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| This was my yummy lunch today. |
Perfect soup eating weather!
Can you tell I'm trying to look for the positives in this winter situation we have?!
I tried a new soup for lunch today. It's far healthier than my usual Campbell's kind of soup. I checked out the label before I bought it & was happy to see that it contained no weird things I couldn't understand, all the ingredients were organic, & there was no added sugar or salt. Win! Then as I compulsively placed it in my grocery cart I checked the price. Fail! So my pantry still holds several of those red & white cans. When I read the labels I'm just blown away by the sodium & the sugar. But the convenience is so fabulous...& their soups have the flavor my palette is accustomed to...their soup is fairly inexpensive & widely available...
But all those excuses do not really make up for the fact that these processed soups do not meet up with my intentions for this year. I need to remember my 12 for 2012! I was thinking that in pursuit of my goals regarding eating more healthful, unprocessed foods I need to try making my own soup.
I have tried soup making in the past with moderate success. I make a mean chili (with pumpkin!), creamy vegetable chowder, & beef stew. The problem is, all of these recipes make a huge batch & I know for certain that the vegetable chowder does not freeze well (you can take my word on it *shudder*). I'm mostly interested in some soups that I can make a smallish batch (hopefully in the crock pot), portion out & then take to work for my lunch.
I am also interested in making my own stock for the soups. I have a package of local free range chicken necks & backs in my freezer right now. Doesn't that just sound awful - necks & backs?! Anyway, I was assured they were great for making chicken soup. Problem is, I don't really know what to do with it & what to add to it & how to do it...
And to take things even one step further into unknown territory for me, I would like to start using dried beans instead of canned beans. Once again, I'm just not sure how to approach it.
I know that I can probably find all the answers I'm looking for plus a whole lot more if I just did a big swagbucks search & waded through the plethora of information out there on the internet.
But before I do that, I kinda just want to ask you guys instead *grin*
So hit me! Tell me all that you know about soup making!
5 comments:
Broth is the easiest thing on the planet. It's just chicken-flavored water! Place the chicken pieces in your crock pot, along with some S&P, & maybe veggies...whatever you have! Old bits of celery, onion for sure, maybe carrots. I've also used squash pieces. They're just for flavor and nutrients anyway. I also add parsley and a bay leaf. Fill up with water and cook away! Strain everything out and discard all but the meat. (IF YOU WANT IT, that is!) And now you have a crock full of delicious broth!
I agree with Karen, for chicken stock I personally always throw in a clove or two of garlic, onion, and carrots. Celery if I have it. I make it on the stove, simmering on low all day, because I don't have a giant crock pot. Then I strain off all the stuff and freeze the stock in 2-cup amounts in a a quart size freezer bag. Lay it flat before freezing or it will take for.ev.er to thaw.
As for dried beans, simply rinse, place in a bowl with water to the top of the bowl and soak overnight. In the morning, rinse again and put in your crock pot. cover with water + 2 inches. Cook on low all day. DO NOT add salt or it will take longer to cook. Salt the beans when soft. So easy, so delicious. I wish I had some, actually. And if you forget to soak overnight, there is a "quick soak method" for which instructions are on the package. *grin*
Wow, you're really ambitious. You go girl. I looked up chicken stock/broth in 3 of my favorite Cookbooks : Crock-pot~The Original Slow Cooker recipe Collection, Bettter Homes and Gardens, and Betty Crocker Cook Book. All of them had a recipe. My vote would be Crock Pot, since I'm a big fan of fix it and leave it.
On another note, I started a new blog and would love for you to stop by and check it out. The link is on Quest for Common Sense.
Karen & Jenny already gave you great tips on making broth/soup, but I wanted to let you know I just posted a new (to me) soup recipe on my blog. :) I think it might be one you'd enjoy! Glad you are back to posting again; I love reading your fun posts!
Usually, I just cook the necks and backs covered in water for a couple hours. Then I can freeze the chicken broth or use as a base for any soup or additional liquid in other casseroles. Then, when I make my soup, I add my seasonings to be soup specific. :)
Sometime this winter, I am going to try canning dried beans to make meal time quicker.
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