Family Resources Kid's Resources
Family Support
The Parlor Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!
Recipes
Tea
Crafts
Garden
Forums
Homemade Cream Soups
By Brenda Hyde
Opening a can of Cream of Chicken soup,
adding milk and heating it was one of the first things I cooked as
a kid. When I fixed a grilled cheese sandwich
as well, it was a simple, but satisfying meal. For
a first cooking experience it's a good
one, but now that I am an older cook I
realize canned soup is full of sodium,
and well, it tastes "canned". In a pinch
it's still a good solution, but homemade
cream soups just can't be beat.
This basic recipe can be used to make an
endless variety of cream soups. Store the soup
in a covered container and use it in
other recipes that call for canned soup
during the week. If you are cutting out
salt, then leave it out of the recipe. As
far as the cream or milk, feel free to experiment.
It may produce a thinner soup, but the taste
will be the same.
Basic Cream Soup
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned
(you can substitute vegetable broth)
1 cup finely cut vegetable (see below)
1 small onion, minced or processed fine in chopper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup cream, half and half or whole milk
1-2 tsp. arrowroot,
OR 2 tablespoon each flour and butter (see directions)
Place the broth into a pan, add the cut vegetables and
simmer until they are tender.While they are cooking,
saute the onion in a small amount of butter until it
is lightly browned. Add the onion and chopped fresh
parsley to the vegetables as they finish cooking. Drain
the vegetable mixture, reserving the liquid. Puree the
vegetables in a blender or food processor and return
to the broth. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt or
pepper if needed. Add the cream or milk over a very
low heat, and choose your thickening option.
Thickening Options:
Arrowroot powder: Mix the arrowroot powder with a small
amount of milk and add to the soup.
Flour and butter:Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
Remove from heat and add the flour, stirring until the
mixture becomes smooth. Slowly stir into the soup.
After adding your choice of thickening, heat the soup
slowly until it comes to a boil and thickens. Garnish
with chopped chives, a dash of paprika, or shredded
cheese.
Vegetable Options
The following vegetables can be used for cream soups.
Choose one cup for the recipe above.
Asparagus
carrots
cauliflower
broccoli
1/2 cup each of broccoli and cauliflower
fresh peas
1/2 cup potatoes and 1/2 cup leeks (wash well!)
fresh spinach
Corn: Scrape corn off cobs, steam or boil lightly
and add to your cream soup WITHOUT pureeing.
Mushrooms: Slice about a 1/2 pound and saute in
3 tablespoons butter until soft. As with corn,
add without pureeing.
More Tips
The basic soup of puree and stock may be frozen,
defrosted and then the milk and thickening added
as the recipe calls for.
The cream soup variations can be served hot in
the winter with hearty croutons and crusty
bread. In the summer you can take advantage of
the vegetables and herbs in season. Throw in a
springs of basil, thyme or oregano when pureeing.
For garnish use chive blossoms or nasturtium
blooms for an elegant touch.
Cream soups can be served with a simple salad and
bread for luncheons or as a first course
for dinner. You may forget that soup even
comes in a can!
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing