Simple Soups With Big Flavors By Jeremy Harris

If you are looking for a simple meal idea yet do not want to spend the entire day in the kitchen, why not consider simple soups with big flavors as a viable option? Soups are a very simple and filling meal choice that not only works well as a hot lunch, but also a fantastic course for a bigger dinner as well. Children love hot soups such as chicken noodle at lunchtime, and parents love a hot flavorful soup later in the evening to hot the spot. Picking the right soup for the occasion, may actually be one of the biggest frustrations in the food world as they are all great.

Hot Or Cold

One of the truly unique aspects about soup is that you can actually enjoy it hot or cold. With wonderful options such as cold potato soup or even Gazpacho, you can take the soups you love to a whole new level. These soups are great within the warmer months, as they are great as picnic choices and can be enjoyed with salads and even something as simple as hotdogs or hamburgers. Usually cold soups are served with larger meals and are more common within European and south American cultures than you would find within the North American regions. You are far more likely to find soups that are of the hot nature, And this is nothing to shy away from as there are some absolutely delightful soups that can both be enjoyed at lunch and dinner alike.

Healthy Ingredients

One of the most notable things about soup is that it is chocked full of healthy ingredients. With delightful soups such as vegetable and or heavier stews, you can find some fantastic ingredients such as celery, potatoes, and carrots. Soups are a blend of excellent ingredients married to a wonderful broth combined to forge a simple meal with attention. Each and every culture has a soup that is considered a delicacy, and you will easily find many that are enjoyed each and every day. You will usually find a stew in a healthy living or great diet recipe book, as they are full of ingredients are not only healthy for you they are gentle on a diet as well. Diet programs such as weight watchers has a point system, and vegetable are actually free on this point system making stews and soups ideal for weight control.

A Long History

The truly interesting thing about soup is that it actually has a much longer history than originally thought. The basic idea of soup is that it is made from a broth and this was made generally from a bone or two in boiling water. This would extract the marrow and form a stock, and this is where you add the other ingredients such as other forms of meat like chicken and some vegetables. Quite simply soup has been around and eaten since fire and the boiling of water have changed the face of cooking.

Jeremy Harris writes home business, diet, dating and food related articles for the CB Kliks Store website at http://www.cbkliks.com

How to Make Vegetarian Style Meatless Soup By Cary Ellis

People often ask how in the world is it possible to make good soup without bones, meat or meat broth - so familiar traditionally and culturally.

Recent 35-year, landmark China Study with 8,000 people in 65 counties of China demonstrated that all degenerative illness could be either reversed or eliminated with a primarily vegetable foods diet, (containing a maximum 7% animal protein). One might think this would encourage us to reduce our consumption of animal foods, and would make soup without a meat base quite appealing.

In fact meat broth generally contains some animal fat and a good amount of uric acid - ingredients that stimulate taste, but gradually wear on the body as it processes the byproducts, by eliminating them as an acidic substance that can be measured in the urine with pH paper. The body is designed to operate more or less in an alkaline state.

"Alkalizing the body fluids (raising pH) is one of the single most important health regeneration benefits available as disease causing microforms (fungi, bacteria, viruses) cannot survive in an alkaline oxygenated environment."

This explains one reason why, in seeking better health we might enjoy vegetarian broth, it's lighter and easier on the body to process; and contributes to creating an alkaline environment, inhospitable to disease-causing microorganisms.

Going "meatless" is also a choice that is gentler on the Earth, as commercial animal food operations are responsible for up to one-fifth of total greenhouse gasses. Being eco-conscious, green-living and wise health practices are notable reasons for going vegan (using no animal products whatsoever) or vegetarian (no meat - yet consuming dairy and sometimes fish).

Beyond the above-mentioned reasons not to use meat, bones or meat broth, are the wonderful results of making delectable vegetarian/vegan soups with vegetables, herbs, spices, grains and beans. Historically soup has been a food easy to make with little bits of what we have left and a small budget. For gardeners, soup is a great place to throw bits and pieces of vegetables, bringing forth creativity, frugality, and the making of a large pot of something delicious, with only small amounts and a variety of what's on hand.

Rounding out a hearty soup are grains and beans, that keep almost indefinitely stored in jars in the pantry, to be awakened in winter, with soaking - then adding them to a vegetable broth with a pinch of salt, various peppers, spices and herbs - melding together into amazing, delightful palate-pleasing soup or stew - till we never know the meat was missed.

Cary Ellis, healthy diet and lifestyle expert is author of Vegan/Vegetarian Super Immunity Soup Recipes
Follow regular health tips at her healthy diet blog and find her free soup recipes and videos at her healthy lifestyle site

Vegan - Vegetarian Soup Secrets By Cary Ellis

It's actually quite amazing the incredible rich, nutritious and delicious soup and broth that can be made with only vegetable ingredients. In fact it makes my mouth water and my nose crinkle just thinking about a pot o'soup simmering away on the stove, filling the house with its warm, rich aroma.

One of the best ways to start a veggie stock is with a little oil - some of my favorite oils to use for soup are: olive, coconut and toasted sesame. Sauté over low gentle heat 2-3 tablespoons oil with several of the following chopped herbs and veggies:
- Purple, red, yellow or white onion
- Sweet onion
- shallots
- leeks
- Scallions, chives, garlic chives
- Garlic, purple garlic, elephant garlic
- Ginger
- Peppers - sweet, green, red, yellow, orange
- Hot chili peppers or jalapenos
- Celery
- Grated carrots
- Washed chopped parsley
- Cilantro or Parsley

Start right in your soup pot; sauté this mixture, made with what you have on hand, till lightly golden and smelling irresistible - if you want to get really exciting add a few tablespoons of wine - red or white.
Then fill up this soup pot with a good amount of water - 2 quarts or so. Don't try to turn soup into an exact science - it is a creative process; use what you have on hand and make it taste awesome.

Next go wild with whatever herbs and spices you have, hopefully fresh out of the perennial garden - if not, dried herbs will do - don't hold back, use your taste and intuitive sense to create a great original blend to compliment the ingredients of grains, beans and veggies you intend to add.

As you might one day find through experience - it doesn't take much grain to fill a soup pot with hearty stock - maybe ½ cup or so depending on the grain. Once beans have been soaked, they are more digestible with less cooking time - providing a hearty filling nourishing balanced soup.

Simmer till all ingredients are tender, tastes melded, and voila, invite Little Red Riding Hood, Grandma and Goldilocks and the Three Bears to dinner - oops - where are the crackers?

Why Become Vegan or Vegetarian?

Simple diet is best; for many dishes bring many diseases: and rich sauces are worse than heaping several meats upon each other. - Pliny

Story has it that once upon a time in the long ago there was an ice age over much of Planet Earth...small settlements of nomadic humans managed to survive when there was no vegetation to eat by killing other animals and consuming their flesh. This was a far cry from the "garden" before the ice age, where they could pick all kinds of fruits, vegetables and seeds.

After many long years when the small groups of humans had almost forgotten what it was like to have plant foods for their survival; they were able to make settlements where deep alluvial soil had settled, and amazingly rich plant life began to grow.

These spots were so wonderful, they became excellent gardeners and fed their flocks along with themselves, as they almost began to forget the days when all they had was meat for survival...anyway...so story has it...

Cary Ellis, healthy diet and lifestyle expert is author of Vegan/Vegetarian Super Immunity Soup Recipes Follow regular health tips at her healthy diet blog and find her free soup recipes and videos at her healthy lifestyle site

Killer Hamburger Soup By Robert Owens

As unemployment creeps up, families are looking for more ways to stretch their budgets. recession based budgeting in the kitchen is a good way to reduce your expenses.

This article looks at one type of meal that is inexpensive, full of good tasting ingredients that can be modified to taste and easy to make within 30 minutes.

You can make more than enough for one dinner and have for leftovers or frozen in small containers to be savored as future lunches. Using a Dutch Oven or Crock pot for this meal is preferred, but any large pot will do.

Of course, hamburger is the main ingredient, but there can be infinite variations based on preference.

Broth: Once the Hamburger is cooked, drain the excess grease and place into the pot. Boiling the hamburger is another way of reducing some of the fat content. Once brown, add a can of Beef or vegetable broth to the meat will provide a healthy base and a starting flavor to the dish.

Tomato Base: Many variations include Stewed or Diced Tomatoes, but you can flavored tomato mixtures you can find in stores today to adjust the flavor... Some brands include different seasonings like Italian, Chipotle and chile spices the tomato flavor.

Vegetable Medley: The concoction can have multiple vegetable combinations, based on preference. Potatoes, carrots and onions are the most commonly used in this category. Even here you have some flexibility... No matter what type of potato you use, leaving the outside skins on will add more taste. Obviously, you want to wash the potatoes thoroughly before adding to the soup. New potatoes are small enough that they can be added without being diced, which can reduce the time and effort for preparation. Red, russet or fancy potatoes can be added...whatever you have in stocked in your fridge or pantry will be just fine.

Added Flavors: As the Hamburger soup cooks, the number of ingredients you can use to increase flavor to the dish are countless. Based on preference and taste; Ketchup, Soy Sauce and even some beef bullion cubes can be added to the broth to not only thicken the mixture, but provide a sweet texture. Adding cornstarch paste will thicken the soup into a more gravy like texture.

Hamburger soup is easy, inexpensive and good for the entire family... Whether you use a Dutch Oven or Crock pot, this dish is a great meal for small or large families looking to stretch their food dollars.

This Hamburger Soup Video is another variation, but shows what you can do with this dish...

See more ways you can cook easy meals in minutes Easy-Home-Cooking.com

Onion Soup - Country Style With Cheese and Bread By Susan McGourty

Onion Soup is a classic country recipe favorite. It's a great choice when you're on a strict budget. Onion soups have been popular with poor people as far back as Roman times, because onions were always easy and plentiful to grow. And the ingredients of the soup were almost always at hand: beef or chicken broth, onions, cheese and dry bread. Onion soup got re-popularized in the 1960's by Julia Child with her cookbooks and television shows. It was one of her favorite soups.

This recipe is a recipe my mother-in-law taught me, and then I gave it my personal touch. This recipe has got to be one of the best-tasting onion soups we've ever tasted! First a large quantity of thinly sliced onions are cooked down into a caramelized mixture of thinly sliced onions. Then broth is added to give the soup its liquid and it's slowly simmered for a couple of hours.

To serve, you place a slice of toasted French bread in the bottom of each soup bowl, and top each slice of bread with a slice of Gruyere Cheese. Then you ladle in the hot thick onion soup on top of the bread and cheese. Then sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and a little paprika for accent and place in the oven until bubbly and lightly browned.

Oh My God! Is this ever good! It's so very elegant, inexpensive to make and wonderfully filling! You never have to be embarrassed to serve this soup! This is an easy straight-forward recipe that's a perfect choice If you have the time required to cook-down the onions, and the time it takes for the soup to simmer.(Or make the soup a day in advance! It only gets better!) Also, if you use a Food Processor to slice the onions (2mm,) the prep process is much easier.

You can serve this soup in small bowls as an appetizer, or larger bowls as an entree. Because I use a combination of both chicken and beef broth, it's very filling. You won't miss "the meat!" Just serve it with a nice salad and a glass of red wine! The recipe below is for the entree-sized soup bowls.

Preparation time: 30
minutes Cooking time: 2 hours
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 Extra-large onions , thinly sliced
• 5 to 6 Medium Cloves garlic ,chopped
• 3 ounces unsalted butter
• 4 Tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive oil
• 1/3 to 1/2 Cup flour
• 1 Large Can (49 ounces) reduced sodium Chicken broth
• 1 Package (32 ounces) reduced sodium Beef broth
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
• 1/4 teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
• French Bread
• 8 to 12 Slices Gruyere Cheese
• 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Paprika
• 6 Oven-proof soup bowls

Preparation Directions.

1. In a large stockpot, melt thebutter over medium-low heat. Add in the olive oil. and warm-up.
2. Add in the sliced onions,separating the onion segments, giving the onions plenty of volume. As the onions start to cook down, be sure to bring up the oil-butter from the bottom of the pot and keep folding over the onions. You may need to add additional olive oil if the mixture starts to burn.
3. Simmer onions until lightly golden. Add in the garlic and mix throughly throughout the onion mixture.
4. When the garlic is fragrant, add in the salt and pepper then stir a couple of times more then sprinkle in the flour. Blend the flour into the onion-garlic mixture and cook for two to three minutes stirring constantly.
5. Add in the Chicken broth and stir well. Then add in the Beef broth and stir well to combine.
6. Add in the Thyme and Poultry Seasoning. Stir well to distribute throughout the soup.
7. Partially cover with lid and let simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. Correct seasonings.
8. Just before dinner, cut a loaf of French bread into half-inch slices. Toast lightly on both sides under the broiler.
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
10. Place each slice of bread in bottom of soup bowls. Top each slice of bread with a slice of Gruyere cheese.
11. Ladle in the hot onion soup over the bread in each bowl. Fill up each bowl to almost the top of bowl.
12. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on tops of soup. Accent with a dash of paprika for presentation.
13. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for ten to fifteen minutes -or until bubbly
14. Serve and get ready for Bliss!

Serving Suggestions.

This soup is such a show-stopper! Serve with a nice salad and a glass of red wine such as a Sangiovese or Zinfandel.

Susan McGourty is a resident and vineyard owner on the California Central Coast. A former restaurant owner and professional cook, she writes about food and cooking techniques and is the food and recipe editor for TheRomanticTable.Com. Her cooking and recipe blog is at http://theromantictable.com/cooking-with-sue.php

For more recipes, food and wine news and ideas, visit the TheRomanticTable.Com http://theromantictable.com - an online magazine about food, wine and recipes from the California Central Coast.