Tip - Soup Tips

Soup tips

To demystify soup-making, it may help to remember that soups fall 
into four families, no matter what cuisine they originate in.

* Water- and stock-based: By far the largest tribe, these are what 
many of us think of when we think soup. Quick, nourishing and 
flavorful, they give good nutrition at pretty low prices. Tip: Skip 
the bouillon cubes; they're too salty. Use canned low-sodium stock -- 
beef, chicken or Oriental style -- if you're in a time crunch.

* Chowders and cream soups: Bisques, purees and chowders are all 
related, though they may be made by different techniques. All usually 
feature a dairy component: the milk in clam chowder, the cream in a 
classic mushroom soup. Tip: Watching the fat grams? Thicken your 
bisque or chowder by mashing some of the vegetables, or by using 
powdered milk or instant mashed potatoes. You'll have to correct the 
seasoning.

* Made with meat, fish or poultry: Chicken noodle, beef and vegetable 
-- the Mom classics. These really are a dinner in a bowl, and a 
couple of bowls served with sturdy bread has been a classic supper 
for centuries. Tip: Soups are often better the day after they're made 
or later; for food safety reasons, make sure you bring any soup 
containing meat to a hard boil before serving it a second time.

* Legume soups: Made with meat or completely vegetarian, a bowl of 
beans can be soup or stew. It's some of the finest -- and cheapest -- 
nutrition around. Tip: Don't salt the soup until the beans are almost 
tender; salt toughens them and keeps them from ever getting soft. -- 
Robin M. Jenkins / The Detroit News