Soup (soop) n. A liquid food prepared from meat, fish, or vegetable stock combined with various other ingredients and often containing solid pieces.

The earliest of soups can be dated back to Greece in 6000 B.C. Greeks were known to sell soup as “fast food” on the street using lentils, beans and peas as the chief ingredients. In contrast, the first introduction of soup recipes in an American cookbook was not up until 1742! Commercial canned soups became popular with Campbell Soup Company’s chemist, Dr. John T. Dorrance’s invention of condensed soup in 1897. According to Wikipedia, today, Campbell’s tomato, cream of mushroom, and chicken noodle soup are three of the most popular soups in America.

Did you know January is National Soup Month? To comfort you during long, cold winter days and to cozy up your evenings, January is one of the best choices to be National Soup Month!  Whether you are sick, or looking for a quick and easy appetizer, a hot bowl of soup makes a great comfort food in winter time.

Soups have evolved into many different shapes and forms over the years. If one is looking for a hearty soup, that is high in calorific content and serve as a filling meal then cream soups such as chowders and bisques rank at the top of the list. Broth-based soups such as consommés will typically be low in calories because of the high water content. These are great for a person suffering from flu or as a winter evening appetizer. Soups can be made nutritious by adding beans and vegetables, such as chili and gazpacho to serve as great sources of fiber and protein. One should be careful when consuming canned and condensed soups, as they typically contain large amounts of sodium to enhance the flavor.

Give the recipe below a try and see how homemade yogurt and corn soup – a simple, hearty, tasty and nourishing soup leaves you cozy and in a wintery mood such that you will want to let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

Yogurt and Corn Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups                               water

2 cups                                   fresh corn cut from the cob

4 ½ teaspoons                   curry powder

1 ½ teaspoons                   salt

1 ½ teaspoons                   butter

1                                              bay leaf

1 large                                   onion (chopped)

6 cloves                                garlic (chopped)

1 large                                   potato (peeled and chopped)

2 large                                   tomatoes (cut into eighths)

5 cups                                   chicken stock (fat removed)

1 ½ cups                               yogurt

Recipe:

   1. Put water, corn, ½ teaspoon curry powder and ½ teaspoon salt in cooker.
   2. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes.
   3. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally.
   4. Open cooker. Drain and reserve corn.
   5. Melt butter in rinsed cooker. Add bay leaf, onion and garlic. Stir fry till onion is transparent. Add potato, remaining curry powder, salt, tomatoes and stock. Stir.
   6. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes.
   7. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally.
   8. Open cooker. Discard bay leaf. Mix the soup smooth in a blender or mash it through sieve.
   9. Return soup to cooker. Add corn.
  10. Place cooker on high heat and bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
  11. Remove cooker from heat. Add yogurt. Stir. Serve hot!