Tuesday's Teacher

Soup is easy to eat; that’s why kids like it.

Soup is also one of the most nutritious foods because its liquid is contained and eaten.

Soup is easier than most people think to make.

Sounds like a quiz. It isn’t; it’s a trilogy of facts.

What constitutes soup?

The dictionary says soup is a liquid food made by boiling foods together. If you describe that to kids, they will pour it on the dog. Quite frankly, adults don’t have to tell kids anything about soup. For the most part, soup is friendly eating. Kids like soup.

It’s friendly to a child, perhaps, but not when the adult realizes that there isn’t enough nutrition in an ordinary can of soup to count as even a part of a meal. That fact can turn into a real guilt trip and that’s never friendly.

Cooking is the last thing on lots of busy parents schedules, but homemade soup is almost as easy as canned if you take a few short cuts, and it’s stocked full of quality food. I make soup every Saturday. It takes me fifteen minutes, and even my chef daughter has a bowl.

First step: put two or three cups of water in a two-quart pot.

Second step: put four tablespoons of chicken or beef bouillon in the water. Bouillon comes granulated now, has a shelf life better than snack cakes, and it can be used in lots of meals like macaroni and cheese for flavor.

Third step: go through the refrigerator and put all the leftovers from the last week into the pot. Add a little more water if necessary. Add some fresh or frozen vegetables if the left over section of your fridge is a little low.

What kinds of leftovers? Noodles, Chinese food, rice, stew, baked chicken (without bones) spaghetti and sauce, roast (cubed), vegetables, salad (with and without dressing, croutons etc) cheese, casseroles, cheese potatoes, macaroni and cheese, beans, tacos, barbecue, just about anything but tuna and sweet stuff because they will alter the pot too much.

Let it simmer until it begins to boil. Thicken if necessary, and serve.

I’m kidding, right? Nope. I’ve done it for years. My kids call it swamp soup. It’s a marvelous use of leftovers, and everyone likes it. It looks a lot like hearty minestrone. The mixed flavors are rich and hearty and pleasing to child and man. I once made five gallons and fed an army of picky teens. They ate the whole five gallons and never asked once what was in it.

The fun of swamp soup is the endless combinations that all come together to create something new and interesting. Salad dressing adds flavor as does melted cheese and mashed potatoes. But swamp soup is not for palate sissies whose personal menu could cover one side of a business card. It’s a hearty, robust meal that satisfies for hours.

For a child, serve soup in a teacup and saucer. Children will eat more of anything on small plates and in small bowls. Remember proportions. A dinner plate to a child is like a turkey platter to an adult. Add a fun bread or cracker. Try using a cookie cutter to cut bread or toast into fun shapes.

For mom and dad, add a cold top. Cut up raw onion, tomatoes, summer vegetables like squash, green pepper and cucumbers and sprinkle them on top just before serving with a layer of shredded cheese and bacon.

For refrigerators lacking in leftovers, try saving more from meals eaten out and save that tablespoon of this and that in a seal and close bag. Bottoms up!