Soups for swapping

“It’s a pretty cool concept,” says Gunst, who started a soup swap with her neighbors and friends in Maine. “Six years later we are still doing it.”

From January to April, Gunst and her group meet once a month on Sunday to savor the flavor of these liquid fusions of comfort. “So many older people grew up on homemade soup but there’s an entire generation that don’t know what homemade soups are about,” she says.

Chef Lucindy Willis of Terrapin Cove in West Yanceyville, N.C., offers a few secrets to making good soups. Homemade broth is best. Keep it simple with seasonings; use thyme for chicken soups and winter stews, and oregano and basil for minestrone soups. To add a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flake does the job. Don’t use any ingredient that will overpower the other ingredients, such as too much rosemary or lots of garlic and onion in a cream soup.

“I warn my cooking students not to overuse the seasonings or use too many varieties of spices,” says Willis, who is teaching an upcoming soup class at Southern Season in Chapel Hill, N.C. “Each seasoning should be used to bring out the flavors of the broth and the ingredients.”

She often makes soups as gifts. “One Christmas I made four huge stock pots of soup and stored them in 2-cup plastic containers with secure lids,” she says. “I then presented friends and family with four different freezable soups for their winter lunch enjoyment. With this type of project, I focused on creating four very different types of soups: gumbo or chili, Italian wedding meatball, chicken tortilla, stuffed potato or another cream soup, such as broccoli. Soups that feed the soul.”

Willis loves the idea of a soup swap: “How lovely it is to open your freezer on a cold winter day and discover a soup that will go perfectly with that brie and cranberry panini.”

Bridgette A. Lacy is a freelance writer and the author of “Sunday Dinner, a Savor the South cookbook” by UNC Press of Chapel Hill. Reach her at http://www.bridgettelacy.com

Kathy Gunst’s tips for a soup swap

• Share the story behind the soup. "Before we eat, we introduce our soups. Every bowl of soup has a story behind it." Sometimes the soup is inspired by a family member, other times it may be influenced by the produce selections at the farmer's market.

• Make enough soup for 10 full servings. That often means doubling a recipe.

• At the soup swap, start with a small sampling. Don't eat a whole bowl. Taste each soup and then decide if you want a larger bowl.

• Find people who like to cook or want to become better cooks. Make sure the cooks are like-minded. For example, everyone likes meat. Or everyone is vegetarian.

• Take turns hosting. The host provides side dishes, or a salad, bread and desserts. Everybody else brings a pot of soup. Encourage folks to bring over a slow cooker for heating soups. You only need to heat the soup being served. The soup for taking home doesn't need to be heated.

• Everybody needs to bring mason jars or containers for soups to take home. Use tea towels to cushion the containers you transport your soup in and the mason jars so they are not banging around during transport.

• Bring everything you need to serve the soup — all the ladles, garnishes, toppings and tools needed to complete the dish. Dedicate a big tote bag for carrying all the soup and supplies.

• Once you return home, label all the soups with the names and dates if you decide to freeze them for later use. Don't fill containers to the top. Generally, cream soups don't freeze well.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup with Salsa

This soup is adapted from one of Lucindy Willis’ favorite soup cookbooks: Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread by Crescent Dragonwagon (1992).

1 lb. black-eyed peas

7 to 9 cups chicken stock, divided

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried cumin

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried coriander

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup Spicy V8 juice

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 to 2 large Vidalia onions, chopped

1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 to 3 carrots, peeled and diced

1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

3 ribs celery with leaves, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes: salsa, sour cream, cilantro

In a large, heavy soup pot, cover black-eyed peas, washed and picked over, with water (add more water than you think since the peas absorb the water). Let them soak overnight.

Drain the beans in a colander, then return the beans to the pot. Add 6 to 8 cups chicken stock to cover beans by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Add bay leaves, oregano, ground cumin, basil and coriander. Cover the beans and let them simmer, stirring occasionally — until you can easily squash a bean against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Keep the soup over low heat.

Dissolve tomato paste in 1 cup chicken stock. Add to simmering black-eyes, along with V8 juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce and minced garlic. Give the mixture a good stir to combine.

In a separate skillet, sauté chopped onions in olive oil until transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add carrots, red or yellow bell pepper and celery. Continue cooking until they soften a bit, another 2 minutes. Stir these vegetables into the soup, scraping the skillet to get the flavorful bits. If you think the soup is too thick, add additional stock.

Now it’s time to taste. Add salt and pepper if needed. Simmer another 15 minutes or so uncovered.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls, and top each serving with salsa, a dab of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro, if desired.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Pasta e Fagioli

Italy’s traditional pasta and bean soup is simple and satisfying. In this version, the stock is scented with fresh rosemary, generous chunks of cubed boneless pork loin roast, white beans, garlic, tomatoes and a small shaped pasta. You can also substitute 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces for the pork loin. Add the bacon to the stockpot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Add 1 teaspoon flour to the fat and whisk over low heat for 2 minutes. Then proceed as directed. It’s a thick, hearty, main-course soup. Serve it with warm, crusty bread. From “Soup Swap” by Kathy Gunst, (Chronicle Books, 2016).

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

12 oz. boneless pork loin roast, cut into ½-in cubes

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 cup dry white wine

1 small onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 medium celery stalks, diced

1/4 cup packed chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, divided

2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves, divided

6 cups chicken stock or broth

One 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup small pasta (conchigliette, ditalini, tubetti or orzo work well)

4 cups cooked white cannellini beans or canned beans (drained, rinsed and re-drained)

Dash of hot-pepper sauce (optional)

Garnishes: pesto, Parmesan cheese, crusty bread

Spoon the flour into a shallow bowl or pie plate and season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat all sides of the pork with the seasoned flour.

Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, cook the pork, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes per batch, until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned pork to a bowl.

Add the wine to the pot, turn the heat to high and simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon to release any bits clinging to the bottom of the pot, for 2 minutes. Pour the wine mixture into the bowl with the cooked pork and set aside.

Turn the heat to low and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Add the carrots, celery, 2 tablespoons parsley and 1 teaspoon rosemary; season with salt and pepper; and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, turn the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the pasta, beans and browned pork with all its juices and cook, partially covered, for 10 to 12 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. The soup is ready when the pork is tender and the pasta is just cooked through, still al dente. Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 teaspoon rosemary and the hot-pepper sauce (if using).

Ladle the soup into mugs or bowls; top with a dollop of pesto, Parmesan cheese and serve with slices of crusty bread, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings