Souped Up

The blustery weather that ushered in 1989 brought to mind a former neighbor who, whenever it turned cold and rainy, would telephone to announce that he was “committing soup” and we were invited to dinner. This man created the most delectable steaming medleys from practically anything in his refrigerator. We used to believe he could make soup from a rock.

Now, whenever the temperature drops or it begins to drizzle, it seems only natural for us to put the stockpot on the stove and see what there is in the larder to fill it. Our soups may not rival those our neighbor created, but throughout the years we’ve come up with some we certainly enjoy.

With literally no end to the repertoire, soup making can certainly bring out a cook’s creativity. Begin with a well-flavored stock and the sky’s the limit. Those featured today are one-dish meals, needing little else than some bread for accompaniment.

M. B.’s Arroz con Caldo de Pollo is Staff Writer Minnie Bernardino’s version of a soup served often in the Philippines. The key to its success is simmering the chicken to make the broth. Garlic and ginger root provide flavor accents; rice turns this into a substantial, yet light soup. A squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of chopped green onions add the finishing touch.

Our Vegetarian Minestrone begins with a meatless seasoning broth, but chicken stock may be substituted. Orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, adds substance. However, this is a soup that may be served very thick, or thinned with seasoning broth.

We added tomatoes, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini and carrots to the base of leeks, garlic, onion and celery, but any vegetables may be used. Add those requiring longer cooking first, others later. Oversized Garlic Wheat Croutons sprinkled on the soup make a good alternative to bread.

A country-style cassoulet was the inspiration behind another of today’s soups. This, too, is a recipe that may be served very thick, or thinned with water or chicken stock. Ham hocks and Polish kielbasa add smoky flavor. A combination of chopped red onions, fresh thyme and oregano is sprinkled over just before serving.

“Hot and Sour Soup can be a complicated affair, full of assorted dried fungus and other ingredients,” says Martin Yan in his cookbook “A Wok for All Seasons” (Doubleday: 1988, $12.95). He developed the simpler version featured today, designed to go with sizzling rice crusts. The step-by-step photos on Page 12 should assure recipe success.

The Italian-flavored Hearty Fish Soup features chunks of firm-fleshed fish. Choose whatever is available or happens to be on special at the supermarket. The soup is ladled over slices of toasted Italian bread just before serving.

Cream of Mushroom Soup rounds out today’s soup recipes. Here again, the consistency may be varied by the amount of flour that is added. This version of the old classic is enhanced with fresh thyme.

M.B.’S ARROZ CON CALDO DE POLLO (Rice With Chicken Broth)

1 (3-pound) whole chicken

Celery leaves

6 peppercorns

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup rice

Salt

White pepper

Lemon wedges

Chopped green onions

Place chicken in large stock pot and cover with 3 quarts water. Add few celery leaves and peppercorns. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour or until tender.

Remove chicken, strain and reserve broth. Cool chicken enough to handle, then bone and skin. Chop or shred meat and set aside.

Saute garlic in oil in large stock pot until light golden. Remove 1 teaspoon and reserve for garnish. Add ginger to remaining garlic in pan and saute about 1 minute. Add onion and saute until tender.

Add rice, stirring to coat with oil. Add reserved broth. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add chicken and heat through.

Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze into soup as desired. Garnish with reserved garlic and green onions. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE

2 cups chopped leeks

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 (.13-ounce) packets golden seasoning and broth

9 cups water

3/4 cup orzo

Salt

2 cups diced tomatoes

1 cup small cauliflorets

2 cups cut green beans

2 cups sliced zucchini

1 cup shredded carrots

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil

Garlic Wheat Croutons

Grated Parmesan cheese

Saute leeks, garlic, onion and celery in olive oil until tender. Stir in contents of seasoning packets. Add water, orzo and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and continue to simmer about 20 minutes. Add cauliflorets. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add green beans, zucchini, shredded carrots and chervil. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until beans are tender. Add more salt, if desired.

Garnish each serving with Garlic Wheat Croutons and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Run under broiler until cheese melts. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Note: For thinner soup, add more water or broth. Chicken broth may be substituted for golden seasoning and broth, if desired. If fresh chervil is unavailable, substitute 2 teaspoons dried.

Garlic Wheat Croutons

6 slices wheat bread

1/4 cup melted butter

1 clove garlic, minced

Cut crusts from bread. Cut each slice into 9 squares. Spread in single layer on baking sheet.

Combine butter and garlic. Drizzle 3/4 mixture over bread cubes, tossing to coat as mixture is added Respread bread cubes in single layer and drizzle with remaining 1/4 butter and garlic mixture. Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 15 minutes, until brown and crispy.

CASSOULET-STYLE SOUP

1 (1-pound) package Great Northern beans

Chicken broth

1 1/2 pounds ham hocks

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Chopped fresh thyme

Chopped fresh oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

6 whole peppercorns

Salt

1/2 pound Polish kielbasa

1 cup chopped red onions

Place beans in large stock pot with 6 cups water. Bring to boil and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.

Add 2 cups chicken broth to make about 2 quarts liquid. Add ham hocks, chopped yellow onion, 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, 1 tablespoon chopped oregano, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and season to taste with salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove ham hocks. Remove skin and bones. Cut up meat and return to pan along with kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch slices. Heat through.

Combine chopped red onion, 1 tablespoon chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon chopped oregano. Use to garnish soup. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Additional chicken broth may be added, if thinner soup is desired.

SIZZLING RICE HOT AND SOUR SOUP

(Martin Yan)

4 dried black mushrooms

5 cups chicken broth

1 chicken breast half, skinned, boned and cut julienne

1/4 cup slivered bamboo shoots

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 green onion, cut into 2-inch slivers

1 teaspoon finely chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 egg, lightly beaten

Oil for deep-frying

8 (2-inch) square Rice Crusts

Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover 30 minutes. Drain. Cut off and discard stems and thinly slice caps. Set aside.

Bring broth to boil over medium-high heat in large pot. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, bamboo shoots, vinegar, soy sauce, green onion, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, salt and white pepper. Return to boil.

Combine cornstarch and water. Stir into mixture in pot and cook, stirring, until soup thickens slightly.

Remove pot from heat and slowly drizzle in egg, stirring constantly. Keep warm while preparing Rice Crusts.

Set wok in ring stand and add oil to depth of about 2 inches. Heat oil over high heat to 375 degrees. Add Rice Crusts, 4 at time, and cook, turning constantly, 15 seconds or until puffed. Lift out and drain on paper towels. Cook remaining 4 Rice Crusts.

Pour hot soup into warmed serving bowl. Carefully slide Rice Crusts into soup. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: Prepared rice crusts, sold in Chinese markets, may be substituted. If desired, rice crusts may be kept warm in 350 degree oven until serving.

Rice Crusts

1 cup medium- or short-grain rice

1 cup water

Combine rice and water in medium saucepan. Cover and bring boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Spread cooked rice in 1/4-inch-thick layer in greased, (13x9-inch) baking pan. Cut into 2-inch squares with wet knife.

Bake at 350 degrees 50 minutes or until rice squares are firm and dry. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months. Makes 24 squares.

HEARTY FISH SOUP

1/2 cup minced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup diced zucchini

1 pound firm-fleshed fish, cut into chunks

1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans

4 to 5 slices toasted Italian bread

Saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is transparent. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper and 4 cups water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.

Allow soup to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Pour half of soup into blender and process until almost smooth, about 45 seconds. Return to saucepan.

Add zucchini, fish and garbanzo beans. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until zucchini is tender-crisp and fish turns opaque, about 5 minutes.

Place 1 piece toasted bread in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over bread. Makes 4 to 5 servings.

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

1 pound mushrooms

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 to 3/4 cup flour

5 cups hot chicken stock

Chopped thyme

1/2 cup dry or sweet Sherry

1/2 cup whipping cream

Salt, pepper

Finely chop 1/2 mushrooms. Slice remaining 1/2 mushrooms. Saute shallots in 1/4 cup butter until tender, but not browned. Add chopped mushrooms and saute until tender. Do not brown.

Add flour (3/4 cup for thicken soup) and stir with wooden spoon until smooth paste has formed. Reduce heat and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.

Gradually stir in hot chicken stock, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Bring again to boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Saute sliced mushrooms in remaining 1/4 cup butter in separate pan. Season to taste with thyme and add Sherry. Cook until liquid is reduced by 1/2.

Add sliced mushrooms to simmering soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes. Add cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Food Styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane

Oven-to-tablware from Royal Worcester

Oven-to-tableware from Spode

Soup bowl from Ann Mallory