DINING IN
Soup’s On by Deborah DOVE
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nuggling up with a warm bowl of homemade soup is one of life’s simple pleasures. Soups are also the perfect dinnertime solution for the busy weeknights. Most soup recipes can be prepared in a slow cooker or made in advance so they’re ready when you are, and make enough for several meals (most soups are even better the second day). Plus, you can’t beat soup for a low calorie, one-dish, healthy meal as we look ahead to warmer months and time spent at the beach or pool. In fact, studies show that people who have soup before a meal or party
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consume twenty percent fewer calories. Chicken soup has even been proven to help fight cold and flu symptoms by acting as an antiinflammatory and relieving congestion by speeding up the movement of mucus. Although you may be tempted to open a can of Campbell’s, homemade soup is easy to make and much lower in sodium. Soup is also easy to make in large batches and freeze for those evenings when you don’t have time to cook. Freeze soup flat in heavy-duty zip-lock bags to make the most of freezer space, or freeze in muffin tins and then move to zip-lock bags so you can easily defrost and heat up single servings.
My oldest daughter in particular is a soup connoisseur and she and I both look forward to soup weather. One of her absolute favorites is so simple it doesn’t even have an official name or recipe—I make it with a couple of cans of chicken broth, cooked chicken (canned or rotisserie works fine), a can or two of cannellini beans and some cumin, and then I occasionally add whatever vegetables I have on hand and top individual servings with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. Over the years I have accumulated a repertoire of “go to” soup recipes that my family loves from hearty stews to simple, healthy vegetable based soups. Enjoy.
