Soups: Part 5

Although flavor and taste are to some extent a matter of opinion, certain flavor combinations seem to be universally pleasing ... chicken and celery, for example, or beef tomato. Certain spices and herbs blend with certain stocks ... chicken and clove, stock and lemon, beef and thyme.

Vegetable soups

Knowing the rates at which different foods cook comes best through experience. Feel their texture, cook them, and taste them. Here are some general groupings.

1. Hard vegetables such as carrots and raw green beans take longest to cook. They should be parboiled before being added to a soup-in-the-making.

2. Soft vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce, and canned vegetables take the shortest time, or no time at all, and should be added late in the cooking.

3. In between are the medium vegetables, such as potatoes, celery, turnips, and frozen vegetables. They can be cooked right in the soup during the soup-making.

7-3 MINESTRONE

Yield: 1 gallon = 16 8-oz portions

Major Flavor and Body = [3 lbs vegetables {onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, zuicchini, tomatoes}, diced; 4 oz cabbage/spinach, shredded; ½ lb white beans, cooked tender and drained; 4 oz spaghetti, cooked, drained]

Body = [¾ gal light stock]

Sachet-flavor builders = [1/4 bay leaf; ½ clove; 1 ½ garlic cloves, peeled; pinch rosemary; pinch thyme; 3-4 peppercorns]

Per Portion = [1/2 tsp chopped parsley/cilantro; 1 tsp grated parmesan cheese]

Basic ratio: 4 lb flavor ingredients / 3/4 gal stock

1. In stockpot, sweat first five vegetables with sachet in 1/8" olive oil until onion is translucent. Do not brown.

2. Add stock and cabbage. (If using spinach, add in Step 3.) Simmer until vegetables are al dente.

3. Add beans, spaghetti, and tomatoes. Heat to a simmer, then remove from fire.

4. Season *to taste.

5. Add parsley and cheese to each portion when served.

Do not overcook! "Done" for vegetables is firm to the bite, a texture known as al dente. Al dente vegetables will keep their separate flavors and their bright, attractive colors along with their pleasant texture.

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