pride, forgive yourself for all you did. Now it's time, to find the time, to reach into your heart and give. Find some hope and trust the slope, down into the green grass home. Down where my soul does know to grow. I leave you here, without any fear, because if you believe in God's magical world, then all you need, will show up just as you bleed (suffering for love and alive). It's a heart that is real, always feeling inside my soul. And my belly receives all it's glow. I fill my bowl, with love from God, because all things come from this heart!
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