If you are very much in pre-Lent mode, with your planning going no further than tomorrow's Mardi Gras dilemma (fried chicken and waffles, or bacon cheeseburgers? The Chief says lets go with burgers), I see you and raise you some Paczki.
But… this is me thinking a wee bit ahead. Like, to Wednesday.
Ash Wednesday.
The beginning of Lent.
Soup is great Lenten food, even though I have to confess that I am not a fan of meatless anything.
Really, I'm not. Please put a hunk of meat in whatever it is you are cooking up. I'm not that kind of person who enjoys a lot of whole grain things either. I'm more of a cro-nut kind of gal, you know? I've discovered that recently, because my grocery store has those little nuggets of temptation, if you can believe that. Right here in the boonies. Cro-nuts. Sigh.
And ice cream…
But really. Only until tomorrow to think about all that!
Have you ever had Lenten suppers with friends? It's a great way to encourage each other to live the time of fasting, praying, and giving alms… and to make good friends on the journey.
But you need ideas for what to eat, I think!
The great thing about soup is that you can make a lot, bake up some bread, set out a cheese plate and some nuts beforehand and fruit after, and you're good to go.
This is the time to let go of those hospitality hang-ups! No one expects much at a Lenten supper, so it's a chance to just enjoy each other's company, have a great discussion about something you've read and not worry about whether the dishes all match.
Even on fast/abstinence days, meat stock is allowed*, so the children won't actually starve! If it's not Friday, you can put a little meat in it after all, as long as you are not Orthodox — you know your own rules and should go by those of course. But of course, you can make these soups completely meatless in every respect.
Give the kids their bowl and their slice (well buttered!), get them fed, and while they are pounding around the house you can visit with your friends! Friday right after work? Saturday after chores? Wednesday evenings? Or Sunday after Mass?
Soup is simple and forgiving — you can always throw in more potatoes or more water or more carrots or more pasta. Our recipes are really just guides — don't be afraid! The soup will be delicious. When in doubt add a little more salt.
The rhythm of eating this way is so good for us! When it's “soup night” even the most spoiled eaters just realize that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Not a bad thing.
So Sukie and I offer two Lenten soups for you here. As time goes on we will post about more, and please! Let us know of your favorites in the comments and/or for the Lenten {pretty, happy, funny, real} link-ups! If you have a post about your soup, link it up! We would love to hear about your soup and Lenten suppers!
Fair warning, we did a terrible job at quantities of things here. But you know our motto: “A wise lady once said, ‘If you haven't good judgment you'll never make a good cook or anything else.'” – Mary Mason Campbell, Kitchen Gardens.
Clam Chowder (from Leila) – Makes a large (6-8 -ish qt) pot of soup.
- Bacon fat* or coconut oil — butter will also be fine — about 4 tablespoons, 1/4 cup.
- Flour, a 1/3 cup
- 2 large onions, sliced thin
- 2 large stalks celery, chopped small (celery, even if you don't much like it, is essential for so many soups and stews. It fairly disappears but it adds a great flavor)
- The liquid from 4 large (by which I mean the 10 oz) cans of whole clams or 1 qt. of frozen clams, plus 2 cups fish stock (in bottles in the canned fish section, near the tuna), and the clams, in a separate bowl for when the soup is nearly done
- Milk (1 1/2 qt)
- 4 lbs red potatoes, cut in half or quarters, sliced thickly, skin on
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried chives
- Dried parsley
Some Sunday you no doubt made bacon and saved the fat. Use this now! Or heat up whatever fat you are using in your soup pot.
Cook a bunch of sliced onions and finely chopped celery in the fat.
Add enough flour to make a roux. If you had about 1/4 cup of fat, you will need a 1/3 cup of flour. Cook gently for a few minutes, stirring with your whisk (I use a flat whisk to get in the corners of the pot).
Add the fish stock and the clam juice (do not add the clams now, or they will get tough), whisking to smooth out any lumps. Add about a quart of milk.
Stir this all up, whisking as you go (this way you don’t have to heat the liquid first). Add 1 tbsp garlic powder, 2 tsp. salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Dried chives would be good too. Add the red potatoes. You can leave skin on — this is both easier and a bit more colorful.
You have to stir often as the soup simmers, as the potatoes tend to stick.
If it’s getting too thick as the potatoes cook, add more milk or some water. If in the end it doesn’t seem quite thick enough, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into some milk or cream and stir in. But remember that the potatoes will continue to thicken as they get more cooked. Simmer gently on medium heat until potatoes are juuuust done – maybe about 15 minutes. Add the clams and from that point on keep at a low heat and don't let it boil again.
I like to serve chowder with yeasted or baking soda (quick) cornbread.
Kale and Bean Soup (from Sukie) – makes a small pot of soup (2-3 quart-ish)
Sukie says, “I didn't have Parmesan or the right beans for this soup for the picture, and it was still so good!”
- A can of white beans (navy, great northern, or cannelli) or 1 cup dried beans, which you have soaked overnight
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Bunch of Kale (at our grocery store you get about 4-6 large stems — it comes chopped and bagged as well)
- Bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp each of dried thyme and rosemary
- A parmesan rind if you have it for the broth
- A quart of chicken broth* or vegetable broth (but be careful here if you are not making your own — often these are full of MSG to make them taste like what you expect broth to taste like)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- A pound of small pasta like orzo, cooked al dente, separately, maybe tossed with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together
Saute a lot of minced garlic in olive oil.
Meanwhile, wash, trim, and chop a bunch of kale. Actually, trim and chop, then wash and spin. Way easier that way. (You can do spinach instead of kale, but it doesn't hold its texture as well, and makes for an overall mushier soup.)
When garlic is soft, add broth and seasonings–bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, parmesan rind if you have it. When the broth has boiled, add kale and salt and cook until tender. Add soaked/canned white beans. I think that little navy or great northern beans are tastiest, but it's still good if you buy cannellini beans by mistake.
Cook til tender/hot. Season to taste.
Fish out parmesan rind and bay leaf if you used them.
In the bowl, top with grated parmesan and serve with garlic bread. If you want to add pasta, cook it separately and add it into each bowl so that it doesn't get mushy.
* For information about what constitutes fasting and abstaining from meat, here is a Q & A from the bishops' website.
For a post about how to make bread in an equally imprecise way, go to this rather old one and these pizza-dough ones that have Deirdre's pictures.
Last year, over at the Practicing Catholic, the Schmidts had a great series on soup for Lent! They featured my Potato Soup of Thriftiness, of which Clam Chowder is a variation, and have many other soups archived there for your enjoyment! You could even make one of those and then tell us about it!
For past posts about Lent and why it's Scriptural and oh, so meaningful to live your Lent, take a stroll through these archived posts, probably in reverse order. Wish I were more organized here on the blog!
Kate says
I think Beethoven said something like, “Only the pure of heart can make good soup.” When I make a soup my husband likes, he compliments me with “Ah, I knew you had a pure heart.”
Our parish hosts soup and bread after Stations on Fridays in Lent and there are always two tables full of parishioners’ soups to try (the bread is usually a bit “eh.”). My kids really like Pioneer Woman’s Chili Corn Chowder. For meatless soups I’ve been using the Better than Bullion vegetarian base (it’s a paste in a jar) to make the stock. It’s been our punny tradition to have lentil soup on Ash Wednesday; not a favorite, but, hey, it kicks the suffering season off right. I make the soft pretzels from “A Continual Feast”to accompany the lentils and they manage to choke it down.
Alice says
Our parish has just instituted soup and bread lunches after mass on the last Friday of each month. Last month my husband baked a rustic loaf (he used to work in a bakery and bakes all our bread), and promptly got himself promoted to monthly bread donator. Yesterday we had a pancake breakfast, and all the organizers sought him out to remind him that next Sunday is the last in February.
Liz Swift says
I have found a vegetable broth called No Chicken Broth by Imagine at our local Hannaford. We prefer that to the mostly sweeter vegetable broths we’d tried before. The favorite lentil soup here is one we found in a British cookbook and uses golden lentils. It’s a cream based soup so very different from most lentil soups. It’s called White Lentil Soup and was traditional Good Friday fare. If you can find a recipe, you might find your kids prefer it.
Lauren says
One of my newer soup recipes is just lovely and comes from here:
http://mimithorisson.com/2014/10/05/and-summer-lingered-on/
Besides her blog and food being so beautiful, this lentil soup is really satisfying and so pretty to eat. You could leave off the pancetta (or bacon) for Lent.
NY Mom says
Our Byzantine Great Lent began at sundown yesterday, so I came home from vespers to…leftover Valentine’s Day candy. Shoulda eaten it faster! Bad timing on that one.
Today I cobbled together a minestrone soup and made Anadama bread to accompany it, along with a small tuna salad. For Lent I love the cookbooks of Brother Victor – Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette. His beautiful quotes, love for monastic tradition and good, simple, earthy French food put me in the right frame of mind for the season. I also love that his recipes don’t require 47 exotic ingredients – they’re realistic and easy.
It seems every year I get sort of hooked on some new dish to try. One year it was black bean soup until we just…could…not… No constipation problems that year. Anyway, this year I’ve been looking on Pinterest (where else) at these Greek eggplant fritters, various spinach pies, and haloumi cheese, which if you haven’t tried it…well worth the search. Sometimes you need to find something nice to balance the ever-present jar of peanut butter. (Does anyone else gag on peanut butter the rest of the year? The only time I can manage it is during Lent.)
NY Mom says
P.S. I didn’t know what a cro-nut was so I googled it and saw some pictures. I have now officially passed out.
Leila says
NY Mom, sorry. Should have come with a trigger warning 😉
Mrs. B. says
Pizza is my go-to Friday dinner, Lent or no Lent, but in winter I do alternate with meatless soups.
My soups are very simple, are all pureed with a blender because I like them creamy, and they all start with leeks sweating in butter – I love leeks something fierce! – potatoes, and cannellini beans. My favorite soup then adds frozen artichokes I find at Trader Joe’s (or canned ones, but they will make the soup tangy, unlike the frozen ones.) My kids’ favorite is Green Soup, made with green vegetables (usually zucchini, Swiss chard, green beans, after the usual base), to which I add fresh basil (in the sense that I don’t cook it with the soup, I put it in at the end, before blending) and Parmigiano – come to think of it, I add Parmigiano to all my soups! I also love butternut squash and parsnip soup, with a generous pinch of herbes de Provence. If one happens to only have stale bread, or not-so-great bread, just slice it, put in on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and put it in the oven until slightly crunchy – very, very good!
I would like to learn to make some fish soups, so I’m glad to have a Clam Chowder recipe here.
Leila, I am in love with the bowl with the Chowder: beautiful! I have a real weakness for white and blue china…
Mrs. B. says
Maria’s recipe below reminded me of another favorite: Ina Garten’s Lentil and Sausage soup! Here’s the episode: http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/barefoot-contessa/7-series/tale-of-two-soups.html The chive biscuit recipe is also very good. (And now that I’ve unearthed the episode, I have another fish soup recipe as well!)
Maria says
My family loves this soup: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Hearty-Lentil-and-Ham-Soup-10949?. My 6 year old has designated this her FAVORITE soup. We make it with triple mushrooms because we all LOVE mushrooms around here. (Except the 2 year old, who has suddenly decided she doesn’t like them anymore.) I also don’t use a whole cinnamon stick, just a chunk of one, but don’t leave it out completely! It really adds a nice depth to the soup.
It’s not meatless, but it is super easy to throw together. And extra hearty and tasty!
Maria says
I also wing a version of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana that starts with browning Italian sausage in my pot, adding lots of onions, garlic, chicken stock, thyme, fennel seed, potatoes and chopped kale. Once everything is cooked, I add evaporated milk, turn off the heat, and finish with cream or half and half – whatever I happen to have in the fridge.
Margo, Thrift at Home says
oh my goodness, I love soup! We eat soup several times a week in the winter around here. I’m always at a loss in the summer without a pot of soup to fall back on. And what, how is it Lent already?! We’re in such a deep freeze around here that the thought of Easter is hilarious.
Here is a Mennonite soup – it has meatballs in it but not many –
http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2011/03/sauer-klops-mennonite-soup.html
and here is a could-be vegetarian soup (use the stock of your choice) that is wonderful and SO FAST:
http://thriftathome.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-new-way-with-pesto.html
Kansas Mom says
I love soup because it’s a whole meal in a bowl and I don’t feel compelled to make a vegetable or a salad in addition. My husband, though, is not a big fan of soup. He’ll eat it because he likes it when I cook (and he doesn’t). This chowder is one of our favorites, though. Since the post, all of the kids have decided they like it, especially if there’s bread to sop it up. They especially love it with crusty bread (there’s a link at the end) which is incredibly easy. You just have to remember to start it the night before.
http://ourhomeontherange.blogspot.com/2013/06/home-on-range-recipe-ham-potato-and.html
Lori B says
Love soup! Like in kind of a crazy-lady way 🙂 We make one similar to Sukie’s, but with some carrots, celery, and spinach- it’s my vegetarian daughter’s favourite!
White bean soup
olive oil
2 cups chopped celery and carrots (total, not 2 cups of each)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can white kidney beans
1 pkg. frozen, chopped spinach
grated parmesan cheese
Heat some olive oil in a soup pot and cook the celery and carrots for a few minutes.
Add the broth and bring to a boil.
Add the beans and spinach, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1/2 hour or so.
Serve with a large spoonful (or two!) of parmesan on top (sprinkled with pepper if you like).
Laura says
Thank you for these suggestions! I didn’t know meat stock was “ok” but that is a big help!
Ashley says
I enjoy soup when it’s cold out, but my husband isn’t a big fan. The doughnuts you made last year look amazing. I’ve always been afraid of frying things, so I always shy away from that kind of thing. Right now I have a a blueberry pie in the oven and some brownies cooling on the counter.
My church is starting to form small groups for young adults. My husband and I would be interested in joining because we really don’t have any friends or family in the area. We’d love to be a part of a community like you described above. Our only concern is childcare. We were thinking the setup would be like what you described, but it’s a little more formal than that. There will be babysitter(s) in the location that the meetings will be held (at someone’s home or at church). So our daughter will be there, just not with us. I’d rather she be where I can see her, but….She’s 20 months so she isn’t a baby but she isn’t very verbal yet. Can you tell we haven’t left her alone yet? Am I be silly about this? I value any thoughts or opinions you have.
Kari says
I’m making the paczki as we speak, however I was almost out of white flour, so am having to substitute white whole wheat–lol! Not quite as decadent as I was going for!
Kari
Lisa G. says
I’m making the paczki as we speak, however I was almost out of white flour, so am having to substitute white whole wheat–lol! Not quite as decadent as I was going for!
Kari
Vieve says
Great post! I love soup as well. Lentils can be used without meat in so many ways…vegetable soup types, Southwestern types, chili. They’re great. We like this: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/lentil-soup-recipe.html (I’ve never used Grains of Paradise) My favorite meatless soup is this Cheesy Vegetable Chowder: http://luluthebaker.com/2011/09/cheesy-vegetable-chowder.html It tastes just fine with vegetable broth. In fact, I haven’t made it with chicken broth. I’m planning to make it tomorrow, but I forgot to buy broccoli! I have asparagus, so I guess I’ll use that! Here is my favorite Minestrone, because it only requires water for a base and then the added 1/4 cup of pesto is just fabulous. http://low-cholesterol.food.com/recipe/classic-minestrone-358744 (It’s a Cook’s Illustrated recipe)
Cecilia says
We’re making Basque cabbage soup tomorrow, and along with some quesadillas, it’s very filling! In Mexico, brothy soups are very common and quesadillas are a delicious accompaniment (think grilled cheese and tomato soup). The recipe below is from a well-known Basque restaurant in Bakersfield. It’s a bare-bones recipe, but it’s all you need, and some common sense, of course! Don’t forget to add beans, it’s traditional and yummy!
http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/node/7210
Deborah says
In this, or perhaps another post, gingerbread was mentioned. Is it considered to be a Lenten food when sweets are being avoided? My husband, a Catholic priest, thought it sounded a bit sweet to him…but I LOVE an iron skillet full of crusty gingerbread.
Leila says
Deborah, this is the post with the gingerbread recipe: http://wp.me/p4jJXg-S0
It’s from the Joy of Cooking.
It’s sweet all right, but it’s bread — says so right there in the name : Ginger BREAD. 🙂
You can reduce the sugar if you like.
Logan says
We live in Cameroon and our diet is kinda lentish the whole year round. Needless to say the art of good soup is a must! Maybe I’ll do a soup post and link it . . . I might not. Anyway, a suggestion! A trick we’ve learned from the Cameroonians is too use ground nuts or seeds in soups for protein. It is also delicious without trying to be substituting for anything. Peanuts and pumpkin seeds are staples of our diet, and we grind them to a powdery consistency (not butter) and it gives great body to soup. I’ve been dreaming of a brocoli almond combination for when we return.
I would encourage people to also learn the art of a good vegetable stock. You can get away with meat stock, but if part of the idea of abstinence is to be in solidarity with the poor you can definitely best acheive that by going totally free of meat. You won’t starve, I promise.
Leila says
Yes, Logan, we are wimpy around here! I know I am.
For me, solidarity with the poor *can* take the form of carefully using up every part of that roast, including the bones, to make a good broth for another meal. But it’s true that a good hearty soup can be made with no meat whatsoever.
Sarah says
For purists who want to leave the bacon out of clam chowder (and, at least some, other dishes), try mashing an anchovy or two and cooking them in the pot before sautéing other ingredients. Do enough mashing and cooking that naysayers and anchovy-haters will not see or encounter any chunks! The anchovies will dissolve and eaters will only taste the effect it has on the recipe as a whole. Another alternative is colatura (fermented anchovy “juice”). If you can’t find it locally, you can find it online. Nettuno brand is the real deal. It is a bit pricey, but a little bit goes a LOOOOOONG way. A few drops (or several – use to taste) in the whole pot of chowder and you would never know there wasn’t bacon. Use it in tandem with the mashed and cooked anchovies, and you can use even less colatura. Salt and umami and no meat! Dehydrated mushrooms will also give umami, but no salt, which is one of the great parts of bacon!
Leila says
This is a great tip — anchovies make things better! I use the fat from the bacon to make the roux (and as far as I can tell, that is allowed). One could use a cornstarch slurry instead if the potatoes are not thickening things up enough — or puree some of the potatoes to release their starch.
Sarah says
Thanks for the reply! I think it may have been since my brother introduced me to colatura that I realized just how handy anchovies themselves are. They add that “something” when salt is not enough to get what you want. We put them in stuffed artichokes.
Thanks for the tip about the cornstarch. I use it for gravy, but don’t think of it for chowder. I am overdue to make clam chowder, so I may use that tip soon. May you have a Blessed Lent!