Wed 13 Feb 2008
Good Things: Inspiration
What’s for supper? Every day, that question needs to be answered, and Pat does better than most at coming up with a good answer every day.
This past weekend, she was wandering the aisles at a supermarket with a vague idea of making something from the chicken tenderloins that were on sale.
Then she saw a beef soup bone marked down and it gave her an idea. She went down a mental checklist:
- Do I have all the ingredients for soup? Probably. Carrots, got ‘em; celery, got it… can use some of those tomatoes from the garden this year, they’re in the freezer downstairs.
- I might not have beef broth but I can substitute Better Than Bouillon.
- It’s a little late in the afternoon to start, but using a pressure cooker on the soup bone will speed it up.
Once she got home, she started making soup at 3:30, and it was ready and on the table by 5:30.
And let me tell you, on a cold day, a warm homemade soup was delicious…
Old-fashioned Vegetable Soup
1 beef soup bone with meat
1 - 2 Tbs. fat
4 cups water
1 med. onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup cut-up celery & leaves (2 stalks)
1 can tomatoes (2 cups)
3 sprigs parsley, finely cut
1 Tbs. salt
1/2 bay leaf, crumbled
3 peppercorns (Pat uses more like a dozen)
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. thyme
Cut meat off bone into small chunks. Brown in hot fat in large kettle.
Add water and bone and simmer covered 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Remove bone and skim fat from top of soup.
Add vegetables, salt, bay leaf and peppercorns tied in cheesecloth bag (bouquet garni), marjoram, and thyme; cook an additional 20 - 30 minutes, till vegetables are tender.
Remove bouquet garni before serving.
Makes 6-8 servings.
(Recipe from Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cook Book (1961), page 405.)
Red said,
Wed 13 Feb 2008 at 7:42
You’re absolutely right: nothing like a hearty soup on a cold winter’s day.
I’m rather fond of bean and potato soup, myself…
Sophia said,
Wed 13 Feb 2008 at 9:57
Now that’s the kinda soup I’m talking about! Not the meatless crap DKM makes! Save me the bone -purrs
Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage said,
Wed 13 Feb 2008 at 10:35
Ooooo… that looks YUMMY! Great idea, Pat!
Cindy
David said,
Wed 13 Feb 2008 at 14:24
The best recipes are from the older cookbooks. I have a Wesson Oil cookbook, circa 1953, minus its cover. Good recipes there also.
Mickey said,
Wed 13 Feb 2008 at 22:12
Cold days and homemade soup = Yummy!!!!
Thanks for the recipe
Gandalf & Grayson said,
Thu 14 Feb 2008 at 10:00
Mom also likes Better Than Bouillion. We like the bone.
Coll said,
Fri 15 Feb 2008 at 11:39
This looks and sounds so delicious. Especially on a cold February day.
curator said,
Sat 16 Feb 2008 at 19:47
Ahhh. That does look mighty delicious and I hope you enjoyed.
Wrigley & Cobalt said,
Sun 17 Feb 2008 at 12:20
Oooh that soup looks wonderful!!! Our beans might just have to try it one day.