What’s not to love about soup? It doesn’t require a lot of kitchen experience to make a good soup. It’s warming, nutritious, and good any time of the day, especially when it’s chilly or wet outside or you’re under the weather. Further, soups are a great way to use up leftovers, and soup, like pasta, makes an inexpensive, comforting meal. I keep quarts of homemade soup in my freezer for all the reasons noted above, and Mushroom Barley Soup is one of my favorites.
Cauliflower was never on my A-list. I don’t remember hating it as a child because I don’t remember my mother ever serving it. When I was older, it seemed fine raw served with a really good dip. Or smothered in a cheese sauce. However, I rarely bought or used it.
Don’t let the title throw you off — Cucumber Soup with Dill and Vanilla is delicious chilled on a hot day; room temperature or heated on a cool day, and refreshing any day. It is mild, with the lovely, subtle flavor of cucumber and the distinctive brightness of dill. If dill isn’t you’re favorite, substitute nutmeg — or live dangerously and add both.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s raining, snowing or sunny, when we’re exhausted or coming down with a cold or the flu, or even a little too much fun on the weekend, sleep and homemade chicken soup are the best medicine for whatever ails you.
Celery soup appears to have fallen by the wayside over the years, as has celery in general. It’s too bad as celery is a nutritional powerhouse as well as low in calories. And, it tastes good! I remember as a child even Campbell’s canned soup had Cream of Celery, which was often used in condensed form for the liquid in the ubiquitous casseroles of the 50’s. Actually, maybe that’s reason celery soup fell out of fashion; the canned version wasn’t anything to write home about. At any rate, I really like this soup and I hope you’ll try it as it’s really good. On a cold afternoon or evening, add a grilled cheese sandwich and you’re set.
Actually, it’s difficult to have too many tomatoes. Zucchini, yes; tomatoes, not so much. However, too many overripe tomatoes at a time is an invitation to make gazpacho, the perfect soup for hot, humid afternoons and evening.
After dining at a local Afghani restaurant recently, I came away with a new favorite soup. I wouldn’t have thought I’d fall in love with a bean soup! It’s the combination of the herbs and spices that elevate this soup to genius status. Believe me, it’s wonderful.
One of my favorite indoor ways to let down from a busy day, is to read food magazines. It’s a great opportunity to mentally “taste” new recipes without the calories or effort. It also stimulates inspiration and ideas for our food blog, and for entertaining.
It’s freezing outside, you’re exhausted, and you want something better than a can of soup for dinner. Here’s an easy solution. It requires some shopping in advance, so get the basic ingredients and have them on hand. You’ll be grateful you did.
Homemade squash soup is delicious and warming, but if time is an issue, making it from scratch is a deal-breaker. Although this soup starts out from a package, it tastes homemade. Actually, it tastes like soup from a pricey, high-end restaurant. I think you’ll agree.
Homemade tomato soup is a treasure, especially when it’s made with roasted tomatoes. The sweetness of tomatoes gives the soup a deep, rich flavor that’s nothing like canned soup. If tomatoes aren’t in season and you’re really craving tomato soup, canned San Marzano tomatoes are a good choice. While this recipe is vegan and uses cashew cream, feel free to substitute coconut milk, light cream, sour cream or Greek yogurt instead. You’ll need to adjust it to taste. Soups are very forgiving so don’t worry about exact measurements. You can also cut this recipe in half if you’d like.
Dominga has cooked for Heriberto and Joaquin Larios of Papantla, Vera Cruz, for so many years that she and her daughter, Gabriella, are considered part of the family. Every afternoon Dominga creates delicious regional cooking, always starting with freshly made, hot soup. Under any other circumstances I couldn’t imagine eating hot soup when the temperature’s in the high 90s and the humidity is at least 80 percent. But Dominga’s soups are too good to pass up.
