Written By Cathy Swormstedt
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Warm up your winter with flavorful, good-for-you soups and stews
A steaming bowl of soup is one of the oldest forms of comfort food. A hearty stew finds its own space in the same category. We begin thinking about these tasty concoctions the moment there’s an autumnal zing in the air. Dog-eared family recipes emerge from a long summer’s snooze, and cooks begin rummaging through kitchen cabinets for the trusty soup pot, a venerable utensil relied upon for the preparation of everything from chowder to chili.
“You can do almost anything with soup stock, it’s like a strong foundation,” says celebrity chef Martin Yan, quoted in “The Story of Soup,” a recent posting on thepassionateparsley.com. And fans of Ina Garten’s Food Channel cooking show, “Barefoot Contessa,” have no doubt observed that she has homemade chicken and/or beef broth close at hand to use as the foundation for a wide variety of soups, many of which can be made a day or two ahead. “Nothing gives soup more flavor than homemade chicken stock,” Garten says in her Back to Basics cookbook. “I always keep quarts of it in the freezer.”
Fashion vs. Nutrition
But let us begin a discussion about soups and stews in medieval Europe, where cereals were boiled and the broth sipped from bowls large enough to be shared by more than one person. Diners used their fingers to pull out any meats or vegetables that might have been added (the more fastidious, however, used knives for this effort). At this point, apparel wasn’t a concern, but by the 16th century, fashion had changed and a popular accessory presented a dining dilemma: Spoon handles were too short to transfer soup from bowl to mouth without the threat of dribbles spoiling the stiff, lacy ruffs protruding from the necks of well-turned-out men and women. What to do? Well, necessity breeds innovation, so spoon handles were soon lengthened. Problem solved.
Perfect for Trips
In colonial America, soup was a daily meal-time staple, and it went on the road with travelers who carried “pocket soup,” a combination of dry ingredients, the enjoyment of which merely required the addition of hot water. The initial preparation took time and was a project best undertaken in the winter when the humidity was low. The idea was to cook a pot of soup, degrease it and reduce it until it took on a jelly-like consistency. Then you simply set the gelatinous substance out to dry, wrapped the desiccated result in paper and stored it in a box. In addition to providing a taste of home cooking for those traveling on horseback, pocket soup was a nutritional favorite with seamen who hoped it would help ward off scurvy. Records show that in 1804, 193 pounds of “portable soup” was purchased for the Lewis and Clark expedition and served the company of explorers as emergency rations.
Spreading the Word
On this side of the Atlantic, soup recipes found their way into publication during the mid-18th century. The first American cookbook was printed in 1742 in Williamsburg, Va., by William Parks, with entries compiled from a much larger volume authored by Eliza Smith and printed in England. Quite sensibly, the American version of The Compleat Housewife, or Accomplish’d Gentlewoman’s Companion, featured recipes that used only ingredients that could be found in Virginia—“Crawfish Soop,” for example, along with “brooth” and several bisques. The first cookbook written in America, however, did not appear until 1796: Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery. Miss Simmons, an orphan, worked as a domestic and the advice she imparted in her cookbook came from first-hand experience.
With the publication of American Cookery, cookbooks began gaining momentum; some 160 appeared in the first half of the 19th century. Mary Randolph included 16 soup recipes in her popular book The Virginia House-Wife, the first edition of which was published in 1824. She recommended the use of seasonings such as wine, ketchup, cayenne and curry powder as options for improving bland, boring dishes. In 1832, The Cook’s Own Book, authored by N.K.M. Lee, offered a variety of simplified recipes, 87 of which were for soups, consommés and broths. Emma Ewing wrote a cooking pamphlet, Soups and Soup Making, published in 1882, in which she praised soup as “convenient, economic and healthful,” adding that it was “easier of digestion than almost any other article of diet.”
All of which brings us to the 20th century, when My Better Homes & Gardens Lifetime Cook Book hit the homemaker’s best-seller list in 1930. The ring-binder design was an instant hit—you could lay the book flat down on your counter while you went about recipe preparations. In reference to the family’s health, the 1930 Better Homes staff opined: “Whatever it may need in the pursuit of happiness and well-being, food and its proper apportionment come first.” In Chapter XIII, the items listed under “Supplies for Soup Making” include Cereals, Condiments and Spices, Herbs, Vegetables for Tastier Soups, and finally, a heading called “To Garnish and Flavor.” Frequently updated, the iconic cookbook, with its red and white plaid cover replacing the original silver-gray, presented its 15th edition in 2010 with over 1,200 recipes. Large ring binder recipe collections assembled by publishing powerhouses like Better Homes & Gardens and Betty Crocker were routinely given to new brides as wedding gifts. Probably still are.
Soup or Stew?
Some cooks would say there really isn’t a great deal of difference between soup and stew. Generally speaking, more liquid is used in the cooking of soup. Any liquid that needs to be used in preparing stew is often of a thicker consistency. Think Brunswick Stew, for example, a slow-cooked, tomato-based dish rich with vegetables and meats of various kinds, including chicken, pork or beef. Chicken is used for the Brunswick Stew served daily at Chowning’s Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. But back in the day, the original recipe called for the addition of squirrel.
“Brunswick Stew was made from whatever was on hand,” says Rob Brantley, Historic Foodways Interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg. “Legend has it that Andrew Jackson requested his cook prepare ‘that stew we had in Brunswick,’ but we don’t know if that was Brunswick, Georgia, or Brunswick County, Virginia, or Brunswick County, North Carolina. Today, the Brunswick Stew served in Chowning’s Tavern remains one of our most popular menu items.”
Perhaps the difference between soup and stew is easier to discern when you know what course is involved. Soup is most often served as the starter for a meal while stew appears as the entrée. Of course, the issue of economics frequently dictates the kinds of ingredients used in cooking and how far a resulting dish needs to be stretched. And that would determine at what point in the meal it should be served.
“One-pot soups and stews were easy ways for working families to prepare a meal,” says Mark Howell, looking back on American history. “And most meals were little more than sustenance. Enjoying a meal for execution and taste came later for most families.”
Howell, who serves the Library of Virginia as its program and outreach manager, is a resident of Williamsburg and long-time history buff. His delicious recipe for Chicken Corn Chowder, included herein, is an excellent example of an item that can be enjoyed as either starter or main-course fare.
Chicken Soup and the Common Cold
No doubt you’ve heard that chicken soup can cure, or at least shorten, the common cold. Well, it turns out there’s a good deal of backup for this claim. History says that the first person to prescribe chicken soup as a cold and asthma remedy was a 12th-century Egyptian physician. In our time, studies abound. An extensive article on the medicinal effects of chicken soup was published in the October 2000 issue of CHEST Journal, the Official Publication of Chest Physicians, and reads, in part: “The current study was well controlled and used well-established in vitro methods to provide limited evidence that chicken soup could have an anti-inflammatory activity. Since many of the symptoms that follow upper respiratory tract viral infections may well be due to the inflammatory response, the study may have clinical relevance.”
Dr. Stephen Rennard, chief of pulmonary medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, conducted tests on chicken soup prepared according to his mother-in-law’s recipe. The results confirm the anti-inflammatory theory. Rennard found that chicken soup stymies the culprits—inflammatory white blood cells called neutrophils—that, if left unchecked, work their way into the bronchial tubes, causing inflammation.
Irwin Ziment, M.D., a pulmonary specialist and Professor Emeritus at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, believes that cooked chicken releases an amino acid that resembles acetylcysteine, a drug used to treat respiratory illness and bronchitis. Ziment also believes the steam and spices in chicken soup work with the chicken itself to thin mucus and clear the lungs, making breathing easier for cold sufferers.
Saving big with homemade soups and stews
Before you add soup, chowder or stew to your shopping list, keep in mind that store-bought canned goods are expensive; much of what you pay for is the packaging, plus labor and transportation costs. Even if you have coupons to bring the price of canned goods down, your homemade version of soup or stew will be a whole lot cheaper. Make an investment up front in the staples you’ll want to use in your soup such as noodles, rice or beans and you’ll be ready to add the meat and/or vegetables whenever the mood strikes. Sure, making soup or stew from scratch takes more effort than opening a can, but the flavor alone is worth the time. And then there’s the wonderful aroma that wafts through the house, welcoming family and friends as they walk through the door. On a cold winter’s night, there’s just nothing more deliciously inviting—or comforting.
Try these recipes! :
Crock Pot French Onion Soup (serves 4)
- 3 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. instant beef bouillon (or 6 bouillon cubes)
- 4 c. hot water
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 c. white wine
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2½ c. butter (for sautéing onions)
- 4 slices toasted French bread
- Shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
In a large skillet, slowly cook onions in butter until lightly browned. In crock pot, combine onions, and the butter in which they were cooked, with bouillon, water, Worcestershire sauce, wine and salt. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours. Spoon hot soup into individual bowls. Top each bowl with a slice of toasted French bread and sprinkle liberally with your choice of cheese.
Mark’s Chicken Corn Chowder (serves 6)
Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a large pot.
Dice:
1 small onion
1 celery stalk
1 large potato
1/4 red pepper (optional)
Add to pot and sauté a few minutes on medium heat until onion becomes opaque.
Add:
1 c. water
3/4 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 c. diced cooked chicken (preferably roasted or rotisserie)
1/2 c. diced smoked sausage or 4-5 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled
Simmer until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes).
Add:
1-lb. can creamed corn
2 c. milk
1 c. light cream
1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Season with:
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp .fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer until herbs are well blended (about 20 minutes) and serve.
Chowning’s Tavern Brunswick Stew (serves 8-10*)
from The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook
- 2 chickens (about 3 pounds each), cut into 6 or 8 pieces
- 4-5 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or two 16-ounce cans, drained, seeded and chopped
- 4 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 3 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 c. fresh or frozen lima beans
- 2 c. fresh or frozen sliced okra
- 1 Tbsp. salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp. sugar, or to taste
In a large pot, place the chickens and enough water to cover, 2-3 quarts. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is falling off the bones and the broth is well flavored, 2-3 hours. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a bowl and cool.
Skim the broth. Add tomatoes, corn, potatoes, onions, lima beans and okra. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, pull the chicken off the bones. Add the chicken to the vegetables and taste the stew for seasoning. Add more salt, pepper or sugar as desired. Serve hot in warm bowls.
* An easy recipe to cut in half.
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