The dark days of winter are perhaps the best time to savour a comforting bowl of soup that sings loud enough to qualify as supper. Thick like the puréed sweet potato or creamy pea soups, chunky like the easy goulash soup, or a ramen-style mushroom soup based on broth with add-ins. What you put on top, or serve with, adds up to a bowl of soup satisfaction.
Beef Goulash Soup
Adapted from a recipe by cookbook author and teacher Rose Murray, this hearty soup is thick with the delicious tastes of smoked paprika and caraway; chunky with mushrooms, peppers and potatoes; and speedy to make with ground beef.
1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cups (500 mL) sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp (30 mL) smoked mild paprika or plain mild paprika
2 tsp (10 mL) caraway seeds
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
1 large sweet bell pepper, diced
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
4 cups (1 L) chicken or beef broth
1 cup (250 mL) passata (puréed tomatoes) or crushed canned tomatoes
In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the beef without any oil, stirring almost constantly, until it is evenly broken up, any liquid has evaporated and the beef is starting to brown. Scrape the beef into a bowl and set aside for the moment.
Add the oil, and when it is hot, stir in the onions, garlic, mushrooms, paprika, caraway seeds, thyme, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to cook the spices, soften the vegetables and mushroom, and dissolve any tasty brown bits. Add the bell pepper and potatoes and return the beef and any juices to the pot, stirring well to spread the spice mixture over the additions, about 3 minutes.
Pour in the broth and passata; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender. Taste, adding salt and pepper as needed. Adjust the liquid, adding more if desired, or continue simmering, lid off, until the soup is a pleasing thickness.
Toppings: Enjoy topped with minced flat-leaf parsley or fresh dill, and let rye or pumpernickel side the thick, almost-stew, soup. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Smooth Sweet Potato Soup with Southwestern Flavours
A vibrantly orange winter warm-up, this soup is make-ahead and freezable and delicious for everyday and a special occasion.
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter or canola or olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1/2 tsp (2mL) each salt and pepper
6 cups (1.5 L) peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (6 average-sized sweet potatoes, approximately 2 lb/900 g)
5 cups (1.25 L) ready-to-use chicken broth
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 cup (250 mL) 5%, 10% or 18% cream, or milk, optional
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat; stir in the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the sweet potatoes, stirring to coat them with the spiced onion mixture, about 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, and over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 25 minutes.
With a hand-held blender, or in batches as needed in a stand blender or food processor, purée the soup until it is smooth and velvety. (Make-ahead: Let cool and pour into containers to refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for a few weeks.)
Return the soup to a clean saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and cream. Taste, adjusting the seasoning if needed and thinning the soup with more broth if it is too thick. Over low setting, heat until steaming. Ladle into warmed bowls.
Toppings: Dress up the soup with a spoonful of sour cream, topped with chopped cilantro or basil and sliced grape tomatoes. Or, try a design on top: drizzle cream in circles, hearts, stars or initials. Side the soup with corn tortilla chips – the blue ones are a colour and texture statement in a soup bowl. Or try warmed fresh wheat or corn tortillas.
Makes 6 servings.
Variation: Give the soup a gentle Indian touch by replacing the chili powder with mild curry paste. Top with the sour cream or yogurt and cilantro, and side with warmed naan.
For a vegan version: Replace butter with canola or extra virgin olive oil, chicken broth with vegetable broth, cream with additional vegetable broth or non-dairy cream. For a vegetarian version, replace chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Just-Like-Summer Pea Soup
Peas are a quality frozen vegetable you can rely on all winter long to offer a taste of summer.
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
2 cups (500 mL) chopped onions (2 large)
2 cups (500 mL) chopped peeled potatoes (2 large)
2 tsp (10 mL) grated fresh ginger root, optional
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
4 cups (1 L) ready-to-use chicken broth
4 cups (1 L) frozen peas, 500 g package
1 cup (250 mL) 10%, 18% or 35% cream
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
In a large pot, over medium heat, melt the butter; stir in the onions, potatoes, ginger (if using), salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables look glossy and somewhat translucent, but not coloured, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth, and over medium-high, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the peas, cover, bring to a boil; reduce the heat to simmer the peas for 3 minutes.
With a hand-held blender, or in batches as needed in a stand blender or food processor, purée the soup until it is smooth and velvety. (Make-ahead: Let cool and pour into containers to refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for a few weeks.)
Return the soup to a clean saucepan. Stir in the cream. Taste the soup, adjusting the seasoning if needed, and thinning the soup with more broth if too thick. Over low setting, heat until steaming. Stir in the lemon juice. Ladle into warmed bowls.
Toppings: Dress up each bowl with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a generous sprinkle of sliced green onions or chopped parsley, cilantro or dill. Or add crunch with garlicky croutons or crushed pretzels. Side with brioche or crusty buns.
Makes 6 servings.
Mushroom Broth Soup
At-home broth soup for two in the style of ramen, with clean fresh flavours. I liken it to a rainbow bowl of bright colours and varied textures – with crisp greens to match the slippery noodles, slices of crunchy sweet red pepper and mellow mushrooms.
2 large eggs
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola or olive oil
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) sliced mushrooms, cremini recommended
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced crosswise
3 large cloves garlic, minced
6 cups (1.5 mL) ready-to-use chicken broth
2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce
1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated fresh ginger root
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
7 oz (200 g) instant noodles (half
14 oz/400 g package)
1 bok choy, quartered lengthwise
Small sweet red pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise
Toppings:
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped roasted peanuts, salted or plain
Start with the eggs. Place them in a small deep saucepan with enough water to come 2 inches (5 cm) above the eggs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover. For soft-boiled eggs, let rest for 6 minutes. Leave 4 minutes longer for firm yolks. Cool down in a bowl with water and ice cubes. Crack the shells and peel the eggs.
Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic; cook, stirring almost constantly, until mixture is softened and aromatic, about 6 minutes. Pour in the broth, soy sauce, hot sauce, ginger and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool and refrigerate for up to a day. Reheat to continue.)
Toppings: Arrange green onions, cilantro and peanuts in bowls. Cut egg in half lengthwise.
Warm your soup bowls. Bring broth to a boil; add the noodles. Boil until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the bok choy and red pepper. Immediately divide the soup between large soup bowls, making sure the pepper and bok choy are visible. Dig into the bowls of peanuts, green onions and cilantro. Set eggs, cut side up, on top.
Makes 2 very generous bowls.
Tips: Up the protein with an extra egg or two. Another easy add-in is 3/4 cup/174mL shredded cooked chicken.
Substitute: No bok choy? Bunched spinach will stand in gracefully, as will thickly shredded kale leaves.
How to eat broth-based soups: Set the table with chopsticks and soup spoons. Pick up noodles et al. with chopsticks, using the spoon to cup the noodles. When all the solids are finished, spoon up the broth. Smack your lips. Wipe your chin.
Dress up your bowl-of-supper soup
Sprinkle-overs: Toasted seeds and nuts – coarsely chopped peanuts, cashews, green pepitas, sesame seeds or sunflower seeds. If you have time, toast a batch of nuts or seeds and keep them in the freezer to use whenever your soup or salad or vegetable can use some oomph.
Swirl-ins: A spoonful of plain Greek or regular yogurt, sour cream or a splash of cream.
Spoon-ins: A spoonful of cream cheese, ricotta cheese, herbed cream cheese, goat cheese/chèvre, crumbled feta or blue cheese.
Drizzle-ins: Hot sauce, lemon or lime juice, apple cider vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, toasted sesame oil, good olive oil.
Crunch-ins: Croutons, toasted pita or naan, melba toasts, crackers, bits of crisp bacon. Don’t forget freshly popped corn.
Shred-overs: Shred Cheddar, Jarlsberg, Gouda or mozzarella. Parmigiano Reggiano, or its less-expensive stand-ins: Grana Padano, Asiago or Romano.
Pep-ups: Shredded spinach (or kale), sliced green onions, shredded radishes, minced parsley, basil or cilantro.
