Soup: A four-letter word, as of right this very minute politically correct, acceptable in polite society; available in cans, boxes, packages and packaged cups, as well as ready-to-go, eat-there or take-home containers at supermarket delicatessens.
Soup: Four-letter word, when homemade is — well, Snohomish cook Suzanne Ness gives us her take on the subject.
“You asked for great soup recipes,” she writes, “so here goes!
“I raised four sons, who are now in their 30s and 40s and who still request this autumn soup when they visit.
“It is a basic vegetable-beef soup, but tastes better than any other vegetable-beef soup we’ve ever tried. The original recipe came from a recipe card set that Betty Crocker offered back in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
“Even though it is just my husband and me in our home now, I still triple the recipe so we can pass on extra to our bachelor sons and also seniors who are ill or live alone.”
Continuing, Suzanne says, “At the earliest signs of fall, we start thinking about making this great-tasting hearty soup, and we make it several times throughout the cold months. As with most tomato-based soups, the flavor gets better after it sits in the refrigerator a day or so.
“I like to break up each tomato as it goes into the soup. (Gently, tearing each one into two to four pieces produces nice chunks of tomato in each bowl — work gently, though, as tomatoes squirt!) When I triple the recipe, I use a large 6-pound, 6-ounce can of whole tomatoes available at the Business Costco in Lynnwood. Crushed tomatoes would also work, but having those nummy chunks of tomato in our soup is preferable to us.
“I use extra-lean ground beef (9 percent fat) or grind my own ground beef from a chuck roast. I usually add some chopped garlic with the onions. Other vegetables could also be added, but I would recommend trying the recipe as is first, so you have a feel for what other veggies would work with it to suit your taste.”
Winding up, Suzanne adds, “We like to serve this with a loaf of roasted garlic bread and a green salad. Try it … you’ll LOVE it!”
NESS FAMILY’S AUTUMN SOUP
1pound lean ground beef
1teaspoon or so vegetable oil
1cup chopped onion
1cup cut-up carrots
1cup diced celery
1cup cubed potatoes
3-4 cups water
2teaspoons salt
1/4teaspoon pepper
1bay leaf
1/8teaspoon basil
1teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
1can (28-29 ounces) whole tomatoes
Crumble ground beef into a nonstick skillet. Cook and stir until browned.
When browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked beef to a large saucepan; discard any fat remaining in the skillet.
In the same skillet, heat vegetable oil; add onions and celery and sweat over medium heat until they start to soften, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes).
Add to the browned beef. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, water, salt, pepper, bay leaf, basil and browning sauce. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes. (Check to be sure the celery and carrots are tender. If not, cook a bit longer, until they are.)
Add tomatoes, stir to mix well, then cover and simmer 10 to 20 minutes longer.
Makes 6 servings.
The Forum is always happy to receive your contributions and requests, so don’t hesitate to send them along to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
Please remember that all letters and e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code; no exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
