Soup Season

 

We have arrived, at last, to the onset of the cold months. The temperatures are starting to dip into the 40’s and our homes are beginning to cool off. It won’t be long before we go to switch the heat on, pull the heavy blankets out of the closet, and bring wood indoors for the fires that will soon roar inside the hearths. This time of year certainly holds a special kind of magic, one that is nearly indescribable, but one that is magic none the less. Now that the oppressive heat of summer has left us and the tinge of cold air permeates our bones, we begin to yearn for that familiar warmth. Not the warmth from the sun, mind you, but from something manmade, something ancient, something supremely soothing to the soul and body. This is the time when the large pots are pulled out from the over-sized cupboards, placed on the stovetops, and filled to the brim with all sorts of ingredients that will, in the end, comprise the special concoctions that we call SOUP.

 

Soup is one of mankind’s oldest culinary creations. It has existed, and been a part of, nearly every civilization and culture across all continents and geographical landscapes (yes, they make soup in Antarctica) since the fashioning of vessels that could hold liquids and locally accessible meats, vegetables, and grains could be used in conjunction with fire and flame. Our ancestors found that boiling food items in water not only softened the foods within, but blended flavors in such a way that the resulting product was extremely palatable and safe to eat. Stone and pottery gave way to bronze and iron, which eventually gave way to steel. However, through each style of vessel, soups brought families, neighbors, and entire communities together for the sharing of foods that contained the nutrients necessary for survival.

 

While each region and culture has their own style of soup, some of which are ‘hot’ and others which are ‘cold’, there are common themes that are shared that designate a soup a soup. Every soup must have a base liquid, the most common being water, but can include stocks or various types of milk. Some may contain strictly vegetables and grains, while others contain land meats and seafood as well. Though there are many traditional recipes that are still followed for their time-tested quality and tastiness of the finished product, there are also a flurry of new recipes in the modern era thanks in part to the ease of access to a wide variety of foods from across one’s country and even the international markets. 

 

Now that soup season has finally arrived, I urge you to not only cook your favorite style(s), but to branch out this year with at least one or two new recipes. With access to the internet, it has become easier than ever to perform your own research into current recipes or to find and order cookbooks that deal strictly with the creation of soups. While this is handy, and often times an excellent way to get an idea, I also urge you to come up with your own soup recipe. Go to the best local market, select a meat (or opt to keep it vegetarian/vegan), pick at least four vegetables, and then perhaps finish it off by selecting a grain or legume. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to making soup, and one never truly knows what new recipe they can create to add to their culinary repertoire.

 

Over the years I have experimented and come up with some of the following soup recipes that I continue to craft each soup season...

1. Beef oxtail with savoy cabbage, napa cabbage, green onions, and fennel

2. Ground turkey and pork (fashioned into meatballs) with Tuscan kale, regular kale, potatoes, and chicken stock/veggie stock

3. Butternut squash with carrots, celery root, parsley root, parsnip, zucchini, potatoes (all cooked and then pureed with Vitamix)

4. Veggie mix with carrots, celery stock and root, parsnips, parsley root, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, onions, mushrooms, and corn

5. Seafood soup with three to four types of white fish, one type of shellfish, fennel, potatoes, carrots, parsley root and leaf, and dill

 6. Aztec soup with chicken, pork, adobo sauce, chili peppers, Spanish rice, tomatoes, lime, tortilla, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, sour cream, and cheese

...and I believe that, given some thought and experimentation, you can create a soup recipe or two that will be proud to call your own.

 

My final word of advice as you begin venturing into soup season – do not be afraid of the final flavors, or of mixing ingredients that you truly believe will turn out with a delicious flavor. If you don’t try, you will never know.

 

Now go... head to the market, pull out that pot, fill it up with the ingredients, and usher in soup season with your own unique style!

 

DY