For the Love of Soup

It's no secret that I love to cook, and create new recipes, especially when it comes to soup.

If I were to write the meaning for soup in the dictionary it would go like this: Comfort food for all and any occasion.

My grandmothers on both sides of my family were soup makers. I remember as a child sitting and watching them cook thinking about all the things that I could add to the pot and make it taste good. Sometimes I would make a suggestion and it would be added, and other times not.

I was so happy when I was old enough to create and make my very own soups adding a little of this or a lot of that to the pot, let it simmer and cook away.

I will be sharing with all of you my soup, stew, and chili recipes. I make soups all year round so be sure to check back often to see if there is a recipe that you'd like to try.

Photo credit: All photos used in this article are the property of the author Susan Zutautas unless otherwise stated. If you'd like to borrow or use any of my photos please get written permission first.

Some people think that it's hard to make homemade soups. I'm here to tell you that soup is one of the easiest meals one can make. You can either start with a bone, or start with a simple vegetable stock.

I never ever throw away a ham bone, turkey or chicken carcass, as these are great soup starters. If you're not planning on making a soup right away simply wrap up the bone or carcass, and throw it the freezer until you're ready to make that delicious pot of soup.

I'm always trying new things in the kitchen when it comes to cooking. and thought that I'd share a few discoveries with you when it comes to making soup.

• If you like garlic as much as I do you may want to try this next time you're making a soup, stew, or some kind of a sauce where you want that garlic taste to pop out at you. Rather than chopping the clove or cloves of garlic and adding them to the pot try grating or pressing instead. I find that this creates a delicious and aromatic taste sensation.
• I've learned through trial and error that pasta should never be added to the soup in the beginning of its creation. When using larger pastas such as elbow macaroni, you should cook it separately and then add to the soup just before serving.
• When available always try to use fresh spices and herbs rather than dried.
• To remove fat from soup simply chill the soup for an hour or so in the refrigerator. When you see that the fat is on the top skim it off with a spoon.

Aside from using fresh or frozen vegetables, spices, and herbs, I like to use dried beans, barley, soup mixes, hot sauces, rice, and pastas.

We all know that homemade is always the healthier choice but not everyone has the time or the desire to make homemade soups.

I started writing recipe articles about four years ago. and it is something I very much enjoy doing. Below you'll find a handful of my recipes for delicious soups. I hope you will enjoy them.

I love comments and like to know when people stop by, so please leave me a comment to let me know that you were here.