Soup can warm your body, fill your hunger, boost your immune system….but it also can warm your heart, fill a need, and boost your spirits. I am of the opinion this can happen not only when it is eaten, but when you prepare it! There is something about the gathering of healthy ingredients, the chopping and dropping, the fragrance of herbs and the sounds and sights of a simmering, steaming pot that cheers the cook long before it is tasted.
Our family’s favorites have been made many many times, some of them for over forty years. The roots go back much further, because I learned to cook from both my parents and my grandmother. Chicken and Dumplings would have been a favorite at my grandmother’s table. I serve it at the same table, and cook it in one of the same pots.
There are many resources for soup and stew recipes today, but these are some of the ones enjoyed by the Parkers. You need little more than some hot bread and in some cases a few condiments to make a satisfying, healthy meal. I employ artistic license in my cooking…I feel quite free to add or substitute ingredients, and many favored variations of these same recipes exist. Why use dried herbs when I have fresh ones growing outside my kitchen door? If I have vegetables in the crisper that aren’t in the recipe, they will probably wind up in the pot. When those with dietary preferences are at my table, I will substitute turkey for meat, or omit a certain spice. Old recipes tend to ignore today’s low fat recommendations. Healthy improvisations are wonderful. The important thing is to have a starting place, and to enjoy cooking a great meal.
Great Soups to Try
German Lentil
Tomato Basil Soup
Vegetable Soup
Chicken Noodle
Gazpacho
Corn and Crab Chowder
Barley Burger
Chicken and Dumplings
Curry Soup with Chopped Apple
Cheese Soup
Chili
