I like sherry in mine 🙂. Sadly, I don’t make it any more as DH has developed a sensitivity to onions 😕

I prefer sherry in mine as well. And I think the secret to a very good onion soup is the proper carmelization of the onions. They need to cook low and slow for an extended period of time to develop a rich, deep golden color and the proper sweetness. And that is not done in 20 minutes, sorry. 40-45 minutes is more like it and even that may not be long enough if cooking all the onions in one batch.

I love French Onion Soup but DH can't have red meat so the beef version is not for us. I found this recipe for Vegetarian Low Fat Onion Soup. It is very very good and I agree with you about the sherry - it is a must.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Reduced fat too

(Half Recipe)

(3) 6 Servings

(1T) 2T unsalted butter

(½ T) 1T vegetable oil

(2½ @ 1½ #) 5 large onions @3#, halved and thinly sliced

(½T) 3 cloves garlic, minced @ 1T

(¼ t) ½ t salt

(1T) 2T all-purpose flour

(3C) 6C roasted or low-sodium vegetable broth

(2½ T) 1/3 C dry sherry

(½ t) 1t Dijon mustard

(½ t) 1t sherry vinegar

(3) 6 ½” slices sourdough bread, toasted

(1/3C) 2/3C shredded Jarlsberg or Gruyere cheese

Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add onions, garlic and salt, and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to
very low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 50 to 60 minutes, until onions are
very tender and brown.

Stir in flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring
constantly. Blend in broth, sherry and mustard. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Stir in sherry vinegar.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into (three) six heatproof
bowls. Top each with slice of toast and grated cheese. Broil until cheese is
bubbly and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.

I’m eager to try this mushroom/onion soup. I was looking something else up and came across it:

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/creamy-ish-of-mushroom-soup

I put cognac or brandy in my French onion soup, as per Julia Child's recipe.

It's one of DH's favorites. As mentioned above, I also add sherry. Saw a recipe recently that called for sherry, brandy/Cognac and wine. Also both beef and veal stock.

Gardengal, I agree with you about the onions. I just pasted the recipe (which included my note about the stock)--and you can see how well that went!. I'm sure when I've made it, I didn't follow the time, but cooked the onions until they were ready. Restaurants typically cook at higher heats, and that might account for the difference. I'm not saying this is the be-all-end-all recipe! Just that it came closest for me to the flavor I was looking for.

I finally have pumpkins and want to make pumpkin soup, but it's too hot to make soup!

I also can't find my pumpkin soup recipe. I don't need a recipe, but it was good. I do have Marcolo's spicy roasted pumpkin soup recipe. I'll have a butternut next week, so if it finally cools down, I might make that instead. I don't full on pumpkin pie spice it: more Caribbean. Same spices, different attitude, but I skip the cinnamon.

Marcolo: I roasted cut-up sugar pumpkins and butternut squash to within an inch of their life, just a little brush of veg oil, salt and pepper. Peel and sorta mash 'em a bit. In a stock pot saute the aromatics of your choice in butter, especially leeks or onions and a few carrots for sweetness, plus celery and parsley or whatnot. Add the spices now. Use regular pumpkin pie selections like allspice, cloves, cinnamon, etc. But add two other key things. One is sage, which I used both fresh and dry. The other, which is the key, is pimenton, Spanish smoked paprika. When the onions and carrots are carmelized plop in the roasted pumpkin, some chicken stock and water. I don't like all chicken stock, it's too chickeny, so I use mostly water. S&P to taste, and keep adjusting all the spices until you feel the punch. Once everything is good and soft, turn off the heat, let it cool a bit and puree. I may add a touch of half and half. We roasted pepitas to put on top and I may also garnish with fried sage before serving.

I had pumpkin soup in Negril and loved it. Different places made different ways, but all savory.

I wish I could recreate them all. I had it every single day.

tortilla soup ... so quick/easy ... making it twice weekly

onions/garlic/6 C. chix stock/28 oz tomatoes/cumin => 20 min

This is the best onion soup I have ever had....came from a fund raising cook book for the des Moines symphony.

White Note Onion Soup

4 to 5 large onions thinly sliced

6 T. butter

3 T. all purpose flour

3, 10 oz cans of chicken broth

3, 10 oz cans of beef broth

3 T dry sherry

French bread

grated Swiss cheese

grated Parmesan cheese

In a large Dutch oven ( a heavy pot holding at least 4
quarts) melt the butter and cook the onion very slowly until soft but not
browned....just a little golden....blend in the flour, tossing the onion to
coat evenly, add warm broths slowly stirring all the while ( so you don't get
flour lumps), then simmer VERY slowly for about 2 hours. Toast slices of the
bread on a cookie sheet in an oven at 350 until brown, turn and toast the other
side. Add sherry to soup. Ladle soup into bowls, top with a toast slice and a
mixture of grated Swiss and Parmesian cheeses.....serve and enjoy!!

And this my recipe that I ginned up after having a pumpkin soup in a restaurant in Phoenix...took several tries to get it as I remembered it...a little pepper hot but not a lot.

Killer pumpkin soup

3T butter..in a 4 qt heavy pan
Sautee 1/2 cup chopped onion and two or 3 cloves garlic, chopped, until soft
Add 2 T flour, stir and cook a minute or so
Whisk in 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a slow simmer
Add one can pumpkin and stir and simmer ,( 1 ½ cups puree)
Add one small can chopped green chilis
Chili powder to taste....I use about 2 teaspoons That is ground chilis...not commercial chili powder that contains cumin garlic and who knows what else...I like hatch chilis.
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp crushed cumin seeds (start with less unless you are sure you like
cumin)
One 3 oz package cream cheese, cut into bits ( so it dissolved faster) Heat and
stir until smooth…do not boil!!
Just before serving add 2 Tblsps dry sherry.

Yes. Low and slow for those onions. I love dry sherry in soup but here, it would be cognac.

Yes. Low and slow for those onions. I love dry sherry in soup but here, it would be cognac.

I tried this one this year and was happy with the result:

French Onion

I did cut WAY down on the wine based on reviews.

I had never been happy with previous attempts but this one came out well. My caution is that at least for me, I don't cut the onions too thinly. They break down and I like to still have discernable onion in the soup.

I think I need to make this again now.

I also love pumpkin soup. We had it in Italy years ago and fell in love with it. I just bought a couple of pumpkins for exactly that. I don't have an actual recipe. I use the sugar pumpkins (or whatever they are called). Break them down and roast them. I brown some diced pancetta, reserve the bits and use the fat to soften onions. I add in the pumpkin and chicken stocck and cook until ready to puree. Usually add in some sage. Add in the pancetta at the end and, if you like, croutons and cheese on top.

I am getting hungry!

I like to make soups for lunches when the weather is cooler.

Emeril Lagasse's Curried Zucchini Soup

1 Tbsp oil

1 c chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

pinch cayenne

2 lbs zucchini, chopped

3 1/2 c vegetable broth (I use chicken broth)

1/2 c heavy cream

Chopped cilantro for a garnish

Over medium-high heat, cook the onion and garlic till the onion is soft but not browned. Add curry powder, salt and cayenne and stir 30 seconds. Add zucchini and reduce to medium and cook till it is soft, stirring occasionally. Add stock and bring it to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer 20 minutes till squash is tender.

Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender, add cream, simmer 3 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

One of my favorites is a tortilla soup but it takes me 2 days. I smoke the chicken and grill/char the corn day one and chop, cook everything the next day.

I just made a triple batch of about 40 cups and packaged it all up for the freezer.

Sweet potato and red pepper soup. 2 sweet potatos, cubed and cooked in broth, 1 red pepper raw, fresh ginger, a can of coconut milk, blend and season to taste with salt, fresh ground pepper. I use Himalayan salt and add a dollop of sour cream and chives or scallions when serving. It's incredibly soothing for the tummy and lends itself to all sorts of variations.

I made three quarts of chicken stock on Monday, and now I have to figure out how to use it fairly quickly, as I do not have freezer space for it. I started the stock with some poached chicken that I made for Kevin, as he had to have a special protein diet before getting a cat scan to see if his colon cancer has returned.

chloebud, I’d love to see your recipe. Sounds great! So many people (at least my friends and family) are leary of putting spirits in their recipes. I gave my son, at his request, my recipe for his favourite clam chowder. I add about 1/2 cup dry sherry to the pot. He figured it didn’t need it so left it out. After making it several times he wanted to know what was missing. He tasted mine again and agreed that what was missing was the sherry.. My next soup will be goulash soup with stewing beef simmered long and low. I love soup!

Louise, it was a recipe I saw somewhere but haven't tried. I'll have to look again...could be from Ina G.

Speaking of Ina, I just tried her Split Pea Soup With Crispy Kielbasa from her new book. It was very good, but I prefer the one I've used for years from the Silver Palate girls.

The last time I made onion soup from scratch I used 8 lbs of gigantic vidalia onions from Costco and they cooked for over 6 hours low and slow before they were carmelized. Needless to say I have quite a few batches of frozen carmelized onions!

I did cheat and used better than bullion as part of the base and was able to almost omit additional salt.

Bummer! This is the 3rd time for me to try to post this. Once it just disappeared and once I accidentally tapped something on the page that caused me to navigate away. 🤦🏻‍♀️ No explanations or comments this time. I’m just going to post links!

https://togetherasfamily.com/cream-cheese-chicken-soup/

http://thibeaultstablerecipes.blogspot.com/2009/05/basic-leek-and-potato-soup.html

http://www.closetcooking.com/2014/10/creamy-parmesan-tomato-and-spinach.html#more

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/butternut-squash-and-bourbon-bisque-recipe.html

The soup below is from the Birmingham Junior League cookbook, Tables of Content. I am an avowed zucchini hater, except for this recipe! Tap on the picture to enlarge.

Now I have pea soup in my head. My favorite is standard split peas with onions and carrots and fresh dill. And a little butter for richness since there’s no meat.

I have a fair number of onions here, and so I will take several suggestions in this thread and meld them together for French Onion soup. Won't add the flour suggested by others. Maybe a combo of Swiss and Gruyere.

I tend to make a meat stock using beef and lamb bones - and I now have some goat bones to add to that mix. I'll use that as my base, and really caramelize the onions, and toss in sherry. Sounds like a plan for next week here.

I'd sure like to try some of these, but I have a big pot of turkey cabbage soup to use up, made with the last of the garden tomatoes. It's kind of like stuffed cabbage de-constructed . . . I made it to clean out the fridge and I ended up with a TON. I will freeze some, which will make three soups I have in the freezer--Dutch brown bean, Minestrone (mine looks oddly pale as all I had were white and yellow tomatoes, and great northern beans!), and now the cabbage. Just finished the white chili, which was just OK, I've had better. I tried using pickled yellow banana peppers, they added to much of a vinegar flavor. I usually grow them in the garden but haven't for awhile.

They have been having some gorgeous squashes and pumpkins in the store lately . . . I bought one yesterday, it was 90 cents a pound which I thought was cheap, but it ended up being 5 bucks! I might have to do some kind of fancy preparation for that one. It would be fab stuffed or used as a tureen. Of course no one to invite over for a fancy dinner . . . sparse even before the pandemic, most of my friends live somewhere else now.

"...but it ended up being 5 bucks!"

I picked up a large-ish kabocha squash the other day thinking it was $1.29. It turned out to be just over $7. I was looking for a small green pumpkin just for decor, and they're all pretty pricey around here. I thought I'd found such a great, inexpensive solution. 🙄 I should have known better, but it does look nice!

I just made this today. It was very time consuming. All in all, I’m very happy. DH says it’s delish. The only changes I’d make would be to use a better cut of beef, I used stew meat and it was kinda dry. I added a chopped red pepper, which I would do again, but I’d remove the skin.

I grew up with drop dumplings, not rolled dumplings. This recipe is a winner. ”Winner” is defined as something I share with DD and she then shares with her college roomies and their children like it. What greater accolades could you ask for? P.S. I do not add potatoes, I think dumplings are enough starch/carbs. And I use frozen mirepoix instead of chopping onions, celery, and carrots.

OH I love THIS THREAD! please keep the recipes coming. And thanks for all the sharing.

Bbstx I make a very similar stew except it has kale and potatoes and no dumplings. It is one of our favorite meals! I'm going to have to try and mix it up and maybe use squash instead of potatoes and then add some dumplings. I don't know what we are going to do about this chicken regulation scandal. I was already skeptical of the packages of cheap chicken breasts and thighs that they sell at the store. We might have to switch to the more expensive stuff that a local farmer sells at the farm market. It was always a splurge item for us. We'll maybe go back to the days when you had a whole roast chicken once a week and then the leftovers for soups, casseroles and sandwiches . . .

What chicken scandal? What did I miss?

Pink, knowing that you eat vegetarian, you might enjoy this minestrone. I obviously am a carnivore, but I like this soup, too.

Kale and Quinoa Minestrone (Vegan and GF)

We had taco soup and cornbread last night. I’m sure everyone has a recipe for the soup, so I won’t post another. I think I could eat it every single day and never tire of it.

This is similar, but one I made up over 20 yrs ago. We used to ranch, and after a long day we’d all come in tired and hungry. One evening, I just threw what I had on hand into the soup pot. Our guys loved it and started calling it Cowboy Soup. It’s a law that it has to be served with cornbread. Not a gourmet dish, for sure, but it is quick and tasty and filling. :)

Cowboy Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 sweet yellow onion, diced

3 small new potatoes, diced

1 can whole corn, low or no sodium, drained

1 can sliced mushrooms, low or no sodium, drained

1 can Ranch Style Beans (TM) ... or other pinto beans

1 can tomato sauce, low or no sodium

1 large jar Pace Picante sauce (not Thick and Chunky)

Handful or so of elbow macaroni

Brown beef and onion, drain. Add to soup pot with everything except macaroni. Add enough water to make soupy. Bring to boil, simmer until potatoes are tender. Cook macaroni, drain, and add to soup towards the end. Serve with grated cheese and cornbread.

ETA: Forgot to share this black bean soup:

https://thedefineddish.com/black-bean-soup/

Well as mentioned in another thread, I have a plethora of cabbage.....next on my agenda will be "Momma's own Purple pottage"...containing ham bone, kidney beans red cabbage, red onions, celery and a few diced potatoes .And then that stuffed cabbage soup posted on my cabbage thread. I have in the freezer, tomato soup with dill, cream of mushroom, lima bean.....and next the cabbage soups....I will be almost set for the winter...

Oops I forgot Is till have a meal of chicken soup....need to make more and some of my favorite vegetable beef to round out the stocked freezer.

I don't want to hijack a soup thread. Also don't want to get into the reasons I'm mostly vegetarian, but it's a lot about how food is grown and processed. If you want to know more you can click on the link. Food and Water Watch is a group I have worked with in the past. It's just an FYI, no need to debate it here. Cheap food often has "externalities" associated with it, but a person's gotta eat. I try to eat food from folks I know a little bit about how they do things, and unfortunately I know way too much about how chicken is processed for my own good . . . https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/FSIS_Cancer Chicken_Fit for Human Consumption

But the small batch processed organic chicken from my local farmer is twice as expensive . . .

Edited to add that I just put my own "stuffed cabbage" soup in the freezer, so that makes three kinds so far--minestrone, dutch brown bean and now the cabbage. Perusing the freezer, I think I have two more to go--chicken with mixed vegetables and wide noodles, (that's the most easy peasy one I know, I just cook a couple chicken breasts in some broth, cut them up and then add frozen mixed vegetables, wide noodles and Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning.) Both Dad and husband like it. Then I have some bits and bobs of seafood which will go into something like cioppino but with maybe some shell pasta and sans mussels, we can't afford mussels but I use canned clams. Then I'm thinking some type of creamed vegetable chowder . . . I have a lot of frozen vegetables to clear out. And then maybe some Dutch split pea to use up the last of some smoked sausage I got on sale.

With a freezer full of soups I can maybe continue my bread lessons this winter . . .

I haven’t tried this yet, but I’m quite certain we’ll love it. I know though, as with most of my dinner party worthy soups, I plan on adding a generous slurp of sherry. I would likely use uncle bens wild rice mix. I have a large jar of dried mushrooms from Costco that I will use for the dried component. As one reviewer of this recipe said, the dried mushrooms can have an off putting texture so I tend to cut them quite small. They also have to be rehydrated correctly and I am embarrassed to admit that it was just now when I looked at the label to see what kind of mushrooms were in there, that I saw the directions for rehydrating and I had missed a step. That could help.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/mushroom-wild-rice-soup/

l pink mountain: the link says page not found.

This slow cooker Mexican Chicken soup has become a favorite in my house. The recipe makes a BIG batch and freezes well too.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/slow-cooker-mexican-chicken-soup-3293339

I can't get the link to work. Something about formatting. But anyway, you can google "Avian Leukosis" and "Food and Water Watch" if you want more information on the topic. Anything more and I will end up hijacking this thread which I don't want to do.

ratherbesewing: Is your Mexican soup very hot (spicy)?