Majida Rashid
“Soup is a lot like life. It’s all about what you put into it.”
— Unknown
November is a strange month. It is ushered in by Halloween, a time when parents feel safe letting their children go around in the neighborhood to gather treats. But parents’ concern about children eating too much candy is usually rife.
It’s also the month that hosts presidential elections every four years. The winning party is high on dopamine, people who supported the losing party may soothe their cortisol with dollops and dollops of ice cream. Rumors about vote counting circulate like a wildfire.
While talking about elections, I would say that neither the electoral college nor an abortion ban is democratic. Mail-in ballots are a story of their own. This is the 21st century and mail-in ballots should be replaced with electronic voting from the comfort of our homes. It removes the suspicion of discarding or replacing mail-in ballots. Additionally, I never heard of a convicted person running in an election! But this is America – a free country. Anything can happen. Enough about elections.
Now let’s go to the glory of November. My favorite month not because the weather becomes clement in Houston or it cools down elsewhere, but because it has that magical celebratory holiday – Thanksgiving. I have hosted Thanksgiving dinner every year since I came to live in America. I love to see family and friends stop by to have a bite and even bring a dish whether we ask or not. Of course, we have already invited everyone a couple of months ago and the menu is all set.
Fried turkey; Iranian-style rice; baked chicken laden with Pakistani-Mexican spices; Arabic-style roast lamb; and a yummy salad are usually the staple for the day. But sometimes I serve something new. This year I’m thinking of cooking a special soup that came into existence decades ago.
One day, in Bahrain, I went to the kitchen with the idea of making chili. I searched the pantry, fridge, and the food cabinets but didn’t find the ingredients for chili. Fortunately, I happened to have sour cream, flour, butter and frozen mixed vegetables. The rest is history, as they say.
People love this soup and come for seconds as well. It’s best served before putting out other food. It tastes great even the next day. An important point to remember is to never boil the soup after adding the sour cream.
There are different types of chicken cubes or bouillons in the market. The flavor of bouillon is important because it effects the deliciousness of the soup. I usually use bouillons with orangish color and stay away from greenish bouillons.
The Magical Elixir
(Serves 6)
4 chicken bouillons
3 cups milk
4 cups water
2-3 oz unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
14 oz frozen mixed vegetables
Directions
Soak the chicken cubes in enough warm water and leave aside.
Mix together the milk and water and leave aside
Gently melt butter over low heat.
Add the flour and stir until it’s mixed with the butter.
Cook the roux for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.
Add the pepper and sauté for 1 more minute.
Heat a little milk and slowly pour over the roux in a thin stream.
Whisk it continuously while pouring the milk until the roux is dissolved and there are no lumps.
Add the remaining milk and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Pour some hot milk mixture over the soaked bouillons and crush them until they are dissolved.
Add them to the pot with boiling milk.
Mix in the vegetables and stir well.
Allow it to boil and lower the heat slightly.
Cook uncovered, for 10 minutes or to your liking.
Put the sour cream in a bowl and whisk with a fork or a small whisk until it forms a smooth paste.
Cool down some of the hot liquid after the vegetables are cooked and gradually whisk in with the cream.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cream mixture and whisk well.
Return to low heat and cook until the cream is mixed.
Turn off the heat just before it starts to boil.
— Unknown
November is a strange month. It is ushered in by Halloween, a time when parents feel safe letting their children go around in the neighborhood to gather treats. But parents’ concern about children eating too much candy is usually rife.
It’s also the month that hosts presidential elections every four years. The winning party is high on dopamine, people who supported the losing party may soothe their cortisol with dollops and dollops of ice cream. Rumors about vote counting circulate like a wildfire.
While talking about elections, I would say that neither the electoral college nor an abortion ban is democratic. Mail-in ballots are a story of their own. This is the 21st century and mail-in ballots should be replaced with electronic voting from the comfort of our homes. It removes the suspicion of discarding or replacing mail-in ballots. Additionally, I never heard of a convicted person running in an election! But this is America – a free country. Anything can happen. Enough about elections.
Now let’s go to the glory of November. My favorite month not because the weather becomes clement in Houston or it cools down elsewhere, but because it has that magical celebratory holiday – Thanksgiving. I have hosted Thanksgiving dinner every year since I came to live in America. I love to see family and friends stop by to have a bite and even bring a dish whether we ask or not. Of course, we have already invited everyone a couple of months ago and the menu is all set.
Fried turkey; Iranian-style rice; baked chicken laden with Pakistani-Mexican spices; Arabic-style roast lamb; and a yummy salad are usually the staple for the day. But sometimes I serve something new. This year I’m thinking of cooking a special soup that came into existence decades ago.
One day, in Bahrain, I went to the kitchen with the idea of making chili. I searched the pantry, fridge, and the food cabinets but didn’t find the ingredients for chili. Fortunately, I happened to have sour cream, flour, butter and frozen mixed vegetables. The rest is history, as they say.
People love this soup and come for seconds as well. It’s best served before putting out other food. It tastes great even the next day. An important point to remember is to never boil the soup after adding the sour cream.
There are different types of chicken cubes or bouillons in the market. The flavor of bouillon is important because it effects the deliciousness of the soup. I usually use bouillons with orangish color and stay away from greenish bouillons.
The Magical Elixir
(Serves 6)
4 chicken bouillons
3 cups milk
4 cups water
2-3 oz unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
14 oz frozen mixed vegetables
Directions
Soak the chicken cubes in enough warm water and leave aside.
Mix together the milk and water and leave aside
Gently melt butter over low heat.
Add the flour and stir until it’s mixed with the butter.
Cook the roux for 2 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.
Add the pepper and sauté for 1 more minute.
Heat a little milk and slowly pour over the roux in a thin stream.
Whisk it continuously while pouring the milk until the roux is dissolved and there are no lumps.
Add the remaining milk and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Pour some hot milk mixture over the soaked bouillons and crush them until they are dissolved.
Add them to the pot with boiling milk.
Mix in the vegetables and stir well.
Allow it to boil and lower the heat slightly.
Cook uncovered, for 10 minutes or to your liking.
Put the sour cream in a bowl and whisk with a fork or a small whisk until it forms a smooth paste.
Cool down some of the hot liquid after the vegetables are cooked and gradually whisk in with the cream.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cream mixture and whisk well.
Return to low heat and cook until the cream is mixed.
Turn off the heat just before it starts to boil.
