Random Soup Notes

[Stinky The Clown]

I made some beef barley soup today. I always muck around with the recipe. I have never made the same soup twice, even when I try.

Anyway .... today's variations.

Instead of canned beef stock/broth/whatever, I used an institutional sized concentrated canned consomme. Much richer in flavor and it has the gelatin I often use already added.

I put some fava beans in it. I grilled them, as I always do, and then spent a lot of time shelling them. They have a wonderful taste when grilled in the pods like that. When put into the soup, they just disappear. Save the grief and skip favas.

I used snap peas instead of green beans. They don't soften very well. They're nice and crisp, but not in a way that compliments soup. Stick to green beans.

There are three pounds of San Marzano tomatoes in this soup. I split a huge institutional sized can of them with Sparkly, who made a vegetable soup at the same time I did mine.

I used a boneless chuck roast for the meat. It was about 3 inches thick. I cut it in half, essentially into two steaks. I grilled them. That rendered out a lot of the fat and gave a nice smoky flavor to the meat. I cut it up and added that to the soup.

There are four cups of cooked barley in it.

There is also a half head of garlic in there. I peeled the cloves and shaved them down with my microplane. The garlic just melts away.

The dogs (Big and Little) each got a small taste of the meat as I was cutting it. Later, at dinner, Big waited until I was done eating and then she came over and put her head in my lap, looking up at me with those big, doe-like, soulful, brown German Shepherd eyes. Little is smarter. She looks at us from a more respectful distance. They never get rewarded when they beg like this. I rubbed Big's head, but that was it.

[troubleinwinter]

1. Cook barley separate? Not in soup?

Makes sense, but new to me.

I got a chin-resting pug here. And pugs aint even got chins. It usually means he needs an extra 417% of love-attention on top of the regular 984%, along with some extra encouragement. Snacks if ya got em.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. That's optional. If you need to thcken the soup, add the uncooked barley

I prefer to make my soups in 'modules' and control each one individually. The liquid is a module and the various ingredients are a module.

In the case of my beef barley soup, everything is done separately and then combined. The combined soup then simmers for at least two hours to tenderize the meat. The barley is added late as it would just overcook. But since the liquid is also reducing, I leave the barley out until the end. It picks up the soup flavor very quickly. Within ten minutes it is a seamless part of the soup.

[Shakespeare]

2. There are few things I love more than beef & barley soup.

We made some a couple of weeks ago with a bunch of roasted/leftover prime rib we had in the freezer. Now I want some canned concentrated consomme! :hi:

[Stinky The Clown]

7. That made all the difference!

It was a light bulb moment at the store when I bought it.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. That's a great idea,

using the consomme instead of regular stock. Real smart. I wonder why I've never seen a recipe like yours. Good for you!

When you wrote about your microplane, it was right after we'd just watched "Goodfellas" (again) and that scene with Paul Sorvino and the boys in the slammer, cooking. That shot of him using a razor to slice the garlic is still one of my favorites.

So, when you wrote "microplane," I said, "I gotta get me one of those." Then I remembered my grater that I use for hard cheese, went to check it - it's a Cuisipro - and it's perfect for slicing garlic. It just never occurred to me until your post.

I love barley and never think of it.

Great post. Thank you.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. The consomme was perfect!

I tasted the soup along the way. I never added a bit of additional seasoning to it. Not even salt. The consomme is highly flavored and that was just perfect. Since it was a concentrate, the liquid from the tomatoes brought it to the perfect concentration (dilution, actually) and the flavors were incredibly balanced.

That cuisipro grater .... kinda like this one?



That is essentially the same as a microplane.

You know those things started life in the autobody business ...... they were rasps to shape dried bondo (body filler putty). Then they morphed into wood working tools to shave and shape small pieces. It was a quick leap from wood to hard cheese ..... and garlic.

Look at the gizmo on the right in this auto body shop still life.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

13. The Cuisipro I have

is this one:



For finer grating (I didn't notice that we had more than one), we use this one:



But, I still want to try Paul Sorvino's method one day:



I wonder what other mechanical tools might work well in the kitchen? (Oh, and the next time I talk to my godson - Joe Stein's grandson - I'll get him to ask his Grandpa about where Yossarian came from.)

A big storm is threatening here. It might not be a bad idea to get some ragu started, hmmmm?

I wish you luck until your mouf work is finished. It's no fun having an out-of-whack mouf................

[pengillian101]

4. Dogs and food

"The dogs (Big and Little) each got a small taste of the meat as I was cutting it. Later, at dinner, Big waited until I was done eating and then she came over and put her head in my lap, looking up at me with those big, doe-like, soulful, brown German Shepherd eyes. Little is smarter. She looks at us from a more respectful distance. They never get rewarded when they beg like this. I rubbed Big's head, but that was it."


They are looking for love. Give them the scraps and don't be stingy with food. Food equals love to a dog.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Funny you mention that ......

..... our dogs self regulate their food. It is always there for them so they're never hungry.

We don't like begging so we steadfastly don't encourage them at the table. They get little treats all day long. And they never fight about food. What one gets, so does the other and never is a treat given when only one is in the room. If the other one is someplace else, we call them before any treats leave our hands.

As a result, we think we have very well behaved dogs.

Also, they get love all day long. And they listen to us almost perfectly because every good thing they do is rewarded and the bad stuff simply not. The only yelling is when Big raids the garbage can. This is the one behavior we have yet to cure (apart from putting the garbage can back under the sink). Little used to do this, but no more cuz she knows we don't like it. Someday Big will understand, too.

[pengillian101]

17. Your dogs have a great life!

We have two cats and their crunchies are always available. First thing in the morning they get canned cat food (1/2 can each). The only time they indicate a longing for people food is when I open a can of tuna, because they know they get the juice and when I open a plastic deli bag of meat, they know we'll give them a little treat. They both know the word "treat" and come quick if it's something else.

One cat was severely undernourished when we got her - she was the size of a teacup. She had to fight to get her share of food at her first home amongst several other cats and a dog who all ate from the same bowl. She is still extremely protective of 'her' food. Once she hears the crunchies hit the bowl she still comes running, even from a dead sleep in another room. Crazy cat, but I love her. Both cats will turn 20 soon.

Pets are great pals, eh? :hi:

[sazemisery]

5. My mouth is watering.

Barley and lamb are a great choice also. I once received the entire ribcage of a lamb that was advertised as "rack of Lamb". I removed the tiny tenderloins and chunked them. After that who knows what went into the pot. Like you, soup in my kitchen is never the same twice.

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Did you use the bones to make a stock?

[sazemisery]

16. You betcha

I make all my own stock and freeze it.

[Tesha]

9. The fun of cooking soup

...is often the creative process mixed with the leftover philosophy. The fridge is a treasure chest for a soup maker, a little of this, a little of that... so out comes something wonderful.

And you're so right, the chance of making a masterpiece again is rare - next time it'll be different but just as wonderful.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. Funny thing about soup ......

.... apart from the use of bones now and then, I almost never use leftovers.

Of course, that may be because we almost never have leftovers by virtue of what we like and how we cook. Lots of sauteed items and grilled items. Rarely is anything roasted cuz I'm the only meat eater in the house ....... other than the dogs.

[Tesha]

14. ah...

squash, broccoli and cauliflower left over often become soup or soup base

or a sausage, or a ham or lamb bone, a chicken carcass

a little cream or some cheese rind

potatoes, corn, pasta - if it's leftover, it's probably going to become soup..


If I didn't have a boiled dinner already cooking...

[hippywife]

15. I love beef and barley soup!

It's so delicious! Can you really blame Big and Little for wishing so longingly for a big helping or even a little taste? :9