by sy (architect by day, entertaining maestro any other day)

There is nothing like a warming bowl of soup on a cold rainy day and sometimes when one is feeling ‘down’ soups help to calm us down and soothe us with its flowing flavours…

There are 3 basic types of soups:

1. Clear light soups also known as consome / broth (includes herbal soups)
2. Cream soups
3. Cold soups

1. Clear soups

In a typical Cantonese meal there will always be a soup dish. This is for ‘whetting’ the appetite as well as helping to ‘wash down’ the food. Favourites are chicken soup with carrots, onions, celery and potatoes (sometimes tomatoes are added) and salted pickled vegetables (kiam chai) with chicken and tomatoes and mushrooms. I would suggest for those who have just ventured into cooking for yourselves or family, these are the simplest soups you can make.

Although everything is put into one pot and boiled there are certain tips to making a good soup

1. Make a stock first by using bones and a bit of salt – either chicken, beef, pork or fish stock depending on the flavour of the soup. Do not mix stock flavours as far as possible. Always remove any skin, stringy fat from the bones before putting into the boiling water. After about 5-10 minutes of vigorous boiling, the ‘scum’ floating on top of the pan should be removed with a spoon. This helps to keep the soup ‘clear’ and removes the excess fat.  A good stock will need at least 15-20 minutes boiling time.  A teaspoon of whole white peppers

can be added to fish and beef stock or if you want a zing to your soup. Slices of ginger can also be added.

Tip: If you want to save on gas, boil some water in an electric kettle and empty into large saucepan which cuts down water boiling time and gas bills.

1. Typically, root and stem vegetables are used in soups i.e. carrots, celery, onions, lotus stem etc these vegetable also enhances the soup with its sweetness. Cut vegetables into large chunks as small bits will disintegrate quickly with rapid boiling. If leafy green vegetables are used put in towards the end of cooking time i.e. last 10 minutes to keep its colour.
2. Before serving soup, take out large bones and keep only small bite sized pieces if family likes to chew on bones. Give soup final skim with skimming ladle and add salt and a bit of white pepper to taste.

2. Cream soups

This is the short cut to making cream soups and you would never want to open a can of cream soup or a packet of  instant soup once you have learnt how to make your own.

1. Vegetables suitable for creamy soups – mushrooms, asparagus, celery, tomatoes, leeks,
2. Seafood is also suitable for creamy soups – e.g. fish or clam chowder

Basic recipe for creamy soups (serves 4 people). Cooking time 15 minutes

1. Finely slice a medium white onion and saute in a medium saucepan with butter or vegetable oil until softened but not brown. Add diced vegetables from (a) and sauté together. This gives the soup a good flavour.
2. Add 4 cups of water and crumble 1 Maggi chicken stock cube into water. Stir and boil under medium heat till vegetables are soft. Sieve the vegetables or puree the vegetables and return to the pot. Add pepper and lastly add a small carton of milk . Whole milk will give a smooth finish but skimmed milk may be added for dieters. Do not boil milk. Simmer and stir well under low heat to get creamy finish and serve immediately. Creamy soups look great with a sprinkle of fresh finely chopped parsley on top or serve with a dollop of fresh cream.  The consistency of the soup can be made thicker with more milk or cream. Creamy soups should not look watery. Serve in small  quantities as it can be quite filling as a starter.

Tip:  Always add salt last to taste as stock cubes contain salt  in it.

Next episode –  more on cold soups…

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