Chicken soup mix as a spice

Seraph

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:09 am

It's come to my attention just how many people use chicken soup mix as a spice. I always thought sfardim have such a range of really flavorful spices they use that they'd have no need to rely on soup mix to give their food flavor, but a friend told me that, at least in israel, soup mix is THE spice used in almost all recipes, especially among sfardi housewives. And here I was thinking its just an american thing...

Do you use soup mix as a spice? What foods do you make with soup mix?

When I mean using it as a spice, I mean that there's more than one dish that you make with soup mix, that you use it in a variety of dishes, etc...

grace413

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:14 am

I confess; I use pareve chicken soup mix when I make couscous or ptitim. That way it's pareve and I don't waste my yummy homemade chicken soup on it. So is it because I'm Ashkenazi?

I also use onion soup mix on my brisket.

Seraph

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:15 am

And in case this post is coming across as judgmental, it isn't meant to be. I don't think soup mix is evil. Personally, I am sensitive to MSG when it is in soup mix, but I realize that not everyone is.

I actually was posting this just because I was surprised at how often soup mix is used by people locally. Even before I got on a "health kick", I only used soup mix in a certain rice and chicken recipe, in chicken soup, in white sauce, in roasts, and in onion sour cream dip, and I didn't make those often. So I was just surprised finding out that some locals (perhaps most even) use chicken soup mix in all their chicken recipes, on their potatoes, in their kugels, etc....

Seraph

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:18 am

grace413 wrote:

I confess; I use pareve chicken soup mix when I make couscous or ptitim. That way it's pareve and I don't waste my yummy homemade chicken soup on it. So is it because I'm Ashkenazi?

When I used to make ptitim, I'd cook it u with fried onions, garlic powder, salt, and paprika. Parve and yummy!
And for couscous, I used just turmeric and salt.

Quote:

I also use onion soup mix on my brisket.

I think that's standard- almost everyone I know, especially ashkenazim, makes their brisket with onion soup mix. Even I use a homemade msg free onion soup mix to make my brisket.

BeershevaBubby

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:36 am

I use onion soup mix when I make my spinach or broccoli kugel. Also when I make chicken with rice. SOMETIMES on a brisket.

But for other things like soup and schnitzels I add fresh herbs, paprika, turmeric, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic powder...

aussie2

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:38 am

I never use chicken soup mix , but use onion soup mix in many things including chulent, brown rice etc.. it adds a good flavor
and I'm ashkenazi and live in Israel (but had been using it b4 that also- just based on recipies I like not where I live)

grace413

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:44 am

Seraph wrote:

grace413 wrote:

I confess; I use pareve chicken soup mix when I make couscous or ptitim. That way it's pareve and I don't waste my yummy homemade chicken soup on it. So is it because I'm Ashkenazi?

When I used to make ptitim, I'd cook it u with fried onions, garlic powder, salt, and paprika. Parve and yummy!
And for couscous, I used just turmeric and salt.

Quote:

I also use onion soup mix on my brisket.

I think that's standard- almost everyone I know, especially ashkenazim, makes their brisket with onion soup mix. Even I use a homemade msg free onion soup mix to make my brisket.

Another confession: I'm just lazy. And my DD likes it this way. Do I get any points for using whole wheat cousous?

What I don't get is people using chicken soup mix in their chicken soup. I make chicken soup with a whole chicken, onion, carrots, celery, squash a little salt and it's delicious if I do say so myself.

Seraph

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:49 am

grace413 wrote:

Seraph wrote:

grace413 wrote:

I confess; I use pareve chicken soup mix when I make couscous or ptitim. That way it's pareve and I don't waste my yummy homemade chicken soup on it. So is it because I'm Ashkenazi?

When I used to make ptitim, I'd cook it u with fried onions, garlic powder, salt, and paprika. Parve and yummy!
And for couscous, I used just turmeric and salt.

Quote:

I also use onion soup mix on my brisket.

I think that's standard- almost everyone I know, especially ashkenazim, makes their brisket with onion soup mix. Even I use a homemade msg free onion soup mix to make my brisket.

Another confession: I'm just lazy. And my DD likes it this way. Do I get any points for using whole wheat cousous?

Lol, I can be lazy too!

Quote:

What I don't get is people using chicken soup mix in their chicken soup. I make chicken soup with a whole chicken, onion, carrots, celery, squash a little salt and it's delicious if I do say so myself.

You can make your chicken soup with less chicken that way. Or even with none at all. :-D
They used to serve us "chicken soup" in our school lunches on milchig days...

Seraph

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:51 am

Karnash wrote:

I used to use commercial soup mixes as spice, but I haven't for years. I use herbs and spices and can taste a commercial mix with the first bite.
I'm ashkenazi and live in Israel.

JOOC, can you tell the difference in taste between stuff made with msg soup mix and ones made with msg free soup mix?

shabbatiscoming

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 3:59 am

Seraph wrote:

Karnash wrote:

I used to use commercial soup mixes as spice, but I haven't for years. I use herbs and spices and can taste a commercial mix with the first bite.
I'm ashkenazi and live in Israel.

JOOC, can you tell the difference in taste between stuff made with msg soup mix and ones made with msg free soup mix?

Completely a different taste. In the gan that I worked at last year, the ganenet usually got the MSG free soup mix and the smell was even different.

Personally, I did not grow up with any soup mixes and I still dont use any. For my soup I use garlic, basil, dill, paprika but my mother once told me, and it definitely holds true here, that the vegetables, especially carrots, are what add a lot of flavor to the chicken soup.

grace413

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 4:03 am

[quote="Seraph] You can make your chicken soup with less chicken that way. Or even with none at all. :-D
They used to serve us "chicken soup" in our school lunches on milchig days...[/quote]

I don't see the point of making the soup with less chicken. I use all the chicken from the soup for chicken salad or chinese chicken so it seems economical to me. And if I want pareve, I'll just make vegetable soup. To each her own.

Now I'm really looking forward to eating my chicken soup tonight!

shabbatiscoming

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 4:06 am

Seraph wrote:

Quote:

You can make your chicken soup with less chicken that way. Or even with none at all. :-D
They used to serve us "chicken soup" in our school lunches on milchig days...

I usually make my chicken soup with the bones. My husband goes every few weeks to the store and gets about 6 - 8 carcasses and we have about 2 - 3 weeks worth of bones for soup. Its cheaper too.

Seraph

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 4:25 am

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Seraph wrote:

Quote:

You can make your chicken soup with less chicken that way. Or even with none at all. :-D
They used to serve us "chicken soup" in our school lunches on milchig days...

I usually make my chicken soup with the bones. My husband goes every few weeks to the store and gets about 6 - 8 carcasses and we have about 2 - 3 weeks worth of bones for soup. Its cheaper too.

That's what I do too, but growing up my parents never really made chicken soup WITH actual chicken OR bones... My parents don't care for boiled chicken.

shabbatiscoming

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 4:35 am

Seraph wrote:

shabbatiscoming wrote:

Seraph wrote:

Quote:

You can make your chicken soup with less chicken that way. Or even with none at all. :-D
They used to serve us "chicken soup" in our school lunches on milchig days...

I usually make my chicken soup with the bones. My husband goes every few weeks to the store and gets about 6 - 8 carcasses and we have about 2 - 3 weeks worth of bones for soup. Its cheaper too.

That's what I do too, but growing up my parents never really made chicken soup WITH actual chicken OR bones... My parents don't care for boiled chicken.

Thats funny because myself and my siblings all LOOOOOVED the chicken soup chicken. We looked forward to it all week Smile

Different tastes for everyone. Thats all.

de_goldy

Fri, Jan 06 2012, 6:14 am

I don't use any soup mixes for anything.
I consider the chemicals unhealthy and they contain huge amounts of sugar and sodium.

I cook food with spices and lots of onions.

I make soup with lots of chicken, onion, celery, carrots, zuccini, sweet potato.