Welcome To Roadside Cottage Recipes Soups Page

SOUP is a liquid food that is prepared by boiling meat or vegetables, or both, in water and then seasoning and sometimes thickening the liquid that is produced. It is usually served as the first course of a dinner, but it is often included in a light meal, such as luncheon. Soup is an easily made, economical, and when properly prepared from healthful and nutritious material, very wholesome article of diet, deserving of much more general use than is commonly accorded it.

THE VALUE OF SOUP

Soup contains the very essence of all that is nourishing and sustaining in the foods of which it is made. The importance of soup is to consider the purposes it serves in a meal. When its variety and the ingredients of which it is composed are thought of, soup serves two purposes: first, as an appetizer taken at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the appetite and aid in the flow of digestive juices in the stomach; and secondly, as an actual part of the meal, when it must contain sufficient nutritive material to permit it to be considered as a part of the meal instead of merely an addition.

Care should be taken to make this food attractive enough to appeal to the appetite rather than discourage it. Soup should not be greasy nor insipid in flavor, neither should it be served in large quantities nor without proper accompaniment. A small quantity of well-flavored, attractively served soup cannot fail to meet the approval of any family when it is served as the first course of the meal.

CLASSES OF SOUPS

The two purposes for which soup is used have led to the placing of the numerous kinds into two general asses. In the first class are grouped those which serve as appetizers, such as bouillon, consommé, and some other broths and clear soups. In the second class are included those eaten for their nutritive effect, such as cream soups, purees, and bisques. From these two classes of soup, the one that will correspond with the rest of the meal and make it balance properly is the one to choose. For instance, a light soup that is merely an appetizer should be served with a heavy dinner, whereas a heavy, highly nutritious soup should be used with a luncheon or a light meal.

The two general classes of soup already mentioned permit of numerous methods of classification. For instance, soups are sometimes named from the principal ingredient or an imitation of it, as the names potato soup, beef soup, macaroni soup, mock-turtle soup testifies. Again, both stimulating and nutritious soups may be divided into thin and thick soups, thin soups usually being clear and thick soups, because of their nature, cloudy. When the quality of soups is considered, they are placed in still different classes and are called broth, bisque, consommé, puree, and so on. Another important classification of soups results from the nationality of the people who use them.

Here at Roadside Cottage Recipes we have put forward the following traditional basic recipes which will be added to over the coming months.

Also check out our Soup Recipes Video Section

Enjoy Folks

1. French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced onions
• 4 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (1 pound) loaf French
• bread, sliced
• 6 slices provolone cheese
• 3/4 cup diced Swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter in an 8 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add olive oil and stir. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.

2. Add beef stock, sherry and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Ladle soup into individual, oven safe, serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top, (it can also be broken into pieces, whichever you prefer).

4. Layer cheese on top of bread; placing a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and then Parmesan cheese.

5. Place bowls on cooking sheet and grill until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

Below is a video recipe for French Onion Soup. Please note that the ingredients displayed may differ from the video.

2. Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, cubed
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups lentils ? soaked, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large stockpot, sauté the onions in oil until they are glossy.

2. Stir in garlic, paprika, celery, carrots, and sauté for 10 minutes.

3. Once the vegetables have sautéed for 10 minutes stir in tomatoes, chicken stock, lentils, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

4. Add the wine and bring the mixture to a boil. Slowly reduce the heat and cook for 1 hour on low to medium heat; or until the lentils are tender.

5. Sprinkle the soup with parsley and Parmesan before serving.

Below is a video for Lentil soup. Please note that the ingredients are different to the recipe displayed.

3. Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 10 cups cooked red beans
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 5 leaves spinach or chard, chopped
• 8 oz. tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes

1. Crush 7 cups of beans and leave the remaining beans whole.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients except macaroni and basil. Bring to a boil.

3. Turn down heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Add basil and macaroni and cook an additional 15 minutes.

5. Serve with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Check out the video recipe below which differs from the recipe displayed

4. Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro (similar to coriander)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.

2. In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, sauté the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear.

3. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.

6. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

8. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.

5. Leek Soup

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of leeks
• 1-1/2 pints of milk
• 1 oz. of butter
• 1 lb. of potatoes
• Pepper and salt to taste
• Juice of a lemon

1. Cut off the coarse part of the green ends of the leeks, and cut the leeks lengthways, so as to be able to brush out the grit.

2. Wash the leeks well, and see no grit remains, then cut them in short pieces.

3. Peel, wash, and cut up the potatoes, then cook both vegetables with 2 pints of water.

4. When the vegetables are quite tender, rub them through a sieve.

5. Return the mixture to the saucepan and add the butter, milk, and seasoning, and boil the soup up again.

6. Before serving add the lemon juice; serve with snippets of toast.

6. Pea Soup.

Ingredients

• 4 cups split peas
• 1 carrot
• 1 turnip
• 2 onions
• 4 qts. Water
• 4 sticks celery
• 2 teaspoons herb powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 oz. butter

1. Soak the split peas overnight.

2. Stew the peas very gently in the water for 2 hours, taking off any scum that rises.

3. Wash the vegetables, slice them, and add to the soup. Stew for 2 hours more. Then rub through a sieve, or not, as preferred.

4. Add the lemon juice, herb powder, and butter (nut or dairy), and serve.

7. Spring Vegetable Soup.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pint green peas
• 2 shredded lettuces
• 1 onion
• Small bunch of parsley
• 2 ounces butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 pint of water
• ½ pint of soup stock

1. Put in a stew pan the lettuce, onion, parsley and butter, with one pint of water, and let them simmer till tender.

2. Season with salt and pepper. When done, strain off the vegetables, and put two-thirds of the liquor with the stock.

3. Beat up the yolks of the eggs with the other third of the liquor, stir quickly over the hob, and at the moment of serving, add this with the vegetables to the strained-off soup.