It’s soup season, and Bigelow Tea loves the soul-satisfying flavor you get when making stock from scratch. So before reaching for that can or box, check out these inspiring ideas from New York Times food writer Mark Bittman for whipping up a variety of homemade stocks in minutes (yes, really!) using staples sitting in your pantry or fridge. One of Bittman’s recipes is for Smoky Tea Stock that he recommends using as a broth for udon noodles. Add a splash of soy sauce. Yum!
Why stop there? Try inventing your own signature stocks using Bigelow Tea flavors as a base for your favorite recipes or even some new creations. Here’s a wonderful recipe from the Bigelow Tea files for a hearty, nutritious soup (pictured above) using Green Tea with Lemon to give the broth an unexpected zesty flavor. Enjoy!
Garmugia (Spring Vegetable Soup)
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 20 Bigelow Green Tea with Lemon tea bags
- 7 cups (1 ¾L) boiling water
- 3 tablespoons (45mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 fresh italian sausage, casing removed and meat crumbled
- 3 small white onions, thinly sliced
- 3 oz. (90g) ground beef
- ½ cup (125mL) frozen lima beans or frozen fava beans
- ½ cup (125mL) frozen peas
- ½ cup (125mL) asparagus tips
- ½ teaspoon (2.5mL) salt
- ½ teaspoon (2.5mL) freshly ground pepper
- Croutons:
- ¼ cup (60mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 slices coarse white bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon (15mL) Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions:
Place Bigelow Green Tea with Lemon tea bags into a large bowl; pour 7 cups boiling water over the tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeeze well and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausage meat, onions and ground beef; saute until meat browns and onions turn opaque. Add the beans, peas and asparagus and stir well. Pour in reserved tea, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook covered until the flavors are blended, about 30 minutes, skimming off any froth from the surface of the soup. Halfway through the cooking time, season with salt and pepper. Serve. To prepare the croutons, add olive oil to frying pan and heat over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute until it begins to turn golden. Remove garlic and add bread cubes and stir until golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the crouton to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with parsley. Ladle hot soup into warmed soup bowls and garnish with croutons.