Looking for new soup ideas? Here are 5 soup recipes from our archives to try
Brrr! Nothing warms you up when it's cold outside like a pipping hot bowl of soup.
Take a look at five of our favorite soup recipes (including two from the now-closed Lily's Bistro and Atlantic No. 5 restaurants) from our extensive archives and see if anything looks good enough to try.
Stay warm!
Butternut squash soup
Courtesy of Garage Bar. Serves 6 to 8 as an entrée or 12 to 16 as an appetizer
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1-ounce olive oil
1-gallon water
7 pounds butternut squash (1 big one or 2 small), peeled, seeded and diced
5 sprigs of thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Fresh herbs
Cream
In a pot, combine onion, garlic, salt and oil. Sauté on low heat until the veggies start to turn translucent (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add water, butternut squash, thyme, crushed red pepper, bay leaf and water. Bring to a simmer. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes, until the squash is very soft (when it falls apart by pushing it with a spoon).
Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add honey and apple cider vinegar. Purée with a stick blender or tabletop blender. Or, if you’re feeling a little more rustic, break out grandma's potato masher and go to town!
Serve topped with your favorite fresh herbs and a touch of cream, if you’re feeling daring.
Coconut curry soup
Courtesy of Lily's Bistro. Serves 6 to 8
3 14-ounce cans of coconut milk
21 ounces chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
2 ounces lump crab
1 avocado, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 tablespoon diced red pepper
Simmer together the first five ingredients for 15 minutes. Add the fish sauce. In a bowl, combine the crab, avocado, lime juice, mint, cilantro and red pepper. Top the soup with the mixture.
May be served hot or cold.
Gazpacho
Courtesy of Shady Lane Cafe. Makes about 1/2 gallon
2 quarts V-8 juice
2 large garlic gloves
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow or orange pepper
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 small cucumber
1 peeled medium tomato
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Juice of one whole lemon
Hot sauce to taste — 2 or 3 dashes
Crush garlic and coat the entire surface of the vessel being used for soup (like a large bowl). This is an important step that infuses the soup with garlic flavor. Dice remaining garlic finely and add to vessel.
Finely dice all vegetables and add to vessel. Add the two juices, olive oil, lemon, vinegar, salt and hot sauce.
Stir well and chill in a covered vessel for at least two hours.
Serve with a lemon garnish, croutons, or a sprig of fresh dill.
Mary's Fresh Corn Chowder
Courtesy of Atlantic No. 5. Serves 8 to 10
8 ears of fresh corn
2 medium onions
1 carrot
1 or 2 ribs of celery
Salt and pepper
1 stick butter
4 to 6 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
1-quart heavy whipping cream
A bit of fresh rosemary
A bit of fresh thyme
Shuck and de-cob the corn. Place the corn in a zip-lock bag or a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. Place the cobs in a soup pot. Cover with water and place over medium heat on the stove. Chop the onions. Refrigerate the onions. Place the onion peelings and trimmed ends in the pot with the corn cobs. Add the carrot and celery to the pot. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer. Cook gently for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and cool somewhat or refrigerate overnight. Eventually, you will strain off the liquid and retain it. Discard the vegetables. You have now made vegetable broth.
In the same soup pot (you don’t have to wash it since the soup is going to be cooked in the same pot), place the butter. Sauté the chopped onions in the butter until they are translucent and soft. Don’t allow the onions to brown. You want the soup to be very pale.
Add the potatoes to the onion and butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add enough of the broth to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potatoes are just tender. Add the corn and heavy whipping cream. Heat gently, stirring often. The soup is ready to season and eat when it is piping hot.
Mince the rosemary and thyme. It doesn’t take much. Both of these herbs are potent, so start with just a few sprigs of rosemary (maybe a teaspoon, minced) and half that amount of thyme.
Taste and adjust to your liking. You can use more broth to thin out the soup if it’s too thick.
Tuscan chicken soup with white beans and pasta
Courtesy of The Café. Makes 10 servings.
1 cup ditalini pasta (looks like small thimbles; can substitute other small pasta)
4 15-ounce cans of Great Northern white beans (rinsed)
3 quarts chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup fresh tomato, diced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 pound diced cooked chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Cook ditalini pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain and set aside.
Drain and rinse beans.
Combine chicken stock, beans, granulated garlic (or garlic powder), and bay leaves in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer while you prepare the rest of the soup.
In a large skillet, heat olive over medium heat and, when shimmery, add onions and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes; add fresh minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender.
Add tomatoes and parsley into skillet; mix thoroughly, then add to stock pot. Add chicken and herbs to stock pot and simmer for 1-2 hours. Add cooked ditalini pasta and serve.
Reach features editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Soup recipes to try: Butternut Squash, Coconut Curry, Corn Chowder
