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SOUP’S ON

      Chris – I always thought of “soup” as an onomatopoetic word – the sound you make as you slurp a big spoonful of rich broth filled with delicious ingredients that have been slowly simmered into tender goodness. Other than the hottest days of summer, soup was an essential part of our daily diet.

      Another great feature of soup is that it is endlessly adaptable to the ingredients at hand and nearly foolproof. And soup is the magician’s hat where you can dump in leftover little bits of meat, vegetables, rice and pasta to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Your soups may never be the same twice but they are always nourishing and economical.

      Daniel – Soup and stew recipes can be good “entry level” recipes. They are usually very forgiving, easily accommodating substitutions, with preparation and assembly at a comfortable pace, and often no advanced techniques are required. If your ingredients are good and you take some reasonable care in preparing them, even novice cooks can produce very tasty results.

      Let’s start with a basic chicken stock and explore a few variations.

       Chris

      The key to great soup is great broth. And this simple recipe will provide about 1 gallon of the liquid gold to use or freeze. When I make chicken, I save all the trimmings (breast bones, wing tips, etc.) in a freezer bag. Once the bag is full it’s time to make stock. You can even use the chicken or turkey carcass after it has been roasted.

Chicken Broth

      Makes 4 quarts

       INGREDIENTS

      1 chicken or 3 pounds chicken parts

      1 onion, skin on

      1 stalk celery (with leaves)

      1 carrot, washed

      1 bay leaf

      5 peppercorns

       STEPS

      • Rinse the chicken and put it in a large stock pot with 5 quarts of water. Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and skim any froth that has formed on top of the pot. Simmer, partially covered for 1 hour.

      • Remove the chicken to a colander over a bowl and let sit until it is cool enough to handle. Separate the meat from the skin and bones and reserve.

      • Return the skin and bones to the pot along with any accumulated drippings and simmer for another 3 hours, until the liquid is reduced to approximately 4 quarts.

      • Use a strainer or a China cap (photo at right) to pour the broth into a container. Discard the remaining skin, bones and vegetables.

      • Let the broth cool and then refrigerate overnight. A layer of fat will form on the top and the liquid will become gelatinous. Remove the fat. The broth is now ready to be used in a recipe or stored in the freezer in 1-quart zipper bags.

       Chris

      The best part of having a cold in our house was the regular doses of pastina as a cure-all. It was often served as the first solid food for infants because of its nutritive value and easy digestibility. Pastina is very finely cut pasta in the shape of stars!

Pastina in Brodo

      Makes 4 servings

       INGREDIENTS

      1 tablespoon butter

      1 small onion, diced very fine

      1 small carrot, diced fine

      ½ stalk celery, diced fine

      ½ cup pastina

      1 quart chicken broth

       STEPS

      • Melt the butter over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté gently until they are softened but not brown.

      • Add the broth and bring to a boil.

      • Stir in the pastina and cook until it is tender, about 5–6 minutes.

      • Serve it just as it is or add some of the reserved chicken cut into small pieces and top with grated Romano cheese.

       Chris

      At least three times a week, my grandmother would preface whatever we were having for dinner with a steaming bowl of “zuppa scarola” or escarole soup. She would hold up the ladle and ask everyone “Do you want some scarole?” I had no idea what it was. It just looked green and slimy. Now I wish I had said yes every time. Escarole has a very mild flavor and it is the most tender of all the soup greens. It only needs

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