Soup, anyone?

I love living in New England and enjoying all of our beautiful seasons. There really are things to enjoy about each one. Winter gets a bad reputation, but there’s nothing cozier than sitting by a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate and watching light snow falling outside. Of course, the snow and cold can get tiresome, but just when you can’t take it any more, spring arrives, with warmer weather, shedding of heavy coats and boots, and the color green popping out everywhere. Summer might be the favorite among us New Englanders. School is out, vacations are in, and we can be outside a lot more, especially considering the longer days. While I do mourn the ending of summer, I also greatly look forward to Fall. Fall brings gorgeous foliage, great outdoor activities, beautiful scents, and best of all, great flavors. And nothing says Fall better than a big pot of hot soup.

I’ve only come across one person in my life who claimed to not like soup. The conversation came up at work. “What??” We all exclaimed, flabbergasted. “How can you not like soup?” The rest of us were dumbfounded. What’s not to like? It’s hot, soothing, and filling. Comfort food at its best. It’s also easy to prepare and generally inexpensive. Pair it with a nice loaf of bread and you have a satisfying meal.

Let’s start by defining soup. Oxford describes soup as: A liquid food made by boiling meat, vegetables and other ingredients in stock or water. Occasionally there is a debate over dishes like chili or beef stew. The consensus is that these dishes are not made with a stock or water base, and therefore, are not technically a soup. They are both delicious and should be enjoyed at any opportunity, but not part of our soup discussion today.

The next question when it comes to soup is not, “would you like some soup?” but rather, “what type of soup should we make?” Here the options are endless. According to the website Travel.com, the most popular soups in America are:

• Tomato Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Potato Soup
• Clam Chowder
• Minestrone

Tomato soup. So simple but so satisfying. Easy to prepare, and even good straight out of a can. I find that even people who do not like tomatoes on their sandwich still enjoy the creamy flavor of a nice bowl of hot tomato soup. And if you haven’t had it with a grilled cheese sandwich you are really missing out. For variation try cutting your grilled cheese into small chunks and dropping them into the soup like cheesy little croutons. I also recently came across a recipe for tomato soup and grilled cheese casserole. Yes, it’s as yummy as it sounds. See the recipe here: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/grilled-cheese-tomato-soup-bake/s.

Of course, chicken soup is famous for feeding a cold. There’s actually some science behind this long-held belief. Chicken contains carnosine which is thought to reduce stuffiness and congestion in your nose and throat. In addition, warm liquids promote hydration and clear nasal passages and the vegetables contain vitamins and antioxidants that boost your immune system. But you don’t have to have a cold to enjoy this great soup. Stick with homemade soup for this one. There is no shortage of recipes. You can go old school and cook the chicken yourself, or opt for a simpler, quicker version. Grab some saltines–cold not required–and enjoy.

If you prefer a cream based soup for your fall lunchtime meal, you might be reaching for the potato soup or clam chowder. (Chowder: a thick soup with seafood and vegetables) There are many other options in the cream family and if this is your go-to, you may have trouble deciding on which soup to enjoy: cream of asparagus, celery, mushroom, broccoli. Yum. Pair with some oyster crackers and you won’t be hungry for long.

One of the best things about soup is that you can make it your own. My boyfriend will sometimes complain that soup does not equal dinner. I disagree! I could, and often have, enjoyed many different kinds of soup as my sole dinner item. But for those who tend to agree with my BF, perhaps a more substantial soup will fit the bill. Consider minestrone. While traditionally this soup is made with beans, vegetables and a small pasta, already relatively filling, to satisfy the hearty appetites, I will often add ground beef or ground turkey. My family members are not big vegetable eaters, so when I’m making any soup, I’ll often add vegetables that are not part of the recipe: onions, carrots, peppers, celery, corn and peas can all be diced small and added to most broth based soups. I will often scan the refrigerator for fresh vegetables nearing the end of their shelf life, or leftovers from last nights dinner, to toss in the pot.

While these 5 favorites are a great start, there are so many more soups that hit my must-have lists. I am a big fan of cheese, so I cannot go wrong with French Onion Soup. The classic version with lots of caramelized onions, a chunk of bread and a melty topping of gruyere cheese, is perfection. Recently in a restaurant, I couldn’t resist a Creamy French Onion Soup. I know, right?? It was as good as you’re imagining right now. I could go on and on with many other delicious soups. Broccoli cheddar, vegetable, butternut squash, white bean and sausage. I really have to stop as I’m getting hungry and it’s lunchtime. You know what that means. Care to join me? What’s your favorite?