"The goldenrod is yellow,
The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
With fruit are bending down."
As I look out my window, and see the golden corn stalks, I get excited...excited that my favorite season Fall is finally here.
Excited to wear chunky sweaters, legging and knee high boots.
Excited to curl up on the couch every morning with a hot cup of coffee.
Excited to curl up in bed each night with a hot cup of tea.
Excited to get off work, take out my dutch oven, saute up some onions, and start making a batch of delicious hot soup for dinner.
When I started making soup from scratch I would follow recipes, such as this one, but as I made more and more recipes I started to realize they all had common denominators they followed. Now I use these "rules" to throw together soups without any recipes and soup has become the vehicle I use to use up any product that didn't get used during the week.
Here are the "rules" that I follow when I'm making most of my soups~
Rule #1: Always start by sauteing onions
Part of this is because they do add a nice flavor to soup...the other reason is because I absolutely love the way the cooking onions smell while I'm chopping everything else up. It sets the mood for my cooking "experience" and just makes me happy...and hungry!
Rule #2: Pair your ingredients based on "cuisine"
Think about the components of a regular meal you've had and liked (Mexican, Asian, Italian, Moroccan, ect) and try to implement those ingredients into your soup. For example, one of my favorite places to eat is Chipolte. I get a burrito bowl which is comprised of rice, black beans, peppers, onions, cilantro, tomatoes and corn, so I use those same ingredients in my soup. It's an easy way to know what ingredients will taste good together.
Rule #3: Saute veggies after onions are translucent
This allows the veggies to cook slightly, become "browned" and soak in a little of the onion flavor.
Rule #4: Add your liquid base
Use broth for a nice clear base
Use water plus tomato paste for a nice tomatoey base
Use water plus milk to make a chowder-like base
Rule #5: Add your seasoning and spices and know which ones compliment each other and which ones go along with which cuisine
Here are some of my favorite combinations
Mexican- coriander and cumin
Italian- oregano, thyme, dried basil
American- rosemary
Red pepper flakes are my favorite way to add a little heat to soup
Rule #6: Simmer 20-30 minutes
Simmer until the hardest vegetables (like potatoes) are tender
Rule #7: Add your protein/whole grains
Add your cooked beans, rice, noodles the last 10-15 minutes to make sure they don't start breaking apart from cooking too long. If I'm going to have leftovers a lot of times I will cook noodles or rice separately and then serve the soup over the whole grains right before serving.
Rule #8: Garnish with fresh herbs
Fresh herbs add a nice crisp, clean taste with each bite and the smell of the herbs takes the meal to the next level. Cilantro and Basil are my favorite!
What are some "rules" you follow when making soup from scratch and what are your favorite herbs/spices?
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