Recipes: Souped up for the holidays
Soup is often relegated to something you eat when sick, but it’s a culinary powerhouse that delivers daily, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
In many countries, soup is a common and recommended start to the day, be it congee (rice porridge) in China or a bowl of miso soup alongside grilled fish and rice in Japan. At lunch, the meditative nature of sipping soup spoonful by spoonful is good in our American grind culture. I love making soup for dinner because the leftovers sustain me for lunches and snacks for days to come — something I am most thankful for after the past year of endless cooking for my family of four. While I am a year-round soup lover (even in Atlanta summers), we are now in prime soup season.
There was always soup on the stove when I was a child, so I learned the basics at a young age. And, once you have the basics, riffs are inevitable and fun. Exploration and the challenge of using up ingredients can lead to some beautiful creations. That’s how I arrived at these three soup recipes.
Since my family is from Mexico, my mom’s chicken soup wasn’t chicken noodle (unless it was fideos from the Knorr bag), but more of a hearty style loaded with big chunks of vegetables and chicken, and heavy on the toppings. My version leaves out the chayote (a type of squash) my mom included, because my kids don’t like it. The toppings for this soup are an ingredient and not an accoutrement. The quantity of onions, cilantro and chopped jalapenos this recipe calls for may surprise. For instance, in this soup, the onions are added at the end rather than the beginning and soften in the stock’s heat after you plate it. The lime brightens the salinity, the cilantro adds much needed greenery, and the chiles’ heat makes this soup powerful enough to clear your sinuses.
The grated Parmesan adds creaminess and a fresh note to echo the Parmesan rind-flavored broth in the minestrone.
In the shiitake soup, the toppings are once again a large component meant to be mixed in and “cooked” as you eat as you do with the beef while eating pho.
The base for the minestrone and gingery shiitake wild rice soups rely on developing umami, which lends complexity to any broth. Adding a Parmesan rind to the bean broth gives it a richness layer that rounds out the bean broth and aromatics in the recipe. Cooks have employed mIso for generations to add an unmatched umami bomb to anything it touches. And, while it is lovely as a marinade for fish, I love it best as soup. When miso is paired with earthy wild rice and local shiitakes and ginger, the soup tastes like it cooked all day, but it only takes 30 minutes to come together.
Since all of our 2020 holidays are reimagined and pared-down, the soup might be the warm hug you need to give yourself and those you love. Since more people are staying home, you can even freeze it in large restaurant plastic containers to stock up for the chilly days ahead. An even better idea for those stumped on what to gift friends is to give them soup. Who says holiday treats need to be sweet? Soup soothing might be the thing we all need this holiday season.
RECIPES
As the temperatures drop, soup can warm and comfort us. Instead of reaching for a can of chicken noodle, try one of these recipes and let your creativity add to the flavors.
Minestrone Soup
The beauty of this soup is its versatility and the Parmesan broth. You can use any type of dried bean and or green in this soup. If you don’t have time to make dried beans, just add your favorite canned beans and their liquid to chicken stock instead. And feel free to add any sad vegetables that need to be used. They melt into the soup and coat the accompanying whole-wheat pasta beautifully. Serve this with crusty bread; use it to sop up the soup or tear it into makeshift croutons as you eat.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 ounces tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, Italian preferred
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 pound dried cranberry or white beans, cooked according to package instructions, cooking liquid reserved, or 4 (16-ounce) cans
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 bunch kale or other hearty greens, de-stemmed and julienned
- 2-inch Parmesan rind
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 (16-ounce) package whole-wheat pasta (short styles preferred)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan, for serving
- Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until softened. Add tomato paste, oregano and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Saute 2 minutes. Add the stock, cooked beans and their cooking liquid. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, add the carrots, kale, Parmesan rind, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the flavors have married, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and bring to a boil. Salt to taste, if desired. Stir in the pasta and return to a boil. Boil 10-11 minutes, stirring frequently, until al dente. Remove from heat and drain.
- Remove the soup from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Leave the Parmesan rind in the stockpot until all of the soup is served.
- To serve: Fill each bowl with pasta, a ladleful of soup and 1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan. Pair with crusty bread. Serves 10.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 376 calories (percent of calories from fat, 8), 18 grams protein, 71 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams fiber, 4 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), trace cholesterol, 568 milligrams sodium.
Shiitake Mushroom, Wild Rice, Ginger and Miso Soup
One of the great things about this soup is that it can be modified to fit your hunger level. If this vegetarian soup is not hearty enough for dinner, add shredded chicken breast, cubes of firm tofu or a poached egg at the very end of the cooking to give it some heft. You can add more miso if it is not salty enough, but wait to add salt until the very end and make sure all of the miso is incorporated before doing so.
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, cut into half moons
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon minced ginger, divided
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed and removed (reserve for another use) and thinly sliced
- 10 cups water, filtered if possible
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thick coins
- 1 cup uncooked wild rice or other hearty grain
- 5-6 tablespoons miso paste, preferably white
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- Heat the canola in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic and 2 tablespoons ginger. Saute until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, until they have softened and released some liquid. Add the water and bring to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, add the carrots, wild rice, and miso paste. Lower the heat to a simmer and let cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger and let cook 5 minutes more. Add the salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onion. Serves 10.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 123 calories (percent of calories from fat, 16), 5 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 2 grams total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 738 milligrams sodium.
Mexican Chicken Soup
This is a version of the soup my mom used to make me as a child. It is missing a few components that she used to add, such as chayote in the soup and Mexican rice served on the side. Sometimes I add both to make this even more filling during the colder winter months. When I have time, I make a double bone broth by cooking chicken bones in homemade or pre-bought chicken stock in my pressure cooker. The extra step makes such a difference when you are serving such a light broth. This soup is heavy on the toppings, which are more like ingredients than accoutrements and needed to achieve a balance of flavors.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 cups chicken stock or 8 cups of water plus 2 chicken bouillon cubes (such as low-sodium Better Than Bouillon brand)
- 4 (12-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 pounds total)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 5 ears frozen mini corn on the cob ears, cut in half
- 1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half moons
- For garnish:
- 1 large white onion, finely diced
- 5 jalapeno or serrano peppers, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 limes, cut into wedges
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 20 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until softened. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once the soup reaches a boil, add the chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the flavors have married, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, corn and zucchini to the pot, increase to high heat and bring the soup to a boil. Meanwhile, shred each chicken breast into 6 large chunks. Return the chicken to the stockpot, lower the heat to medium and let cook 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve soup in large bowls and garnish each serving with 1-2 tablespoons chopped onion, 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno, 2 tablespoons cilantro, an avocado slice and a lime wedge. Just before serving, wrap tortillas in a clean dish towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Serve the soup with the warmed tortillas on the side. Serves 10.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, without garnishes: 352 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 40 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 8 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 107 milligrams cholesterol, 430 milligrams sodium. Per serving, with garnishes (including tortillas): 441 calories (percent of calories from fat, 25), 42 grams protein, 42 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 12 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 107 milligrams cholesterol, 562 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
