“Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor.” Margaret Kennedy
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Tom Yum Soup...
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Vary Your Soup Spices and Flavors...
What are your favorite ways to stay warm in winter? During the winter time, we turn not only to warm clothing, well stocked fireplaces and heated homes, but also to comfort foods that nourish our insides and keep us warm and well fed. I love winter clothing; coats, boots, knit hats and gloves but better yet, I love hot soups. I enjoy eating a wide range of soups during the cold season and the best part is that we can also toss whatever left over vegetables and grain we have in our fridge in a pot, buy fresh vegetables and tofu which I do often, add some vegetable or chicken stock, and make a delicious quick soup. For this post, I’d love to share some of my favorite soups and, if possible, provide you with recipes to make them. Above is Tom Yum Soup.
Tom Yum Soup via AllRecipes.com
Prep Time:10 Min, Cook Time:40 Min, Ready In:1 Hr 10 Min, Serves: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 pound medium shrimp – peeled and deveined
12 mushrooms, halved
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
4 cups water
2 lemon grass
4 kaffir lime leaves
4 slices galangal
4 chile padi (bird’s eye chiles)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon hot chile paste
1 tablespoon tom yum soup paste (optional)
Directions: Trim lemongrass and cut into matchstick size pieces.
To make stock: Add the shrimp heads and shells to water, then cook for 20 minutes. Turn the fire off. Soak the heads and shells for further 20 minutes before discarding. Trim lemongrass and cut into matchstick size pieces. Add stock, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chili padi, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste to a pot and bring to a boil. After boiling for 5 minutes, add shrimps and both mushrooms. Cook for further 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
“It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it.” M. F. K. Fisher
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Chicken Noodle Soup...
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Toss Your favorite Vegetables in a Soup...
Chicken soups come in all forms and people create their own recipes for them too. I love Matzo Ball Soup with vegetables and chicken stock with some chicken in it. Soups are great when we are not feeling well. I find that when I have a cold or begin to feel under the weather, a spicy soup like Tom Yum, a Mixed Vegetable, Chicken Noodle, or Chicken with Matzo ball soup does the trick in helping my immune system recuperate. Even though the pictures above are of a Chicken Noodle Soup, and a hearty Vegetable Soup, I have shared a Spicy Chicken soup recipe below. You can modify it by using fewer spices and skipping the sour cream…. What I love about soups is that we don’t have to be rigid with recipes, we can adapt and adjust them accordingly. Also, I use fresh not canned vegetables and we can swap items on the recipe lists. Do you have a favorite soup recipe? Don’t forget to check out one of my top favorite soups: The Carrot with Cashews & Ginger Soup… More Below. 
Spicy Chicken soup via All Recipes.com
Prep Time: 15 Min Cook Time:30 Min Ready In:45 Min, Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 quarts water
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon onion powder
5 cubes chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
Directions: In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.
They had a point there but at a concert it is not so easy to move. Next time, I’ll cast my net where the water is deep; I’ll get a different set of tickets and sit elsewhere. Enough about that and time to launch into a new song. I’ll still do a write up and share my concert photos sometime this year… More on LAUNCH below! 
