With kitchen time in mind, economical and easy are wonderful words. But being short on time doesn’t have to mean a compromise on eating well. Soup is an easy bargain to make, the perfect pairing of healthy convenience and cost savings—not to mention the comfort a bowl of soup brings.
Let the scents welcome family and guests alike for fuss-free entertaining or a healthful dinner on these cool days before spring peeks through with pops of green. Preparing soups can be a kitchen adventure, a journey to savory new flavors from regions beyond your backyard, a perfect excuse to try curry, coriander, or miso.
Butternut Cider Chili
Yield: 8-10 servings
This recipe is a no-brainer, and you'll want to save it, tweet it, and make it over and over. It’s easy to adapt into a vegetarian recipe or to simply use what you have in your pantry. Substitute the meat with mushroom (dried or fresh), a wild rice blend, quinoa, millet, a variety of beans, or tofu crumbles. You can also add cumin to taste, if you like. Extra heat can come from cayenne or a sprinkle of hot sauce. If you don't have butternut squash but can use sweet potato or another squash, then use it. Spread your cooking wings with this one, you can't go wrong.
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 1 (28-ounce can) diced tomatoes
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste or 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 12 ounces butternut squash, cubed and peeled
• ½ cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 2 cups cooked kidney beans
• Cayenne pepper
• Sea salt (dash)
• Ground black pepper (dash)
• Grated cheese, chopped avocado, Greek yogurt, sour cream, and diced tomatoes (optional toppings)
Directions:
• In a 4-quart pot, sauté the onion, pepper, and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes or until tender.
• Add the ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, and chile powder. Break the turkey apart, creating crumbles; cook for 8 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, broth, cider, tomato paste, butternut squash, and rice; bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the corn and beans; cook for 10 minutes.
• Season to taste with cayenne, salt, and pepper.
• Garnish with cheese, avocado, Greek yogurt and/or diced tomatoes, if desired.
Notes: Easily prepare the recipe using a slow cooker: Follow steps 1 and 2. When you are ready to turn on your slow cooker, add the cooked turkey and vegetables to the remaining ingredients.
Often when using pasta or rice in soups, the starch will continue to cook, absorbing liquid even when removed from the heat, which results in a stew-like soup. To avoid that, you may cook the rice separately and add it prior to serving.
Dad’s Chicken Orzo Soup
Yield: 8 servings
Make your own broth or use a good quality, low-sodium store brand chicken stock. It’s the lemon juice, tomatoes, and herbs that make this soup special and a favorite in our family. When we visit my parents, my husband is never shy to ask if there are frozen servings of this soup to take home.
I prefer to cut the vegetables in a consistent size when preparing the soup ingredients. That’s so the diner gets a spoonful of all the flavors, instead of one vegetable crowding out another. Keep in mind that the longer the soup rests, the more liquid the pasta or rice will absorb, and it may become stew-like. Serve immediately or prepare the pasta separately and add to the soup just before serving.
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound skinless chicken breast (whole)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 2 teaspoons Italian herbs blend
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon rosemary powder
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ½ cup dry orzo noodles
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
Directions:
• In a 4-quart pan, sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat. Cook and stir the onions until they become tender; add the garlic, celery, and carrots. Continue to cook for 8 minutes.
• Add the broth, chicken, tomatoes, lemon pepper, herbs, turmeric, rosemary, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes.
• Remove the chicken breast; shred chicken using two forks and add back to the broth.
• Add the orzo and cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.
• Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Notes: Make a vegetarian version by substituting the chicken and chicken broth with three cups of prepared white beans and low-sodium vegetable broth. Substitute brown rice for orzo to create a gluten-free soup.
Spiced Lentil Soup
Yield: 8 servings
This simple and satisfying soup is easy to prepare. Follow the recipe for stovetop directions or prepare in a slow cooker, on low, for several hours. Substitutions are easy for this recipe if you choose not to prepare it as a vegan and gluten-free recipe.
Ingredients:
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 pound sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 ½ cups red lentils (or use yellow split peas)
• Sea salt
• Smoked paprika
• Lime wedges
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Coconut cream or yogurt (non-vegan option)
Directions:
• In a 3-quart pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil over low-medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender.
• Add the ginger, garlic, curry, turmeric, and coriander; cook for 1 minute, stir into the onions.
• Add the broth, sweet potato, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• After the lentils and sweet potato have softened, serve as-is or puree with a stick blender.
• Season with salt. Garnish with smoked paprika, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, or cream.
Notes: Easy substitutions include sweet potato for winter squash, pear for apple, and a portion of broth with dairy/non-dairy milk or coconut milk.
Easily prepare the recipe using a slow cooker. Follow steps 1 and 2. When you are ready to turn your slow cooker on, combine all the ingredients.
Moroccan Stew
Vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free optional
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
This soup will fill your home with an amazing scent and is lovely served with naan or pita bread. A bowl is enough for a filling meal and best when shared.
Ingredients:
For spice blend:
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons ginger powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
For soup:
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ribs (about 8 ounces) celery, chopped
• 2 medium sweet onions (about 8 to 10 ounces), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (gluten-free optional)
• 12 to 16 ounces butternut, winter squash or sweet potato, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup (8 ounces) yellow lentils or split peas
Directions:
• Blend the spice ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
In a 4-quart pot, pour in oil and then gently simmer the spice blend with olive oil for 1 minute, stirring.
Stir the celery, onion, and garlic into the spice blend. Sauté on medium for 8 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add more olive oil, if needed, to prevent sticking.
Add the broth, squash, tomatoes, and lentils to the pan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the beans have softened.
Stir in the lime juice. Garnish with cilantro.
BONUS RECIPE!
Savory Bread Spirals
Yield: 14 spirals
This recipe is as easy as it looks, and makes a lovely dinner presentation when hosting guests. It’s even simple enough to keep the hands of little ones occupied. We enjoy the sun-dried tomato pesto for this recipe but use your favorite oil-based spread.
Ingredients
• 1 (1-pound) loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup prepared sun-dried tomato pesto, basil pesto or olive spread
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
• Thaw dough according to package instructions.
• On a floured surface roll the dough into a 10x14-inch piece.
• Spread the pesto onto the dough leaving ¼ inch around the edge. Sprinkle with the cheese.
• Roll the dough lengthwise. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place the pieces, spiral side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake in a preheated 350°F oven 18-20 minutes.
Recipes, text, and photography by Phoebe Canakis
