This soup starter, you see, it’s the beginning of somethin’ good. Like plantin’ seeds in the spring, gotta start somewhere, right? You get your pot, a good strong one, and you get it hot. Not too hot, mind you, just enough to make things sizzle a little.
First thing you gotta do is chop up some onions. Onions, them’s the key. Any kind will do, yellow ones, white ones, even them red ones if that’s all you got. Chop ’em up fine, not too big, not too small. Just right so they cook up nice and soft.
Then you toss ’em in the pot with a little bit of oil. Olive oil is good, makes it taste fancy. If you ain’t got that, regular oil works just fine. Just a little, though, don’t go drownin’ them onions.
Now, while them onions are cookin’, you get yourself some carrots. Orange ones, of course. Gotta have that sweetness, you know? Wash ’em good, peel ’em if you like, and chop ’em up like you did the onions. Not too big, not too small.
Then you throw them carrots in the pot with the onions. Let ’em cook together for a bit. Stir ’em around, make sure they don’t stick. You want ’em to get soft, but not burnt. Burnt ain’t no good for nobody.
Next up, celery. That green stringy stuff. Some folks don’t like it, but it adds somethin’ special to the soup starter. Chop it up, same as the onions and carrots. Toss it in the pot. Now you got onions, carrots, and celery all cookin’ together. Smells good, don’t it?
After a little while, when everything’s startin’ to get soft and the smell is makin’ your mouth water, you add some garlic. Now, garlic, that’s powerful stuff. Just a little bit will do ya. Chop it up real fine, or use one of them garlic presser things if you got one. Throw it in the pot.
Stir it all up good. The garlic will start to cook and the smell… oh, that smell! That’s when you know you’re doin’ somethin’ right. This here is the base, the start, the soup starter that’ll make any soup taste good.
Now this here soup starter, you can use it for all kinds of soups. Vegetable soup, chicken soup, beef soup, whatever you’re hankerin’ for. This is the secret, right here in this pot.
- Onions: The base of all good flavor.
- Carrots: Sweetness and color.
- Celery: That special somethin’.
- Garlic: The magic ingredient.
Once you got this soup starter goin’, you can add other things. Tomatoes, all chopped up. Makes it red and tasty. Potatoes, them’s good for fillin’ you up. Chop ’em up, throw ’em in the pot. Let ’em cook with the soup starter.
Then you need some liquid. Broth, they call it. Chicken broth, vegetable broth, beef broth, whatever you got. Pour it in the pot, enough to cover all them vegetables. Now you really got soup goin’!
You can put in some herbs, too. That green stuff that grows in the garden. Parsley, that’s a good one. Chop it up, sprinkle it in. Makes it look pretty and taste even better. Some use a bay leaf, but remember to take it out!
Let it all simmer. That means cookin’ it slow, not too hot. Just let it bubble away gently. The longer it simmers, the better it tastes. All them flavors get to know each other, mingle and mix. You can also cook some Poblano Soup, that’s good too, they say it is easy.
This soup starter, it’s like a good story. It takes time to develop. You can’t rush it. Just gotta let it simmer and cook and get all flavorful.
You can eat this soup starter as is, with some bread. Or you can use it as a base for a bigger soup. Add some meat, some noodles, whatever you like. It’s all up to you. That’s the beauty of a soup starter, it’s versatile, it is a good beginning. It can be whatever you want it to be. This is the best way to start the soup season, I tell ya.
Some folks like to add a little cream at the end, makes it all rich and smooth. Others like to keep it simple, just the vegetables and the broth. It’s all good, either way.
So there you have it. That’s how you make a soup starter. It ain’t hard, just takes a little time and a little love. And once you got it down, you can make all kinds of delicious soups. Soup that’ll warm you up on a cold day, soup that’ll fill your belly and make you feel good. I heard someone say that they made a copycat Panera Bread’s 10 Vegetable Soup, they did not tell me the secret though. I will find out the secret, you just wait.
So go on, give it a try. Make yourself a soup starter. You won’t regret it. It’s the start of somethin’ good, somethin’ real good. And don’t you forget it!
