Designer Soup: My Grandmother was the First “Soup Nazi”
Designer Soup: My Grandmother was the First “Soup Nazi”
****** “Soup Nazi is a reference to a popular Seinfeld show about a foreign soup magnet that made the most incredible soup, but was a tyrant. This “Soup Nazi” would tolerate no questions from his faithful soup addicts and he would kick any complaining customer out- never to be served again. ********
Today dawned foggy here in the Midwest. A light mist is falling and there is a chill in the air. It is a soup day. Growing up with my Italian Grandmother, there was always a kettle of something bubbling on her old gas stove. You never knew what was in it, and sometimes the contents of the kettle could be downright scary! Being from the old country, she was known for concocting strange herbal remedies, snacks, and even natural pesticides on that stove. Most of the time the old, worn kettle contained minestre, an Italian soup that is almost impossible to describe, for it was a mixture of Italian pasta sauce, whatever vegetable that was available, a small pasta like baby-sized shells, and any available leftover meat. The closest and most accurate comparison would be to a vegetable minestrone. Her stove was a stage of sorts. Of course, it may be chicken vegetable minestrone, beef vegetable, chicken pastina, dandelion egg drop, wedding soup, or a cast of many other characters on any giving day. We never knew which steaming treasure would have a starring role, but we were always sure we would leave that kitchen with the lingering memory of new, flavorful meal that would place a warm feeling deep down, not only in our stomachs, but in our souls. This warmth was one that our dear Nana (Grandma in our southern Italian dialect- Calabreze) kindled in our souls.
My grandmother was a woman that stood just underneath five feet of height. An assiduous sprite, this woman had an endless energy, as well as a mighty spirit. The matriarch to nine brothers and sisters (She was the oldest of ten and nurtured them from infancy, for she had a sickly mother.), eight children, twenty-three grandchildren, and dozens of great-grandchildren too numerous to count.
On these misty autumn days, warm, happy memories surface. Images of soup simmering in a huge kettle on the stove in our old house on Silver Street come to me. Nestled among the maples, this house sat high atop the largest hill in the small community of Waynesburg, Ohio. A community sprinkled with many Italian families such as ours- a town that is a welcome breath of fresh air. Our family home lives on in my heart- a place of so much love and history. You see my grandparents moved into that house with their overflowing brood of eight in the 20’s, shortly after their marriage. A home that has withstood the ravages of the depression; a home that survived both world wars, sending young men off to battle that were its residents; this is a place that is home to the comforting ghosts of yesterday. My home for seven years too. My parents lived with my grandma for a time, taking care of her, until we bought a new place. When we moved, she came with us, but that home is the place that our entire family still envisions when the word “home” is uttered. This is a timeless and comforting place that still touches the heart and soothes the soul. This home continues to stand today, and it is still resided in by family members- a gentile home on a high hilltop that is continues to be loved by the many people that were nurtured within its walls. Many things conjure up the vision of that house. The scent of sauce cooking, a wintry day, a child’s giggle, or the blustery winds of fall. These things take us back to that home on the hill and into Grandma’s kitchen where we smell the manestre simmering, bringing us home again.
Recipe Included Below:
Designer Soup for a Nation: Beef Vegetable Minestre
Why the name? Well, this makes enough soup for a nation, and you can design it for your needs. This is an interactive article almost. You see, as I write this, I too am making this soup. This is something that you do on a day that you will be home all day. A great soup for writers, really. Making this soup will give you that needed break that you need. I would love to hear back from you about how you liked it. Email Kat here: ohiobar@sssnet.com.
A small beef roast with the bone still in it. (This type of roast is difficult to find in many areas, so you can buy a small beef roast and a soup bone separately.)
A very large soup kettle filled with water
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 cup of sliced celery
1 large can of whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
7 medium potatoes (peeled and diced largely)
1 can of corn
1 can of green beans
1 can of peas
2 medium onions diced rather large
1/2 head of cabbage cut into one-two inch chunks
1/2 pound of any very small pasta (Optional)
1/3 cup of barley (Optional)
1/4 cup of dried Northern or other beans after soaking (Optional)
Note: Only use ONE of the options or NONEof the options, but never more than one at a time.
After filling the large soup kettle with water, allow it to boil for about forty minutes. Skim the fat from the top. Keep it at medium -high heat. After removing all of the fat, add the whole tomatoes (squeeze and then cut into eighths or quarters), carrots, celery, and onions. (If you want to add Northern beans, this is the time to do that.)
Allow the soup to simmer for another thirty minutes at medium-high. Then add the potatoes and all the canned vegetables. Here is where you lower the heat to medium. After two hours or so, add the cabbage, lowering the heart to medium-low. Check the soup ocassionally. Be sure to lower the soup to simmer approximately one hour after the cabbage is added. This is where I stop. My favorite soup does not have the additional pasta, barley, or dried beans. Adding these is nice for a change, though. Continue simmering this all day long uncovered so it will thicken. Serve with homemade Italian bread. (Pick it up at the bakery! I would..) Store the uneaten portion in a large bowl for up to a week. You can also freeze this delicious soup too.
Adding Optional Ingredients
At the same time as you add the cabbage, you can also add either the pasta or the barley.
There are countless variations to this recipe. Here are a few examples:
Beef Vegetable Minus Peas or Cabbage (you can omit peas or cabbage if this is not to your family’s liking. My husband doesn’t like peas, so I do not add them.)
Beef Vegetable Minus Dried Northern beans (My girls and I detest dried beans. Yuck!!!)
Beef Vegetable with Barley (This is a filling soup.)
Beef Vegetable Pasta (This is like a beefy vegetable minestrone.)
Vegetarian Vegetable (For vegetarian fare, omit the beef and make a vegetable broth with the onions, carrots, Northern beans, tomatoes, and celery instead of using the bones and roast.)
This is really a mix and match kind of soup. You can design it to your families desires and needs. I hope you enjoy it. Bon Appetit!