Two Soups for January-and Potato Kugel

What's this? Recipes?! Been a while, hasn't it?

Sometimes I take for granted that everyone knows how to make a pot of soup, but judging by the aisle of tins at the supermarket, perhaps not. There's something to be said for convenience, of course but if you find yourself with some time at home, these are two recipes that don't require much work once everything is in the pot-just time.

Both soups are meatless, but there's no reason you can't add it and if you prefer beef stock, go ahead and use it. I grew up eating mushroom barley soup with cubes of beef salami in it, of all things (and it was good!) so feel free to experiment.

Mushroom Barley Soup

1 1/2 cups sliced shallots or 1 large onion, chopped
1 lb, mushrooms, chopped (I used a combination of oyster, shiitake, and regular old button mushrooms
3 tablespoons oil (I used corn)
1 tin small butter beans, or lima beans (frozen is OK too)
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
2 carrots, finely diced
2 bay leaves
A good grind of black pepper
Salt if needed (the stock is rather salty)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 quart vegetable stock (more or less depending how thick you like your soup)

In a large, heavy pot heat the oil over medium heat and add the shallots and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have thrown off most of their water. Add everything else except the stock and cook about 1 minute to coat the barley and carrots. Add the stock, stirring and bring to a boil. Skim if needed, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook about 1 1/2 hours or until vegetables and barely are quite soft. The soup freezes well.

Meatless Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

When my mother made this, she skipped the brown sugar and used a handful of raisins in the soup. Either is fine, but my boys prefer the sugar. This recipe comes from Traditional Jewish Cooking by, Betty S. Goldberg

6 cups shredded green cabbage (I used the cheap kind, not savoy)
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 large tin chopped tomatoes
3 large carrots, sliced
2 cups red or white boiling potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
Salt/pepper to taste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice.

Toss the cabbage with the flour and set aside.

In a large pot, ovcer medium heat cook the onion in the oil until wilted but not browned. Drain the tomatoes, reserving juice. Chop the tomatoes. Add the garlic to the onions, then add the cabbage. Mix well and add tomatoes, juice, potatoes, carrots, and stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the caraway, salt/pepper, and brown sugar. Reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and cook about 1 hour or until cabbage is very soft, Stir in the lemon juice at the end. Serve hot. This soup also freezes well. You can serve it with sour cream, or...Potato kugel and sour cream. Your choice of course, but I'd take the potato pudding.

1 small onion, grated
2 large eggs, beaten
2 pounds of peeled potatoes, grated
1/3 cup plain flour or 1/4 cup matzo meal
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 2 quart baking dish.
Combine onion and eggs in a large bowl. Grate the potatoes into the bowl, and toss well after each potato-this keeps them from turning grey. Add the flour, oil, and seasonings. Pour into baking dish ans bake 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours or until top is nicely browned. Now, you're going to need the sour cream (or applesauce).


I don't know why I've got away from posting recipes, as I still cook every day. I'll try to make a point of including some cookery posts now and then.