# Homemade Soup .



## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

If someone says Homemade soup in my house , this is what they mean . I've been eating this my whole life . After I saw the great thread from 

 tbern
 I realized others were doing the same basic " style " of soup with different ingredients . 
My Mom's original recipe was simple and basic because my Dad was a meat and potatoes guy . 
2 cans tomato sauce 
6 cans of water 
russet potatoes 
green beans 
egg noodles . 
A lot of great soups posted lately , so I want to add this to those , and my method for the base just using canned tomato sauce and water . 

We always use stew meat . This is sirloin that I trimmed myself from a beef knuckle .
seasoned with fresh ground pepper only . No salt . I don't want the moisture drawn out when browning .






Get the pan hot . You don't want the meat sitting in liquid . 
Just watch it so you don't burn it . 





I use 2 15oz. cans of tomato sauce . 
When the beef is browned enough I add one can of sauce .
Let it simmer . It's cleaning up the bottom of the pan 
and tenderizing the meat . Put the lid on , lower the heat . 
You'll smell it when it's time for the next step . 





Next I add the 2nd can of tomato sauce . I did it like this so you can see the change in color . Most times I put them in at the same time . 
The sauce that has been simmered with the beef is a darker color . 
You can see the difference from right out of the can .





Don't toss the cans . Fill them with water and let them sit until needed .





Bring to a boil , then reduce the heat and put the lid on . 
When it's getting good you will smell it . This is just the browned beef and 2 cans of sauce at this point . 





I think yesterday it was about 3 hours when I added the water . 
So dump the 2 that you washed the cans out with , then add 4 more . 
I'm also grinding black pepper along the way . 
Back to a boil , then reduce and lid it up . 
Start checking when the smell hits you again . I skim the foam from the top . 





Skim it off and re-lid . Simmer , check and skim until it looks like this when you take the lid off . At this point it has a deep peppery / beef smell . 





From there you can add what ever you like . This is not  tomato tasting soup . 
Hard to describe , but it's addicting . 
I added raw carrots , frozen ( par cooked ) green beans 
and russet potatoes . I cut the potatoes different sizes on purpose . 
I want some to cook down into the broth . Thickens it up just a bit . 
This is a long cooking soup . Really builds great flavor . Whatever you add just make sure it has time to cook through , and take on the flavor of the soup .





So I went to get the rustic hearth bread I bought for grilled cheese , and found it moldy in the middle of the loaf . Now I know why it was half price . 
So I grabbed the mixer and put my own loaf together . 
First rise , punched down and shaped . 





Second rise . Ready for the oven .





I put the cast iron pizza pan in to heat up and hour before the bread goes in . 
That way I can add 2 TBLS spoons of water to the hot cast iron to create some steam . 
Bread pulled when it sounds hollow on the bottom . Should be 195 / 200 . 










Happy with it , except the fact that I forgot the salt . 





Made up some grilled cheese with pepperoni and pepper jack cheese . 





Soups ready . It smells so good . It's an all day cook , 
but it really makes a difference .





I added some wagon wheel pasta that I boiled in another pot . 





Grilled cheese and some chips .





It really hits the spot . Becomes a focal point of the whole day . 
From simmering on the stove to sitting down for the meal . 





Thanks for looking . Leftovers have already been requested for tonight .


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## tbern (Dec 23, 2022)

chopsaw     another excellent example of a comfort food soup!!  bookmarked and added on list to get made! thanks for sharing!


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## sawhorseray (Dec 23, 2022)

That's comfort food that warms the soul Rich, nice work there! RAY


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## BGKYSmoker (Dec 23, 2022)

chop

That's an awesome meal right there.


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## normanaj (Dec 23, 2022)

Looks awesome Rich. With this weather I could go for some of that.


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## JLeonard (Dec 23, 2022)

We have got to start a soup sub forum. I am book marking so many great looking soups im losing them!
dude those grilled cheese look great also!


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## Brokenhandle (Dec 23, 2022)

Now I'm starving just imagining how good your house smells! Love the looks of that soup and the bread as well! 

Ryan


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## Steve H (Dec 23, 2022)

Good Lord Rich. That is simply amazing! I wouldn't have chips though. It'll take away room for the sammies and soup!


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

tbern said:


> chopsaw another excellent example of a comfort food soup!! bookmarked and added on list to get made! thanks for sharing!


I saw your thread and knew exactly what you had there . I'm passionate about this one and hope I didn't butt in to much in your thread . 
You already have it figured out , but try the stew meat sometime and simmer it like this before you add anything else . The tomato sauce tenderizes the meat , and the meat flavors the sauce . 
See , I'm getting all weird about soup again . 


sawhorseray said:


> nice work there!


Ray , it's good bud . To bad you don't live in a cold climate . 


BGKYSmoker said:


> That's an awesome meal right there.


Thanks Rick . Be good with some white beans added in .


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

normanaj said:


> Looks awesome Rich. With this weather I could go for some of that.


Thanks Norm . Did this weather make it up there yet ? It hits the spot . 


JLeonard said:


> so many great looking soups


I know . I saw some I want to do too . Highlight the text and copy to a word file . Easy to find that way . 


JLeonard said:


> those grilled cheese look great also!


Jim , they are . I got the grilled cheese down . Kerry gold butter is magic . Hot salami or the pepperoni is awesome too .


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

Brokenhandle said:


> Now I'm starving just imagining how good your house smells! Love the looks of that soup and the bread as well!


That all day simmer is key . Brings people in and out of the kitchen . 
Bread baking and the fire going , it was a good day to be home . 
Thanks for looking . 


Steve H said:


> Good Lord Rich. That is simply amazing! I wouldn't have chips though. It'll take away room for the sammies and soup!


Steve , it's one that you can't stop eating . The flavor of the base is fantastic . Thanks bud .


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## tx smoker (Dec 23, 2022)

WOW!! Absolutely fantastic thread. The detail and pics are second to none...as is the soup itself. yours looks virtually identical to what I did a few days ago so that tells me I came close to getting it right. Your recommendation of using water versus beef broth was spot on. The only difference I see is that my broth looks to be a bit thicker than yours. Probably because I didn't use quite as much water.


chopsaw said:


> This is a long cooking soup . Really builds great flavor .


Truer words have never been spoken. Of course when I had everything put together I had to take a taste of it. Good but not cohesive. A long, slow simmer is critical (IMHO) for the flavors to develop. Being that this was my first ever batch, I'm no expert by any means but what Rich said worked very well for me.

Robert


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## DRKsmoking (Dec 23, 2022)

comfort food to say the least. And your bread and sandwich nice combo for your greatsoup

David


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## GonnaSmoke (Dec 23, 2022)

Very nice meal and an excellent write up, Rich...


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

tx smoker said:


> yours looks virtually identical to what I did a few days ago so that tells me I came close to getting it right.


Yup . I commented that you nailed the broth . Looked spot on . As did 

 tbern
 soup . 


tx smoker said:


> The only difference I see is that my broth looks to be a bit thicker than yours. Probably because I didn't use quite as much water.


It gets thick when it's right ( or how I like it ) Mine yesterday was a bit thinner than normal . I didn't use as many potatoes . Cut some of the russets in small chunks . They cook into the soup and thicken it up . 


tx smoker said:


> Good but not cohesive. A long, slow simmer is critical (IMHO) for the flavors to develop.


I agree .


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

DRKsmoking said:


> comfort food to say the least. And your bread and sandwich nice combo for your greatsoup


Thanks David . Got the pot on the stove reheat as I type . 


GonnaSmoke said:


> Very nice meal and an excellent write up, Rich...


Thank you Charles . Appreciate the comments .


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## motocrash (Dec 23, 2022)

Man! I could sure use a bowl of that and a sammich or two. That looks killer, I can almost taste the depth of flavor. This weather has my skinny ass holed up in the house. 10*, Wind 33 G 52. 
4* tonight.....


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

motocrash said:


> Man! I could sure use a bowl of that and a sammich or two. That looks killer, I can almost taste the depth of flavor.


Thanks bud .Yup you can see it in the color and the skimming off the top as it cooks is a must in my opinion . Really cleans up the taste . 


motocrash said:


> This weather has my skinny ass holed up in the house. 10*, Wind 33 G 52.
> 4* tonight.....


It's brutal Bill . I'm too stupid to get the right clothes on when I go out . 
Went out to start the old truck in shorts . Damn wind goes right through you .


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## motocrash (Dec 23, 2022)

I can see that skimming would sure make a big difference. The skim is acidy right?


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## SecondHandSmoker (Dec 23, 2022)

Rich,  both the soup and sammies look fantastic.

Stu


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

motocrash said:


> The skim is acidy right?


I would think so . It can be stirred in , but I always thought of it as " impurities " . Unwanted fats , oils and acids . Cleans it up . If I do a broth based soup The foam doesn't happen .


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

SecondHandSmoker said:


> Rich, both the soup and sammies look fantastic.


Thanks Stu . Appreciate the comment . It's on the stove now . Smells so good .


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## SecondHandSmoker (Dec 23, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Thanks Stu . Appreciate the comment . It's on the stove now . Smells so good .


I can imagine.


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## civilsmoker (Dec 23, 2022)

Chop holy smokes!  That looks awesome and the grilled cheese with it... Just perfection all around!


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## gmc2003 (Dec 23, 2022)

Soup looks and sounds good Rich. Nicely done

Point for sure
Chris


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## chopsaw (Dec 23, 2022)

civilsmoker said:


> Chop holy smokes! That looks awesome and the grilled cheese with it... Just perfection all around!


Just got done with round 2 . I'm stuffed . Thanks for the comments bud . 


gmc2003 said:


> Soup looks and sounds good Rich. Nicely done


Chris , this ones from my childhood . Cheap way to feed four kids . 
Thanks for looking .


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## bauchjw (Dec 23, 2022)

Bookmarked for next week! Dang that looks incredible! Outstanding meal, perfect for the weather! I’m loving all these soup posts! Points for sure!


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## indaswamp (Dec 24, 2022)

Nice Soup Chop!


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## normanaj (Dec 24, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Did this weather make it up there yet ? It hits the spot .


Oh yeah.It was like having a tropical storm in December and now its a whopping 8 degrees outside with a nice stiff wind.


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## chopsaw (Dec 24, 2022)

bauchjw said:


> Dang that looks incredible!


Thanks Jed . If you have the time follow the method . That's where the flavor comes from . 


indaswamp said:


> Nice Soup Chop!


Thanks for the comment bud .


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## chopsaw (Dec 24, 2022)

normanaj said:


> Oh yeah.It was like having a tropical storm in December and now its a whopping 8 degrees outside with a nice stiff wind.


I know . It's crazy . I've spent my time in the cold , but I'm just not used to it anymore . Can't go from 60 to negative 2 .


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## halleoneagain (Dec 29, 2022)

OK, I made a slightly different version of 

 chopsaw
's soup last night and it was amazing.  I think it had a lot to do with using the tomato sauce, and cooking said sauce a bit before adding other ingredients.  I didn't add any meat, and the vegetables were just a crummy bag of mixed veggies that were sitting around.  I did throw in some Italian Seasoning herbs and a can of chopped tomatoes.  It was one of the most flavorful soups I have ever made, so thank you Chop, got anymore good soup recipes you want to share?


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## chopsaw (Dec 29, 2022)

halleoneagain said:


> It was one of the most flavorful soups I have ever made, so thank you Chop, got anymore good soup recipes you want to share?


Sounds great Lynn . Nothing wrong with a frozen veg mix . Key is to cook it out and get back to " the taste " of the simmered sauce . Use that as a base , and the sky is the limit . 

My other soup recipes are 8 cups of water and a bag of Bear Creek soup mix . 
I will do chicken with spaetzle dumplings .


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## halleoneagain (Dec 29, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Sounds great Lynn . Nothing wrong with a frozen veg mix . Key is to cook it out and get back to " the taste " of the simmered sauce . Use that as a base , and the sky is the limit .
> 
> My other soup recipes are 8 cups of water and a bag of Bear Creek soup mix .
> I will do chicken with spaetzle dumplings .
> ...


Looks pretty good from here. and I am shopping tomorrow and will look for the Bear Creek line.  This is definitely soup season.


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## chopsaw (Dec 29, 2022)

halleoneagain said:


> will look for the Bear Creek line.


We like the cheddar broccoli , creamy potato and the wild rice . They have chicken and vegetable beef too .  Not to keen on the chili .


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## halleoneagain (Dec 29, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> We like the cheddar broccoli , creamy potato and the wild rice . They have chicken and vegetable beef too .  Not to keen on the chili .


The wild rice, tortilla, gumbo, and navy bean are on my radar, guess it just depends on what's actually at the store.  Those are fairly gluten free; I have an intolerance to gluten, so I try to keep it to a minimum.  Thanks for the ideas.


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## bill1 (Dec 29, 2022)

I'd say grilled cheese is the perfect sandwich for that soup.  But instead of spicy pepperoni in the sandwich, I'd maybe put some jalapeno in the soup?


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## xray (Dec 30, 2022)

Sorry Chop, had a response all typed up the other other day and forgot to hit send, late to the party but soup gets better as it sits, so I’ll gladly take bowl.

The bowl of soup and grilled cheese is all day winter comfort food for me!


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## Steve H (Dec 30, 2022)

xray said:


> The bowl of soup and grilled cheese is all day winter comfort food for me!


So true!


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## chopsaw (Dec 30, 2022)

xray said:


> Sorry Chop, had a response all typed up the other other day and forgot to hit send, late to the party but soup gets better as it sits, so I’ll gladly take bowl.
> 
> The bowl of soup and grilled cheese is all day winter comfort food for me!


I do it all the time . Daughter got me a new laptop for Christmas with windows 11 . Trying to get used to that . She says I make things last to long . Lol . 

I always get the soup out the next day and put it back on the stove . Great in the winter time . 
Thanks for looking bud .


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## chopsaw (Dec 30, 2022)

halleoneagain said:


> The wild rice, tortilla,


We've also have had these 2 . Really good .


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## chopsaw (Dec 30, 2022)

bill1 said:


> I'd maybe put some jalapeno in the soup?


You could use that base for just about anything . We like it just as is .


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## GaryHibbert (Dec 30, 2022)

That does look delicious, Rich.  I'll be making that real soon.
We just went through nearly 2 weeks of -30 to -47* weather, and I really need some comfort food. Cutting, splitting, and carrying 2/3 of a cord wood for the fire place in that weather has me pretty much tuckered out.
Gary


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## chopsaw (Dec 30, 2022)

GaryHibbert said:


> That does look delicious, Rich.


Thanks Gary .  


GaryHibbert said:


> We just went through nearly 2 weeks of -30 to -47* weather, and I really need some comfort food. Cutting, splitting, and carrying 2/3 of a cord wood for the fire place in that weather has me pretty much tuckered out.


 I bet it does . Too much work for me any more . I stack my own and that's all I want .


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## checkdude (Dec 30, 2022)

That looks great! Cheep bastard that I am I use all and any leftovers around. Latest was good size ham bone an some meat from christmas diner=ham and split pea soup. Turned out great.


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## chopsaw (Dec 31, 2022)

checkdude said:


> That looks great!


Thanks bud . 


checkdude said:


> I use all and any leftovers around


Oh yeah . That's a great way to use up leftovers and have a great soup .


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