Oh my…. I’m not sure where to begin all this today. Just when we think our world can’t get any more upside down, the unimaginable happens. These days I’m feeling like I’ve been mentally punched out and am laying in the middle of the boxing ring with coo coo birds flying above my head. How are you holding up? Hang in there if you can. Please ask for help if you need it. And keep your eyes peeled for those close to you who are in trouble. That’s a tall order, and let’s remember to take care of ourselves too. Long walks outside with plenty of fresh air help, and that’s how we start most days. I will admit to a major freak out moment or two in the last week, and that gets me moving to the kitchen for some comfort food, and a hearty vegetable soup seems just right. If I can’t heal the world, I’m surely going to try to do what I can for those I care about. Every little bit helps, right? With that in mind….
Here is one of my all-time favorite winter vegetable soups, and one to picture yourself eating while sitting in front of a roaring fire, while outside, Mother Nature is throwing everything she has at us. It’s chock full of flavor with a big variety of vegetables, a ton of dried herbs for more flavor, and some beans for color, deep flavor, and protein. This guy doesn’t require much tending once all the ingredients are prepped and is happy just to bubble along on its own until ready. Another plus is that you can pretty much make this recipe just the way you want to. This recipe makes a soup that is so thick you can probably stand a fork up in it, because that’s what I like. If you like a more brothy soup, just add more liquid. Would you like some different vegetables? – go for it. If you want to add some additional protein like sausage or whatever, go on ahead. Maybe you want to change up the herbs – also entirely up to you. The goal here is to make vegetable soup this exactly how YOU want it to be. This recipe makes a lot, but never fear – if you don’t eat it all up, it freezes beautifully for the next stormy day.
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Yes, I am still on my comfort food kick 🙂 And in the spirit of comfort food, Creamy Cauliflower is one of my favorites; creamy, cheesy and pretty much guilt free if you are into that food guilt stuff. Every time I’m in the mood for macaroni and cheese I make Cauliflower soup and it usually satisfies that particular craving – I said usually. One of the best things about this soup aside from how delicious it is, is that it has no cream, no half & half, and no full-fat milk (unless, of course, you want to put some in there in which case I say ‘Go For It’). The other best part about it is that it’s only got a small handful of ingredients, which makes it quick, healthy, and scrape out the bowl delicious. Come on along and let me tell you how to get this thing done…
Dick was down with a bad cold, and that usually means homemade soup in our household. Translation: he needs me to get out of his ‘territory’ so he can rest, so I end up puttering away in the kitchen, which to me is a win-win. On that particular day, the soup depended on what was available in the pantry and fridge, and this soup is the result. It’s hearty….super hearty, and one of those you can pack in a thermos for a special treat after a day of digging in a soon-to-be garden, an early spring hike, or any other activity that requires you to warm up from being out in the elements. Big hunks of colorful vegetables are the base, and then we load on a lot of healthful cannellini beans, a fair amount of carbs with big elbow macaroni, and enough crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to round everything out. We won’t forget to add big dollops of pesto to the top of our bowls for freshness, and let’s not skimp on the butter on those crackers – we earned it.
Got the blues? Cold outside? Feeling not quite yourself? This is the soup for you. It’s what I make for my husband every time he’s down with a cold, and the one I pack up and deliver to friends who are under the weather or in need of some nutritional comfort. It can take hours or minutes, depending on your choice of broth options and chicken selected. Still tastes just right, whichever route you take. This is hearty soup, with big pieces of chicken and vegetables, plus a whole lot of, shall we say, generously sized noodles (I used regular lasagna noodles and cut them into strips when cooked) because to me, noodles are a food group all by themselves. Another bonus: this soup can be gluten free – just substitute gluten free pasta for the regular noodles in this recipe and you are good to go.…
Happy National Soup Month! Not to be outdone, let’s get with the program and make some 🙂