Harnessing the Power of Soup

There is nothing better than a bowl of hot, homemade soup on a cold winter Alberta day! Our mother used to make a fresh pot of soup for her family every single day. Only the freshest ingredients were used such as barley, vegetable, leek, tripe, pea, onion – and her soups included chicken soup, pickle soup, pumpkin, and borsch, among others. We never knew what our mother would create for us each day, but it was always waiting for us. Her soups were always fresh, hearty, delicious, and above all, healthy! Our Mamusia (mother) was, and still is a firm believer in the value of fresh soup. She and her mother, our Babcia (grandmother), survived the Second World War in Poland. During the war they survived mostly on potatoes, tomatoes, and on rare occasions, horse meat. They also experienced hunger. 

Our mother, who is 92 years of age this year, still makes soup using only the freshest ingredients. Her base for a good broth is chicken thighs, turkey neck and oxtail. She chops up fresh vegetables very finely, throws in her beloved bay leaf and adds her secret ingredient  “love”.  Her goal is to have you eat when you walk through her door and running and chasing after little mouths in need. She still eats soup twice a day, rarely catches a cold, and is in excellent health. Her skin looks absolutely fabulous!

As her daughter, I have carried on my mother’s tradition of soup. I value her broth for it’s healthy and anti-aging qualities, highly nutritious content, nutrients and vitamins. I use her bone broth as a base for soup, (soup just wouldn’t be soup without the broth), sauces, stews, gravy, sautéed vegetables and chili. Broth is also yummy to drink just in a cup. My husband is still surprised to this day at how quickly I am able to prepare soup. During the winter months, I wake up on the weekend and start preparing broth for the week. The health benefits are endless.