Soups calm the senses this stormy season

It has been raining for over a week as I write this piece. The news on local television and the Internet are all about the stormy weather which goes by no name. And with classes and work suspended, most everyone is indoors, hoping for the rains to stop and the floods to subside.

 

At this time, we find ourselves seeking comfort in food. And on a wet day or night, nothing calms the senses like soup does. 

 

Arroz caldo warms the soul when one is soaked from the rains outside. So does a hot bowl of sinigang, tinola, or nilaga with a cup of steamed rice. A sense of peace comes over us as our stomachs are consoled by the comfort in noodles cooked in a rich, flavorful broth as in a bowl of mami, lomi, misua or batchoy.

 

As for me, I have my own go-to soups for days when nothing else in my pantry seems to help me make sense of the world outside. Our kitchen is never without chicken stock frozen in ice cube trays, ready for use when my family and I hanker for a simple soup for dinner. And this rainy season, every day or night feels right for a hearty bowl of slurpy goodness. 

 

Chicken stock can be made in advance. A kilo of chicken bones (backs or necks) will yield as many as a liter of broth. I usually buy soup packs in the chicken section of the grocery. By boiling and then simmering the chicken bones in water for a couple of hours, along with onions, carrots, leeks and celery, seasoned with salt and pepper, you can make several cups of broth that you can keep in your freezer for later use. 

 

I have resorted to pouring the cooled chicken stock into covered ice cube trays. When needed, I just pop out the ice cubes into a large glass bowl and heat these in the microwave. In a few minutes, you have some broth to flavor your vegetables for a great tasting soup.

 

These days, one of our family’s favorites is some good old Mushroom Soup. It is surprisingly easy to make and with shiitake mushrooms going cheap in the markets and groceries, you can have either a clear or creamy mushroom soup to start off your meals. 

 

Frozen chicken stock may be used in a number of easy to make soup dishes like Cauliflower Soup, Potato and Leek Soup, Squash or Kalabasa Soup, or even just to add to your Nilagang Manok for a tastier broth. It gives you a range of possibilities outside of your usual Filipino soup fare.

 

Here are two recipes: Kalabasa Soup and my Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup that goes well with a plate of steamed vegetables or a salad and some roast chicken. Try it this rainy season or any other day of the week for a refreshing change to your regular menu at home. Homemade is more wholesome and healthier than canned or the powdered mix variety as you can adjust the saltiness to your taste.   

EASY HOMEMADE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Serves 4 

 

Ingredients:  

2 tbsps of butter

shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup of sliced onions

1/4 cup of diced celery

2 tbsps of minced parsley

2 to 3 cups of chicken stock

salt and pepper

dash of paprika and nutmeg (optional)

 

Thin White Sauce:

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1 cup of milk

 

Procedure:

 

KALABASA SOUP

Serves 4

 

Ingredients:  

4 tbsp butter

1 onion (sliced)

2 cups kalabasa (sliced)

4 tbsp flour

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp thyme (dried)

1 tsp basil (dried)

dash of paprika

salt and pepper

 

Procedure:  

 

 

–KG, GMA News