The benefits of a good Soup

Trying to trace back to the origins of soup would be like trying to find out what the first food man ate was after leaving behind breast milk.  It definitely comes from the complete thought of cooking some sort of food indirectly, in a liquid inside a heat-resistant pot (soup is therefore an idea from more civilized life than cooking foods directly over fire).  Soups satisfy a basic need and allow portion rationing for both rich and poor, concentrating nutrients from all the food used in them.  It is often times difficult to distinguish between a soup and a broth or sauce, but you could say that soups are a little bit more liquid and have less concentrated flavors when compared to the last two meals mentioned.

Not only that, but that winter breeze that is starting to whip by when you turn around the corner makes one truly seek comfort in a nice, hot soup.  It’s a very simple way of absorbing necessary nutrients for a healthy life.  Cooking ingredients in water for long periods of time improves digestibility and of course, concentrates the vitamins and minerals that each ingredient contains.  All of this in a low calorie meal.  In just one meal, soups encompass all the nutrients that you would otherwise obtain from eating several meals.  They therefore reduce the amount of food consumed and satiate due to their water content.  And if you include a bit of meat in your soups, you could also expect the soup to free the collagen in the meat, as well as the iron and proteins in it.  There are practically an infinite amount of soup varieties that you could make.  Almost anything goes when you’re making them, and to prove this, I’m going to share the following recipes with you.  I hope they take you back to having an interest is liquid meals:

Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 kilo tomatoes
• 1 ½ liters water
• 400 mL milk
• 1 Tbsp. chicken broth concentrate
• 3 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Grill the tomatoes and set aside.  In a pot, place olive oil and heat.  Sautee the onion, sliced thinly, until it softens and turns yellow.
2. Add cumin and paprika, cook slightly until the spices release their aroma.  Add tomatoes, water, and chicken concentrate immediately afterwards.  Cook for 10 minutes and then puree the tomatoes in a food processer.  Blend the ingredients.  Add milk and cook for another 10 minutes or until it achieves the density you prefer.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve hot with a little bit of basil and croutons on top.  Accompany with whatever you desire.

Fish Stew

Ingredients

• 300 grams fish, your choice
• 200 grams clams
• 1 c. chicken broth
• 1/3 c. onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ c. potatoes, cubed prior to cooking
• ½ c. carrots, cubed prior to cooking
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ c. white wine
• 1 can of tomatoes
• 200 mL tomato paste
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. parsley

Directions

1. In a pot, add oil and sauté onion and garlic until soft.  Add chicken brock and wine; bring to a boil.
2. Add tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper.  Cover for 5 minutes.  Add the can of tomatoes and tomato paste, and stir in with other ingredients on low heat.  Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add vegetables, the fish, cut into strips, and the clams.  Cook until the clams open.  Remove clams that do not open.  Serve with a bit of parsley on top of the hot soup.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 200 grams lentils
• ¼ c. onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 150 grams tomato, diced
• 1 or 2 serrano peppers, sliced (optional)
• 150 grams tomato, diced
• 2 liters water
• ½ tsp. cumin
• 3 Tbsp. chicken broth concentrate
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a pan, fry the bacon.  Add the onion and garlic to the leftover grease and fry.  Afterwards, add the tomato and lightly sauté.
2. Add water, chicken concentrate, lentils and peppers.  Bring soup to a boil and the reduce heat.  Cook lentils for around 40 minutes, stirring every once in a while, and add a little more water if soup levels evaporates considerably.
3. The soup is ready when lentils are soft.  Serve hot.  You can add a bit of fresh cheese on top.   Some places add a little bit of banana on top once it’s done cooking, and you could also substitute the bacon for any other pig meat.

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