The Benefits of Soup

The word soup conjures images of a warm kitchen in a Norman Rockwell painting. It brings memories of our childhood, when Mom or Dad would put all of these ingredients into a pot with some water, and a few hours later, this wonderful brew would be ready. It means something different to all of us, depending when in your life you were first exposed to it, and how your family and friends felt about soup. Some kids love it right away. Some kids won’t even consider it until a later age. Whatever the situation, its benefits are obvious. Soup has all the nutrients of its combined ingredients melded together, and is easy to both digest and ingest. It can be made on a budget to feed many people. Both complex and simple, it truly is comfort food.

   The origin of this wonderful staple comes from every nationality in the world. Without doing much research, common sense tells us that once we discovered fire, filling a large pot and boiling its ingredients were not far behind.

   Soup is a healer. Doctors prescribe it, mom’s recommend it, it will warm you up when your cold, both nutritious, and delicious, it truly is one of the worlds best loved foods.

  Flavor is what soups are ultimately judged by. After all the hours of preparation, if it doesn’t taste good, nobody is going to want to eat it. So what are the secrets to making all of this happen? Unfortunately, as with anything in life, you must put in your time before you get good at it. So, get started, and don’t be afraid to experiment with combinations you believe would work together. Soup is not a world of exact recipes. Anything goes.

  Flavor can always be adjusted, but flavoring too much cannot. So be conservative with your spices until you get to know how much is needed for the size of the pot, and the amount of water you put in it. If you are a beginner, find some basic recipes, and remember to taste as you go. After the soup has cooked an hour or so, it is important to taste and make your adjustments. Continue doing so until the soup is finished.

   Carrots, Celery, and Onion are the basis for countless soup recipes. Fresh herbs, tied in “bouquets”, also should be included in most of your soup recipes. Although water is the most obvious, consider using stocks instead, to ad flavor and body. Use salt and pepper to taste, but if you’re using stock, remember there is already salt in most stocks, so always taste first.

  The best soups sometimes come out of what you have in your kitchen that day. And a good soup maker can usually figure things out without an extra trip to the market. So, in these economic times, it is a great talent to have, and can be learned by pretty much anybody. We will learn more in upcoming article’s, so for now, happy cooking!