Soup Season!
If there ever was a soup winter this is it. It is barely above 10 degrees F most days here. When we were in Cooperstown last weekend is what rarely above 0 and that is not an exaggeration! To stay warm and happy I’ve been making lots and lots of soup. I even plan to have another new soup recipe for you next week.
There are many reasons why soup makes a great winter meal including:
– Soups are a great way to pack lots of flavors into one bowl. Most soups contain at least one, if not more, vegetables, some beans, pasta, and even meat or poultry. Depending on what you want to make, soup can be a complete, nutritious one-bowl meal.
– Soups lend themselves well to batch cooking. Double whatever soup recipe you want to make and freeze half for later. Soup is always handy to have the freezer when there is no time to cook!
– Since soup recipes can be made up on a moment’s notice they are a great way to use up bits and bobs of whatever is in your fridge or pantry. It is no coincidence that there are so many ways to make soup. You can add almost anything to soup!
– Soup ages well. If you make it in advance by naptime cooking, or even making it the day before you plan to eat it, the flavor of soup will only improve. Reheating it is a snap on the stovetop or in the microwave and it is always easy to serve hot.
Here are some of the favorite soups we’ve been enjoying this winter:
Tomato Soups
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup & Basil Grilled Cheese – Food for My Family
Spicy Tomato Soup – Cheeky Kitchen
Tomato White Bean Soup – Dinner a Love Story
Vegetable-Based Soups
Creamy Mushroom & Leek Soup with Croutons
Moroccan Red Lentil Soup with Chard – Feed Me Phoebe
Greens and Garlic Soup – Brooklyn Supper
Chicken & Turkey Soups
Chicken Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Sausage Bean & Pasta Soup – Simple Bites
The Best Chicken Soup You’ll Ever Have – Cup of Jo
Seafood Soups
Cream of Scallop Soup – Orangette
Dad’s Fish Stew – Simple Recipes
Clam Chowder – Honest Food
I love making soups because of the batch cooking and aging well characteristics. This is a fantastic list, and I definitely need some now that it is terribly cold in Chicago.
I know! It is the best food to make when it is so cold. Can’t wait until we are talking fresh salads and farmers’ markets and warm weather again!
Terrific collection of winter soups! Because we are a low sodium family, I have to make all our soups and am always happy for some new recipes – thanks. My rotation gets a bit old.
Thanks Liz – we all need new inspiration now and then. 🙂
[…] – Don’t forget your soup tips about doubling and freezing if you want more soup for […]
Hi Kelsey! I couldn’t find a way to comment on your Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew (The Naptime Chef) so I thought this would be the best place! Made it tonight to rave reviews, the two year old had two bowls! The house smelled delicious! I used a mix of sweet curry power and Maharaja curry powder (both Penzeys) so it became a tad spicy. Ended up adding half a can of full fat coconut milk (not as watery as light and that’s how we roll when it comes to coconut) and a bag of 6 oz bag of fresh baby spinach I pulsed in the processor. Plus an additional tsp of salt. We had it with naan. This was a simplified version of an Indian spiced black eyed pea/spinach stew my mom makes so it is terrific to have a quick and easy version. Thank you!!