Hot and Sour Soup

This is one of my favourite soups. I love all soups,but there are a few that I always make and keep extras in single serve containers in my freezer for my late night menopausal food attacks. This is one of them, along with Senate Bean Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup and Tortilla Soup. Homemade soups are yummy, good for you and curbs my cravings in the middle of the night!(or anytime for that matter) Honestly when I don't have a stash of homemade soup in my freezer, I panic. I feel like someone in the desert with no water in sight! Yeah, I know, weird! What can I say, I LOVE SOUP!!




Hot and Sour Soup

3 cartons of Campbell's Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 14g (.5 oz.) package dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-1" piece of ginger
1 cup leftover pork, cut into small strips
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. pepper

350 g PC Blue Menu extra firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1 carrot, cut into 1" strips and julienned

1 can beansprouts, drained

Green tops of 3 green onions, cut into 1" strips and julienned

3 tbsp. cornstarch

6 tbsp. water
2 large egg whites, beaten
1-2 tbsp. sirrracha hot chile sauce
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

Combine first eight ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer 5 minutes. Add vinegar, pepper, beansprouts, carrot, green onion and tofu. Cook 2 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water; add to pan and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly drizzle in egg whites while stirring. Remove from heat and stir in hot chile sauce and sesame oil.

Senate Bean Soup

Seanate Bean Soup is on the menu in the Senate's restaurant every day. There are several stories about the origin of that mandate, but none has been corroborated.

According to one story, the Senate’s bean soup tradition began early in the 20th-century at the request of Senator Fred Dubois of Idaho. Another story attributes the request to Senator Knute Nelson of Minnesota, who expressed his fondness for the soup in 1903.

Which story is true? Quite frankly......who the heck cares! All I know is that since I made and tried this soup about five years ago (saw Paula Deen make it on her show.....love Paula!) it has become one of my families favourite soups. It's rustically simple and satisfying. Add a piece of crusty bread slathered in butter, yes I said butter, and your all set.

Senate Bean Soup

2 lbs. navy beans
4 quarts water
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2-3 pork hocks or a leftover ham bone
leftover ham, if using ham bone
2 carrots, diced (optional)

Rinse beans in hot water until they turn white. Put in large pot with pork hocks or ham bone and the 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 3 hour.

Saute onions and carrots in butter.

Remove pork hocks or ham bone and set aside to cool. Remove 2 cups of the beans, puree and return to pot with sauteed onions and carrots.

Remove meat from bones and add to pot along with chopped leftover ham if using leftovers. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: I add 2 chicken bullion cubes for added flavour.  I freeze the leftovers in single serving containers so I can enjoy it anytime!