Fall Soup Time
What awesome weather! I love when the day starts out in sweater weather and then warms up so nicely. This is definitely the best time of year to me.
And, I love the food that goes along with the cool weather. By now, I am tiring of endless salads, and with the cool weather comes my appetite. I seem to be ravenous when the weather gets cold! This is my time to crock pot soups and stews while I am at work, or have the soup pot on the stove when I am home, like today. Soups and stews are very satisfying and nourishing in the cool weather, and they are an easy meal that can pack a huge nutritional punch if given some thought. Soups are also well-known to be a dieter’s best friend. Here’s how to make an easy, wonderful soup with little work besides chopping the vegetables:
Start with a cup or 2 of dried beans. You can buy them individually, or purchase a bean combination especially for soups. If you don’t think ahead to soak the beans the night before (which I never do) simply put the beans in your soup pot, cover with around 3-4 inches of water and bring them to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and leave them alone for 1 hour. Drain the beans, add fresh water–the amount varies, but I usually add water to around 5 inches above the bean level- then add your veggies. I add chopped onions, scallions, stringbeans, carrots, fennel, summer squashes, celery– whatever you like. You can also use some frozen veggies like limas, peas or corn. If you want to substitute some of the water for stock, that will add more flavor. I like to add a 32 ounce jar of vegetable juice or canned tomatoes. The possibilities are endless, and it’s almost impossible to mess up! You’ll have to simmer the soup over very low heat for at least 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Make sure they are tender, because undercooked beans can make you toot!! Toward the end of cooking, add some slivered fresh greens such as spinach or kale, chopped parsley. You can add generous shakes of Mrs. Dash or other seasonings as well. The kitchen will smell good, and you will be doing yourself a healthful favor by dining on such nutritious fare.
Soups like this make wonderful dinners, served up with a crusty, whole-grain loaf of bread and a heart-healthy glass of red wine. Grainy breads are great for dipping and don’t even need butter or oil to taste wonderful. Soups also freeze superbly, and a big batch of soup can easily supply you with several lunch servings with little effort.
I hope you will make yourself some hearty soups this fall. They really are that easy. If you are a cook who prefers a recipe, just google yourself silly. I have several websites that I like to explore, and you might find them useful as well. Enjoy!