Just make,sure you have some hearty breads and unsalted butter with your soups…a dark pumpernickel, a sourdough…yum!
@Chardo : it’s not vegan if it has evaporated milk!
^ oops, meant vegetarian
I often use a good old Costco Deli Chicken to make stock.
Family prefers chicken & wild rice with carrots & onions over old fashion chicken noodle. 
Asked my H (he’s the cook) to make taco soup today because this thread made me want soup. I believe it is a recipe I found on here. We also make a vegan bean soup that is good. Again, recipe found on CC.
The soup tonight was good. Will be better when we eat it again in another day or two!
If you are ever in Brunswick, Maine and like Indian food you should go to Bombay Mahal on Maine Street. We have had Indian food all over the world, and the Indian food at this restaurant is still the best. Raj, the owner was so gracious to give us his recipe for Chana Dal soup. Excellent, vegetarian, and warming through and through. If you can’t get chana dal, you can substitute yellow split peas.
1 cup Chana Dal
3 cups water (or chicken or vegetable broth if you prefer)
1 onion chopped
2 scallions chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 black cardamom seeds (optional)
2 bay leaves
1/2 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. fresh cilantro
1 fresh tomato chopped
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 salt
Garnish–more fresh cilantro, garam masala, grated or finely minced fresh ginger
Heat a couple tablespoons of canola oil and saute spices for about a minute to release flavors, add onions, ginger and garlic and cook until soft, add dal or split peas and water, bring to a boil then simmer for 20 to 40 minutes or until dal is pleasantly soft. Add tomato, cilantro, lime juice and salt. With the back of a wooden spoon or spatula smash some of the dal against the side of the pot creating a thickish soup with some of the dal still whole. Scoop into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro, garam masala, and ginger.
I have made this soup in a pressure cooker too. I also add more garam masala at the beginning though that was not in the original recipe that Raj gave me.
This soup is guaranteed to please, and even kids seems to love it. Now that I have typed this out, I want some!
The Chana Dal recipe looks delicious!
1 black cardamom seeds (optional)
Is that one little seed from a cardamom pod?
I don’t really know, since I copied down the recipe that Raj game me. I usually take one or two cardomon pods and smash them a little and drop them in. Whoever ends up with the pod in their bowl (if I don’t manage to fish it out before serving) shouts “I got the lucky pod!”
Thank you for the dal recipe. Can’t wait to try it! I typically use red lentils, so this will be a fun departure.
Thanks for the recipe @NorthernMom61. That looks like a winner! Do you use water as stated or substitute chicken broth?
I have made it both ways and it tastes great either way.
I think we need a cc cookbook…
I opened this thread - I like soup, but if you asked me for my favorite soups I’d go to Trader Joe’s and pick them out! I have a very unsophisticated palate but I find commercial stuff as good as homemade and what you are all describing seems like a lot of work compared to pouring a Tj’s into a bowl and microwaving!
For the OP having a party - you could do little mini grilled cheese squares as accompaniment to tomato soup. Butternut squash or split pea soup might be a good change of pace.
The holy grail of soup making is the pressure cooker. It is the most efficient and the most tasty way of making a full bodied stock that can not be replicated in a regular pot. All the flavors are sealed in the cooker and the pressure allows for the bones to break down so that you are left with a flavorful, gelatinous stock. Not to mention that it takes a fraction of the time compared to hours of boiling in a pot. The pressure cooker has really helped me to appreciate the true favors that come from foods. One staple is mash potatoes; who knew that the lowly potato had such a rich flavor sans gravy? I also make beef and fish stock, steam a variety of vegetables and braise meats to deliciousness. This work horse gadget tricks my family into thinking I’m a decent cook which is so not the case.
“Anyone have any good soup recipes for the pressure cooker?”
@Cardinal Fang, congratulations on your pressure cooker! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do mine. I have a really cheap one but it has really been life changing for me in the kitchen. I bring a whole chicken to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes and then turn off the heat. I just let it depressurize on its own which takes about 20 minutes. We are left with a tender chicken which we eat with just a sprinkling of salt and pepper. I then pick off any left over meat and return it to the stock. The next day I just add some spinach or some premade dumplings (Costco has a delicious chicken and cilantro one). With one chicken, a little salt and pepper, and about one hour of cooking, we get two delicious, nutritious meals.
I haven’t done it yet, but the pressure cooker is also dandy for making soup stock. The great thing about the Instant Pot, compared to my stovetop pressure cooker, is that it’s set and forget. I don’t have to bring the pot to the boil, then bring it to pressure, then make sure I’ve got the stove exactly at the right heat to keep the pressure cooker at the low (or high) setting, then time it exactly. I just put the food in the pot, brown it if I’m doing that, then add the liquid, put the top on, press the buttons, and go read a book. It beeps when it’s ready, and if I don’t do anything, it automatically keeps the food warm.
I go to the grocery store and buy bags of different lentils. (high in protein) I usually soak them in water overnight and then make them in the pressure cooker. They also can be bought in bulk at the indian grocery store. I prefer this than buying the canned beans. (kidney or chickpea) My favorite is split pea soup which cooks fast in the pressure cooker and does not require to be soaked in water beforehand.
A HI favorite is Portuguese bean soup, which is a tomato-based soup with Portuguese sausages (varying levels of spiciness), ham, potatoes, carrots, onions and head cabbage. Yum! It may be served over macaroni or rice or simply with crackers. If you search online, many recipes pop up, including several crock pot ones.
Yes, pressure cooker makes soup so good, especially those with lentils or beans.
OK now I’m looking at the instant pot. I won $150 off of scratch tickets in my Christmas stocking…may just get myself a new toy! Be on the lookout for an “Instant Pot recipes” thread…unless someone else wants to start it first!!!
Hmm. Maybe it needs a different title, I don’t live in Colorado, you know… :))
Which model of Instant Pot is best and why?