Friday is National Homemade Soup Day.
I love homemade soup. Cooking it for hours on the stove as you enjoy the wonderful aroma throughout the house is as enjoyable to me as it is to actually eat it.
My mama's homemade soup was always a welcome treat.
Sometimes she would use leftover roast to begin the pot of soup and often it would be stew meat or ground beef.
At my house, there is very rarely leftover roast - I live with a carnivorous bunch. Usually stew meat is my choice, but I do use ground beef as well.
My family enjoys soup for an occasional meal but not a steady diet. I, however, could make a pot of soup on the weekend and enjoy a bowl every day for the next week.
I usually make a recipe of soup and freeze some to pull out at a later time when I don't have time to cook.
Soup is a great way to stretch your food budget. Leftover vegetables can be utilized in a very positive way.
When I think of soup in general, two things come to mind.
First, I think of those red and white Campbell Soup cans that have been around forever.
Then I remember one of my favorite stories and memories from elementary school - the childhood classic, Stone Soup.
I adore children's literature. As a teacher, I found that young people of all ages enjoy being read to. No matter the age, lessons can be learned from children's books.
Stone Soup tells the story of hungry travelers in the post-war time somewhere in Eastern Europe.
Food was scarce, and the people hid any food they could find. They refused to share with family and neighbors.
Because the story is based on a folk tale, the characters are different in some of the editions of the book.
My favorite version tells of a lonely soldier who wanders into a village looking for food and lodging. All the village people tell him there is not a bite to eat in the entire village, and he should move on.
After he informs them that he has everything he needs, he offers to make some stone soup to share with the townspeople.
He takes a large black pot from his wagon, fills it with water and builds a fire under it. He then takes an ordinary looking stone from a velvet pouch and drops it into the water.
By now, the people of the village are gathering to watch this stranger who has offered to prepare food for them. The soldier tastes his broth and declares that there is nothing better than his "stone soup."
After mentioning that cabbage would certainly add to his tasty concoction, a villager manages to scrounge up a small cabbage. After the soldier remarks that salt meat, potatoes, onion, carrots and so on would be delicious additions, the townspeople were able to find some of each of the foods he has mentioned.
The delicious meal was enjoyed by all the people of the town. They offered the man a great deal of money for the stone, but he refused and continued his travels.
In elementary school, one of my teachers read this book to us and for our homework we had to bring a can of vegetables the next day.
The label was to be removed and the ingredient inside the can to be kept a secret.
We reenacted the story and made our own pot of soup for our class to enjoy. She taught us the moral that by working together, sharing and contributing what we can, a greater good can be achieved.
When preparing homemade soup, select a liquid as your soup base. It can be water or a beef, chicken or vegetable stock.
Any vegetable that your family enjoys can be included.
Don't forget that rice, pasta and grains can also be a great addition to any soup.
Different herbs and spices will also enhance the flavor.
When serving your bowls of soup, garnish them with crumbled bacon, croutons, a dollop of sour cream or croutons.
Your favorite crackers, hot buttered cornbread or a grilled cheese will round out a perfect meal of soup on a cold winter's day.
Hope you enjoy today's soup recipes. One is my mama's, one is my mother-in-law's and the last one is my sister's. They are quick and easy for days when you don't have a lot of time. Thanks for reading.
MAMA'S QUICK
AND EASY SOUP
1 pound ground chuck, browned and drained
1 (1 pound.) bag frozen soup vegetables with okra
3 tops of stems of celery, snip small
1 can Ro-Tel
1 bay leaf
1 (32 ounces) Beef-a-Mata juice
1 (11.5 ounces) V-8 juice
1 package. dry Lipton onion soup mix
Add all ingredients in a large soup pot.
Bring to a rolling boil and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove bay leaf and season to taste. This will freeze well.
JAN JAN'S BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
2 (10 ounces) package frozen chopped broccoli, slightly thawed
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
3 soup cans water
1 (16 ounces) Velveeta cheese, Mexican style
1 teaspoon Accent seasoning
Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot.
Cook on low heat for an hour.
Top with grated cheese and croutons.
AUNT BOO'S TACO SOUP
2 pounds ground chuck
1 chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small can whole kernel corn
1 small can cream style corn
1 large can tomatoes with Italian herbs
4 regular size cans tomato sauce
1 can chili hot beans
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 package dry taco seasoning mix
1 package dry Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
Brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain well.
Place all ingredients in a large stew pot; add water to reach desired consistency.
Cook about 30 minutes.
Top each bowl with grated cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream.
•Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
