SOUP HERBS

Soup is one of those dishes you can almost make from instinct with whatever is at hand plus can always be “made more.”  It can also be cold in summer or warm in winter and contain ingredients abundant during each season such as asparagus in spring, a garden vegetable or fruit mix in summer, creamy pumpkin or squash in fall and a hearty bean, pea or lentil in winter.  Whatever the season, herbs add to the mix a unique lift which can completely change the favor of similar ingredients.  Fresh or dried herbs can be added during cooking or added as a fresh garnish including their flowers, so try growing some of these “soup herbs” in your vegetable garden or in their own special garden.

Herbs commonly used in soups include basil, bay leaf, chervil, chives, cilantro, cumin, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon and thyme.  If you have a special favorite soup to make, here are some herbs that go well with:

            Potato – rosemary, parsley, thyme, chives
            Tomato – basil, dill, oregano
            Minestrone – oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, bay
            Bean – savory, oregano, cumin, thyme, bay
            Chicken – tarragon, chervil
            Carrots – parsley, bay, thyme
            Pea – mint, dill, chives      

Plus lovage is a great low sodium substitute for celery, borage enhances fresh cucumber and sorrel makes its own special lemony soup.