FOUNDATIONS

OF SOUP
COOKBOOK

Meghan Gates
 The story behind
Foundations of Soup...

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard someone

say, "it's easy for others who are good cooks, but I
can't make that," I would be a rich woman.

It saddens me that so many have the desire to cook

nutrient-dense homemade meals for their family,
but lack the confidence because it seems too
complicated. Many cookbooks claim "quick and
easy", but the shortcuts they take are usually with
highly processed foods. Others claim "healthy and
nutritious", but the techniques are complicated and
the ingredients are either too expensive or hard to
come by.

My goal in the kitchen is always to turn pure and

humble ingredients into easy-to-digest, nutrient-
dense, undeniably delicious meals for my family.
I'm here to tell you that such recipes exist and such
techniques are simple to learn.

I want to equip you with skills and knowledge so

that you can nourish your family in the best way
possible, so that you don't have to rely on takeout
when your fridge is bare, so that you know what's
in your food and why.

Why soup? The answers are simple: soup is the

easiest thing to make healthy. Soup is a universal
process. The combinations are limitless. Soup can
be as individualized as you are. Plus, I can't think
of anything more satisfying than a piping hot bowl
of soup.

I hope you enjoy this cookbook, gain confidence,

and truly enjoy the act of cooking for your loved
ones.

Give yourself grace and taste often,

- Meghan
Foundations of Soup | 1
 "Only the pure in heart can make
a good soup."
-Ludwig Van Beethoven

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:
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YouTube: This Ranch Life
Foundations of Soup | 2
 FOUNDATIONS OF SOUP

The table of

CONTENTS

YOUR INVITATION 5

QUALITY INGREDIENTS MATTER 7

SOUP, THE PROCESS 8

Bone Broth 9

Creamy Turmeric Chicken, Wild Rice, &

Mushroom Soup 11

Venison, Liver, & Sprouted Bean Chili 12

Lamb Vegetable Stew 13

Chicken Noodle Soup 14

Green Chile Pork Stew 15

Beef & Barley Soup 16

Chicken Coconut Curry Soup 18

Instant Pot Oxtail Soup 19

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup 20

Ham Split Pea Soup 21

Italian Sausage Soup 22

Borsht 23

Chicken Corn Chowder 24

Mexican Fish Soup 26

Foundations of Soup | 3
Foundations of Soup | 4
 YOUR
INVITATION:
As a deeply nourishing food, soup
has immense potential to not only
taste delicious, but also heal your
body. There's a reason that
grandma always made chicken
noodle soup from a whole chicken
with homemade noodles and fresh
garden carrots when you came
down with the flu.
Foundations of Soup | 5
Through this cookbook, my goal is
that you will understand the basic
structure of making soup and that
you learn the skill of cooking a
delicious soup without having to
reference a recipe. I hope that you
use the following pages for
inspiration and are able to witness
the positive change in your
family's nutrition after
incorporating soup in your meal
repertoire.
Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish, and you'll feed him for a lifetime.
-M. Loane

I will admit - I am guilty of romanticizing soup. The act of pulling in a

steaming mug of homemade soup that has been simmering all day and dipping a
crusty piece of homemade sourdough into it makes me want to cozy up to a
wood burning stove and read a Jane Austen novel. There's something nostalgic
about creating a food that has gone before us for generations and generations,
literally helping humankind survive hard times. It is simple to make,
nourishing for your body, and incredibly delicious, but...

It's no secret that many people don't like soup. It doesn't satisfy them. It tastes
bland. It's boring.
And to those arguments, I counter: you haven't had high quality soup.

High-quality soup comes from high-quality ingredients and cooking processes

that are thousands of years old. A list of humble ingredients can transform into
a steaming bowl of fulfillment - if it's done properly. Soup, the way its
supposed to be made, is a far cry from the store bought canned chicken noodle
that many grew up on. Fortunately, the process of building a soup is almost
universal, while using different ingredients and seasonings to achieve a desired
flavor. Once you have nailed down the foundational soup-preparing process,
you can make virtually any soup you'd like, without need for a recipe (don't
worry - I've still included recipes in this cookbook as well).

That is the purpose of this book - not to give you a fish, but to teach you
how to fish.

So, why should you bother with learning how to cook soup?

Soup is economical. Cheaper cuts of meat usually require low and slow
cooking to make them tender. Think about oxtail, spent whole roosters, beef
shanks, and ham hocks - these cuts of meat are usually "undesirable", but
transform into delicacies when cooked into soup. The key is always to cook low
and slow to ensure they are tender. Fortunately, cartilaginous or tough meats
usually have a higher content of collagen and bioavailable minerals, so you'll
want to use these less expensive cuts anyway. A delicious soup can always be
created with whatever is on-hand. No need to run to the store for ingredients;
simply use what you already have.

Soup is nourishing. Slow cooked meats, garden vegetables, medicinal herbs,

and hearty bone broth make up the foundation of soup. It is so easy to make
soup healthy. Across the world, from culture to culture, soup is fed as a healing
and warming food. These ingredients are exactly what your body needs to
function at its best, but the quality of these ingredients are important. More on
that on the following page.

Soup is a skill worth learning. Anyone wanting to expand their kitchen skills
should know how to make really, really good soup. A homesteader's go-to, a
mother's sneaky way to add nutrition, a cook's tool to impress, a homemaker's
heritage - something comforting fills the room when the soup's on. From feeding
a crowd to delivering a Tupperware to a friend under the weather, the ability
to make soup on the fly with whatever is on-hand truly adds to anyone's skill
set.

Foundations of Soup | 6
Quality Ingredients Matter

The components of soup can be broken down into 5 basic categories: vegetables, grains, meat,
thickeners, and stock. To produce a high quality soup, there needs to be a foundation of high
quality ingredients. Soup is the sum of all its parts. Sourcing these ingredients are relatively easy if
you either produce/grow your own, or have direct access to a rancher/farmer. If these aren't options,
buying from a farmer's market and local butcher is the next best thing. The majority of people will
be able to find what they need locally.

However, if you live in an area that doesn't have a a farmer's market or local butcher, you can still
buy fresh, great quality produce from the grocery store - never think that you cannot nourish your
family with food, regardless of your geographic location or economic status. Shopping for meat that
is on sale, produce that is in season, and making your own bone broth from scraps are great ways to
stretch your dollar, while still cooking healthful fuel for your family's bodies.

Vegetables: There aren't many vegetables that don't work well in soups - they just vary on their
cooking needs. It is always best to purchase vegetables in-season. When you shop for produce in
season, it's usually grown closer to your home, which means it is more ripe when it's harvested,
making the vegetable higher in bioavailable nutrients. Produce that's out of season is often flown
and trucked in from other regions of the world and need to be harvested before peak ripeness so it
can survive the long journey to your grocery store. Root vegetables and squashes are in season
during the fall through springtime; though thankfully, they're readily available year round. Summer
vegetables include produce like corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and spinach. Aromatics, onions, leeks,
garlic, and celery, are the base vegetable of every soup and can be found year-round as well.

Grains: Including a grain to your soup is optional, but can add an extra layer of satisfactory
texture. Rice, barley and noodles (I'll also include beans in this section, though they're technically
legumes) are all best to be prepared according to traditional methods. Fermentation, sprouting,
soaking, and long cooking help your body better absorb and digest grains and legumes. These
methods take time and planning, but are far better for your nutrition.

Meat: Ah, the shining star of any soup. Animal protein is very important to overall health, so you
will notice that virtually all of the recipes in this book include meat. Thankfully, you don't have to
buy the most expensive cuts of meat to make a good soup. Society has moved away from utilizing the
whole animal, and it's a shame. At your average grocer, you'll be hard pressed to find an oxtail or
pigs feet anymore. These "less desirable" cuts of meat have been tossed to the side in recent history,
I believe, because most people don't understand how to cook them to make them enjoyable.
Thankfully, homemade soup and bone broth can turn almost any tough, or strong-tasting cut into
beauty. If you have the option to buy animal protein directly from a farmer/rancher, do so. It might
take a little research, but buying whole pastured chickens, a side of a hog, and a quarter beef
locally will yield the absolute best quality meat you can find. If you are going to buy from the store,
try to chose meat with a "pastured" label. Again, if that is out of your budget, do not fret. Feeding
your family fresh meat of any kind is better than none.

Thickeners: When I think of stew versus soup, I think it must be thick. Adding flour, cornstarch,
cheese, or heavy cream adds a coziness and additional dimension of flavor to your soup. Not to
mention, it's sticks better to your dip of crusty bread! For flour, sprouted wheat flour is your best
choice for adding as a thickener. Utilize flour over cornstarch, but cornstarch can definately be used
in a pinch. For all dairy products, if you don't produce your own, buying raw from a small local
dairy is ideal. Again, if you don't have access to these, it's no crime to feed your family according to
your budget. Never put yourself out or feel ashamed for feeding your family within your means.
We're all just doing our best!

Stock: If you must remember one thing from this page, let it be this: the entire foundation of your
soup is built from your stock. I always use homemade bone broth (Page 9) for my soups, without
exception. A true bone broth has so many easily digestible nutrients, you could drink it by itself
and almost have a complete meal. Making your own stock is the best quality you can get - much
better than anything on the store shelves. Bonus: it's probably the simplest and most affordable part
of making soup.

Foundations of Soup | 7
Soup: the universal process

Step one: brown meat

When utilizing meats like beef, venison, elk, lamb, or pork, browning your meat in fat is an optional
step, but one that will certainly up-level your flavor profile. Not only will this leave a beautiful
crust on the meat itself, but the browned bits in the bottom of the pot get incorporated into the
soup. You will want to heat up a couple tablespoons of your fat of choice (I prefer lard, tallow, or
butter - animal fats are always superior to plant fats) over medium-high heat and brown the meat in
batches until you get a little crust on each side. After your meat is browned, set aside. Meat like
chicken and fish typically skip this step.

Step two: sauté aromatics

In the same pot, make sure there is enough fat left over (if not, add more) and add your aromatic
vegetables like onion, celery, and garlic. I will usually add all three of these into most of my soups.
Sauté in the fat until soft, translucent and aromatic, which is usually longer than one thinks. Add
some wine or bone broth to the bottom of your pot and deglaze. This step may be my favorite part of
the entire soup process. There is a flavor that cannot be put into a spice jar that settles in the
browned parts on the bottom of a pot.

Step three: slow cook meat, root vegetables & grains

After your pot is deglazed, you will add the meat back into your pot in addition to any root
vegetables that need cooked for a long period of time. Things like potatoes, squash, carrots, and
beets will be cooked with the meat, while the more tender and delicate vegetables will be added
later. If you would like to add a long-cooking grain, like rice or barley, add them with the root
vegetables. If you are cooking with meat that will not create its own stock - lean meats, non-
cartilaginous meats, bone-out meats - you will need to add bone broth to the pot at this stage. If you
choose to cook with a bone-in, cartilaginous cut, like a whole chicken, oxtail, or fish heads, your
bone broth will be made in the process of cooking the soup. You can simply cover the ingredients
with water. Keep your soup at a simmer for 30 to 60 minutes, just until everything nice and tender.

Step four: add tender vegetables and/or noodles:

The meat and root vegetables are soft and your soup is truly starting to take shape in this phase. If
you have a desire to add additional tender vegetables to your soup that require a lesser cooking
time, like peas, zucchini, or kale, you will add them when your soup is about five to ten minutes
out from being fully cooked. Noodles should be cooked last in the soup according to their unique
cooking directions.

Step five: thicken & finish

At this point in time, the soup can be served, but sometimes adding that little extra cream or
thickener gives your soup the pièce de résistance. For a velvety finish, add heavy cream or shredded
cheese; stir and keep on the heat just long enough to fully incorporate or melt. For a thicker and
hearty stew, add a water/flour slurry to your soup. Generally, it only takes a couple tablespoons of
flour dissolved in a little cold water to reach the desired consistency. Stir the slurry into your soup
over a hot burner until the soup has thickened into a hearty stew. Salt, pepper, and season your
creation. Serve hot and enjoy.

Most of the soups in this book follow the above blueprint, though some incorporate different
strategies as well. Always feel free to experiment and open to different variations!

A note about seasoning:

Herbs and spices can dramatically change a soup. Because my family typically eats on the simple
side, I frequently utilize herbs like thyme, rosemary, and parsley. My spices don't stray far from
salt and pepper, and I truly believe that most soups shine wonderfully with minimal seasoning.
However, a little chili powder and cumin can turn a regular hamburger soup into a flavorful
Mexican soup. A dash of yellow curry transforms plain chicken into a creamy Indian dish. It truly is
up to your personal preference and how you would like to enjoy your own soup. That is the beauty
of soup utilizing this method - once you understand the universal process of soup making, the
potential combinations are endless.

Foundations of Soup | 8
from scratch

Bone Broth SERVINGS

1 GALLON
TIME
40
mins

A good bone broth will gel to varrying degrees when its chilled.
If you're having trouble getting it to solidify in the fridge: it
needs to be cooked longer, have a greater ratio of bones to
water, or you need to use bones with more cartilage on them,

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

meaty/cartilaginous bones* 1. If using fresh beef, pork or lamb bones,

roast in oven on 450F for 10 mins before
1 onion, roughly chopped adding to your pot. If using precooked
or several onion skins or 1 chicken carcasses or spent bones, add
straight to pot.
leek
2-3 celery stalks or 4-6 2. Add remaining ingredients to pot.

celery tops and bottoms 3. Add a gallon of water (if using an Instant
2-3 carrots or handful of Pot, do not exceed "Max Fill" line.)

cleaned carrot peels 4. For Instant Pot (my preferred method):

cook for 2-3 hours under pressure in
3 cloves garlic, crushed
manual setting.
2 bay leaves For Slow Cooker, let it simmer on high
overnight,
1 tsp fish sauce For stovetop, simmer on low in heavy pot
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar for about 4 hours.

2 tsp salt** 5. Strain stock while still hot into jars. Seal
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns and set on counter until it comes to room
temperature. Place in fridge to allow the
herbs of choice fat to float to the top and solidify. Once
solid, you can either skim the fat off the
top or mix it in when cooking. Freeze, can,
or use your bone broth within a week.

*I have found that the best cuts to turn into stock are ones with a good amount of cartilage. Cartilage literally
melts into collagen the longer you cook it and packs your bone broth with protein. I love things like beef
knuckles, chicken carcasses, lamb/beef/pork neck bones, and pigs feet. You'll want roughly 2-3 pounds per
gallon of water.

**Don't skimp on the salt! Your bone broth should taste delicious on its own, and if it doesn't, it probably
needs more salt.

Foundations of Soup | 9
Bone Broth: a
superfood that
can be created
at home by
utilizing
kitchen scraps
that might
otherwise have
met their fate
in a landfill.

Foundations of Soup | 10
 Creamy Turmeric
Chicken, Wild
Rice, and
Mushroom Soup
It might seem like there are SO many layers to
this soup, that it must be too many different
flavors. But this soup is a favorite in our
household. Turmeric is anti-inflamitory and
healing and I am quite fond of a soup that
utilizes cooking a whole chicken.

SERVINGS TIME
8-10 75
mins

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
1/4 c fat of choice 1. Heat fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high
heat. Sauté onions and celery until fragrant and
1 medium onion, chopped transparent, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté
4 ribs celery, chopped an additional minute.

3 cloves garlic, minced 2. Add whole chicken, rice, carrots, and cover with
1 whole chicken water, about 6 to 8 cups.

1 c wild rice, rinsed 3. Stir in bay leaf, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Bring to
5 carrots, peeled & diced boil, lower temperature, and simmer for 60 minutes.

1 bay leaf 4. After the chicken is falling off the bone, pull it out
of the pot, let it cool slightly, and pull all of the meat
1 ts salt
off the bones, chop coarsely. While you are working on
1 ts pepper the chicken, add mushrooms to the soup and let cook
until soft. Remove bay leaf.
1 Tb turmeric powder
2 c mushrooms, sliced 5. Add chicken back into the pot, stir in cream, and
adjust salt and pepper based on taste preferences.
1 cup heavy cream

Foundations of Soup | 11
Venison, Liver SERVINGS TIME
14-20 40
and Sprouted mins

Bean Chili
Liver is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, so slipping it into any recipe that will hide the
strong flavor is always a goal of mine. Even the pickiest eaters love this chili (and can never even
tell there's liver in it).
This recipe is big because it's meant to either be canned (safe to pressure can: 75 minutes at 10
lbs of pressure), frozen, or served to a crowd. It is relatively easy to divide down into half or
thirds recipe, though I think you'll want to make the whole batch - it's that good.

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
2 cups dried kidney beans 1. Rinse and drain beans, then cover in fresh
water overnight. The beans will double in
1 cup dried black beans size, so make sure there is enough water to
3 1/2 lbs ground venison cover them. Drain, rinse, and cover with tea
towel every 12 hours until beans have
(or beef or elk) sprouted (about 1-2 days).
1/2 lb ground liver
2. Rinse and drain beans one final time and
1 large onion, diced add to pot with chicken bone broth. Cook
2 bell peppers, diced beans until soft, about an hour.

1 poblano pepper, diced 3. Brown ground meat and liver in very large
heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
4 cups diced tomatoes*
Add onion, bell pepper, and poblano pepper.
6 oz tomato paste Sauté until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato paste,
and beans with the bone broth.
4 cups bone broth
6 tbsp fish sauce 4. Stir in fish sauce, soy sauce, cocoa
powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, 2
3 tbsp soy sauce or coconut tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon salt,
aminos and 1 teaspoon pepper.

3 tsp cocoa powder 5. Bring chili to a boil and reduce heat.

6 tbsp chili powder Simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
3 tbsp ground cumin
6. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3 tsp dried oregano
brown sugar, salt, pepper
to taste

*While fresh, peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes are the best for this recipe, most chili making
happens in the winter when tomatoes are out of season. 2 cans (16 ounces) or home-canned pint jars
of diced tomatoes work just fine.

Foundations of Soup | 12
Lamb Vegetable Stew
This hearty stew is exactly what I crave after
SERVINGS TIME
I've been working outside in the cold. If you
can't find lamb, substitute any red meat in its 8-10 80
place. mins

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 lbs lamb stew meat
4 tbsp fat of choice
1 small onion, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c flour
5-6 c beef bone broth
4 large carrots, diced
3 russet potatoes, diced
3 tbsp Worcestershire
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high
heat and brown meat. Set aside meat after fully cooked
through, about 8 minutes. Add onion and celery and
cook until translucent. Add garlic and sauté an
additional minute. Stir in flour and mix until roux*
forms.
2. Add 5 cups bone broth, bay leaf, Worcestershire,
herbs, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon
pepper. Stir well to combine. Add carrots, potatoes, and
meat back into pot. Add more bone broth if needed to
cover the ingredients.
4. Cover and cook on medium for 10 minutes. Stir,
bring heat to low until it reaches a slow simmer; cook
covered for an additional 35-45 minutes or until
potatoes and carrots are tender. 10 minutes before
serving, add peas and cook until hot.

1/2 tsp dried parsley 5. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

2 rounded tbsp tomato
paste
1 bag frozen peas
salt & pepper

*A roux is a fat and flour combination that thickens a soup, gravy, or sauce. All of the flour should
be mixed into the fat to form a paste. This will keep the flour from turning lumpy when the stock is
added.

Foundations of Soup | 13
Chicken Noodle Soup
If you find yourself needing to turn a tough
rooster or old hen into something delicious, this
is the soup for the job!
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp fat of choice
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
5 carrots, peeled & diced
1 whole chicken
2 Tbs soy sauce or coconut
aminos
1 ts salt
1/2 ts pepper
8 ounces egg noodles
1/4 cup fresh leaf parsley
Egg Noodles
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs plus one yolk (duck
eggs work wonderfully for
noodles!)
1 ts salt
SERVINGS TIME
75
6-8 mins
DIRECTIONS
1.Heat fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high
heat. Sauté onions and celery until fragrant and
transparent, stirring occasionally.
2. Add carrots and garlic and sauté for an additional
few minutes.
3. Add chicken to pot and cover with water, about 2
quarts. Stir in soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
4. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and let simmer on low for
about an hour or until the chicken is tender and falling
off the bone.
5. Remove chicken, debone, and shred/chop into bite
sized pieces. Stir egg noodles into boiling pot and cook
until tender, about 3 minutes for fresh noodles.
6. Add chicken back into pot with parsley. Adjust salt
and pepper to taste.
DIRECTIONS
1.Mix flour and salt together. Pour onto clean counter
and make a well in the middle. Pour eggs and additional
yolk into the well.
2. Starting from the edges of the eggs, mix the flour
into the eggs until it comes together to form a dough.
Knead dough well until smooth and silky, about 10
minutes.
3. Let dough rest 15 minutes. Divide into 4 pieces, roll
out super thin and cut into 1/2 inch noodles with a
pizza cutter.
Foundations of Soup | 14
 Green Chile
Pork Stew
This recipe is a small adaptation from the green
chile stew my dad used to cook for us when I was
a child. Growing up in Colorado, I remember
standing in line for the fire roasted green chiles
and being fascinated by the torch and barrel. If
you love green chiles, this will quickly become a
favorite in your home.

SERVINGS TIME
4-6 75
mins

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
1 1/2 lbs lean pork, cut 1. Heat fat of choice in a heavy-bottomed pot over
medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches and set
into 1 in cubes aside. Sauté onions until transluscent and fragrant. Add
2 tbsp fat of choice garlic and cook an additional minute.

1 onion, diced 2. Add 1 cup of bone broth to the pot and deglaze,
1 garlic clove, minced making sure to scrape all the browned bits off the
bottom of the pot. Add the remaining bone broth.
4 c chicken or pork bone
broth 3. Stir in remaining ingredients.

6-8 green chiles, roasted, 4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about
60-90 minutes, or until the pork is tender and can be
peeled, & diced
cut with a fork.
4 tomatillos, roasted,
5. Discard bay leaf. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
peeled, & diced
1 large potato, cubed
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano*
1 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper

*Mexican oregano is distinctly different than Italian oregano and will give a very different flavor
profile. When shopping for oregano, Mexican will be labeled "Mexican Oregano", while Italian
oragano is typically just labeled "Oregano". Be sure to use true Mexican oregano in this dish.

Foundations of Soup | 15
Beef & Barley Soup
Barley is a fun texture that adds a nice thickness
to this soup. Packed with lots of veggies, this
soup will be sure to satisfy.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp fat of choice
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
or shank, cubed
1/2 onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 c beef bone broth
2 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, peeled & diced
1/2 lb green beans,
cleaned and snapped
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded
& diced or 1 can diced
tomatoes
1 bay leaf
herbs of choice
3/4 c barley
1/2 cabbage, sliced
salt and pepper
SERVINGS TIME
6-8 70
mins
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high
heat. Working in batches, brown meat. Set aside.
2. Sauté onions, and celery until fragrant and
transparent, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté
an additional minute.
3. Add 2 cups of bone broth and deglaze pot, scraping
up any browned bits from the bottom.
4. Pour the remaining bone broth into the pot and stir
in potatoes, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, bay leaf,
herbs of choice, barley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2
teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and
cook covered for 50 minutes.
5. After the carrots are soft and meat is tender, discard
bay leaf, add cabbage and cook another 10 minutes.
6. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Foundations of Soup | 16
 COCONUT
CURRY
CHICKEN
SOUP

Foundations of Soup | 17
Coconut Curry SERVINGS TIME
6-8 40
Chicken Soup mins

Like many soups, this one especially tastes better when it's served the
following day. The ingredients have time to mingle and the flavors are
better combined. Dishes with curry often get better with some time.

This soup tastes wonderful with the addition of extra veggies such as
zucchini, cauliflower, or eggplant. Add these in with step 5.

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
1 whole chicken 1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over
medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, and
2 tbsp coconut oil garlic and sauté until translucent and
aromatic.
1 large onion, diced
2 red or orange bell 2. Add chicken to pot and cover with water.
Add bay leaf, season with 1 teaspoon salt
pepper, diced and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil.
2 cloves garlic, minced
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about
1 bay leaf an hour, or until the chicken falls off the
1 c mushrooms, sliced bone.

2 c cooked rice 4. Remove chicken from the pot, debone, and

2 tbsp brown sugar shred/chop into bite sized pieces. Discard
bay leaf.
1 tbsp yellow curry
5. Add mushrooms, rice, brown sugar, curry,
powder*
and coconut cream. Stir to combine well and
1 can coconut cream simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Adjust
salt and pepper to taste.
salt & pepper

*Yellow curry powder is an eastern spice blend. There are so many different curries out there, but
I've found that yellow curry is more mild and it turns this soup a beautiful bright color. If you can't
find it at your local grocer, there are plenty of online retailers that sell it.

Foundations of Soup | 18
Instant Pot Oxtail Soup
This is a recipe that should be cooked either TIME
SERVINGS
under pressure, or low and slow for a long period
of time to get all of the connective tissue melted 4-5 95
mins
down into the stock.

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
2 tbsp fat of choice 1. Turn your Instant Pot to "Sauté" function, add fat
and sauté onion and celery until translucent and
1 oxtail aromatic. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute.
1/2 onion, chopped Remove from Instant Pot and set aside.

2 ribs celery, chopped 2. Working in batches, brown salted and peppered

2 cloves garlic, minced oxtail peices in hot fat, then set aside.

1/2 c red wine
3 carrots, peeled & diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 tbsp tomato paste
salt & pepper
3. Deglaze pot with wine. add aromatics and meat back
into the pot. Add carrots, thyme, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon
salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with 8 cups of
water.
4. Cook using the "Manual" setting for 75 minutes.
Release the pressure, take off the lid, and turn the
Instant Pot back to "Sauté" function. Discard bay leaf
and thyme, add potatoes and tomato paste and simmer
for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

5. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Foundations of Soup | 19
Creamy Tomato SERVINGS TIME
14-20 40
Basil Soup mins

This is a wonderful accompaniment to any meal, though we prefer to

dip cheddar grilled cheese on sourdough into it. My brother is
particularly fond of this soup and asked me to include it in the book.

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
3 tbsp fat of choice 1. Heat fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over
medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until
1/2 onion, diced translucent and aromatic, stirring often. Add
2 cloves garlic, minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

4 c chicken bone broth 2. Stir in bone broth, tomato paste, tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste with juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon
pepper.
5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded
& diced or 28 oz can whole 3. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and
cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
tomatoes, diced
4. Turn off heat, add soup to blender and
1 c heavy cream
purée until smooth. Pour back into pot.
3/4 c grated parmesan
5. Stir in cream, parmesan, and basil until
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped fully combined.
salt & pepper
6. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add pinch
pinch of sugar* of sugar.

*When working with acidic foods, a pinch of sugar will help cut the acidity. It won't taste sweet at
all, just helps with the bite of a tomato dish.

Foundations of Soup | 20
Ham Split
Pea Soup
SERVINGS TIME
6-8 75
mins
A "poor man's soup" that will feed
your family on a budget.
INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp fat of choice
1 small onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ham hock or ham bone
1 lb dried split peas
4 carrots, peeled & diced
2 potatoes, chunked
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
Foundations of Soup | 21
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat fat in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high
heat. Sauté onions and celery until fragrant and
transparent, stirring often. Add garlic and sauté for an
additional minute.
2. Add ham, bay leaf and peas to pot. Cover with water,
about a quart. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook
covered for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove ham, pull the meat from the bone and chop
coarsely. Remove half of the peas (it's alright that you
will also remove onions and celery), add to blender and
purée with a half cup of hot stock until smooth.
4. While deboning the ham, add carrots and potatoes to
the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are
soft.
5. Discard bay leaf, add ham and puréed peas back into
the pot. Stir well to combine.
6. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remember, the ham
will already add salt to the soup, so be sure to taste
often. Less salt may be needed.
Italian Sausage SERVINGS TIME
6-8 40
Soup mins

If you need to sneak vegetables into your family's diet, this is the soup for you. It is
packed with squash and spinach. The hints of Italian flavors from the sausage,
tomatoes, and parmesan make this hearty soup a great crowd-pleaser.

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
1/2 butternut squash, 1. Add squash and 8 cups chicken bone
broth to a large pot. Bring to a boil, lower
peeled & cubed heat, and simmer until squash is soft, about
9 cups chicken bone broth 30 minutes.

1 lb Italian sausage* 2. Meanwhile, brown sausage in heavy-

1/2 onion, diced bottomed pot. Sauté onion in hamburger
drippings until translucent and fragrant.
3 cloves garlic, minced Add garlic and sauté another minute.
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded,
3. Strain out butternut squash with a slotted
& diced OR 16 oz can spoon and set aside. Add hot bone broth to
the hamburger and onion. Bring to boil,
diced tomatoes
then simmer for 10 minutes.
1/2 lb elbow macaroni
4. Stir in tomatoes, elbow noodles, and
2 c fresh spinach oregano. Cook according to the noodles'
1 1/2 tsp oregano package directions until tender.

salt & pepper 5. Meanwhile, either mash butternut squash

grated parmesan cheese or add to blender and purée with 1 cup
chicken bone broth until smooth.

6. When noodles are done cooking, add

squash purée, spinach, 1 teaspoon salt, and
1/2 teaspoon pepper to the hamburger
mixture.

7. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve

topped with a healthy spoonful parmesan.

*This recipe works great with other ground meat as well!

Foundations of Soup | 22
Borscht SERVINGS TIME
6-8 120
mins

Often, when people think of borscht, they think of a weird, sour, cold
Eastern European soup that many haven't ventured to try. This
variation, served hot, will leave you with no doubt that borscht is a
delicious and traditional must-have to any kitchen's repertoire.

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
2 tbsp fat of choice 1. Heat fat in heavy-bottomed pot over
medium-high heat. Brown meat, working in
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat or batches. Set aside.
sliced shank
2. Sauté onion in drippings until translucent
1/2 onion, diced and fragrant, stirring often. Add garlic and
2 cloves garlic, minced sauté for another minute. Add wine to pot
and deglaze, scrapping all the browned bits
1 cup dry red wine from the bottom of the pot.
8 c beef bone broth
3. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper,
4 beets, peeled & cubed and meat back into the pot and top with
bone broth. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer,
3 carrots, diced
and cook covered for 60 minutes, or until
2 potatoes, cubed the meat is tender.
1/2 cabbage, sliced into 1/2 4. Add beets, carrots, and potatoes to the pot
in strips and simmer for another 25 minutes, or until
the vegetables are soft.
1/2 c fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 5. Add vinegar, cabbage, and dill and cook
for an additional 10 minutes, or until the
salt & pepper cabbage is tender.

6. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve

with a dollop of sour cream.

Foundations of Soup | 23
Chicken Corn Chowder
A summertime favorite, this soup will remind TIME
SERVINGS
you of sunny days and fresh garden vegetables.
6-8 80
mins

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
1/2 lb bacon, diced 1. Cook bacon in a heavy-bottomed pot until well done.
Using a slotted spoon, drain and set aside, leaving the
1 onion, diced bacon grease in the pot.
3 ribs celery, diced
2. Sauté onions and celery in the bacon grease until
2 cloves garlic, minced translucent and fragrant , stirring often. Add garlic and
1 whole chicken sauté for an additional minute.

3 carrots, diced 3. Deglaze pot with about a cup of water. Add whole
2 cups corn chicken, carrots, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon
pepper into the pot and cover with water, about 5 to 6
2 potatoes, cubed cups. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook
covered for an hour.
2 zucchini, diced
1 1/2 c heavy cream 3. Remove chicken from the pot and debone. Coarsely
chop the meat. Meanwhile, add corn, potatoes, and
1/3 c fresh basil, chopped zucchini to the pot. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes,
salt & pepper or until potatoes are soft.

4. Add chicken back into pot with cream and basil. Stir
to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Foundations of Soup | 24
 MEXICAN
FISH SOUP

Foundations of Soup | 25
Mexican Fish SERVINGS TIME
8-10 45
Soup mins

When I wrote this book, I knew I needed a seafood soup to include.

This soup was tested and tested until the perfect flavor combinations
came together. It is a bright and spicy soup (though you can adjust the
spice according to how hot you like it). The trick to making it taste
incrdible is the homemade fish stock from whole fish.

INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
2 whole tilapia fish, 1.Using the bone broth recipe on page 9,
make a half batch of stock with the heads,
filleted bones, and tails of the fish.
2 tbsp butter
2. Cut the tilapia filets into chunks and set
5 tomatoes, peeled, aside.
seeded* & quartered, OR
3. Heat butter in heavy-bottomed pot over
28 oz can whole tomatoes medium-high heat. Sauté onion until
1/2 onion, diced translucent and fragrant. Add garlic,
tomatoes, and chipotle peppers with a
3 cloves garlic, minced spoonful of adobo sauce. Sauté an additional
2 minutes.
1-3 chipotle peppers in
adobo sauce (depending on 4. Pour tomato mixture with 1 cup of fish
stock into blender and purée until smooth.
how spicy you want it)
3 carrots, diced 5. Pour tomato mixture back into pot, add
remaining fish stock, carrots, potatoes, 1
2 russet potatoes, cubed 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Juice of 1 lime Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and
simmer for 20 minutes. or until vegetables
1 cup cilantro, finely are soft.
chopped
6. Take off heat, stir in tilapia just to
salt & pepper combine*, cover, and let set for 5 minutes,
or until fish is cooked through.

7. Add lime juice and cilantro. Adjust salt

and pepper to taste.

*Tilapia is a delicate white fish with a light flavor. Do not over-stir, or it will flake apart and not
hold as chunks in your soup.

Foundations of Soup | 26
 If you noticed that I use a lot of
whole chickens in my recipes...

You nailed it! I only use whole chickens in our

household because we raise our own (and I prefer to
leave them whole). If you can, I highly recommend
raising your own birds and having the privilege of
tasting true farm-raised chicken. It's a game
changer.

Thinking you might want to take the plunge, but

don't know where to start? I have just the thing for
you.

I created The Broiler School because, while there is

information out there about raising, slaughtering,
and processing chickens, it's scattered, difficult to
follow, and often times doesn't take a beginners
starting point into perspective.

The Broiler School is a step-by-step online course

covering raising your own chickens for meat. The
course includes everything from breed selection,
brooding chicks, shelters, feed strategies,
slaughtering, processing, preserving, cooking and
more.

Don't miss your chance to sign up! Enrollment only

opens every season. You can stay in the loop by
looking for me in your inbox, or visiting:

www.meghangates.com/the-broiler-school

Foundations of Soup | 27