Making Soup Without A Recipe

Thanks to sashafatcat

There are many, many versions of the Stone Soup story out there. A quick Google Search yields over 700,000 hits, so I will just give you a brief overview of the story, the soup itself and how they relate to "Intuitive Soup."

Here's a thumbnail sketch of the story: a hungry visitor comes to town and asks for some food. The villagers say, "No way! We barely have enough to feed ourselves." The visitor says, "No worries, I'll make my magical Stone Soup." He whips a rock out of his pocket and throws it in a pot over the fire.

One by one, village folk approach him and ask him what on earth he is making. He explains that he's making his magical stone soup and that it might benefit from some cabbage or some potato. With each villager who approaches, he names an ingredient that will make the soup better: salt, pepper, herbs, meat, tomatoes, milk--whatever he can think of. Each villager goes back home to fetch the ingredients. Once all the meat and vegetables are in the pot, all the villagers share a very respectable soup and cannot believe that stone soup could be so tasty.

Now, what does this story teach us?

a)There is more than one idiot per village.
b)Visitors are crafty.
c)Everyone benefits from sharing.
d)Soup is a socialist plot to redistribute wealth.
e)Many leftovers equal a great meal.

I am a firm believer that a) is probably true, b) is true in some cases, c) is true, depending upon what you're sharing (want my cold, anyone?) d) is a possibility, but a tasty one and e) is true, as long as all the leftovers in question are edible (what is this blue fuzz, anyway?).

To make your own stone soup, stone optional, start with a big pot of broth. Add this and that. Simmer. Done.

This and that:

Vegetables
chard
artichoke hearts (marinated would be great. Extra flavor:)
shredded cabbage
kale
spinach
carrots
onions
shallots
garlic
potato
sweet potato
zucchini
summer squash
cubed pumpkin
turnips/rutabaga
celery
green peppers
tomatoes
parsnips
corn
beans
lentils
Brussels sprouts
eggplant
okra

Proteins
Diced cooked or raw meat of any kind
Smoked sausage
Chorizo
Italian sausage
meatballs

Add-ins for flavor or for fun
wee pasta shapes
rice
whole grains--quinoa, barley, etc
wild rice
couscous
chopped bacon
herbs--fresh or dried
spices
tomato paste
cream
sour cream/milk (don't let it boil)

And that's what I mean by "Intuitive Soup." Add what you've got--borrow from some friends and invite them over to share. Stone Soup is intuitive soup at its most basic. If you're feeling a little fancy, look at the "How to Make Soup Without a Recipe" Module.

Thanks to LynGi

At its very simplest, soup is just water plus vegetables plus little pieces of meat. If you want to get a little more fancy, add some herbs and spices and substitute broth for the water. Fancier yet--build layers of flavor by sauteing some aromatic vegetables first. Enrich it with some cream or some butter. Add some rice or other grains or even pasta. Adding whole grains such as barley or quinoa will certainly boost the soup's nutritional profile.

The Stone Soup "recipe" doesn't require any steps other than throwing items in a pot. If you have a little more time, consider taking the time to build some flavors before adding the broth and simmering.

Technique For Simple Vegetable Soup

1) Heat soup pot.
2) Add some oil.
3) Let the oil get hot.
4) Saute some chopped onions/garlic/shallot.
5) Add some salt and pepper.
6) Add some chopped celery and some chopped carrots or green peppers.
7) Saute until softened.
8) Deglaze the pan with some white wine, broth or a splash of vinegar.
9) Add a spoonful of tomato paste and stir around.
10) Add broth and chopped vegetables and simmer until all the veggies are tender.
11) Taste and correct seasonings. Add some fresh herbs.

And there you have it. Intuitive vegetable soup.

Thanks to zobeiry

Thickened Soups
Maybe you don't want a brothy soup. Maybe you're looking for something more stew-like--like a Campbell's Chunky style of soup. One of the easiest ways to thicken a soup is with a roux. You can start a roux at the beginning of the cooking process, or you can make the roux separately, cool it, and then add it to the soup towards the end of cooking.

A roux is just a 1:1 mixture of fat (usually neutral oil or butter) and flour that you cook to get rid of the "raw" flour taste. To make a roux at the beginning of your soup making, add some extra oil to the pan when you sweat your onions, celery and carrots/green peppers. Once the aromatics are softened, stir in an equal amount of flour (2 extra tablespoons of oil = 2 tablespoons of flour).

Cook and stir this mixture for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat. This will give you a light, or "blond" roux. Continue with making your soup.

If you're going to make roux and add it separately, heat your oil in a pan and add in an equal amount of flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes to make a blond roux. Cool this and store it in the fridge or even in the freezer in spoonfuls. When you want to thicken soup, add a spoonful or two of the cold roux to the hot soup and whisk well. Cook until thickened.

Cream Soups
To make cream soups, you'll be using a ratio of up to 1:1 dairy to stock/broth. You can cut that to 1:2 dairy to stock/broth if you're concerned about the additional calories and fat. When using dairy with a fat content less than that of half and half, do not let the mixture come to a boil, or you'll end up with a curdled mess. This means sour cream (higher in fat but will still curdle), whole milk, 2% milk and skim milk.

Some vegetable soups that are pureed can benefit from being enriched by just a splash of heavy cream at the end of the cooking time. You'll only be using a little, so don't feel too guilty about it.

Cream soups can be further thickened by adding some mashed potatoes and stirring that in really well. You could also add chunks of starchy potatoes. The starch will help thicken the sauce as it gelatinizes in the soup.

It sounds almost too easy, doesn't it? Well, that's because it is easy. There's no mystery to a cream soup. Just add some cream!

Here's an example--I'm literally making this up as I sit here. No recipe needed:

Creamy Chicken-Corn Chowder

1) Heat pan.
2) Add oil.
3) Let oil get hot.
4) Sweat onions, some shallot and some celery. Want carrots? Add them too.
5) Deglaze with a splash or two of wine or vinegar. Let reduce until almost evaporated.
6) Add some salt and white pepper and some poultry seasoning. Want it hot? Add some hot sauce.
7) Add a little more oil if you need some so you can make the roux. Add a little flour. Stir and cook to make a blond roux.
8) Add chicken broth/stock.
9) Add potatoes cut in 3/4 inch dice.
10) Add cooked, diced white meat chicken.
11) Add fresh or frozen corn kernels.
12) Taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper, if needed.
13) Add a splash of cream or 1/2 and 1/2.
14) Heat through.
15) If you think your chowder is too thin, smash some of the chunks of potato to thicken.

Voila--cream soup. Enjoy it!

Serve your soup (or chili or stew) in style with this lovely BIA Cordon Bleu Soup Tureen. This tureen comes with lid, ladle and a charger to guard against spills. Finished in a soft white, the tureen will complement almost any style of tableware.