Soup Up Your Soup Recipes

Photo Terry Brennan, food styling Lara Miklasevics

Making a delicious soup at home doesn’t need to take hours, thanks to prepared stocks, canned beans, canned tomatoes, and other little kitchen helpers. Whether you prefer creamy, brothy, or chunky, this universal comfort food is great for lunch or dinner with some crusty bread or salad. Here, you can try some soups that reflect the flavors of global cuisine with recipes by Twin Cities chef and cookbook author Robin Asbell, which she created for Real Food. And the flavors are easily created at home with accessible ingredients. The Tom Yum soup can be made vegan or vegetarian, and the Spanish Chickpea and Chorizo Stew gets a little heat from sausage. If you lean toward creamy soups, the Beer Cheese Soup is packed with cheesy goodness and spiked with rye croutons, says Asbell. Try one this weekend and keep these on hand for soup season—plus scroll down for a roundup of soup recipes I have highlighted here. Stay cozy!

Photo Terry Brennan

Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp or Tofu

Makes 4 servings (about 6 cups)

The spicy, sour, and salty flavors of Thai food are balanced in this soup, with a hint of chili, a dash of fish sauce, and a dose of tangy lime. It can be prepared with the shrimp and fish sauce or made vegan or vegetarian with tofu and soy sauce. For a more filling meal, serving it over a spoonful of warm, cooked rice is delicious. –Robin Asbell

4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 large carrot, chopped
4 ounces shiitake mushroom, sliced
2 large red jalapeños, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice, and zest pared off
1 pound large shrimp or firm tofu
½ cup fresh Thai or regular basil, shredded cooked rice for serving, if desired

1. In a large pot, combine the stock and curry paste, mashing the paste to incorporate. Bring to a boil, then add the carrot, mushrooms, jalapeños, garlic, ginger, fish sauce or soy sauce, and the strip of zest from the lime, reserving the juice.
2. Bring to a boil and cover, then simmer for 10 minutes, until the carrots are very tender.
3. Stir in the lime juice and shrimp or tofu, and bring to a boil again, then reduce to simmer gently until the shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes, or the tofu is heated through.
4. Serve with cooked rice if desired, and sprinkle with shredded basil.

Photo Terry Brennan, food styling Lara Miklasevics

Beer-Cheese Soup with Rye Bread Croutons

Makes 4 Servings (6 cups soup and 3 cups croutons)

The classic pairing of beer and cheddar makes a soup that harkens back to Germany and its long brewing tradition. The rye bread croutons add some crunch to the creamy, cheesy soup. Be sure to use a lager or other mild, non-hoppy beer. An IPA or other bitter beer will overwhelm the soup. –R.A.

For the Croutons
3 cups cubed rye bread
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon salt

For the Soup
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups finely chopped onion
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cups chicken broth
12 ounces lager beer, preferably flat
1 cup milk
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped chives or scallions

1. Make the croutons. Heat the oven to 350°F. On a sheet pan, place the rye bread cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme and salt, then toss to coat. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bread cubes are toasted and crisp but not too brown. Cool on a rack. If you want to make these ahead of time, they will keep in an airtight container for 1 week.
2. In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and sauté until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the contents of the pan and stir in with a wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula to make sure there are no lumps. Stir over medium heat for a couple of minutes to cook the flour.
4. Stir in the Dijon mustard, then gradually whisk in the chicken broth, beer, and milk. Stir frequently until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Don’t boil, reduce the heat to low.
5. Whisk in the cheese and salt, until the cheese is melted and smooth. Take off the heat.
6. Serve in bowls, topped with chives and rye croutons.

Photo Terry Brennan, food styling Lara Miklasevics

Spanish Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

Makes 6 servings (about 8 cups)

This colorful stew gets a flavor boost from Spanish chorizo, a dry sausage packed with peppery cured pork. Saffron gives it a golden tint and an earthy flavor, redolent of the Mediterranean. If you haven’t used saffron before, it’s an ancient seasoning comprised of the stigma and styles plucked from the center of a special saffron crocus. It’s expensive, but a little goes a long way. –R.A.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
12 ounces chorizo links (aged Spanish kind, not Mexican), sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch saffron, crumbled
4 medium potatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup parsley, chopped

1. In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium-high heat and add onions and peppers, and stir for a minute, then add the chorizo, garlic, and saffron, and sauté for at least 5 minutes to soften.
2. Add potatoes and stir, then add stock, tomatoes, chickpeas, and salt. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
3. Cover the pot and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife.
4. Stir in the parsley and serve, or cool and refrigerate, tightly covered, up to 4 days.

Nutrition info (per serving)

• Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp: Calories: 120, Fat: 1.5g (Sat: 0g), Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1930mg, Carb: 9g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 17g
• Tom Yum Soup with Tofu: Calories: 140, Fat: 5g (Sat: 1g), Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 1320mg, Carb: 9g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 14g
• Spanish Chickpea and Chorizo Stew: Calories: 360, Fat: 14g (Sat: 3g), Cholesterol: 60 mg, Sodium: 1220mg, Carb: 43 g, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 7g, Protein: 19g
• Beer-Cheese Soup with Rye Bread Croutons: Calories: 740, Fat: 47g (Sat: 24g), Cholesterol: 110 mg, Sodium: 2250mg, Carb: 52 g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g, Protein: 23g
• Beer-Cheese Soup without croutons (soup only): Calories: 560, Fat: 39g (Sat: 22g), Cholesterol: 110mg, Sodium: 1810mg, Carb: 29g, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Protein: 19g
• Rye Bread Croutons: Calories: 180, Fat: 9g (Sat: 1.5g), Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 430mg, Carb: 23g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Protein: 4g

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