Soup's On - 4 Cozy Recipes I Serve On Repeat
It's always soup season around here.
It seems soup is having a moment. My Instagram feed is filled with mouthwatering bowls of the stuff; from creamy bisques to hearty stews and veggie-packed noodle broths. I’m not on TikTok anymore, but I hear #SoupTok is thriving with self-proclaimed ‘soup girlies’ sharing their favorite recipes and memes. On my personal radar: New York Times dropped a roundup of 24 soup recipes in my inbox last week, and last month I read a Bon Appétit article titled, ‘On Soup Internet, Everything Is Cozy and Nothing Hurts’.
I think we’re all searching for extra comfort these days, and a hot bowl of soup always delivers. Plus, during a time when many of us are stretching our grocery budgets and trying to cut back on food waste, a big pot* of homemade soup really comes in clutch. With a few affordable pantry staples, a portion of protein, and whatever produce you have on hand, you can make magic.
Now, let’s get into soup mode with 4 tried-and-true recipes I love. Add these to your weeknight meal plan, or cook an extra big pot on Sunday and have the leftovers for lunch all week.
Bon Appétit Gingery Chicken Noodle Soup
This chicken noodle soup is kicked up with a healthy dose of zesty fresh ginger and warming curry powder, and finished with quick-cooking wheat noodles like ramen or udon. You can knock it out in about 30 minutes from start to finish, so it’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. I’ve already made it three (four?) times in 2023.
For maximum flavor, use bone-in chicken thighs with skin. But if you’re lazy like me, use boneless skinless chicken thighs and save yourself the stress of wondering whether there’s a sneaky chicken bone hiding in your soup.
A tip for noodle soups: I like to prepare made-to-order servings of noodles separately as I need them, instead of cooking a large amount in the broth all at once. This way, when you heat up leftovers it won’t turn into a noodle mush.
Diane Morrisey’s Creamy Tomato Soup
You know why @dianemorrisey is my favorite food account to follow on Instagram? Because she puts the entire recipe in the caption of each post/reel. It’s so handy!
Diane’s cream of tomato soup pairs perfectly with grilled cheese. You know how some tomato soup just tastes like tomato sauce? This is not that. It has lots of butter, garlic, and caramelized onions that make it oh-so-delicious. (A quick note: the original recipe calls for fresh thyme, but I use dried and it works just fine.)
You’ll need a blender to get this one silky smooth; an immersion blender is your best bet. The first time I made this soup, I used my regular blender and learned a very messy, skin-scalding lesson: hot liquids may explode all over your kitchen if you blend them at high speed without properly venting the lid. Save yourself the trouble and buy this $35 immersion blender with 44,000 reviews on Amazon.
Carrabba’s Copycat Spicy Sicilian Chicken Soup
Thank you, Coco & Ash, for giving us a very good dupe of Mama Mandola’s chicken soup. Of the four recipes, this one is the most work, but don’t worry, it’s still easy. You need to wash, peel and chop a good amount of veggies, but I promise it’s worth it. When we feel under the weather, or I have a stash of veggies in the crisper that are nearing their final days, this is my go-to.
Again, I use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. Many years ago, my husband almost choked on a chicken bone at Carrabba’s while eating this very soup — afterwards the server told him, “that’s how you know it’s homemade!” — and it’s a trauma we try not to relive. Ha!
NYT Cooking Braised White Beans and Greens w/ Parmesan
I don’t know if this one technically qualifies as a soup, but it’s brothy comfort in a bowl and a Lennox house favorite, so I need to share it. Take a couple 99-cent cans of white cannellini beans, a few handfuls of chopped kale, store bought chicken stock, and a few other pantry staples and you have a super satisfying meal that comes together super quick.
New York Times Cooking is a recipe subscription I love, but you can find a free version of this recipe here.
I need you to serve these brothy beans with crusty slices of sourdough bread, lightly brushed with olive oil and grilled in a skillet. It’s non-negotiable.
The recipe calls for fennel and I haven’t used it once — still delicious. And I substitute dried herbs for fresh. (Because after the squirrels destroyed our first attempt at a patio herb garden, we never tried again.)
But that’s the beauty of soup, isn’t it? You can improv a recipe and use what you have available, and it almost always turns out just fine. There’s probably a metaphor for life in there somewhere…
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* If you’re an advanced-level soup girlie, I recommend investing in a cast iron enamel Dutch oven. Le Creuset is the GOAT but it’s heckin’ expensive. Sometimes you can luck out and find Le Creuset pieces at HomeGoods, so keep your head on a swivel in the cookware aisle.