Soups

1. Soups Blue Book: Ch. 22 Trivia: Which artist is famous for this piece?

2. Soups • May be rich with meats and hearty with vegetables, noodles, rice, or barley • Some are eaten chilled • Shrimp bisque • Vichyssoise • Gazpacho • May begin the meal or be served as the main dish

3. Uses of soups… • Appetizer • Stimulates appetite • Clear soups • Main dish • Hearty stock soups with veggies, meat, & grains • Chowders, stews, & cream soups can be a meal in themselves • Croutons: toasted bread cubes; may be seasoned

4. Kinds of Soups… • 2 main categories • Stock • The liquid in which meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables were cooked • Clarified: strained & cleared of any solid materials • Bouillon: clear; made from meat • Consommé: may have vegetables, rice, or noodles; made from meat & vegetables • Meat stock soups • Chicken Noodle • French Onion • Milk • Examples • Cream of Tomato & Clam Chowder

5. Milk Soups… • Steps in making a cream soup • Cream sauce is made from milk thickened with flour • Vegetables or seafood are puréed (forced through a strainer to separate pulp & juices) • Add puréed veggies/meat to the cream sauce • Bisque: made from thickened milk and pieces of seafood • Chowder & Stew • Soups made with unthickened milk • Fish, meat, or veggies in small pieces are added • Some are based with tomato & water

6. Steps to make milk-base soups… • Melt the fat over low heat • Blend the flour with the melted fat; cook the mixture until bubbly • Remove cooked fat & flour from the heat & whisk in the milk • Cook the mixture over low heat with constant stirring until it boils & thickens

7. Points to remember when making milk based soups… • Milk requires a low temperature to prevent scorching • Vegetables should be cooked in small amounts of water until fork tender • Protects nutrients & flavor • Starch grains need to be separated by cold water or melted fat to prevent lumping

8. Steps to make stock soup… • Use bones & less tender meats • Cut meat and veggies into small pieces • Break the bones to increase the surface area exposed to the liquid of the soup • Add water to cover the meat • Simmer, don’t boil the soup • Protects the flavor & nutrients • Strain soup to separate the broth • Refrigerate & then remove the layer of fat on top

9. Nutrient Contributions of Soups… • Determined by the foods used to make the soup • Clear = little nutrient value • Increase nutrient value by adding • Vegetables (vitamins) • Meats (protein) • Noodles (carbohydrates) • Make it a hearty soup!! • Milk soups have calcium, vitamins, & protein of the milk

10. Fortifying your soups… • Add barley to beef soups • Add oranges to bean soup • Add fresh garlic cloves to any broth • Add fresh potatoes to cream soups • Include tofu in clear broths • Add pasta • Add mustard greens • Skim off excess fat

11. Tips for microwaving soups… • Milk based soups will boil over quickly (fill the heating container 2/3 full) • Adapt recipes; count on ¼ the cooking time • Used undiluted canned soup for a quick sauce for meat • Cut vegetables into uniform pieces • Cover the soup and stir several times during cooking

12. Convenience soups… • Most canned soups are condensed • Part of the water has been removed • Add water & heat to serving temperature • Some are ready-to-serve (don’t add water) • Dehydrated soups • Powder-like mixture • All of the water has been removed • Reconstitute: add water, heat, & serve • Keep well on shelf for a long time • Can be used as a dip, marinade, sauce, or gravy

13. Other soup short cuts… • Bouillon cubes: meat extracts compressed into cubes • Ready-to-use vegetable blends • Frozen or fresh • Slow cooker • Place meat, veggies, water, & seasonings in the pot and leave it cook all day • Use convenience soups in casseroles & stews