Much Soup For You
I love soup. Plain and simple. Most kinds. Most days. I love to buy it, warm it up, make it from scratch, and best of all, I love to eat it. It’s healthy, comforting, and just plain good.
Nobody does soup better than Campbell’s in this part of the world, and I don’t think I could ever give up their Tomato, Mushroom or even Chicken noodle varieties. But there are countless others, including those that tend to resemble stews more than soups that I love to make myself.
Last week in a fit of stir-craziness, I engaged in a bit of much-needed culinary therapy. A ham bone had been sitting in the freezer along with thick leftover slices that were too coarse for use in sandwiches. Both Ray and I had been raised on our parents’ split pea soup that made brilliant use of such ingredients, but all we had on hand were lentils. Careful not to sully our childhood culinary memories, I set about creating yet another variation on a theme.
First, I immersed the bone in about six cups of water, gently simmering it for two hours. I cut the remaining meat off the bone, and added spices: Salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf, worcester sauce, and a bit of garlic. A cup-and-a-bit of tomatoes was added to the mix along with a half-cup each of chopped celery and carrot (I would normally add onion, but it has an adverse effect on my fella, so it’s grudgingly omitted). Once that came to the boiling point, in went a cup of red lentils, and back down it went to simmer. An hour or so later, I added as much chopped ham as the pot would hold.
It was a hit.
Chef Michael Smith always talks about the kitchen diary that he keeps, and I’m thinking that I should copy that idea. If I don’t, creations like this could be lost forever.
