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Super Soups
To fully capture the flavor of the vegetables in your soups, do as little to them as possible. Rather, rely on the extraordinary flavor of the products at hand. You want the taste of the vegetable to come through. To do this, cook the vegetable lightly in its own juice by juicing enough of the vegetable to substitute for stock. You could also make a stock from the vegetable trimmings. You want to concentrate the flavors and use just enough herbs to enhance the vegetables. Following are a few tips to give you the best pot of soup you ever made!

Flavor the Soup
To help your vegetables reach their full flavor potential, saute or roast them before you add them to your soup pot. This will caramelize the naturally occurring sugars in the vegetables, giving them a much richer, deeper flavor. Over a medium-high burner, heat a skillet that’s big enough to contain your chopped vegetables in a single layer (they will steam instead of caramelize if they’re stacked on top of each other), pour in a small amount of oil, and add your vegetables. Stir or toss them often enough to keep them from burning, but be patient. Really good browning can take some time. Another way to add flavor to your vegetables is by pan-roasting them in a hot (450-degree) oven. Toss them very lightly in oil, place them on a sturdy baking sheet in a single layer, and do not cover them. Stir occasionally, and remove when golden-brown.

Variety in Your Soup
One of the greatest things about soup is its versatility. You could eat soup every day of the year and never have the same kind twice. Use your imagination, try using your favorite vegetables in different pairs, etc. Examples: American regional favorites like gumbo, chowder, cioppino, burgoo, frogmore stew, and good ol’ chili. And that’s just for starters!

Garnish for Your Soup
Not only does a little garnish make your soup look nice, but it will add a whole new and contrasting flavor, texture or temperature. Try a sprinkling of freshly minced herbs or finely grated flavorful cheese. To cool down a spicy soup or just add a touch of creaminess, stir lime juice, or a little grated ginger, or some finely chopped orange zest, or perhaps a dash of curry powder into some sour cream or plain yogurt. A spoonful of salsa, or a few chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, scallions, or cucumbers add a cool, fresh taste to your soup. Finally, add crunch with a topping of croutons, tortilla chips or crackers.

Recipes

Corn and Sweet Garlic Soup
Ingredients
3/4 pound whole garlic head, coated with three tablespoons corn oil
Six ears of corn
7 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1/2 pound or one large onion, peeled
Three ribs (1-1/4 pound) celery cut into large dice
One small head of garlic cut in half and not peeled
Three quarts of chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon chili powder (medium hot)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound (1 large) onion, peeled and cut into small dice
Two ribs celery, cut into small dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Roast oil-coated garlic head in preheated oven 45 minutes. Cut off top of heads and squeeze garlic out of cloves; set aside.
Cut kernels off ears of corn, reserving cobs. “Milk” corn cobs by taking back of a knife and running it down the sides of the cob while holding cob upright in a bowl. Set aside with the corn kernels. Rub cobs with three tablespoons of the corn oil and char-grill or sauté until lightly golden. Cut peeled onion in half and rub with one tablespoon of remaining corn oil. Char-grill or sauté until golden.
Place cobs, char-grilled onion, the large dice of celery, the small, halved head of garlic, the chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, thyme and bay leaf in stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Strain through colander; press all juices out of vegetables and reserve stock. Sauté diced onion and diced celery in remaining three tablespoons olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook three to four minutes. Add reserved corn kernels and milk.
Add reserved stock. Bring to boil and simmer five minutes. With slotted spoon or strainer, remove half the corn kernels and puree in blender or food processor with reserved roasted garlic. Add back to soup, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If desired, add more cumin and chili powder.
Recipe makes eight servings.
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Soup Jardinere (Garden Soup)
Ingredients:
6 cups of chicken stock
4 cups mixed greens, tough stems or ribs removed
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (mixture of dill, parsley, chives and chervil)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup minced green onion, for garnish

Directions
In a medium stock- pot over moderately high heat, bring stock to simmer. Add greens and cook until wilted. This should take about three minutes.
Stir in herbs and simmer two minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup garnished with green onion, in warmed bowls.
Recipe makes four to six servings.
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Hearty Lasagna Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground round
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Two cans (14-1/2 ounces) seasoned beef broth with onions
One can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1-1/2 cups uncooked corkscrew pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook beef with garlic in skillet until browned. Pour off fat.
Add the broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Heat to a boil.
Stir in the pasta. Cook over medium heat ten minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.
Recipe serves two to four.
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Knefla Soup
*This recipe often is prepared during lent season
Ingredients:
Two eggs
4-1/2 cups water (divided)
Salt
1 cup flour, about
1/2 of an onion, diced
3 tablespoons corn oil
Three medium potatoes, peeled, diced
One rib of celery finely cut
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vinegar, about

Directions:
To make dumplings, mix together eggs, 1/2-cup water and 1/2-teaspoon salt. Add flour to form stiff and just slightly sticky dough.
To make the soup, sauté onion in oil until soft. Set aside. In soup pot, boil potatoes with the celery in the remaining four cups water. When done, mash the vegetables in the water and add salt and pepper to taste. Add reserved onion plus vinegar.
Make dumplings about the size of a walnut and drop into hot soup. Cook until done, three to five minutes.
Recipe makes about four servings.
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Creamy Onion Chowder
Ingredients:
2 slices already-cooked bacon (see note)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds (about four medium) sweet onions
1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated mashed potatoes (see note)
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
2 cans (14-1/2 ounce) fat-free chicken broth
2 cups frozen yellow corn kernels
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more, to taste
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Directions:
Place bacon on microwave safe plate and microwave until crisp, according to package directions, about 30 to 40 seconds. Blot with paper towel to remove any excess grease. Set aside.
Heat oil on medium in 4-1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Meanwhile, peel onions one at a time and coarsely chop, adding to pot as you chop. When you have added all the onions, raise heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are tender, about six minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave mashed potatoes according to package directions, until just warm, about three minutes. Remove from microwave; set aside.
Add garlic to pot and stir and cook one minute. Add chicken broth and stir well, scraping pot bottom to remove any brown bits. Add mashed potatoes, corn, bay leaves, thyme and black pepper.
Cover pot, raise heat to high and bring soup to boil. Meanwhile, coarsely chop bacon and set aside. When soup boils, remove pot from heat and turn off stove. Remove bay leaves, and stir in sour cream and mix well. Serve at once in soup bowls, sprinkling bacon on top at the table.
Notes: There are now several brands of already cooked bacon. Look for it beside the raw bacon. If you cannot find it, microwave regular bacon until fully cooked.
This recipe was tested with Simply Potatoes brand refrigerated mashed potatoes, but 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes can be substituted.
Recipe makes five servings.
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Chicken Noodle Soup Express
Ingredients:
Two cans of fat free chicken broth (14-1/2 ounces)
Generous dash pepper
One medium carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 cup uncooked medium egg noodles (preferably “No-Yolks”)
1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast

Directions:
Mix the broth, pepper, carrot and celery in a saucepan. Heat to a boil.
Stir in the noodles and the chicken. Cook over medium heat ten minutes or until the noodles are done.
Recipe serves two to four.
Nutritional information per one-fourth of recipe:
Calories: 86
Total Fat: 2g
Carbohydrate: 7g
Protein: 9mg
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Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup With Spinach and Garlic Chives
Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds of chicken breast meat
8 thin slices fresh ginger
1 bunch green onions, cut crosswise into thirds
10 cups water
3/4 cup Chinese rice wine or medium-dry sherry
2 ounces dried rice-stick noodles (rice vermicelli)
1/2 pound fresh spinach, coarse stems discarded and leaves washed, drained and chopped
coarsely (about 4 packed cups)
3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh garlic chives

Directions:
Using cleaver or heavy knife cut chicken into large pieces. Cut chicken through bones into 2-inch pieces. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch chicken one minute. In colander, drain chicken and rinse under cold water.
With flat side of cleaver or knife, lightly smash gingerroot and green onion. In clean kettle, bring ten cups water to boil with chicken, ginger, green onions and rice wine. Simmer soup, uncovered, two hours, skimming froth occasionally. Pour broth through colander lined with triple thickness of cheesecloth into large, heat -proof bowl, reserving chicken for another use.
Broth may be made three days ahead, cooled completely uncovered and chilled, covered. In cleaned pot, bring broth to boil. Add noodles and boil, stirring occasionally, two minutes. Stir in spinach and simmer, stirring once or twice, until spinach turns bright green and is just tender, about three minutes. Stir in chives and season with salt and pepper, and simmer one minute.
Recipe makes about eight cups.
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Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
One medium chopped onion
One rib sliced celery
One medium chopped carrot
1 seeded and chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
Two minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cups water
2 cans (15 ounces) rinsed and drained black beans
One can of (14-1/2 ounces) 99% fat-free chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro leaves
Lime wedges and light sour cream for garnish

Directions:
In a large pot, heat oil over medium until hot. Add onion, celery, carrot and jalapeno pepper and cook ten minutes or until vegetables soften; stir occasionally. Add garlic and cumin and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add water, beans and broth. Heat to boiling over medium-high. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Remove from heat. If desired, use immersion blender to puree mixture until almost smooth. Stir in lime -juice and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream.
Recipe makes four servings.