Basic Soup Recipe

One common way to show love and concern to those who are sick is to bring them soup. Homemade soup is a lot nicer than bringing over cans of soup. It can seem intimidating to make soup and there are so many good recipes out there that it could be overwhelming. Here are some basic guidelines I been using for about 5 years.

I wrote an article about salt 6 years ago and said 1% salt is the right amount for meats and other items (1tsp salt per pound food). This was an observational suggestion based on many of the savory foods I like to eat all have that sodium level. I looked at many canned soups labels and found that 0.5% salt was a common amount. Canned soup tends to be salty and so I like to temper the saltiness with 0.5% sugar. Here's the formula I settled on:

For 2-3 servings (double or triple the recipe as needed)

1/2 lb - 3/4lb meat (chicken, pork, beef. I prefer raw but can use leftovers like turkey. Cut into small pieces)

1 quart of water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

Optional Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

1/4 teaspoon herb (optional - like oregano, rosemary, thyme...)

4oz vegetables (optional carrot, celery, onion...etc use as much as you want)

4oz cooked rice or noodles (optional, add before serving)

Directions:

Bring water to a boil on high heat. Add everything else (except cooked noodles/rice). Put it on low/simmer and let it simmer with a lid for an hour. Add noodles or rice (optional) and serve.

Suggestions:

• Chicken noodle with rosemary or thyme, black pepper, carrot, celery, onions, penne noodles
• Beef soup with rice on the side
• Leftover Costco rotisserie bones/scraps (use bones from 1-2 whole chickens per quart) This makes a good soup.
• Turkey soup after thanksgiving