Soup made simple

For kindergarten I went to a Waldorf school, which I describe to people as a little like Montessori but with a lot more gnomes. Every so often we had Soup Day, and I remember it vividly because it was my absolute favorite.

Each of us brought in one vegetable from home. (Thanks, Mom, for always making sure I showed up with mine.) Over the course of the morning, our teacher took a few of us at a time into the kitchen area, where we each got a little wooden cutting board and a knife and cut up our vegetable. Everything went into one big pot and cooked until lunchtime, and then we all sat down and ate soup together.

I was very young, but I remember how nice it felt that everyone had put something into a community soup and then we all shared it. Our teacher could never have known which vegetables would turn up on any given Soup Day, so the soup was different every time. It was always a very simple vegetable soup, and it was always delicious.

These days soup is one of my day-before-grocery-shopping meals, when the fridge is down to odds and ends. Soups that simmer on the stove all afternoon are wonderful, and I love a long soup project. A pot of soup can also be really simple and on the table in about half an hour, start to finish.

I always keep broth on hand, either a carton from the store or frozen quarts of bone broth I make from scraps. I get it heating on the stove, then chop an onion into thin strips, some garlic, and whatever's hanging around in the fridge or on the counter: the rest of a head of broccoli, some butternut squash, baby potatoes, half a zucchini, frozen or canned corn, diced tomatoes. Most of it is left over from something I cooked earlier in the week that didn't need the whole amount I bought. I cut the squash and other dense vegetables on the small side so everything softens in five or six minutes.

From there it's quick. The vegetables go into the hot broth with a shake of salt and a spice blend. Once they're soft, I stir in any leftover chicken or cooked sausage, shredded or chopped, and let it heat through.

If I'm cooking meat in the broth, it goes in first, sometimes straight from the freezer. I will admit that I drop it in rock solid, let it simmer on low, and it's usually cooked through in a half hour or so. The spices go in with it in a compostable tea bag. I like to do a Star Anise, some Chopped Ginger, and a whole chile, or sometimes a few tablespoons of dry Pink Chili Crisp. Either way, the soup comes out sweet, spicy, and savory, with a Southeast Asian flavor. When the meat is done, I pull it out and add the vegetables, chop the meat while they cook, and put it back in for another minute or two. The tea bag comes out before I serve.

A spice blend is the easiest way I know to season a pot like this, since one shake covers what would otherwise take five or six tins. Here are three I'd reach for this month.

Turkish Curry

This is November's free sample, so if you've ordered over $35 this month there's a pouch of it in your kitchen. We built it on coriander, turmeric, and ginger, with fenugreek leaf, two kinds of cardamom, and Urfa Biber, a Turkish chile with a soft, raisiny heat. It's earthy and warm, and a good match for the butternut squash and potatoes end of the fridge, or a pot of lentils.

Hawaij

Hawaij is back in the Fall Vault for a limited time. It's a Yemeni blend, and cooks there use it as an everyday seasoning for soups and stews. Ours is peppery and warm, with black pepper and turmeric up front and cardamom, cumin, and a little saffron. Try a spoonful in a pot with leftover chicken and potatoes.

Cuban Spice

Cuban Spice has garlic, cumin, and orange peel, with black pepper and two kinds of oregano. It's a good match for a pot heavy on corn, tomatoes, and potatoes, and the orange peel and citric acid give the broth a little tang.

I've also used El Greco, Italian Herbs, Montreal Steak & Chop, Khmeli Suneli, and Kofte Spice in odds-and-ends soups, so if one of those is already in your cabinet, start there.

Soup is our theme in Cooks Club all month, and I'd love to see what goes into yours. Post your odds-and-ends soup, and tag it soup so other cooks can find it.

Soup in Cooks Club

If you're cooking with friends this month, have everyone bring a vegetable.

 - Aubrey