SOUP RECIPES

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over a low flame. Saute the onions, squash, apples, and
pear until tender,about 20 minutes. Add stock and tarragon--then salt and pepper to
taste. Bring the whole concoction to a boil then cover and simmer over a low flame
until the squash and apples are fully cooked (about 12 minutes). Remove from heat
and puree, solids first and in batches. Stir in the cream and the vermouth. Season
to taste with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, reheat, ladle into bowls and
serve hot with a dollop of sour cream topped with chopped chives.

Grandma's Potato Soup

Put the cubed potatoes and onions in a saucepan or soup pot, depending on
the volume, and cover with water about 1-inch higher than the solids. Bring
to a boil, partially cover, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes
are soft. Drain off about half the water, then pour in enough milk to be about
1/2-inch higher than the solids. Bring to a boil, simmer for 4-6 minutes, the
stir in the butter. Salt and pepper to taste

Norwegian Cauliflower Soup

Cut the cauliflower and it into bite-size buds, but keep the stalks and trimmings
for the stock. Put the cauliflower stalks and trimmings into a large saucepan of
the boiling water and salt, then-- If you have a steaming basket--stick the steaming
basket on top and add the buds (otherwise you'll have to pick through the stuff to
fish out the buds with a slotted spoon). Cover and simmer until the buds are just
tender, then pull the basket out with the buds and cool. Continue cooking the stalks
and trimmings til they're very soft and mushy. Strain, pitch the mushy cauliflower,
and reserve the stock.

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter and stir in the flour. When smooth, stir in the hot
stock, beating constantly, then cover and simmer for 10 or so minutes. In a separate
bowl, beat the egg yolks and nutmeg into the whipping cream. Remove the soup from the
heat, then carefully and quickly whisk the egg mixture into the stock. Adjust for
seasoning and grate in some white pepper. Return the soup to the lowest possible heat,
for fear of curdling it, add the cauliflower buds, heat through, and serve immediately.

Garnish with a small sprinkling of nutmeg.

Norwegian Fruit Soup

My dear sweet Grandma made this for me the week after I had my first son, while she
helped to take care of me and the new baby. Sweet and tart, chunky and many textured,
this soup is extraordinarily rich--and excellent when you want to mainline the energy
and flavor of concentrated fruit. Good hot or cold or even frozen. Serve hot or cold to
6-8 people as a meal (especially breakfast) with bread, as a first course, or as an
accompanimentto a meat course. Also, you can partially freeze it and serve it with cream
for dessert. Talk about versatile!

Bring the water and fruit juice to a boil in a large saucepan, then stir in the rest of
the ingredients. When it returns to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer until tender,
about 40 minutes.

If serving hot, ladle into bowls and spoon cream over the top.
If serving cold, let cool, then cover and chill in the refrigerator. Serve with cream
when ready.
If serving as a frozen dessert, let cool, then cover and chill in the refrigerator. Forty
minutes before serving, put in the freezer. When ready to serve, stir and spoon into bowls,
topping with whipped or unwhipped cream.

Hemingway Soup

1. In a medium (4- to 6- quart) soup pot over low heat, combine olive oil, onion, leeks and
garlic. Saute until onion has softened, about 10 minutes. Add 9 cups of water, ham, white
beans and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 2-1/2
hours.

2. Add cabbage and green beans. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add green peas and
continue to simmer 5 minutes more. Remove and discard ham. Adjust seasonings, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Kleenex Soup

I can do no better than let contributor Maggie Fex describe this delicate but
attention-getting soup herself. "This is a childhood soup that our mom made when
we were sick - usually with a bad cold or something like that. Because of the way
it looked, we called it Kleenex Soup - because the beaten egg looked just like a
shredded Kleenex tissue. It's a modification of egg-drop soup that I have further
modified over the years into a form of Sicilian Penicillin. Medical research has
proven that chicken soup is the ideal fluid replacement, and 9 million mothers,
Jewish or otherwise, can't be wrong! The egg adds some easily-digested protein, and
the garlic is a natural antibiotic and immune-system booster. Over a steaming bowl
of soup, a stuffed head clears, and the soup is flavorful enough to get through to
even the most cold-deadened taste buds. You can add pastina for a more filling soup
if you like. Nothing says "I love you and I hope you feel better soon" better than
this light and comforting chicken soup. This recipe serves 2 people who aren't very hungry.

Heat the chicken broth to a boil, add the seasonings and vegetables, then reduce heat.
Simmer for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender, then strain the soup. Season to taste
with salt. Turn heat to medium and slowly pour the beaten egg into the strained broth, stirring
lightly as it goes in, so it looks like shreds of Kleenex tissue as it cooks. Remove from heat
immediately after the egg cooks.

Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Maggie adds, "A nice meal for someone who is off their feed, has a cold, or just needs
something easy on the tummy. Leave the vegetables in the soup for those who love
vegetables or who can tolerate a more "solid" meal. Otherwise, this is a good soup
for someone who has been vomiting and is dehydrated, and has been only able to keep
down clear liquids--it's the next step up from plain broth. Good for invalids, folks
going through chemotherapy or anyone who is suffering--from dehydration to bruised
spirits. Very easy to do, cheap and fast--and it tastes like you spent hours in the
kitchen instead of minutes. A good "sick" meal is a bowl of this soup, with a slice
of hot, crispy rye toast and a cup of applesauce. Just the thing for the person who
says, "Ugh, I can't eat" or "I'm not really hungry, but I need SOMETHING in my stomach."

Starving Artist Soup

This soup was created by Ronnie Reed in Worthington, Ohio, and his story is as good as
his recipe--an inspiration to lovers everywhere. If you're trying to survive a difficult
time...aren't used to cooking...wouldn't mind losing a little weight...are yearning to
be with the one you love--if all of these things, I think you'll be interested in what
Ronnie has to say about soup and love.

I'm 31 years of age and work for a international business machine company. My wife and
I have been married together for 12 years. I have grown to love and appreciate soups
in general lately. During my marriage separation, I ate soups for lunch and dinner for,
well let's just say, A LONG TIME! I went from 220 down to 190 in a matter of months. I
still eat soups at least twice a week. In a nutshell, it's good for you and good for
the soul. SOUPS RULE!!

Here's my story and recipe......

The Starving Artist Soup

This soup was invented during a time when my wife and I were separated for a few
months. In an attempt to lose weight, cut back on costs, but not die from starvation,
I had to learn how to cook since man cannot live off of beer and peanut butter crackers
alone. To me, if it's worth looking at, it's worth eating. So in attempt to be as creative
as I could without burning down the kitchen, I made 'The Starving Artist Soup'. It's easy,
quick, and it looks good too. What you will need are...

Directions: Brown the hamburger in a pot, drain the grease (optional, depends on how hungry
you are). Drop the two cans on the hamburger, add two cans of water. Let it cook for 2
minutes on HIGH! Bring boil down to simmer.

It makes about four bowls so you can eat 2 that night and have left overs the next night
for dinner. It does taste better the second day, not sure why?

I lived on this stuff for 4 months and lost 20 pounds, paid my expenses, and survived. My
wife, after discovering that I did not die without her, came back. :) That's my story and
recipe. Thanks for reading it.

Scandanavian Brown Cabbage Soup

Why is it that cabbage stops the ill effects of drinking?...
Serve this substantial soup hot to 4-6 people. Like French onion
soup, it is surprisingly sweet and tender.

In a Dutch oven, brown the cabbage on all sides in the butter, stirring often, until
it is colored a light brown. This will take at least 15 minutes, and it should be
watched carefully at the end as the browning takes place quickly. Add the sugar and
stir until it is completely dissolved. Add the stock, salt, pepper, and allspice--bring
to a boil, then simmer, covered, for about an hour. Traditionally, it is served with
dumplings, but it is delicious with toasted croutons and a handful of cheddar cheese thrown in.

Pho

The ultimate comfort food--and a snap to make once you get hold of all the ingredients.
This version is the "most-accessible-to-Westerners," called tai. This soup is delicate
but filling; fragrant and satisfying--and historically interesting. Serve hot as a meal
in great big bowls to 6, with accompaniments and a bottle of chili-garlic sauce (Tuong ot
Toi Viet-Nam, if you can get it) on the side.

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain (or follow package directions
for whatever noodles you're using).

Heat spiced beef stock, lime juice, and nuoc mam in a large non-aluminum saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the broth for about 30 minutes.

Arrange green onions, basil, bean sprouts, chiles, and lime slices on a platter.
When ready to serve, distribute the noodles evenly among the deep bowls, then top
with meat slices. Pour the hot broth over both, filling the bowl, and serve
immediately, with porcelain spoons and chopsticks and with the platter of
accompaniments, nuoc mam, and chili sauce on the side.

Beef Tea

Make this one when you've got a weak invalid on your hands and are anxious to
"beef" him or her up. Serve warm, in bed, to one sick chick. Then sit back to
watch the roses bloom in those pale cheeks.

Broil the steak 2 minutes per side Then, right in the broiling pan, cut the
steak into 1-inch squares--and put the squares into a glass pint jar. Be sure
to scrape up the bottom of the pan with one of the squares and get every scrap
of goodness into the jar. Pour cold water over the meat to cover, then put the
jar into a pot of cold water. The point here is not to cook, but to steep the
meat. Turn the heat to low and let the goodness leach out of the meat slowly,
over the next two hours or so.

When ready to serve, pour off the beef tea, salt slightly to taste, and serve
warm, preferably on a tray with silver and linen napkins in a beautiful cup.

Omi Penicillin

A friend sent this recipe to me a very long time ago--an authentic grandmother's
recipe for Chicken Soup. It's wonderful--and certainly delivers in the
"make well" department.

Put all ingredients in a big pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and
simmer, lightly covered, for 2 hours--until everything is tender and soft. Skim
off foam, from time to time, if needed. After 2 hours, remove the chicken and
pick, discarding skin and bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Fish out half or so of the cooked vegetables and whirl into a blender, then
returning to soup for thickening. Stir in the chicken and season to taste with
salt and pepper. At this point, you can refrigerate overnight so flavors can
blend--then skim fat before reheating.
Return to a low boil, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Danish Barley Soup

Bring 4 cups of stock or water to a boil in a saucepan, add rinsed barley,
then reduce heat and simmer for an hour, until tender.

Bring the remaining 4 cups of stock or water to a boil in a large saucepan,
add the onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms, reduce heat, and simmer until
tender--from 40-60 minutes.

When ready to serve, pour the barley-broth in to the vegetables, toss in the
butter, salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a fast boil.

New England Clam Chowder