A baguette nicely complements the flavorful ingredients in soup.
There is a soup for every season. Whether you are hosting a soup party or starting a family soup night tradition, soup's warm, rich ingredients are the perfect complement to a cold, winter night. On warm summer nights, lighter, cold soups grace the menu with garden-fresh flavor. With a little planning, soup can slow simmer all day to simplify dinner preparations. Soup aficionados can check into whether there is a local soup night group that meets locally to try new soups and cultural experiences.
Potato Soups
Potato soup is a classic favorite with endless variations to tantalize the foodies in your midst. Add cheddar cheese to your basic potato soup for a cheesy flavor. Puree and chill the soup for a tasty vichyssoise. Toss in some leeks or shrimp for more culinary adventure.
Chowders
A thick clam, corn, shrimp or lobster chowder ranks among the quintessential comfort foods. Chowder consists of a cream base and onions added to the main soup ingredients. Common chowder ingredients include clams, corn, shrimp, lobster, scallops, potatoes, bacon and celery, along with seasonings such as paprika, salt and pepper, turmeric, white wine, cheese and thyme.
Fall Soups
Fall brings a harvest of pumpkins and butternut squash that cook up into autumn soups that warm your heart as the weather turns cold. After roasting and peeling the pumpkin or squash, saut celery, onions or leeks, garlic and carrot and add chicken stock and seasonings. Stir in the pumpkin or squash and puree for a subtle and satisfying soup experience. Typical flavorings include cheese, coriander, salt and pepper, curry powder or sage. Try adding apples for a sweet crunch to offset the spices or add a touch of fall holiday spirit to the party by serving the soup in a hollow pumpkin.
Tortilla Soups
The many versions of tortilla soup at the Food Network website give you an excuse for many soup nights just to taste-test them all. A simple version from Emeril Lagasse adds tomato paste to a saut of onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin and coriander. Simmer in chicken stock, add the chicken, cilantro and lime juice. Garnish with fried tortilla strips, avocado or sour cream.
Summer Soups
A bumper crop of garden fresh tomatoes just begs to be turned into a homemade tomato soup for a light meal. Roast the garlic, onion and tomatoes and then boil in chicken stock, butter and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper, basil and cream, and simmer again. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.
A cold gazpacho can be a refreshing choice on a warm summer night as well. Simply puree cucumbers, tomatoes, red pepper, onion and garlic in red wine vinegar and tomato juice. Season with salt, pepper, basil and lime juice, and chill.
Dessert Soups
Fruit purees made from strawberries, blueberries, peaches or cantaloupe and mixed with sour cream, heavy cream or orange juice make a sweet ending to a light summer meal. Seasonings such as cinnamon, lime juice, ginger, rum or dry red wine add a piquant flavor.
Stone Soup
For a perpetually original party recipe, you can prepare a soup base and ask all guests to bring a vegetable to add to the pot. The mystery adds to the spirit of fun.
Tags: salt pepper, chicken stock, lime juice, corn shrimp, corn shrimp lobster, Garnish with