Improvising Vegetable Soups

Learn to improvise your own homemade soups using two master recipes and follow one-hour chicken broth recipe for quick and easy homemade stock.

All good cooks learn that what you throw in the pot doesn't matter nearly as much as the stock or the broth that you begin with. Here we describe how to make two distinct styles of vegetable soups -- a chunky, main-course soup full of seasonal vegetables, and a pureed first-course soup -- by simply varying the proportion of liquid to vegetables. Remarkably, endless variations are possible once the basic proportions are understood. For a chunky vegetable soup, keep the ratio of vegetables to liquid at about one and one-quarter pounds per quart, and always include some carrots, onions, and celery. For pureed soups, use one-half pound of the onion-carrot-celery trinity (twice as much onions and carrots as celery), one and one-half pounds of the featured vegetable, and one pound of potatoes to one and one-half quarts of liquid.

QUICK BROTH

Makes 3 quarts

Since the cooking time on this broth is short, cut up the vegetables and chicken first.

1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces (plus neck and gizzard)
1 medium onion, chopped coarse
1 medium carrot, chopped coarse
1 medium celery stalk, chopped coarse
1 teaspoon salt
13 cups water

1. Bring all ingredients to simmer, skimming foam and fat as it rises to surface. Continue to simmer until chicken is tender, about 40 minutes. Remove and reserve chicken pieces for another use. Simmer broth to blend flavors, about 20 minutes longer.
2. Strain and skim remaining fat from broth and continue with any soup recipe, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate. Remove congealed fat before reheating. You can refrigerate this for up to 5 days (or longer, if you bring it to a boil every few days), or freeze it for several months.

SOUP BASE
A MASTER RECIPE FOR CHUNKY AND PUREED SOUP

Makes about 3 quarts

This is the basis for any soup you wish to make.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, diced coarse
2 medium carrots, diced coarse
1 celery stalk, diced coarse
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 quarts chicken broth

Heat oil in a large soup kettle. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, then add other vegetables and seasonings as you like.

SUMMER HARVEST SOUP WITH BASIL

Serves 8 as a main course

If you let this soup stand to develop the flavors, do not cook the pasta. When ready to serve, bring the soup back to a simmer, add the pasta, and cook about 10 minutes or until done.

1 recipe Soup Base
4 new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped coarse
1/4 teaspoon summer savory
Salt
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ears corn, kernels cut from cob (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup elbow macaroni
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil
1/2 cup basil pesto

Bring Soup Base to simmer. Add potatoes, tomatoes, summer savory; salt to taste and simmer for 30 minutes. Add squashes, corn, and beans and simmer 5 minutes. Add macaroni and simmer until pasta is done, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil. Season with additional salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste. Serve with basil pesto passed separately.

SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP WITH EGG NOODLES AND MINT

Serves 8 as a main course

1 recipe Soup Base
4 coarsely diced medium new potatoes
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen green peas (about 8 ounces)
3/4 pound thin asparagus spears trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup egg noodles (about 2 ounces)
4 ounces fresh spinach, stemmed, cleaned, and shredded
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced

Bring Soup Base to simmer. Add new potatoes, peas, asparagus, and noodles and simmer until vegetables are tender and noodles are done, 8 to 10 minutes. Add spinach and simmer 3 minutes longer. Stir in mint. Let stand 2 hours to let flavors blend before serving.

PUREE OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH CARDAMOM AND MACE

Serves 8 as a first course

To use as a master recipe, simply substitute 1 1/2 pounds of another vegetable for the cauliflower and eliminate the cardamom and mace, using other appropriate herbs and/or spices.

1/2 recipe Soup Base
1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (or 1 1/2 pounds other vegetable)
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon mace
Salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup light cream (optional)

Bring Soup Base to simmer. Add cauliflower, potatoes, cardamom, mace, and salt to taste; simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Season with additional salt, if necessary, and pepper to taste. Puree in batches in a food processor or blender. Return to kettle. Stir in optional cream and reheat, or cool and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

PUREE OF BROCOLI SOUP WITH GARLIC AND HOT RED PEPPER

Serves 8 as a first course

Follow the recipe for Puree of Cauliflower Soup with Cardamom and Mace, adding 3 garlic cloves to the sauteing Soup Base vegetables. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes for the cardamom and mace. Add 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces or florets, to the simmering broth, along with the potatoes. Cook and puree, stirring in an optional 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in place of the cream. Serve hot or chilled.

September, 1992