You know how some days are just right for making soup? Well, today is one of those days. I have my big pot out and I’m thinking about what I have that can go in that pot.
Ever wonder who made that first pot of soup? It has to have been several thousands of years ago, somewhere around the time man was able to develop the first leak-proof, fire-proof container. I can just imagine how excited the cooks in that time must have been. Probably as excited as we were in the 1960′s when the crockpot first came out, or the microwave came on the market.
My soup making has evolved over the years. As a new cook I followed instructions from my mom or carefully read cookbook recipes. As I got more confident, I began trying my own combination of flavors. Today my plan is to take a look at what food I have on hand and see how they might go together.
Here’s what I’m thinking about for today’s soup: It has to feature potatoes. We have a ten-pound bag and they are going to go bad if we don’t get going on them. I have one onion, some limp celery, peas, a little bit of red cabbage left over from an Asian slaw, a little bit of ham and half a package of white corn in the freezer. I’m a little iffy on the red cabbage, but hey, it’s worth a try.
Our favorite soup starts with a base of oxtails or other beef “soup bones”. I can remember when oxtails would cost something like 25 cents and occasionally a butcher would give away soup bones – free. Now oxtails are a gourmet item. The last time I got some I paid somewhere around $4 a pound!
Oxtails do make a wonderful broth or soup base. Old-time cooks, and I hope a few today, use whatever bones are left over from other meals. I also like buying whole chickens with the intention of using the backs and wings for soup. Once the meat is off the breast, those bones can also go into the soup bone bag.
Soup broth is easy to make. You cover the bones with water, bring to a boil, and then simmer until everything is soft. To make the broth more fragrant (and healthier) I usually add a cut up onion, those leaves and stems from celery, a cut up carrot and a glove of garlic. When everything is done, strain out the bones and anything else you don’t want in there. Broth making is also a good chore for the crockpot.
Well, today’s soup turned out quite well.. I left out the red cabbage – we both wrinkled our noses at it. It turned out similar to my old-fashioned potato soup recipe I posted a year ago. I hope you’ll give homemade soup a try if you don’t already. They are frugal (unless you use those $4 oxtails), healthy, send a great aroma throughout the house, and serve as one of the best of comfort foods.
*In the interest of full disclosure I must admit that the picture at the top of this post is not of my own soup pot. It is one I am coveting at Sur La Table. (I love that store.)
Talking about food is a regular feature on my blog and others as well. Visit Beth Fish Reads for other bloggers who are participating in Weekend Cooking.
I make a lot of soup – we love it. I use a vegetable or chicken stock as a base, then add chunks of potatoes and onions as well and like you make it with whatever else I’ve got. I did add red cabbage and a bag of mixed salad leaves to my basic soup recently, whizzed it all up with a hand blender and although the colour was rather different it did taste good. I haven’t tried the oxtail bones stock as I usually make a veggie soup of one sort or another.
Talking about the free bones brings back memories! I haven’t seen that in years! It is indeed a good day for soup on both the east and west coasts! That soup pot looks like a Le Creuset. I have only one pan from them, but it is wonderful!
You’ve inspired me! It’s gray and chilly here, and now soup is on the menu for tonight!
First, Sur La Table is one of those sites and catalogs I cannot look at. I want, I want . . .
I make soup the exact same way these days. Sometimes I think I’m going to follow a recipe, but I always end up saying, “Hey, I can use up that last little bit of [insert food item].”
I love oxtails and noticed that they are expensive. And I haven’t asked for soup bones in years (we buy our meat from farmer friends), but they always used to be free. I took advantage of that many times when I was a poor graduate student.
oh I wish I had the time today to make it a soup day!
What a wonderful post! I felt like I was reading a food magazine article
I do love soup – especially on a rainy Saturday – but I don’t make it very often. Perhaps I will remedy that today.
Our favorite soup is “Steak” soup, made with ground round.
I love soup, and like you throw in whatever I have, so we never have the same soup twice. My mother used to make cabbage and tomato soup with pork neck bones and it is probably the best soup I have ever had.
Hi Margot,
I will agree with you on the oxtails. I bought those as a young woman and they were really cheap. Now it seems everyone wants them and that has made the price skyrocket. I make lots of soups. We had a big pot of vegetable soup last weekend. Have a great day and enjoy your soup!
Sherrie
Sherrie’s Stuff
Yesterday was ‘soup day’ for me! Back in high school, I worked in a grocery store. I remember the butcher, Happy (his real name!), used to give people bones and packaged them as carefully as the finest steaks. Great post!
I love fresh soup without all that added sodium. It makes me sad to know that many people never make real soup. They don’t know what they’re missing.
My mother-in-law used to make “Thursday soup” every week to clean out the refrigerator. According to Dave, some of what she put in it was not too appetizing but the kids had to eat it anyway. We make turkey soup, chicken noodle, etc. but I can’t get him to eat vegetable soup – wonder why?
During the winter we have soup once a week and my favorite is usually “leftover” soup – a jumble of whatever ingredients we have – similar to what you did today. Such an easy way to pretend you’re a professional chef and be creative.
I don’t usually make soup but a couple of weeks ago I made soup from some leftover chicken. It was really good.
I love soup! and you are right some days are just perfect for soup.
I’m coveting that pot too!! Thanks for posting instructions on how to make my own stock!! I love to make whole chickens and didn’t realize that all this time I was throwing away stuff that could lead to a great pot of soup. I made JoAnn’s (Lakeside Musing) Tuscan Bean soup last week…yummy!! I will have to give yours a shot now!!
I have always liked soups, but over the past 7-12 years i have come to LOVE soup! Really love it. We have to get the soup night back into our eating/cooking routine. I have so many favorites like, Tom Yum with shrimp, “hangover stew”, which is a spicy green chile corn chowder, your oxtail stew and Garcia’s tomato soup!
When I worked at the “cafe” we use to call the soup you describe “garbage soup”–doesn’t sound very appetizing, but it was everything we thought about throwing away and made into soup instead, it often was very yummy and hard to replicate.
I have lately become obsessed with soups and I’m always looking for new recipes. I think I’ll give your Old Fashioned Potato Soup recipe a try
Winter food and cooking are making our longer-than-planned stay in Oregon more enjoyable. (In addition to our view.) We are eating stews and soups more — they just don’t taste as good when it’s warm outside.
Were you aware that Saturday was actualy national Soup exchange day? lol I made a crock pot of Chili to bring to work…Not soup…but close enough for me. lol It was really good everyone loved it…even though I didnt have noodles in it. lol I didnt even think about adding noodles to chili…that is more like spagetti to me lol.
You make some great soup. Sorry i missed it.
I love soup – it’s so filling and warm; the whole house perks up when it’s on the stove. I’ve been making bread to go along with it this winter.
Like some other commenters, I thought that STACK of pots in the photo were yours. I don’t have any nice enamelware