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Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, lentils, flour, and grains.

Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid than stews.

Recipe of the week

Busy, chilly nights call for a quick bowl of soup

BY J.M. HIRSCH
The Associated Press
First published Oct 25 2011 12:29PM

Needing a warming bowl of chicken soup and having the time you need to make it too often don’t coincide.

Which is why I came up with this quick and easy way to get a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup on the table in under 30 minutes.

The trick is to use mostly prepped ingredients, such as rotisserie chicken, frozen peas, carrots and corn, and prepared broth. You can even buy the onion already diced if that helps. With little effort you’ll be curled up on the couch slurping your soup in no time.

This soup also can be partly prepped ahead in batches to make your weeknight soup needs even easier to handle. Simply buy several rotisserie chickens and double or triple the veggies needed. Fill zip-close freezer bags with some of each ingredient, add your seasonings, then freeze.

When you need a soup fix, just toss the frozen prepped soup in a saucepan with broth, bring to a simmer and add the pasta.

For an especially nice touch, serve this soup with crusty sourdough bread topped with fresh mozzarella and popped under the broiler for a minute. It’s great for dunking.

Speedy chicken noodle soup

2-pound rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 pound frozen blend of peas, carrots and corn kernels
2 quarts chicken broth
1 cup elbow pasta
Salt and ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Remove the meat from the chicken, then use your fingers to pull any large pieces into bite-size chunks. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the garlic powder, cumin, paprika and thyme. Heat the seasonings for 30 seconds, then add the onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the frozen vegetables. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.

Add the pasta and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the chicken meat and return to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley.
Servings » 6

Nutrition information » 490 calories; 150 calories from fat (33 percent of total calories); 17 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 140 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrate; 50 g protein; 4 g fiber; 910 mg sodium.

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