Tastes Like Chicken Soup
Occasionally, I go through a phase during which I try to cook everything “from scratch,” with pure, fresh, natural ingredients. The first ingredient to be villianized during such phases is parve chicken soup mix, or, as Carmel calls it, “Tastes Like Chicken Soup.”
On my saner days, however, I tend to regard such mixes as valuable additions to the pantry. As long as they are not overused, phony chicken soup mixes can add a needed dimension of flavor to meatless soups and certain other recipes. Last Rosh HaShanah, I discovered that, with the right additions, they can even provide the base for a very tasty vegetarian matsa ball soup.
The broth can be prepared in tandem with real chicken soup, using the same vegetables, herbs, and spices. (For me, that means carrots, celery, onions, fresh dill and parsley, dried tarragon, and freshly ground pepper.) The key to a genuinely flavorful vegetarian broth is to caramelize the onions. This can be done by cooking the onions in margarine or vegetable oil over high heat for 10 minutes, and then over medium-low heat for an additional 30-45 minutes. The vegetables should be cut into spoon-sized pieces and sauteed, and the herbs should be finely chopped.
Sound like stone soup? Well, it’s not. The mix is vital. Don’t exceed the proportion of mix to water recommended on the package, though, at least at the outset. You can add more at any point if the soup seems to bland.
I keep telling myself that I’ll make batches of beef and chicken stock to keep in my freezer for recipes. In reality, I never get around to it, and rely on the powdered stuff too. Unfortunately, the powdered soup mixes come with sizeable doses of salt. I wonder – would stock made with koshered meat be any saltier than treyf meat?
For this Rosh Hashana I plan to let my gourmet side take over – I’m going to be serving Consomme Printaniere. Yes, it’s basically chicken soup, but consomme undergoes a process of clarification, whereby the soup is transformed into a crystal-clear broth. The Printaniere refers to the garnish – small pieces of carrot, zucchini and turnip, cut with a tiny melon-baller. It comes straight from “Jacques Pepin Celebrates”.
Just look out for the MSG in those mixes. It’s more difficult, but possible, to find one without it.
Kosher soup saltier? Somewhat. But soup always needs some salt — our salted kosher chicken simply provide it for us, and little to no extra salt is required in the end.
When caramelizing onions, I always add a tablespoon of water every several minute after the onions’ initial browning. That helps redistribute the caramelized sugars for more even (and maybe a bit faster?) cooking.
Sweinberger: Homemade chicken or beef stock is definitely better than the powdered stuff, but I’m not convinced that homemade vegetable stock is. I generally soup mixes for parve/vegetarian soups.
My usual working assumption is that the mixes are about 50% salt. If a recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of salt in addition to stock, I use one tablespoon of mix, etc. Some kosher soup mixes are available in “no added salt” versions, but I like to buy the regular Osem mixes, since they’re cheaper.
David: MSG doesn’t bother me, but I suppose it may bother others.
Jabbett: Thanks for the tip.
Between dry pareve mixes and homemade broth, there’s a happier medium. I use the Imagine-brand organic soups quite a bit, most of which are kosher and pareve. Their “No-Chicken Broth” has been an acceptable replacement for meat-based stock in my dairy risottos and fish chowders, but I find that it’s a bit too thick and vegetably to be a perfect analog.
Thanks, Jabbet. I’ve been thinking about trying the Imagine broths, and it’s nice to get an objective review. They are pricey, though, and a little bit of powder seems to work so well for some of my recipes that I probably won’t mess with them. Maybe I’ll use Imagine broth for the next vegetarian matso ball soup.
Where can I purchase parve chicken (powdered )stock on line?
I can get it at Fred Meyer in the natural food dept., but it’s 12.99 a pound. I like to keep it on hand when I make soups for my vegetarian daughter. Matzoh ball soup is fabulous! Appreciate your help.
Looking for manufacturer of “Carmel Kosher Pareve Soup Mix.”. Unable to purchase their products in the mountains of northern Arizona. Any help will be appreciated.
Jerome– Have you tried Osem’s consomme powder? That may be a suitable substitution, and it’s available online. At kosher.com, search for “osem”; or get it from Koshermania.com.
Anyone know a brand of low-sodium, kosher chicken stock in a carton? I like the convenience of cooking with a small amount of chicken stock; but, the cans are not reealable & they’re to salty.
I don’t know of any kosher chicken stocks in cartons, but if you don’t want to make your own stock, you can take a low-sodium canned version, open it, and freeze it in smaller units, or even in an ice cube tray. This is what I do with my homemade stock – I reduce it down so that a tablespoon is the equivalent to about a quarter cup, then freeze it in a dedicated fleishig ice cube tray. Four ice cubes, diluted down to normal strength, equals a cup of stock.
Just moved to Maryland and found chicken stock in a carton by Tabachnick! Not sure if it’s low sodium, but I’m thrilled to find any kosher chicken stock in a carton!
Tabatchnick’s chicken stock in a carton is available at King’s in NNJ.
Not exactly chicken flavor, but I have started to use the small pack Pacific veggie broth http://pacificfoods.com/products-broths.php (Kof-K) for some cooking purposes.
The Tabatchnick boxed (which is widely available in NJ) is to salty and frankly the box can be to big some times.
I just noticed Pacific’s low-sodium vegetable broth, worked nicely in a chicken pot pie I made with leftover soup chicken.
I also like Pacific’s vegetable broth-trader joe’s has a similar one
I have always used Carmel kosher dry chicken soup mix but as of late I cant find it anywhere on the South shore of Long Island. If anyone knows anywhere it is sold would appreciate knowong.thanks
I have used Carmel Kosher dry chicken soup mix for many years and cannot find it any longer in the Phila.or suburban areas.If anyone knows what store it is sold in,please let me know-thanks!
I too can’t find the Carmel chicken soup powder. If anyone knows where I can buy it could you please email me directly – esp4@aol.com
Thanks
Evelyn
I am in the northern suburbs of Chicago and have not been able to find Carmel’s Chicken Soup parve mix. Any help?
Maybe Carmelo has di9contiued its no salt chicken style soup mix. I can no longer get it in Atlanta
Where in the Cleveland Ohio area or on line can I buy Carmel Tastes Like Chicken Soup mix?
Re Carmel Low Sodium Chicken Soup Mix – Does anyone still have a jar? Do you know the tel# or e-mail address of the company? Please let me know. Thanks. Fran8780@aol.com;
I did a search and Wegmann’s has Carmel.Call your local store to see if they have it in stock since not all of them carry it.
does Tabachnick still make the organic chicken broth in a carton?
I live in Beverly Hills Cal. and I, too, cannot find the Kosher Carmel Soup Mix, which I have used for many years . Last Rosh Hashana I found 2 jars of the chicken
flavor. I want to buy more so I searched everywhere on the remaining jar trying to find WHO makes it …and, if you can believe it…there is NO address, no name, not the distributor!!! Is this legal? It does contain MSG & so does
Osem, made in Tel Aviv, but is still a very good product.
If I ever find the name of the manufacturer I’ll return
& answer the same question everyone asked.
P.S. I went online & found Foodservicedirect.com who
advertised Carmel Kosher chicken Soup Mix, but when I
tried to order it there was a comment: “Temporarily out
of stock”. Their phone #1-800-426-4679, EST, week days.
I also got the UPC code #4141700201 for the 5 oz. jar.
Please, people… stop using soup powder!
Here’s an offer– tell me what you typically do with your soup powder, and I’ll recommend a natural alternative.
I typically throw soup powder into the air and laugh as people sneeze artificial chicken essence.
tabatnick is good but it has unnatural flavorings and a msg type flavor enhancor called disodiuminosinate. too bad they cant make it all natural, if they did they would have a monopoly on packaged kosher chicken stock. ps its available at walmart.
Looking for Parve Carmel Kosher
“Soup Base Chicken Style”
I also have been looking for Carmel No Salt Added Low Sodium Soup Mix and so far cannot find it. I live near Wilmington, DE.
If anyone knows where they sell it locally, please contact me. Thank you.
@Sue: I assume you’ve already tried the ShopRite on Concord Pike? That’s the best kosher selection in Wilmington proper (which really isn’t saying much)
If it’s not there, try contacting the Acme in Narberth, PA., which is not too far from Wilmington. They have an excellent selection of kosher products generally, though I haven’t noticed that specific item (haven’t been there since before Pesach).
Manichewitz makes Carmel Chicken Soup mix. The name of the branch is Nab Foods that makes Carmel Kosher foods. My 93 year old mother in law LOVES the chicken soup mix; she mixes it with beef, uses it on steaks, and soups. You can try contacting the company. Hope this helps.
I have used Carmel Chicken Soup mix for 40 years and am trying to find a corporate number for Nab Foods. I can’t even reach anyone at Manichewitz. Does anyone have a number or suggestion???
Amazon.com has the Carmel Chicken Style Soup Mix back in stock! You have to buy four 1-pound cans, but there’s no substitute for this stuff, so buy a case and hand them out to your cousins!
Does anyone know if Carmel Chicken Style Soup Mix and Croyden House Instant Soup Mix are made by the same company? I can’t find either brand in CT and I’m desperate!! Amazon.com is out of stock now on both:(
I, too, can’t find Carmel low sodium soup mix
http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/417/CLID/2206/N/114443/Carmel-Chicken-Soup-Base.htm
72 dollars per case. Buy one and hold a garage sale for the rest!
Amazon has one left in stock as of today, 15 October.
It’s around, so keep googling!