Canned tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches were a frequent
weekend meal when I was growing up. For this simple family meal,
you can certainly use canned soups or a carton of soup from the
deli.
Canned tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches were a frequent weekend meal when I was growing up. For this simple family meal, you can certainly use canned soups or a carton of soup from the deli.
But homemade soup will fill your home with delicious smells, and the flavors will match. The psychologist Abraham Maslow put it well: “A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting.”
Another attractive aspect of soup is its flexibility. Most soup recipes allow you to substitute ingredients with what you have on hand, or leave out things you don’t like.
I include a couple of good sandwich recipes to go with the soups, but with the heartier ones you can also serve crackers or bread and a salad.
Microwave Clam Chowder
(from Dorothy McNett, of Dorothy McNett’s Place in Hollister)
Partly because it contains no potatoes, this chowder is not as thick as some. However, it deliciously highlights the flavor of the clams without being fishy.
4 T. butter
1/4 cup finely diced shallot or onion
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
4 T. flour
2 cup whole milk or half and half
1 can good quality diced clams and their liquid
parsley
Zip spice or paprika and Tabasco
Optional: steamed clams in their shells
Step 1: In a microwaveable bowl, combine butter, onion and celery. Microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes. Vegetables should be soft but not brown.
Step 2: Whisk in salt, pepper, flour and milk. Microwave on high 2 minutes.
Step 3: Whisk well and microwave another 3 to 4 minutes to heat thoroughly.
Step 4: Add clams and their liquid. Microwave one minute. If using steamed clams, add the broth in which you steamed them before this last heating.
Step 5: Season with Zip or paprika and parsley.
Step 6: If you like, garnish each serving with a couple of steamed clams in their shell.
Steamed clams
(also thanks to Dorothy McNett.)
Use a large shallow non-reactive pan with a lid
fresh clams: 1 or 2 per person or more
low-salt vegetable or chicken broth to a depth of
about 2 inches
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
Step 1: Scrub clams to remove sand and grit.
Step 2: Bring broth and wine to a simmer in the pan.
Step 3: Add the clams and cover.
Step 4: Cook about 1 minute. When they pop open, they are done. Remove each one as it opens.
Step 5: When all are cooked, strain the liquid through a fine strainer to remove any remaining sand.
Step 6: Add to clam chowder as above.
Serve this with breadstick chunks, or with dark pumpernickel bread and butter.
Flexible Bean Soup
(adapted from Savingdinner.com)
This soup is an excellent candidate for substitutions. If you don’t like one of the vegetables, leave it out. If you have zucchini, winter squash, leftover corn or peas or a sweet potato that you want to use up, add them. Cook the squash or sweet potato in the microwave first to make sure they are done.
It is also flexible as to timing. You can make it ahead and reheat it, or you can keep it simmering on the stove for an hour or so: keep it covered so the liquid doesn’t boil away. Add more broth or tomatoes as necessary.
serves four
1 T. olive oil
1 small carrot
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 to 1/2 lb. ground meat (I used venison; hamburger
or turkey would also work)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. oregano
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 can black or pinto beans
5 oz. canned tomatoes
1 can or two cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream (optional)
Step 1: Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep saute pan or skillet.
Step 2: Chop all the vegetables into medium dice.
Step 3: Add the vegetables and the garlic to the olive oil and saute until soft but not brown.
Step 4: Add the meat and cook until no longer pink.
Step 5: Add the chili powder, cumin and oregano and stir to mix well.
Step 6: Add the tomatoes and break up with a spoon
Step 7: Add the broth and bring to a boil. As soon as the soup reaches a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 8: Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Flexible Bean Soup can be turned into Cuban Black Bean Soup as follows:
Step 1. Omit the green pepper and use two jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced.
Step 2. Use chopped cooked ham for the meat.
Step 3. Omit the chili powder, cumin, oregano and tomatoes.
Step 4. Use black beans.
Step 5. After the ingredients have simmered for 20 minutes, puree 2/3 of the mixture in a food processor or food mill.
Step 6. Return to the heat and add 1/4 cup dry sherry, salt to taste and 1T. lemon juice. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 7. Garnish at the table with lemon wedges, chopped scallions, chopped hard-boiled eggs; serve with steamed white rice.
Grilled cheese sandwiches go perfectly with Flexible Bean Soup.
For each sandwich:
2 slices firm white bread (sliced sourdough has good texture)
1/4 lb. American or cheddar cheese, grated
Soft butter
olive oil
Step 1: Spread one side of each slice of bread very lightly with butter.
Step 2: Top one slice of bread with the grated cheese and cover with the other slice.
Step 3: Heat 2 teaspoons of butter and one of oil in a skillet over medium heat until the foam subsides.
Step 4: Add the sandwich and cook, turning once, until the outside is golden brown and the cheese starts to ooze, about 7 minutes.
Variations include adding sliced tomato, cooked bacon or thinly sliced ham before grilling the sandwich. A popular variation on the grilled cheese sandwich is the quesadilla, using a flour tortilla instead of bread:
Quesadilla
Fresh flour tortillas
Grated cheddar or monterey jack cheese
chopped green onion and cilantro
chopped jalapeño pepper
olive oil
Step 1: Sprinkle cheese, onion, cilantro and jalapeño to taste on one half of each tortilla.
Step 2: Fold the tortilla in half
Step 3: Heat a skillet brushed with olive oil and brown the folded tortilla on both sides until cheese is melted.
Step 4: Cut into pie shaped wedges and serve
