me + Thorin Oakenshield trivial, or: Got soup?
Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) eats after arriving late to the meeting at Bag End in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Source: RichardArmitageNet.com
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If you have a favorite soup recipe (or a link to same) that doesn’t have pork products or seafood in it, would you consider sharing it with me in the comments? Soup is all I want to eat lately. I’ve made That Soup, but would appreciate other suggestions or favorites of yours. Don’t assume anything about the elevation of my tastes; I gladly eat hotdish, after all. And I own a slow cooker.
Thanks.
Me + Richard Armitage 
Ever since I had this soup a few years ago as a cold course (?) at a friends wedding, I have been nuts about it, warm or cold, delicious both ways. Did you want the actual recipe or is a link ok?
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/squash-soup-recipe2/index.html
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Link is great, thanks!
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Lentil Soup
4 carrots diced
4 celery stalks diced
1 onion diced
2 large cloves garlic smooshed
4 roma tomatoes diced
1 c dried lentils
1/2 c red wine
71/2 c water
basil, oregano and bay leaf to taste
Saute root veg till soft, add garlic, herbs and lentils. Splash on red wine to deglaze; add water and tomatoes. Cover and simmer till lentils are soft. Season with salt and pepper only after lentils are soft. Serve with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a couple shaves of good parmesan over a small bed of brown rice. We always eat sliced apples and cheese with this soup. I also add fresh herbs in the summer at the last minute. Otherwise, dried works well in the winter (or when the Texas sun has baked my herbs into non-existence). Soup is the best thing for you. A bowl of soup a day keeps the doctor away.
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I do lentils differently~ I should try this recipe (I might like it more) 🙂
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I love Lentil Soup. This sounds really good.
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Adore lentils and am getting sick of my two usual soups, so this is much appreciated!
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My favourite soup, I don’t know what you call it in English, but it’s with Broccoli. It’s a rather simple soup but it’s delicious. Here is what you need~
Broccoli about half a pound
A fourth of an onion
garlic
2 cups of milk
sal, pepper, basil
butter and a spoon of flour
Boil the broccoli, basil, onion and garlic until fully cooked and they soften, remove from the fire and blend them with the milk, salt and pepper. While it blends melt the butter and add the flour and combine until you have a soft paste. Add the blended broccoli to the butter and stir to combine it (If the soup is too thick add more milk) Let it boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with crackers on the side to add to your soup~
Another soup I love is Ramen~ I however don’t know how to make that as of yet but I will learn soon and I hope I explained well… I’m not that good at that~
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In English this would probably be called Cream of Broccoli and this recipe sounds really delicious!
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I wasn’t really sure if it would be a cream~ thank you for telling me *hugs*
That recipe is my favourite~!
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It really sound nourishing and hearty. I would make that soup.
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Let me know if you like it~! 😀
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I make a variation of this soup by cooking the broccoli in some vegetable broth and blending it in electric blender. I don’t have the exact recipe with me but it’s delicious and easy to make. You can also use other vegetables like cauliflower.
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Yeah 🙂 my dad loves the mushroom cream soup like this one.
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Mmmm, this sounds great. Broccoli is my favorite vegetable.
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Well crap. My favorite soup has Italian Sausage in it. OOOOH! Wait – Chicken Gumbo… which is a soup… I know Justin uses seafood and sausage in his, but we use chicken and beef keilbasa… and an apple/pear wine… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK4umRMJlrs
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that sounds great, zee, thanks!
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Chili Stew
Usually, any soup I make is random and unmeasured and usually made when I’m out of everything, so this isn’t really so much a recipe as a vague tutorial. Sorry.
Step #1: Make chili. Brown ground meat (I use turkey, as I’m sensitive to beef,) drain and rinse and dump it into a pot. Add chili powder (use a packet if needed,) black pepper, a sprinkle of soy sauce, half a jar of salsa, a can of tomato sauce, a couple of minced garlic cloves and a can of dark red kidney beans. Add a can of water and mix.
– Note: if you like things hot, you can add cajun seasoning, BBQ sauce, chili pepper flakes, onions, more garlic, hotter salsa, etc. If it’s tomato-based or will go with something tomato-y, feel free to dump it in. 😉
Step #2: Vegetables. Go through your cabinets and fridge for any veggies you can find: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, corn, potatoes, etc. Everything except peas. Peas are horrible in this. Dump a can or half a bag of frozen veggies (or raw – doesn’t matter how many you different veggies you put, either,) into the pot with a couple of potatoes cut into chunks. Add some water if needed and stir.
Step #3: Noodles. If it’s grain-based and softens in water, it can go. Egg noodles, macaroni, spaghetti broken into small bits, rice, etc. With noodles and macaroni, a handful or two is sufficient. With rice, maybe a cup or so?
Step #4: Let it simmer until the water in the pot has gone down about an inch or so, and all of the raw stuff is cooked through. Enjoy. 🙂
Also, I’ve improvised on this recipe. It’s really good (though I find it easier to nuke a few of the potatoes and mash them, and then cut the rest into chunks.) http://www.fireflywiki.net/Firefly/WifeSoup
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You make soup like I do – whatever is in the fridge and pantry. 😉 This sounds really good and hearty. I’m Cajun and I like it a little spicy. Cajun season is great because it doesn’t make “everything” taste Cajun, just adds heat and flavor. 🙂
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I think peas are out of place in a lot of soups. This sounds really yummy! Thanks.
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I made this tonight. It’s pretty good.
Taco Soup w/ Ground Turkey – 8 servings
Spray olive oil
1 lb ground turkey 680
1 onion, chopped 67
2 stalks celery, chopped 12
2 cans mushrooms 80
1 package frozen corn 500
1 package taco seasoning 90
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 0
2 cans petite diced tomatoes 175
1 can red kidney beans 385
1 can black beans 420
1 can sliced black olives 175
32 oz chicken broth (or beef broth) 20
1 8 oz tomato sauce 70
2 cups water 0
¼ cup lemon juice 0
2,674 total calories/ 334 per serving
Directions
1. Spray pan with oil, then cook and stir onion until nearly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir until tender, about 8 more minutes.
2. Add ground turkey, cook and stir until crumbly and evenly browned.
3. Mix the tomatoes, chicken broth, water, and lemon juice in a stock pot. Season with
black pepper and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, then add in the corn, kidney beans and olives. Return to a boil for about 2 minutes. Add meat mixture then reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Optional: Garnish with sour cream, grated cheese and/or tortillas.
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I love this. The garnish you have is my favorite part.
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Mmmmm. Appreciate the idea of doing a soup like this w/turkey. Bet it tastes lighter.
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I like to take 4 different types of squash and cook it in a slow cooker with a whole chopped onion and about 4 cloves chopped garlic, chicken broth or vegetable broth and salt.
Autumn Squash Soup
So that’s –
1 cup cubed pumpkin, no skin
1 cup cubed zucchini squash
1 cup cubed yellow crookneck or other seasonal squash
1 cup cubed butternut squash
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 large onion diced
Salt to taste – really, this is up to you – some salt is good though
2 pints or two cans of chicken broth or a quart of vegetable broth
Add water, if needed, to make sure the vegetables are covered – which is about an inch of water above the vegetable.
For a sweeter variation, replace the butternut squash with carrots or add 1 cup chopped carrots and 1 cup water or broth.
Slow cook on high for about 4 hours or until all the squash is tender. Let cool. Blender or food process the soup. Very soothing and very filling.
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This sounds delicious! I wonder how much it would lose without the garlic (i’m allergic.)
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Just a different taste, and maybe a little blander. Maybe try 2 or 3 Shallots, if those are okay for you. If you were to remove the Onion of any kind it would be really very bland. The onions I use are either white or yellow. Purple or red would be sweeter, which would be okay also.
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I’m a big squash fan and this is the time of year! Thanks.
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I hope these make you feel better, Serv.
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I can hardly wait. Making one tomorrow forenoon.
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I just made a pot of That Soup for my daughter, who’s fighting a cold at college. Here’s another favorite of my Dad’s that we always enjoyed. It’s better than it sounds!
Borscht
(veggies can be prepared in a food processor)
Simmer lots of lean beef with onion, carrot and celery to make a stock. Strain. Chop beef and reserve for soup. (Dad thought corned beef stock was the best for this.)
2 cups peeled beets – (you can also use canned beets in a pinch)
2 cups chopped Green or Savoy cabbage
1 cup chopped carrots
1 stalk chopped celery
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
butter
vinegar
sour cream
• Sauté onions in butter for a bit, then add garlic, celery & carrots and sauté briefly.
• Add sautéed veggies and beets to a soup pot, add broth, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
• Add cabbage and beef, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Add a dash of vinegar to counter the sweetness of carrots.
• Taste for salt & pepper seasoning.
• Let stand for at least an hour or so before reheating to serve Servetus.
Serve with a glop of sour cream, accompanied by dark rye bread
with cream cheese seasoned with dill. YUM!
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I probably haven’t had this since my grandmother died — I loved her borscht and really want to try this one now. Thanks for the reminder. My memory is that you have to wear something you don’t care about when you eat it b/c beet juice does not wash out 🙂
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Have you ever come across the Book of Soups by The Covent Garden Soup Company, which has some wonderful soups in? My copy is about 20 years old but still my go-to for soup ideas.
My current favourite though, is my variation of Jamie Oliver’s from 15 Minute meals (please allow 25 minutes unless you have a team to clear up after you).
1 small onion, finely chopped
splash of olive oil
1 bunch of fresh coriander (if available)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
100g basmati rice
450g jar of red peppers (aka capsicum)
800g tin of tomatoes
chilli to taste
Fry onion and garlic in oil. Add coriander, rice, drained peppers, chilli, tomatoes and 800ml of boiling water (measured out in the tomato tin). Bring to the boil, season and add rice. Leave simmering until rice is cooked (about ten minutes), then whiz with a stick blender.
Drizzle with cream or natural yoghurt and serve with tortillas or bread.
I like it because it is quick, easy and most of the ingredients are store cupboard – you can leave the coriander out if it isn’t in season. It also freezes well – this recipe serves at least 6. And there isn’t much washing up 🙂
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Mmmm — this looks super easy and very tasty! Definitely going to try it. and yeah, I’ve read Oliver is lying about the ease of preparing his meals for ordinary mortals.
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Corn Chowder Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Celery soup
1 can Creamed Corn
1 can Sweet Corn
1 medium onion
Curry powder
Salt
Chop onion to preferred fineness and sauté in some butter, oil is ok too. When done add all canned ingredients. Add water to desired thickness. Add salt and curry to taste. Simmer 15 minutes or until hot if you are impatient like me, lol.
My mom would serve bagels and cream cheese with this soup on Friday nights.
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yum and super easy! I have a curry powder I really like, too.
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Potato & onion Soup
This is very simple and very comforting. You can use leek as well.
Chop onion and saute in butter until soft. Peel potatoes and chop into reasonable size pieces. Make up a good chicken stock. Pour stock over onions and potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft. Then whizz up, season and eat.
Hope you are ok xx
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Very popular in Belgium and delicious with roasted bread and Gruyère !
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This sounds really easy, too — I appreciate that a lot!
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http://www.emerils.com/recipe/3605/Butternut-Squash,-Sausage,-and-Wild-Rice-Soup
You can use whatever sausage that works for you, or skip it all together. It’s a bit of hard work- but lasts a long time and is a meal in itself. Also can be adapted – change out wild rice for some other grain that’s easier and quicker – but wild rice hold up well.
My other favorite is cream of asparagus soup made just 1/4 c of cream, but asparagus are not in season. The method seems like Michelle’s for broccoli soup.
And do you like mushrooms, because I have a few mushroom soup recipes, one or two without any cream.
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This sounds interesting. I like wild rice in soups — holds up better to the fluid. Also, I am no enemy of cream of any kind 🙂
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Once a week we have “Meatless Day”. Since the days are starting to cool down I know Jon is going to start making homemade bread. Usually it’s sourdough. (He’s starting growing the culture in the fridge)…Yum Yum. However, my favorite is when we have (cue the goat horns here…)
Garbanzo Garlic Soup with homemade Pita Bread
Garbanzo Garlic Soup
1 TBLsp of butter
1 TBLsp of olive oil
2 Cups of chicken stock
1/2 of large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 teasp of thyme
1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (you can use Navy beans)
salt/pepper to taste
Warm the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the thyme and onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the beans, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place in a blender or use an immersion blender and puree. Serve with crusty bread or pita bread.
Pita Bread
1 TBLsp active dry yeast
1 TBLsp sugar
1/2 Ccup warm water
4 Cups bread flour
2 teasp salt
1 Cup warm water
1 TBLsp olive oil
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside, covered for 15 minutes. Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 cup of warm water.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture and salt water. Knead with hands for 10 minutes in the bowl. Add olive oil and continue to knead until all the oil is absorbed. Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes more.
Preheat oven to 350 degress F (175degrees C) and lightly oil baking sheets.
Take pieces of dough slightly larger than an egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4″. (For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough). Prick the bread with a fork in several places.
Place on baking sheets and bake on the lowest oven rack for 2 – 3 minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a tray covered with a clean dish towel, with another dish towel on top. If you want to make it look like it was cooked outside, we have tossed them on the grill for about 30 seconds. You can also put them in a frying pan to brown them.
They can be stored in the refrigerator and freeze great.
Enjoy!
Call me when dinner’s ready, I’ll bring the Baklava.
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🙂 Adore chickpeas!
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I see you’ve already got some lentil recipes but this is my favorite curried red lentil soup – it makes a lot!
2 onions chopped (one is fine if it’s big)
4T grated ginger
1 jalapeno, minced (or two if you like hot)
3T curry powder
2t cinnamon
2t cumin
2c red lentils, rinsed
16c broth (vegetable or chicken, your call)
1/4c – 1/2c lemon juice, to taste
Cilantro, chopped
Greek yogurt, plain
Saute onions 5 minutes
Add ginger, jalapeno, curry, cinnamon, and cumin, saute 5 more
Add lentils and broth
Boil, then simmer at least an hour, or as long as you have
Add cilantro and lemon juice
Top servings with a spoonful of yogurt
I also really, really love Tyler Florence’s beef stew with the orange and clove in it – sounds gross but it’s so good.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-beef-stew-recipe2/index.html
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nice, with the authentic curry style onion based — and yogurt. I’m definitely going to try this one.
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Pour boiling water over some dried mushrooms , cover it and let stand for an about 2 hours.
Chop chicken breasts into a relly small parts and fried it in big spoon of olive with salt and pepper.
Add finely chopped chili pepper , chopped into strips onion , two sliced carrots, 1 bay leaf and 3 seeds of allspice and pour 2 liters of water.
Cook for a while (10 min?) finelly,add the green beans and cook utill soft.
If you like you may add chopped green parsley.
Turn off the sound 😉
Hope you are well, Servetus .
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This sounds great and how wonderfully Polish / e European w/the dried mushrooms. This is going on the list.
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My fav soup is the Tomato Florentine soup from Southern Living’s Slow Cooker Cookbook:
3 cups chicken broth
2 14 1/2 oz cans of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
15 oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
9 oz package of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
Put all ingredients except pasta into 4-quart slow cooker and cook on low for 5 1/2 hours. Add pasta and cook on low for another half-hour. Remove and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.
Makes your kitchen smell incredible and the soup goes well with grilled cheese sandwiches. Enjoy, Servetus!
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This sounds great, and I don’t think I’ve ever had tortellini in a tomato-base soup. Thanks.
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Here’s an easy PEA SOUP that is really tasty and practically makes itself, if you’e not feeling up to a lot of cooking.
1 bag split peas
1 onion, chopped
8-10 cups water
1Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cardamom seed, ground. (This is expensive, but now I use it in lots of
Soups and stews.)
To taste: garlic powder, pepper or hot sauce, turmeric, basil, cilantro
Optional: Turkey drumstick, plain or cured, 2 bay leaves
Combine everything in a large soup pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it all simmer for an hour or two. The peas will slowly disintegrate, or you can help them along with a hand held blender. If you do add meat, be sure to remove it and bay leaves first. Separate meat from bone and skin.
At the end, you can add more chopped onion, chopped carrots, celery, potato, green beans, etc., and simmer for another half hour.
At end, return meat to soup (if using) and salt to taste.This will last for a few days and get better as it sits.
If you feel like cooking, here is what has become my specialty, from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American, and now in season,
HANK’S PUMPKIN SOUP, adapted by Chez Lynette
2 small pumpkins, about 2 pounds each, = 8 cups diced, fresh pumpkin
2 large onions, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2Tbsp olive oil
8-10 cups chicken stock, canned or homemade
Hot pepper or a little hot sauce, to taste
1-2 turkey drumsticks, cured or not, optional
2 pounds chicken thighs, (skinned and boned are easiest.)
Optional: 2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1-2 cups green beans, cut short, canned, frozen, or fresh
Salt and pepper to taste
The hardest thing is dealing with the pumpkin. First, sharpen a good, strong knife very sharp. Cut the pumpkins in half and remove seeds. (Save them for toasting.). You can (1) bake the pumpkin on cookie sheets until it is soft enough to scoop out of the peel and into a large soup pot. Or,
You can (2) peel and cube the raw pumpkin with a sharp paring knife, first cutting it into 1 inch strips, to make it easier to handle. Some markets sell butternut squash cubes ready to cook. They would work fine.
In a large pot, brown onions and garlic in the oil. Add pumpkin, chicken stock, hot sauce, turkey drumstick(s). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about an hour. Remove drumstick when it is soft enough to separate meat from bones and skin.
At this point, you may want to puree the soup a little, using a hand-held, electric food processor. Now add chicken thighs and raw brown rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked. Remove thighs with a slotted spoon, set them aside to cool a little, and add tomato paste and green beans. While the soup continues to cook, separate the meat from the waste and cut it into moderate sized pieces. At the end, add meat and salt, correct the seasoning, and ENJOY!
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Wow, I think gutting a raw pumpkin may be slightly beyond my energy at the moment but I’m definitely trying the pea soup — cardamom is an intriguing flavor and I bet it will be great.
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I love clam chowder! I use a shortcut when making it for myself. I buy Campbell’s potato soup and add strained minced clams. Easy peasy!
Variations are the potato soup with broccoli and some cheese with bacon bits.
Then there is always french onion soup: Make a beef broth, add sliced (long ways) onions, cook until the onions slices are soft and pliable. Then serve in a bowl with toasted bread and melted light cheese (mozzarella or provolone) on top. Eat with a sliced beef sandwich if you’re extra hungry.
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mmm. Love French onion! Thanks!
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Thanks to everyone for these wonderful suggestions — I now have enough for a month or two, so I’m going to close comments here for now. I can hardly wait!
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[…] Omicron meant I’ve been in the house almost non-stop since Thanksgiving (saved me a lot of money on movies, gas, and restaurant meals and coffee, etc.). The cold temperatures haven’t helped matters (although some of the saved money goes on energy bills). I’ve pretty much only wanted to eat soup (this mirrors something that happened to me after mom’s death, too). […]
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The soup of winter / mourning / recovery | Me + Richard Armitage said this on February 5, 2022 at 5:03 am