4. Soups

I use the pressure cooker for soups. It saves time and you can cook any soup in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes, then let the pressure down and finish seasoning, adding whatever else you want to the soup, and continue cooking it for another half hour. Let me try to explain: Suppose you are cooking a meat soup of some kind and you want a lima bean base for it.

Put meat, bones, minced onion and shelled limas in cooker and add 1 quart of water. Cook under 15-lb. pres­sure for 10 minutes. Turn flame off and let it stand for another 10 minutes until pressure is down, then open cover, put in additional water—as much as you need. Season, add soup greens, and cook (not under pressure) for another 30 minutes.

The flanken in all the fleishig soups is served as boiled beef. That is the reason I advise putting li/£ lbs. in each soup recipe. However, should you need more or less of the beef, or another cut of beef, you may change that item in the recipe.

CHICKEN BROTH

1/2 large fowl and giblets (remove all fat)

2 quarts water 1 large onion (whole)

1 T. salt Dash of pepper

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

1 leek and other greens you prefer (parsley, fresh dill)

Place fowl, giblets, water, onion and salt in saucepan. Boil on low flame for 1 hour. Remove chicken and onion. Add all other ingredients, boil for another 20 minutes. Take out greens.

Chicken broth may be served with the following gar­nishes

1.  Noodles.  Boil  noodles  in  water  to  cover for  20 minutes, put in colander, pour cold water over noodles and drain.

2.  Egg fluff or egg drop. Beat 1 egg well, 2 Ts. flour, pinch of salt—drop into boiling soup a little at a time, and keep soup boiling for another 10 minutes.

3.  Mondlen (soup nuts) as per recipe. (See p. 51).

4.  Knaidlach (matzo balls) as per recipe. (See p. 52).

5.  Matzo farfel (see p. 51) or plain egg farfel.

6.  A combination of noodles and soup nuts.

DUCK OR CHICKEN GIBLET SOUP

1 c. lima beans (shelled)

1/2 c. rice or huber grits (cut oats)

Giblets  (neck without the skin; heart, gizzard,

feet, lower part of wings)

1  T. salt (level)

1  onion (minced)

1  carrot

1  stalk celery

1  leek

Dash of pepper

2  quarts water

If you use pressure cooker follow directions given. Make sure pressure is down by putting pressure cooker under faucet and running cold water over the cover. Then add all other ingredients and finish cooking as directed.

If you do not use pressure cooker, just put giblets, together with all other ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil on high flame, skim, lower flame, and cook for l1/2 hours (it will take that long for the beans to dissolve). Soup greens are added 20 minutes before turning off flame.

VEGETABLE SOUP  (fresh)

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones

1 large onion (minced)

stalks celery

3 carrots

1 sweet potato

1 white potato

1 c. canned tomatoes, or

1 large fresh tomato

1 c. green beans (cut up in pieces)

1 c. lima beans (shelled)

1 T. salt

Dash of pepper 3 quarts water

Trim meat of all fat. Scrape fat off the bones. Mince onion, dice all the rest of the vegetables, place in saucepan together with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil on high flame; skim, lower flame, and simmer for l1/2 hours. If you use pressure cooker follow directions given previously.

VEGETABLE SOUP  (dry)

11/2  lbs. flanken and bones

1  large onion (minced)

1  stalk celery

1  carrot

1  c. mixed dry vegetables (sold in packages)

1  leek

1  T. salt

Dash of pepper

3  quarts water

Trim meat of all fat, scrape fat off bones, add water and bring to a boil. Skim, lower flame, add all other ingre­dients except the carrot, celery, leek. Cook for 11/2 hours, then add the remaining ingredients and cook for 20 minutes longer.

BARLEY AND MUSHROOM SOUP

11/ 2 lbs. flanken and bones

3 quarts water

1 c. lima beans (shelled)

1 T. salt

Dash of pepper

1.c. barley

2 packages dried mushrooms (or 1/4 lb. fresh)

1/2 c. canned tomatoes or tomato juice

1 onion (minced)

2 stalks celery

Trim meat and bones o£ all fat. Put meat, bones and minced onion into cold water on high flame. Bring to a boil. Skim, lower flame, add all other ingredients except the carrot and celery and simmer on low flame for 11/4 hours. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer for another 20 minutes.

LIMA BEAN SOUP

11/2 lbs· flanken and bones

1 T. salt

Dash of pepper

1 large onion (minced)

11/2 cs. dry lima beans

3 quarts water

1/2 c. tomato juice

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

1 leek

Trim meat and bones of all fat. Put into pot with water and minced onion and bring to a boil on high flame. Skim, lower flame, add all other ingredients except the carrot, celery and leek. Cook for 11/4 hours. Add the re­maining ingredients and cook for another 20 minutes.

NAVY BEAN SOUP

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones

1 large onion (minced)

1/2 c. canned tomatoes (or tomato juice)

1 T. salt Dash of pepper

3 quarts water

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

1 leek

11/2 cs· navy beans

Trim meat and bones of all fat. Put meat, minced onion and water on high flame and bring to a boil. Skim, and lower flame. Put in all other ingredients except the carrot, leek and celery and cook for 11/4 hours. Add the remain­ing ingredients and cook for another 20 minutes.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones

3 quarts water

1/2 c. tomato juice

1 large onion (minced)

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

1 T. salt

Dash of pepper

11/2 cs. split peas (either green or yellow)

Trim meat and bones of all fat. Put into water, add minced onion, and bring to a boil on a high flame. Skim, lower flame, put in split peas and seasoning and simmer for 1 hour, then add the carrot and celery and simmer for 1/2 hour or until the peas are dissolved.

TOMATO SOUP

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones

1 onion (minced)

2 #2 cans tomatoes

11/2 quarts water

1 T. salt

Dash of pepper

1 c. lima beans (shelled)

1/2 c. rice

Trim meat and bones of all fat. Put up water, minced onion and shelled lima beans and bring to a boil on high flame. Skim, lower flame, put in all other ingredients except the rice and tomatoes, and cook for 11/4 hours. Re­move meat and bones, strain liquid, add tomatoes and rice, and put meat back. Cook for 1/2 hour.

CABBAGE SOUP

11/2  lbs. flanken and bones

1  large onion (shredded)

1  small head of cabbage (shredded)

1  T. salt

Dash of pepper

2  lemons (juice and pulp)

3/4 c. sugar

1  #:2 can tomato juice

Trim meat and bones o£ all fat. Put flanken, bones, onion and seasoning in 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, skim, lower flame, add the remaining ingredients and cook on low flame for 11/2 hours.

BORSCHT

11/2  lbs. flanken and bones

21/2  quarts water

3/4  c. sugar

2  lemons (juice and pulp)

1  onion (minced)

1 T. salt

2 bunches fresh beets (grated)

Trim meat o£ all fat. Scrape bones; put flanken, bones and onion to boil in water; skim. Either shred, grate or slice the beets. If beets are garden fresh add some of the stems (cut up into small pieces) to the boiling pot to­gether with all other ingredients and cook for 11/2 hours.

AN EASIER WAY TO MAKE BORSCHT

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones

1 onion

3/4 c. sugar

2 lemons (juice and pulp)

1 T. salt

1 #2 can whole beets

3 cans water and beet juice

Grate the beets on the coarse side of grater. Following the above recipe, use beets and juice instead of the fresh beets; substitute the 3 cans of water instead of the 21/2 quarts of water. Cook as in previous recipe.

POTATO SOUP

1 lb. potatoes (cut in chunks)

2 quarts water

1 c. tomato juice

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones 1 onion (minced)

1 T. salt (level)

Dash of pepper

Trim meat and bones of all fat. Add all other ingredients. Bring to boil on high flame; skim, lower flame, and cook on low flame for 11/2 hours.

POTATO SOUP  (milchig)

1/4 c. butter

1 onion (minced)

1 t. salt (heaping)

Dash of pepper

11/2quarts water

1 c. tomato juice

1 lb. potatoes (cut in chunks)

1 c. sour cream

Sauté the minced onion in butter, add all other ingre­dients except sour cream, bring to a boil on high flame, lower flame and cook for 1/2 hour. Thicken with sour cream.

BEET SOUP (milchig)

1  #2 can whole beets

3  cans water

1  T. salt

1/2  c. sugar

2  lemons (juice and pulp)

2 eggs (well beaten)

1 c. sour cream

Grate or shred beets. Combine with juice, water and seasoning and boil for 15 minutes. Beat eggs well. Take 1 cup of the hot liquid and pour into the beaten eggs a little at a time, stirring constantly. Repeat process until the beaten egg has 3 cups of the liquid added to it, then pour the whole of the batter and liquid into the pot. Cool and serve with sour cream.

SCHAV  (sour grass or sorrel)

1 lb. schav

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones 1 T. salt

1  onion (minced)

2  quarts water

1  c. lima beans (shelled)

2  eggs (hard-boiled)

2 eggs (raw)

Trim meat and bones of all fat, put water, meat and bones, minced onion and shelled beans into pot. Bring to a boil on high flame; skim: lower flame and cook for 11/4 hours. Wash and remove stems from the sour grass; cut up sour grass in a wooden bowl with chopping knife. Add the chopped sour grass and seasoning and simmer for 1/4 hour. Remove meat and bones. Beat 2 eggs well— pour a cup of hot liquid into the beaten egg a little at a time (keep stirring); repeat process until 3 cups of water have been added to the egg, then pour back into the soup. Chop 2 hard-boiled eggs, add to the soup.

A VARIATION

11/2 lbs. flanken and bones

1 package chopped frozen spinach

1 c. lima beans (shelled)

1 lemon

1 T. salt

1  onion (minced)

2  quarts water

2 eggs (hard-boiled)

2 eggs (raw)

Trim meat and bones of all fat, put in pot with minced onion and lima beans. Bring to a boil on high flame, skim and lower flame and boil for 11/4 hours. Add the spinach and seasoning and boil for another 15 minutes. Add the 2 raw eggs the same as above, also the 2 hard-boiled eggs.

SCHAV (milchig)

1  lb. schav

2  quarts water

1  T. salt

2  eggs (raw)

2 eggs (hard-boiled)

1  c. sour cream

1/2 cucumber

2  scallions

Wash schav thoroughly. Remove stems. Put schav in wooden bowl and cut up with chopping knife. Put into boiling water, season, let boil for 5 minutes on high flame—lower flame. Beat 2 eggs well and pour 1 cup of hot liquid into the beaten egg, stirring all the time. Repeat until the egg has 3 cups of the hot liquid mixed in with it, then pour back into pot. Cool. Serve with hard boiled eggs, scallions, grated or thinly sliced cucumber and sour cream.

FISH CHOWDER (fish bulbe)

2 lbs. fish (whitefish, carp or salmon trout)

1 large onion (minced)

1  t. pepper

2  quarts water

1 T. salt

1 lb. potatoes (pared and cut up into chunks)

Clean fish thoroughly, cut into portions, put into water with all the seasoning and boil for 3/4 hour. Remove fish with a little of the juice, add potato chunks, and boil on low flame until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Turn off flame. Add a little of the hot liquid into the sour cream, stir and put back into pot.

A  VARIATION

When making gefilte fish, before turning off flame add another cup of boiling water. Remove fish and bones and skin with a little of the juice. Strain the remaining juice. Remove all bones and skin; add potato chunks and sour cream.

MATZO FARFEL FOR CHICKEN BROTH

1  c. matzo farfel

2  Ts. chicken fat

1 egg

Put matzo farfel into frying pan, add chicken fat, using a medium flame, and keep stirring the farfel constantly until it is almost brown—for about 6 minutes. Beat egg well and put the egg batter, a little at a time, into the farfel until the farfel is coated with the egg. Put egg-coated farfel into the chicken broth and cook for about 30 minutes.

SOUP NUTS (mondlen)

3 eggs

1/2 t. salt

2 Ts. oil (optional) 2 cs. flour

Mix eggs, flour, salt and oil. Put on floured board—roll rope shape in the palm of your hands. Cut (with knife dipped in flour) into 1/4-inch pieces. Bake in moderate, 375°, oven until brown. (Oil baking pan slightly before putting dough pieces to bake.)

KNAIDLACH (matzo balls)

3  eggs

1  T. water

2  Ts. chicken fat

1  t. salt

Dash of pepper  1/2 c. matzo meal

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and let stand in refrigera­tor for several hours. Shape into balls (keep hands wet) and drop into boiling soup or salt water. Boil for 1/2 hour. (Overboiling will not spoil knaidlach.)

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