To some, soup is nothing more than a simple appetizer, or a way of using up your leftover veggies before they turn bad and get thrown on the compost. If done correctly however, soup can be an incredible dish, worthy of any feast or banquet.
Soup is not only a very simple dish to make, it’s also a great way of adding more nutrients to your diet and eating more veggies and healthy ingredients. Rather than eating it straight from a can, why not make it yourself?
Homemade soup doesn’t require a great deal of prep or cleaning up afterwards, and it doesn’t require a great deal of time either. To prove it, we’ve got a couple of delicious homemade soup recipes for you to create at home. Try them and let us know what you think.
French Onion Soup
French onion soup is arguably the crème-de-la-crème of the soup world. Master a French onion soup, and you can master any soup.
The French are famous for many things, and cooking is definitely one of them. This French onion soup is sweet and flavorsome, it’s gooey and rich, and it makes for the perfect appetizer centerpiece to kick off any family dinner or feast.
Ingredients:
- 8 medium sliced yellow onions
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Tbsp medium sherry
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 6 – 8 slices thick crusty bread
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup gruyere cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar
- 3 finely diced cloves of garlic
Method:
Take a large, oven-safe pan or skillet and melt your 1/3 cup of unsalted butter in there on a low-medium heat. Take your sliced onions and add them to the pan, stirring well to ensure they’re coated in the butter. Now, cook the onions low and slow to caramelize them. Take your time, this is a slow process. You want the natural sugars in the onions to be released and to caramelize in the pan. Stir the onions regularly and watch them to ensure they aren’t catching. This can take up to 45 minutes. Stick with it, though, because it’s worth it! Around 15 minutes before the onions have caramelized, add your balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, thyme, sherry, and salt and pepper and stir into the onions. Continue to caramelize them until they have turned a golden-brown color and have formed a thick, sticky mass and have reduced in size. Now, take a large soup pan, add a touch more melted butter, and fry your garlic on a medium heat for around 30 seconds, until it becomes fragrant and aromatic. Next, scrape in your onion mixture, stir into the garlic, and add your chicken and beef broths. Bring to a gentle simmer and skim off any impurities that float to the surface. This is important as it will give your soup an amazing clarity that people expect from a good French onion soup. Simmer on a low heat for around one hour, and season to taste. Now, turn up your oven’s broiler and pre-heat it to its hottest setting, setting your rack around 6 – 8 inches from the heating elements. As the broiler pre-heats, cut your bread into thick slices, and butter generously and season. Broil until crisp and remove the bread from the oven. Now, take your soup, ladle a generous amount into oven-safe soup bowls, and top each bowl with a slice or two of your toasted bread. Top generously with as much cheese as you can fit on, season, and place until the broiler again for around 3 – 4 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly. Carefully remove the hot soup bowls from the oven, serve, and enjoy.
Clam Chowder
First and foremost, yes, chowder is a soup (Google told us so) and yes, it is absolutely delicious.
If you love seafood, you’re going to adore this creamy, rich, hearty, New England Clam Chowder made with bacon, potatoes, and juicy sweet clams. It’s a seafood lovers dream, and is the perfect comfort food to tuck into on a cold, wet, and windy weekend.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup roughly diced yellow onion
- 6 oz diced bacon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup diced celery
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 3 cups peeled red-skinned potatoes cut into fine cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 tsp Old Bay Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 10 oz finely chopped clams, juice included
- 2 cups fish broth/clam juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
Method:
Begin by melting your butter in a large soup pan, and adding your chopped bacon. Fry gently until almost crispy and the bacon grease has rendered out. Add your onions, bay leaves, and celery to the mixture, and cook on low for 6 – 8 minutes until your onions become soft and translucent. Add your garlic and fry gently for 30 seconds before adding in the all purpose flour, and cooking gently for 2 minutes to cook out the flour. Now, add in your fish broth/clam juice, chicken broth, thyme, chopped parsley, and potatoes and simmer the mixture until the potatoes hold their shape, but are beginning to soften. Now, add in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, the milk, seasoning, Old Bay, and your clams and continue to cook on a low heat for around 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, add a little more salt and pepper if needed, and ladle into bowls. Serve with thick, crusty bread with plenty of butter and a sprinkling of sea salt.
