COLUMN: (No) Soup for You!

In these blustery winter months, few visceral pleasures approach the allure of a piping hot bowl of your favorite soup served with some hearty bread or crisp saltines. Soup also happens to be ideal for the college chef since you can get a high volume of food with minimal effort and relatively basic equipment. I've included three recipes which have proven popular with my friends here at Messiah College, but one of the great beauties of soup is that you can improvise delicious concoctions using whatever ingredients are lying around. Ask grandma for her old stockpot and ladle and get busy!Basic soup tips for the college chef:

 Don't skimp on soup stock since it's the one ingredient that can make or break a soup. Free-range chicken and beef stocks are widely available. Vegetable stock is an acceptable substitution for vegetarian cooks, but be aware that it often adds a bizarre sweetness to the soup.

 Never add raw onion to a soup. Always sauté it lightly in a little oil or butter first. You can usually do this in your stockpot if you don't want to dirty a skillet. Remember to stir the chopped onion once a minute so it cooks evenly.

 Roux is a basic thickening agent for most soups and sauces. You make it by melting butter over low heat and mixing in an equal volume of flour. Always stir your roux well while cooking so that the bottom doesn't burn. Remember, more roux makes thicker soup. Do not add flour or corn starch directly to broth and expect it to thicken; you will make nasty little lumps that taste dreadful.

 Remember, butter sticks have markings on the wrapper showing volume. One stick is eight tablespoons or one half a cup.

 INGREDIENTS COOK AT DIFFERENT RATES. Ultimately, the human mouth is the only real test of done-ness. Don't be afraid to sample your soup while cooking, but don't burn your mouth for crying out loud!

Three favorite soup recipes:

1. Yia-yia's vegetarian chili. This is a variation on a chili that my yia-yia ("grandmother" in Greek) makes. I make it vegetarian, but you can easily add some browned ground beef with the tomatoes if "vegetarian chili" seems like an oxymoron to you. Use a nice big stockpot for this since it will feed an army. Dice two medium yellow onions, crush and mince four cloves of garlic, and sauté these ingredients in two tablespoons of olive oil on heat-5 until soft. Add one diced green bell pepper, three chopped celery stalks, and four jalapeño peppers sliced into rounds. Cover and let sweat for 15 minutes. Add three 14 oz. cans of petite diced or crushed tomatoes (not tomato sauce or tomato paste). Season with 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 3 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and simmer until the tomatoes break up. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup cooking sherry. (No, public safety will not bust you for having cooking wine around since the stuff is undrinkable.) Simmer for another 15 minutes. Add two 14 oz. cans of kidney beans (drain and wash them first since bean juice is nasty) and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a 14 oz. can of sweet corn and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips.

2. Garlic Soup. If you're into natural remedies for those pesky winter colds, look no further than your kitchen. Garlic has been used since ancient times for its medicinal properties and this soup is a great way to eat lots of it without destroying your breath. Mince a small yellow onion and 12 (trust me) cloves of garlic. Sauté slowly with two tablespoons of butter on heat-4 for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add one tablespoon flour and cook for another minute. Add 4 cups (one quart) of chicken stock, 3 cups water, a good pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Beat 2 egg yolks (see previous issue for how to separate eggs) in a small bowl. Turn off the heat and add the egg yolks with heavy whisking to get a nice egg-drop consistency. Serve with saltines or herb croutons.

3. Panera-style Broccoli Cheddar. Yeah, I get lots of requests for this one. Sauté a medium diced onion in a little olive oil on heat-5, then set aside. Make a roux with half a cup each of flour and butter. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and stir well on heat-5 until it starts to get thick. Add 4 cups of half-and-half and simmer for 10 minutes. Add three thinly sliced carrots, three chopped broccoli crowns, the sautéed onion, and a good pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until broccoli is cooked. Turn off heat and add 8 oz. of grated cheddar cheese. Stir in half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg. Serve with baguette.