Soup's On! Hot Soup on a Cold Day, Just what the Blogger Ordered...

Posted by Lesli

If you ask me, one of the best things about winter is soup. Winter = Soup, Soup = Winter. Kinda like peas in a pod and dark chocolate with a good book - it just goes together ... So, on a cold day like today I'm thinking I need to get a hot, steaming pot of soup cooking on the stove. The question is what kind? There's so many types of soup to choose from and the beauty of soup is that it's so darn simple to make. Even if you think you can't cook, I guarantee you can create a batch of soup.

Basically you need to start with a pot of water, or better yet, vegetable, chicken or beef stock. If I don't have fresh stock on hand (that's most of the time) then I'll just use an instant broth like OXO or Bovril. (I'm only human!) Once you figure out the liquid part, throw in whatever you want - Carrots, potatoes, celery, kale, beans, lentils, rice, barley, peppers.

If you're going to use onions, I find sauteing them in olive oil first and then adding them to the pot makes your soup extra flavorful. For the finishing touch throw in garlic and your choice of herbs, be it oregano, basil, cumin, the kitchen pantry is yours for the taking.

Here's a recipe that I love, maybe too much...I once ate it every day for three weeks. I just couldn't get enough of it. And being a soup, it's so easy to make!

Red Lentil Soup (don't knock it 'til you try it...)

10 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of red lentils (rinsed in water)
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups of ham or turkey sausage (diced)
2 onions (diced)
1 celery rib (chopped)
4-6 garlic cloves (minced) (I LOVE garlic, so if you don't love it, maybe try 2-3 cloves.)
1 can of diced tomatoes (796 ml/28 fl.oz.)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric

Bring broth and red lentils to a boil in a large pot, then keep at a simmer.

In the meantime, add oil to a hot pan, then add onions, celery, sausage and garlic. Saute until onions are clear. Add the tomatoes. Mix thoroughly.

Pour sausage mixture into the broth and lentil mixture. Add the cumin and turmeric. Mix well.

Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft.

Serve this recipe with plain yogurt, maybe even hot sauce - if you want to kick it up a notch!

I swear this recipe has special powers. I've made this soup tons of times when I've been feeling sick, tired or both and as soon as I taste it I honestly start feeling better. Soup's like that though. Maybe you need to make yourself a pot o' soup tonight - you deserve it and your body wants it...