IN THE KITCHEN

A Bowl Full of

Comfort

Soups are the go-to comfort food of this chilly season. Whip up a batch using these tips.

By Lyndsay Fogarty

It’s cold outside, which can only mean one thing. It’s comfort food season. Here are some of our favorite soup preparation tricks.

Twists for Classic Recipes

Skip the boring, outdated recipes and make your soup your own with some minor ingredient adjustments.

Instead of egg noodles or rice in your chicken soup, use orzo, a type of pasta that’s shaped like a grain of rice. Then, finish it with a squeeze of lemon for freshness. Modernize your chicken and dumplings with gnocchi. You will still have the pillowy dough, just in a different form.

Sometimes all you need is an extra ingredient. Spice up your tomato soup with sriracha or make your broccoli cheese soup into a beer cheese version by including your favorite brew. Craving a creamy soup? Try using half the cream and blend roasted garlic into the mixture to make it feel creamy while giving you an extra serving of veggies.

Top Soup Tools

When making blended soups, such as butternut squash soup or tomato soup, an immersion blender will go a long way. While you can use a regular blender or a food processor, an immersion blender means less mess since you can blend it right in the pot you’re cooking in.

A slow cooker is best when you want to set your soup and forget it. For the most part, this appliance allows you to dump all the ingredients, set the timer and go about your day.

Once your soup is ready, complement it with carbs. Simply top it with croutons, slice up a chewy baguette for dipping or serve it in a doughy bread bowl.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

By Lemons + Zest When you’re in the mood for comfort food, a bowl of this hearty soup will do the trick.

Ingredients:

• 1 24-ounce jar marinara • 1 onion, diced • 2 14.5-ounce can tomatoes (not drained) • 3 tablespoons tomato paste • 2 handfuls spinach • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon basil or Italian seasoning • 4-5 cups broth • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper • 1 8- to 12-ounce package tortellini • Sea salt and pepper, to taste • Olive Oil

Directions:

Over medium high heat, heat olive oil. Sauté garlic and onion until translucent. Add the broth, tomatoes, tomato paste and spices (including salt and pepper). Stir to combine. Add in the spinach and allow it to cook down into the soup. Turn the stove to medium low and allow to heat at a light bubble for about 10 minutes. Several minutes before ready to serve, toss in tortellini and allow to cook until softened. Add more tomato paste to thicken the broth or if you prefer your soup more broth based, you can even add more broth. Enjoy with fresh basil, garlic bread and your favorite shredded parmesan cheese!

Source: LemonsAndZest.com