In between a soup and a stew, a “stoup” has enough broth to add nuance and flavor, but allows the individual ingredients to shine in their wholeness.
One of the benefits of gardening and canning is the gift of vegetables and fruits available throughout the colder months, and adding these gifts from our garden in conjunction with other store-bought ingredients can boost the authentic homemade goodness you just don’t get from a single can of soup.
This “stoup” turned out so beautifully for dinner last night, we’re chowing down on it for the second day’s lunch AND dinner! It’s the perfect snow day comfort food. 😋 Another plus — keeping leftovers overnight adds to the flavor, and you can easily toss in some other ingredients to change it up enough to give variety for the following day’s helping. It’s like a living gift!
My husband and I were both exhausted from a long road trip to see my side of the family for Thanksgiving, and don’t think those frozen DiGiorno pizzas in our basement freezer didn’t call our name!🤣 But, good nutrition is worth the bit of effort, and this “stoup” is as easy as it gets, folks. We hadn’t been to the grocery store in a week, so I combed our freezer, fridge and pantry for available ingredients, and the result was nothing short of surprisingly delicious! Here’s the recipe from our kitchen to yours; feel free to add or subtract as your tastes dictate. You can substitute different veggies, beans, and meat, but I highly suggest you keep the wine, bacon, butter, lemon and freshly-grated Parmesan.😉 Happy eating, fellow foodies!❤️😘❤️
••• SNOW-DAY “STOUP” •••
3 Tbs. Amish Grass-fed Butter
1 Large Onion, diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Small Carrots, scrubbed well + thinly sliced
2 Celery Stalks, scrubbed well + diced
2 Cups Summer Squash, chopped bite-sized (Fresh or Frozen)
3-4 Large Handfuls of Baby Spinach, roughly chopped
2 tsp. Poultry Seasoning or Herbs de Provence
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. Coriander
Sprinkle of Ground Cumin
Sprinkle of Cardamom
Sprinkle Rubbed Sage
Sea Salt + Fresh Cracked Black Peppercorn
Canned Goods (14.5oz – 15.5oz unless otherwise noted):
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes, with liquid
1 Can Whole-Kernel Corn, drained
1 Can Great Northern Beans, drained
1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained
1 Can Whole Potatoes, drained + diced
1 Can Chicken Breast, drained + chopped
1 Small (6.5oz) Can Mushrooms, drained
1.5 – 2 Tbs. Better Than Bouillon Chicken Flavor
2.5 Cups Boiling Water
1.5 Cups Dry White Wine (We used Cupcake Chardonnay, and it was a fabulous fit!)
Juice of 1 Large Lemon, squeezed into stoup at end
4-6 Slices Thick-Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, cooked separately in 425 degree oven until perfectly crispy, then chopped up with sharp knife and crumbled on top of stoup
Fresh-Grated Parmesan Cheese
Fresh herbs, chopped (like flat-leaf Italian parsley if you have it on hand)
1 Cup Barley, cooked separately (*In separate pot, add 1 Cup of barley into two cups boiling water and pinch of sea salt; cover and cook on mid-range heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until liquid is cooked off — add cooked barley to individual bowls first, then ladle stoup over it… If you put it directly in the stoup and don’t eat it all in one sitting, the barley will soak up much of the liquid, FYI)
••• DIRECTIONS •••
In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt butter and add diced onion. Sauté until soft and starting to caramelize. Add celery and carrot, stir and cover for a few minutes until added veggies begin to soften. Add minced garlic, good sprinkle of salt, a few grinds of fresh-cracked black pepper, herbs and spices, and allow flavors to meld for a couple of minutes. Add Better Than Bouillon to the pot, then add boiling water from kettle (or just bring the added 2.5 cups of water to a boil in the pot). Stir well. Add all canned ingredients as noted (you’ll want the liquid of the tomatoes in the stoup, but everything else gets drained — no need to rinse), and the fresh or frozen Summer Squash, stirring and allowing mixture to come to a low boil to heat through. Add chopped spinach and wine, stir to combine. Cover and turn heat to low-medium, allowing flavors to meld for 5-10 minutes. Taste and add any additional salt and pepper or other herbs as needed. Add juice of one large lemon into pot and stir. Place 1/4-1/2 cup hot cooked barley into each individual bowl; ladle stoup over barley. Stir to combine. Top with crumbled bacon and a generous portion of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese. If you have fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley on hand, feel free to add that as well. Serve with warm, crusty French bread + butter or crackers. Bon appétit!!!
Into The Deep 