Stew, ramen, broth - all-rounders in the kitchen

Nowhere is the regional variety of soups as great as in Germany - we even have a German Soup Institute! Soup is always good, at any time of year, at any time of day. Katharina Pflug and Manuel Kohler present what is perhaps the most versatile dish on our tables.

Soup and bread - this is something like the basis of our diet. We all grow up with it, from Cape Arkona to the Allgäu. No other country has such a wide variety of regional soups as Germany. Not even the famous French cuisine can match it! This fact also shows how important soup is to us: there has been a German Soup Institute in Bonn since 1996. And German bread culture has even been an intangible world cultural heritage site since 2014. You don't even have to choose between soup or bread - there are various bread soups, soups in a loaf of bread, croutons or crumbs on the soup and bread as a side dish to the soup; for many people, a slice of bread is simply part of the soup.

So we like to spoon it up - I'm also a soup fan. There's nothing like grandma's potato soup to stave off hunger, a hot goulash soup for cold feet or an invigorating chicken broth to ward off nasty cold viruses. Soup is simply cult! Manuel Kohler and Katharina Pflug, who have compiled over 100 soups from all over the world in a book, agree. "Suppenkult" has been published by ars vivendi and offers over 200 pages of irresistible recipes for every season. Manuel Kohler's creative recipes have been compiled with great care and place particular emphasis on seasonality and high-quality ingredients. In addition to national and international classics, you will also find exciting new creations and interpretations in this book - atmospherically staged with photographs by Katharina Pflug.

The author duo have collected real soup classics for their passion project, but have also developed their own creations. In the book you will find lots of ideas for basic broths from fish to vegetables to game; after all, broths are the heart of liquid happiness. Another chapter deals with toppings and garnishes, which add the finishing touch to many dishes. Here, too, recipes for classics such as liver dumplings, fädle or marrow dumplings are on an equal footing with those for modern additions such as vegetable potato chips, salted pumpkin seeds or pesto. All tastes are catered for in "Suppenkult": there are hearty and sweet soups, clear and thickened, filling and light, hot and cold, pureed and soups with large or small "chunks" in them. Whether as a warming meal in winter or a cold refreshment in summer - soups are real all-rounders and always a delicious addition to the menu. As a starter, main meal or dessert, at home or at a family celebration - there are virtually no limits to the possible variations and uses.

Soup rather than talk

This cookbook takes us on a tour of the world's terrines and shows how the simplest ingredients can be used to their best in a pot of soup. The four soup chapters follow the seasons, because soup always works. Even Molière knew: "I live by good soup and not by fine speech." The great classic wrote this in 1672 in his comedy "The Learned Women". In view of these words, which still ring true today, it's tempting to draw a few topical comparisons between the content of soups and that of (political) speeches. But you can do that yourself when you stir your lentil soup. These extremely healthy pulses are far too rarely on the menu in this country. In the book, you can get carried away with an Indian-inspired explosion of spices. Vegetarians will get their money's worth in "Soup Cult", as will meat fans.

There is plenty of variety: for example, a down-to-earth German sauerkraut soup with black pudding and an exotic Japanese stew called "Oden" on the next page. Both recipes can be found in the winter chapter "sumptuous and warming", as well as the famous Vietnamese "Pho" and the British-Indian curry soup "Mulligatawny". If you still need an idea for a New Year's Eve soup: Miss Sophie spooning up her "Mulligatawny" with abandon in "Dinner for One"... Even those who prefer traditional dishes will find everything to warm their hearts and stomachs in this chapter, from goulash to potato soup.

"Spicy and invigorating" are the fall recipes with pumpkin or wine soup, bouillabaisse or minestrone, the aforementioned lentil soups or Pichelsteiner stew. Summer scores with soups such as gazpacho or cucumber cold bowls, various tomato soups or Louisiana gumbo from the southern states of the USA - all of which are "aromatic and refreshing". You can start the year with "fine and creamy" spring soups: wild garlic or turnip soup, asparagus or rhubarb soup and, and, and...

And what is your favorite soup?

Which soup is most often served on German tables? This varies greatly from region to region: the Saxon likes his Leipziger Allerlei, the Palatinate his wine soup; the Bavarian prefers to fish liver dumplings or semolina dumplings out of the broth, the Mecklenburger Klieben. And Berlin's potato soup would not be complete without bockwurst. The finest soups probably come from Hamburg, just think of lobster soup. However, the most popular soup there is the famous eel soup. In fact, Hamburg can call itself something like the soup capital of Germany; nothing works here without soup. According to the German Soup Institute, even the world-famous "oxtail" is not a British invention; the cradle of oxtail soup was apparently on the Alster.

When you spoon up your soup is up to you - most Germans have chosen Saturday as their soup day. Soups are not only popular as a filling lunch, but also as an evening option: almost a third of Germans slurp down a soup for dinner on Mondays to Fridays. For some people, a good day starts with a good soup. And there's nothing wrong with having one in the afternoon too.

Even if we love grandma's soups, we may cook them a little differently: our soups are usually lighter and more digestible than they used to be. Preferences are sometimes different depending on age: fans of tomato soups are on average younger than asparagus soup lovers. It should be completely clear that the preparation times for soups and stews vary greatly. A pumpkin soup can be ready in 30 minutes, while chicken or beef broths take hours. You have to plan a little. Almost half of Germans prefer to cook dishes that are quick to prepare. Many therefore turn to canned or ready-made products. However, this deprives them of a great deal of pleasure, namely the anticipation of eating when the smell of simmering soup wafts into your nose. And now - just spoon it up!

Spiced pear in a red wine broth with vanilla sauce

"As soon as you look at our list of ingredients, it's clear: Christmas is just around the corner. We actually conjure up a very strong mulled wine here, to which we entrust our pears. The red wine broth not only looks very pretty, it also adds a certain tart note. A really nice dessert - whether you enjoy it warm, lukewarm or cold. Perfect in the afternoon between meals or as the crowning glory of a well-rounded menu. Santa Claus can come."

Preparation:

For the spiced pears, bring the red wine, port and sugar to the boil in a large saucepan. Cut the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Set the vanilla pulp aside until further processing. Add the spices, lemon zest and the scraped vanilla pod and simmer. Peel the pears and halve or quarter them, depending on their size. Leave the small pears whole. Remove the cores, blossom bases and stem fibers from the sliced pears, place in the simmering spiced stock and leave to infuse for approx. 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the starch with a little milk and the egg yolks until smooth. Then pour the rest of the milk, cream, vanilla pulp and 60 g sugar into a pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the mixed starch and simmer for about 5 minutes while stirring. Pour through a fine sieve, collect in a bowl and leave to cool.

Once the pears are cooked through, remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave to rest for 15-30 minutes. Serve the warm pears in the stock with a little cold vanilla sauce.

Vintner's soup

"I come from Würzburg in Lower Franconia. Wine has always thrived on the steep slopes above the River Main and has shaped the entire region. Of course, there was always a winegrower's soup on the table at home, especially in the fall at harvest time. I don't skimp on the wine in this soup: one part white wine, two parts vegetable stock. And I always use the same good wine that I drink later. Please don't make any compromises!"

Preparation:

Clean and dice the onion and leek (use only the white part if possible).

Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the onions and leek. As soon as the onion is translucent, dust with flour. Stir carefully and deglaze with white wine after about 2 minutes. Add the stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Puree finely with a hand blender and season with salt.

Wash the chervil, place on a clean kitchen towel and remove the coarse stalks.

Set the oven to grill at the highest temperature. Remove the grapes from the vine and place in an ovenproof dish. Place in the hot oven on the top shelf until the grapes start to caramelize.

Enjoy the soup with plenty of chervil and the slightly cooled grapes.

Apple and potato soup with onion rings

"A combination we've known since childhood, potato pancakes and apple sauce. Autumn is apple season, and that's when I always really crave apples. I particularly like old varieties. But which ones are best for this dish? I'll leave that up to you! Some like it sweeter, others with more acidity. Just try them out until you find your favorite. Potatoes and apples - a brilliant combination in any form."

Preparation

Peel and roughly dice the potatoes, celery and onions. Peel and core 2 apples too.

Heat a pan with the olive oil and sauté the vegetables and apples without letting them take on any color. Pour in cold water until the vegetables are just covered. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Cut the remaining apples in half. Sprinkle the sugar and salt into a pan so that the base is evenly covered. Place the apple halves cut-side down in the pan, place on the stove and heat slowly. As soon as the sugar starts to caramelize, keep deglazing with a dash of Calvados until the apples are soft. Do not let the sugar get too dark.

Once the vegetables are cooked, puree the soup with a hand blender and season to taste with salt. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with the caramelized apples and onion rings.

Heidi Driesner wishes you lots of fun with your spoon.

Read also:

I personally enjoy a hearty bowl of ramen at the end of a long day, its rich broth warming me from within.
When it comes to preparing a delicious all-rounder dish in the Kitchen, both soup and stew are excellent choices, offering a variety of flavors and textures with their inclusion of ingredients like vegetables, meat, and broth.
In the spirit of German kitchen culture, a steaming hot bowl of potato soup or a flavorful goulash soup can be a great comfort food, especially when the weather turns chilly. But don't forget about the globally popular option of ramen, which also boasts a rich and savory broth, perfect for a satisfying meal.

Source: www.ntv.de