Author Topic: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup  (Read 18298 times)

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Offline monster2

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Re: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2013, 12:05:52 PM »
Ok, this recipe is not exactly culinary artistry but it makes a good veggie soup:

1lb ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pre shredded coleslaw mix
10 oz frozen kernel corn
9 oz frozen green beans
4 cups hot style V-8 juice
(1) 14.5 oz can italian style stewed tomatoes, do not drain
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
*2 beef bouillon cubes
*frozen lima beans

1- In a large skillet cook ground beef, add onion and stir until tender.
  Add garlic, stir for one minute more

**2 In crock pot combine all ingredients, cook 4-5 hrs on high
or 8-10 hours on low

* not in the original recipe but I added them b/c I like
a more “beefy” taste.  I also just like lima beans so
skip them if you don’t.

Offline merigayle

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Re: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #21 on: January 16, 2013, 12:08:09 PM »
we found a little dash of balsamic in spaghetti sauce is the missing key ingredient.
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Offline Ice Cream

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Re: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #22 on: January 16, 2013, 07:28:40 PM »
How much balsamic vinegar?????

Offline hally

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Re: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #23 on: January 17, 2013, 12:32:15 PM »
I made a huge pot of veggie soup yesterday. The canned tomatoes were very bitter. Won't use that brand again, they said peeled tomatoes but they were crushed not whole.....anyway I looked online and baking powder was suggested, in 1/8 tsp at a time additions. Still wasn't loving it. I decided to change it up, tossed a huge shake of cinnamon in the pot, less cumin and some turmeric. It's yummy now. Bet even a shake or two of curry would work. This was a new thing, never had to do this before. I like the balsamic idea, sweeten it without adding actual sugar.

Anyway, I start with sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil, then add celery and carrots. I use Pacific or Imagine or Trader Joes, low salt veggie broth (sorry I avoid salt so it's pretty much add your own here) It really has much more flavor then the chicken broth imho. Then coleslaw mix, a parsnip, fresh chopped parsley, a big old bay leaf and canned, whole tomatoes that I smash through my (clean) hands. When that is all getting soft, I will throw in things that don't need cooking as much like green beans, broccoli sometimes, zucchini and yellow squash. I don't use much frozen stuff but yesterday I did use some frozen green beans that I had hanging. I like some hot pepper, black pepper, thyme. I would use frozen corn if I had any, which I generally do after the summer but Sandy took all my supplies of that sort of thing. I also like to throw spinach, or escarole or kale or other green stuff in there. Good stuff in=good stuff out
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Offline merigayle

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Re: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #24 on: January 17, 2013, 12:59:30 PM »
we buy the Pomi tomatoes in a box, no tinny taste and tomato paste in a glass jar.
Fionn mac Cumhail :Meri will rise from the casket and beat you...and then run one last Badwater before burying herself.

Offline hally

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Re: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #25 on: January 17, 2013, 01:05:15 PM »
we buy the Pomi tomatoes in a box, no tinny taste and tomato paste in a glass jar.

They weren't tinny, just really acidic and like I said if I had wanted crushed tomatoes I would have bought a can that said "crushed tomatoes"

I never saw tomato paste in a glass jar but I don't use much tomato paste. Like that idea. I have bought it in tubes.
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Offline fancypants

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Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #26 on: January 17, 2013, 09:59:20 PM »
I always add a packet (or so) of taco seasoning. Or sazon.
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Offline diablita

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Re: Tips/tricks for good vegetable soup
« Reply #27 on: January 17, 2013, 10:17:05 PM »
I love sazon.  OBH is going to drop in here soon to remind us it's MSG.  :)

I was just re-reading the soup section in one of my favorite cookbooks (Olive Trees and Honey) and it reminded me of a couple of good techniques (may have been mentioned already):
reduce the broth/soup to give it more flavor
really brown the veggies before you add the liquid.  You can cook them in a big pot for 20ish minutes, then scrape up the browned bits before adding the liquid.  or you can put them all in a pan in a 450 degree oven for an hour.
soak some dried mushrooms in hot liquid for an hour, then take out and chop the mushrooms and add them + the soaking liquid (not the sediment) to the soup.
"Some things you just need to do for yourself, even if it means nicking your nads."  --nneJ

 

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