There’s absolutely nothing like the start of soup season! Soup makes us question the hierarchy of meals. Who needs a main course, a side, and a salad? Let’s skip right to the hot pot on the stove. Ladle it into a bowl or slurp it from a cup, and allow one portion to become two or three! You’ll happily put down your spoon feeling satisfied, satiated, and warm — inside and out!

Tip

Not all soups benefit from a long, low simmer. When you want to keep the vegetables bright and fresh, the soup should only be cooked for as long as it takes to soften. Think broccoli soup or zucchini soup. Conversely, soups with vegetables that need time to break down, like those with lots of root vegetables or onions, do benefit from simmering for a long time.

French Onion
Tomato Soup

Recipe from Dining In

There are soup lovers who would give a fortune for this recipe. You don’t have to, so dig in and enjoy!

Serves 6

4 cups thinly sliced onions

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 46-oz (1.36-liter) can Gefen Tomato Juice

2 tsp pareve beef-flavored bouillon mix

3 cups water

3 Tbsp Heaven & Earth Lemon Juice

2 tsp Gefen Dry Parsley Flakes

2 tsp brown sugar

6 slices French bread, toasted

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

In a large pot, sauté the onion and garlic in butter or margarine until tender. Add the tomato juice, bouillon, water, lemon juice, parsley, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle the soup into 6 soup bowls and top with toasted French bread.

Optional: For an authentic gourmet touch, pour soup into 10-oz (280-g) ovenproof ramekins, top with toasted bread, and sprinkle with cheese. Broil 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) from heat for 2–3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Easy Vegetable Soup

Recipe from Dining In

Who knew soup could be this easy?

Serves 12

2 onions, diced

2 stalks celery, sliced

oil, for sautéing

1 large parsnip

1 lb (450 g) carrots

1 zucchini, unpeeled

1 handful barley, such as Glicks Pearl Barley (optional)

¼–⅓ cup Gefen Split Peas (optional)

1 small can mushrooms

1 Tbsp salt

water, to cover

In a 6-quart pot, sauté onions and celery in a little oil. Add whole parsnip, carrots, and zucchini. Add barley and split peas (if using), can of drained mushrooms, salt, and enough water to fill pot three-quarters full. Bring to a boil and cook about 1½ hours or until carrots are soft.

Remove carrots from pot and set aside. Using a hand blender, blend vegetables in pot until smooth or desired consistency. Slice carrots into thin rounds, return to pot, and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Fragrant Turkey Soup

Recipe by Rorie Weisberg

This turkey neck vegetable soup is chock-full of flavor. You may want to double this recipe as your family is sure to come back for more!

Serves 10

2 turkey necks

2 Tbsp Tuscanini Olive Oil

2 bulbs fennel, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed, or 2 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic

3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

2 medium parsnips

1 large or 2 medium kohlrabi

2 large carrots

1 large yellow squash

1 large green zucchini

1 Japanese sweet potato

1 yam

1 Tbsp Tuscanini Sea Salt

pepper, to taste (optional)

9–10 cups water

Place turkey necks in a stockpot. Add water to cover. Over high heat, bring to a boil; reduce to a bubbling simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Rinse turkey in cold water; set aside. Wash out the pot to use for the soup.

Over medium heat, heat oil. Add fennel and celery; sauté for 5–7 minutes. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant.

Peel and chop remaining veggies; add to the pot with the herbs. Add turkey necks. Season with salt and pepper, if using. Add water; it should just cover all the vegetables. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook for 4–6 hours.

Once cool enough to handle, remove turkey necks from soup. Separate the meat from the bones. Return shredded meat to pot. Heat and serve.

Chunky Pastrami
Split Pea Soup

Recipe by Chaya Schlisselfeld

Here is one soup that everyone in the family finds warm and comforting. With pastrami, it’s a complete one-bowl dinner.

Serves 8

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 lb (450 g) chunk pastrami, diced into 1-inch (2½-cm) cubes

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 2 cubes Gefen Frozen Garlic

3 stalks celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 cup yellow split peas

1 cup green split peas

10 cups water

½ tsp pepper

Add oil to a large pot over high heat. Add pastrami cubes and sauté until crispy. Remove pastrami from pot (leave the pastrami drippings, it adds flavor to the vegetables).

Add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and zucchini to the pot and sauté until vegetables are tender. Add split peas, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, or until the peas have become soft and tender. Add in the pastrami chunks and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 863)