Impromptu Soup

39 Replies

Even with the snow and frost we’ve had, the kale in my garden seems to have come through it all unscathed. Several times I’ve used the leaves to make soup and I find that I really like it a lot.

I brought this bunch in from the garden just today, and happened to pass by some parsley and rosemary on my way.

We happened to have some elk short ribs in the freezer,  and I’ve found that these make a wonderful addition to the soup, both as stock and bits of meat.  You could use beef or any other meat too, but you may have to cut off some of the fat. Chicken drumsticks make a great soup too. Once they have simmered for a while, the meat falls off the bones and can be cut into pieces small enough to fit onto a soup spoon.

To make the soup, I sautee onions, garlic, and whatever else I am in the mood for. I’ve added chopped ginger root when I wanted something with a bit of zip. I can’t tell you what I use for herbs and spices because it’s different each time. If I want an interesting taste, I might put in some cardamom, cumin, and coriander seeds, or I might just do the herbs de provence kind of flavouring (Simon and Garfunkel soup – parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme). Or if I feel adventurous I’ll dabble with both.

The kale is washed and chopped quite finely before adding to the onion mixture. Let it cook a bit so it’s wilted and mixed well with the onions.

Usually I sprinkle a bit of flour into the sauteed kale, onions, and spices, and then stir to coat the onions and kale so there won’t be any lumps when I add the liquid.

I use the stock from simmering the ribs. Stir it around and check for flavouring. Add what you feel is missing. Notice I haven’t mentioned salt or pepper? Sometimes I’ve used a dash of steak spice and although it adds a wonderful flavour, it has plenty of salt. I’ve ruined a dinner once before I learned that. So I always wait until the end to add salt if needed. Same with pepper. Taste it first before you add salt or pepper!

Don’t forget to add the chopped up meat to the soup.

Finally, before serving I like to add a half cup or so of cream (half and half, or coffee cream – whatever you call it), or you can add a couple of tablespoons of sour cream to give it more zip.

I didn’t tell you how much of anything to put in the soup, because it’s one that you make up as you go along. Do whatever you feel like doing. It can’t fail to please on a wintery day.

 

39 thoughts on “Impromptu Soup”

  1. John

    I’ll try the soup, please! Rosemary grows everywhere here in Vegas, and is used as a decorative bush around homes, businesses and elsewhere. It smells great and makes your hands smell good with just a little rub on the bush. 😃

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  4. Jan

    I call my recipe, which is a knock-off of this one…’kitchen sink soup’…not a glamorous name to be sure but the results are amazing. Jan

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    1. wordsfromanneli Post author

      A lucky hunter this year. I think you’re right about the kale – it can be bitter, but so far this crop has been very nice. Maybe you’ve had some when it gets too big and the plant is near the end of its life.

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  8. Lori

    Would’ya know, I just finished making (and then eating) my homemade chicken soup. I’m just wondering how Kale grew through the winter. I had Kale soup at a restaurant recently, and it was delicious. Yours sounds yummy. You know your stuff with cooking, that’s for sure.

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    1. wordsfromanneli Post author

      That sounds really good. I used to make a lentil stew with venison. It was great on a cold winter’s day. I’ll have to keep the carrots and lentils in mind next time I make the kale soup.

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  12. Ursula

    I will bring my bowl too!!! Let’s join the party. Soups are so much fun to make. I usually use up different things from the fridge and the garden. While cooking soups you can get so creative. I never tried kale, but I will soon.

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      1. D. Wallace Peach

        I lightly oil a big bunch with olive oil (usually by shaking them around in a bag with a couple tablespoons). Then spread them on a baking sheet (overlapping is fine), sprinkle with a little garlic powder (no salt), and baked at about 250 degrees until they’re crisp, which takes 2-3 hours. The family eats them in about 20 seconds. Lol. 🙂 Yesterday they ate them so fast I didn’t get one!

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  15. reocochran

    I like baked kale with cheese, how some prepare broccoli casserole. I like kale chips but we are impatient people and don’t wait two hours in the oven at a lower temperature, like Diana does. We use 325 or 350 and then open to check (here) and at Felicia’s (we turn a light on! We like olive oil, onion and garlic salt or Mrs Dash’s original herbs and spices sprinkled on the kale “chips.” Yummy! They melt in your mouth, Anneli.

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    1. wordsfromanneli Post author

      I’ve tried them since this thread started and I do like them. I didn’t have to leave them as long, possibly because they were tender leaves and it was a convection oven.

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