These Are Soups That Carry An Attitude

Year after year, the Campbell soup people declare January as National Soup Month. Their timing is perfect, but let’s not limit ourselves to plain, unadorned canned soups. Instead, look for other quick soups that offer a wide range of flavors and eating satisfaction.

Admittedly, these recipes require a bit more time and effort than opening and heating a can of soup. Yet, any one of these soups can be assembled in less than 10 minutes and cooked in about the time it takes to scan the mail or watch the evening news.

Great Cheese Soup

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard

1 cup milk

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 to 4 tablespoons beer or white wine, optional

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (sharp, smoked or other)

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Blend in flour, cook and stir until frothy and golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Blend in mustard. Stir in milk and broth, cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil and is smooth and thickened. Stir in beer or wine, if desired, and cheese. Continue stirring until cheese melts completely. Serve at once in mugs or small soup bowls.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings.

Note: Recipe may be doubled or tripled.

Green and Gold Chowder

1 cup green split peas

2-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 (17-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 tablespoon instant chopped onion or 1/4 cup fresh chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro or 2 tablespoons dried parsley

Rinse peas. In medium saucepan combine peas and broth. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until peas are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

If using fresh onion, microwave or saute until translucent. Stir corn and onion into soup. Return to boiling. Stir in chopped parsley just before serving.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Easy Vegetable Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 large clove garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable juice cocktail

1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen), cut in 1-inch pieces

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 small bay leaf teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed

Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan over medium heat; add onions and garlic and saute until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf.

Yield: 6 servings.

Home-Style Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, optional

1 or 2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 (15-ounce) can Italian-seasoned stewed tomatoes

1 (10- to 11-ounce) can condensed cream of tomato soup, undiluted

Black pepper, to taste

Croutons, optional

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add celery, onion, mushrooms (if desired) and garlic and saute until tender.

Stir in stewed tomatoes and tomato soup; stir to blend and continue cooking until mixture boils. Season with pepper to taste and serve garnished with croutons, if desired.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Salmon Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons flour

2-1/2 cups milk (skim or low-fat)

1 (8-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1 (7-1/2-ounce) can salmon, drained, skin removed and flaked

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 teaspoon dried dillweed, crushed

1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat butter in medium saucepan. When melted, add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Blend in flour. Stir in milk, tomatoes, salmon, corn, dill, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; boil and stir 1 minute. Add cheese; heat and stir until melted.

Yield: 4 servings.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: Have a food question? Looking for a recipe? Laura Carnie, a certified family and consumer scientist and food consultant in Coeur d’Alene, would like to hear from you. Write to Cook’s Notebook, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. As many letters as possible will be answered in the newspaper; sorry, no individual replies.

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