Three Family Favorite Soup Recipes

Until recently, I never knew January was National Soup Month. Now that I know about it, it's a cause for celebration! Let's seize on every opportunity to celebrate something.

While it might not be a widely or universally celebrated holiday, it is appropriate for this month. In the Northern Hemisphere, things are chilling down and there is nothing like a nice hot soup to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I am going to share some old family recipes with you. As a bonus, I am going to share a recipe concocted by me. Someday, it may be an old family recipe.

At least one of the following soup recipes is going to seem a little strange to you—but trust me, you will love it. All are super easy to make and require only a minimum of ingredients. In fact, you might very well have all the ingredients you need on hand right now and be able to run off and make yourself a bowl of warm hearty goodness.

When I was a little girl, I watched my grandmother and my aunt eat this soup. To me, the whole idea was a turn-off. Once I tried it as an adult, however, I was pleasantly surprised. It doesn't sound good, but it actually is very good.

The sour cream (sauerer sahne) turns the water into a rich cream soup and the rye bread add zest. Try it. You have nothing to lose.

This is a quick and simple soup. It is a great recipe if you are making it for one person. If you want to make it for more than one person, simply multiply it.

Ingredients

• 1 slice of stale or toasted rye bread
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 cup water boiled

Instructions

1. If your rye bread is not stale and hard, toast it. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a soup bowl. Add the rye bread. Top with a dollop of sour cream.
2. Done! Eat!

These are little dumplings full of buttery deliciousness. Our family always called them Schwämshchen. If you do an internet search for "German butter dumplings" you will find them called "Butternocken."

Traditionally, they are dropped in chicken soup or beef broth.

Our family came to the United States in the early 1900s. My great aunt used this recipe for dumplings but dropped them in Campbell's vegetable soup.

Again, this recipe is for one serving. It is quick and easy and can be easily multiplied.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of broth or soup
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine (softened)
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 egg
• salt and nutmeg

Instructions

1. Cream butter or margarine. Add egg. Blend well.
2. Gradually add flour.
3. Add salt and nutmeg to taste. (Start with 1/4 teaspoon salt and an 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. You can add more on your next batch if desired.)
4. Put soup or broth on the stove and bring to a boil.
5. Drop the batter into the boiling soup by the teaspoon full. Simmer approximately 8 minutes.

This is not an old family recipe. Maybe someday, it will be.

It was developed by me after I tasted it in a restaurant. You can tell it is one of mine as it uses ready-made soup as the base.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 dill pickles, diced
• 4 small potatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Potato Soup
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 cup water
• 1 soup can of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Saute onions in butter until light yellow. Add carrots and potatoes and a cup of water and bay leaves. Cook until they are half soft.
2. Add slices of pickles, soup and soup can full of milk. Keep cooking until veggies reach desired softness. Add pepper and stir and stir in parsley.

What's your favorite? Do you think you will try these? All soup opinions are welcome!