Dear sweet moms and parents! April here helping you relax into motherhood from my tropical island home.
Cozy up to the comforting, nourishing goodness of homemade soups this season! With just a few humble ingredients and a little time, you can create nourishing bowls of goodness that nourish the soul as well as the body.
There’s no excuse not to make your own soups with healthier, homemade alternatives to canned varieties. You’ll control the sodium and add-ins, allowing you to lower the calories while boosting the nutrition. And you’ll love the satisfaction of producing something delicious from scratch for your family.
Corn Chowder Soup
June being the corn season around these parts, corn chowder is a perfect pick you up, and warm-you-up homemade soup. Corn is a natural source of fiber, protein and other nutrients. This, in addition with other vegetables in the recipe, makes it a healthy alternative to instant soups. Unlike regular Filipino Corn Soup like Suam, corn chowder has a slightly thickened, creamy texture. Despite the unfamiliar name (as this is an American soup) it’s rather easy to make and most ingredients are in the pantry. This chowder soup offers a delightful puree of fresh corn flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- a few strips of bacon or ham
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced - 2 tbsp flour
- 4 cups water
- 1 chicken cube (bouillon)
- 1 large carrot, diced (1 cup)
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups corn kernels (5 to 8 ears corn or 1 can drained) - 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 250 ml Nestle All-Purpose Cream
Instructions:
- Heat up a large pot and cook bacon on it. Set aside the bacon.
- On the same pot, saute the onion and celery until about tender.
- Sprinkle in flour and mix until flour is mixed with vegetables (like a roux).
- Add water and chicken cubes with diced potatoes and carrots. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add corn and seasoning and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
- Add All Purpose Cream. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes more.
- (Optional) Blend until slightly chunky with an immersion blender.
- Garnish with bacon and chopped chives (if using). Spring onion also works!
Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup
There’s nothing more nourishing for the spirit on a rainy day than a bowl of homemade mushroom rice soup. Hearty and comforting, this simple homemade soup recipe uses basic pantry staples to create a delectable pot of goodness. Like the Corn Chowder soup, this is not a usual Filipino soup but one I discovered that I quite liked.
Years ago, I joined a Mega Prome cooking contest and we were given a pack of Mega Prime products. One of these is the Mega Prime Button Mushrooms and I joined using my Mushroom Arroz Caldo Recipe. Among the recipes I tested for the Mega Prime Mushrooms is this Creamy Mushroom and Rice Soup.
I used Dinorado for this recipe. Dinorado is a long-grain rice with a fragrant aroma and smooth, shiny appearance. It fluffs upon cooking and becomes sweet, chewy, and slightly sticky. I also used two mushrooms -button and shiitake mushrooms but you can probably use other mushrooms for this recipe. Local mushrooms such as our Kabute or even the oyster mushroom would not be out of place for this homemade soup!
Ingredients:
- • 1 cup long-grain rice (Dinorado or Jasmine)
- 1 tsp salt
- • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- • 1 onion, finely chopped
- • 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- • 1/ cup carrots, finely chopped
- • 4 cups water (add as needed)
- 1 chicken cube (bouillon) -optional
- • 1 (8-ounce) can button mushrooms, drained
- 5 pcs shiitake mushrooms (soaked, stem removed, and quartered)
- • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- A splash of Worsestershite to brighten up the flavor (optional)
- 1/2 cup All purpose cream
- • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions:
- Wash rice and marinate in salt and oil for about 30 minutes.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add in mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are browned.
- Stir in the rice and coat with the oil, then pour in the water. Add chicken cubes. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Season with salt and pepper according to your liking.
- Turn off the heat and add All Purpose Cream.
- Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley. Enjoy your bowl of warmth and nourishment – this soup truly feeds the soul!
Make a batch of homemade soup today to warm your soul and nourish your family.
Let me know if you give this recipe a whirl. Snap a pic and tag me @relaxlangmom on Instagram with #homemadesoup #nourishingsoups #islandgoodness. I’d love to “see” how you make this recipe your own.
Wishing you many peaceful moments creating in the kitchen today and throughout this rainy season. Salamat for reading!
