Simpler Living Blog

COOKING, RECIPES

Soup Cures All–Even the Winter Blues!

Soup Cures All–Even the Winter Blues!

We’ve been sick around here, passing around viruses between family and friends like they were Christmas cards. Nobody feels like eating much and certainly, no one wants to cook either. It’s Soup Days, comfort food of the highest order, light or hearty, filling and full of the goodness of summer herbs and vegetables and home-grown meat. I was shocked to be discussing soup at a town gathering to hear a young woman confess that she would never bother making soup from scratch as it was so easy to pop open a can and heat it up in the microwave.

Soup Cures All–Even the Winter Blues!

We’ve been sick around here, passing around viruses between family and friends like they were Christmas cards. Nobody feels like eating much and certainly, no one wants to cook either. It’s Soup Days, comfort food of the highest order, light or he...

Author
Lehman's

Ingredients

  • Onions, chopped
  • Celery, chopped
  • Carrots, chopped (optional)
  • Fat for sautéing (lard, butter, or olive oil)
  • Meat (beef, chicken, or other protein)
  • Stock or broth (homemade, canned, or boxed, preferably low-sodium)
  • Potatoes
  • Carrots (additional)
  • Cabbage
  • Onions (additional)
  • Kale (fresh or dried)
  • Herbs (to taste)
  • Optional additions: rice, noodles, dumplings, or other thickeners

Directions

  1. Heat fat in a large pot.
  2. Add onions, celery, and carrots.
  3. Cook slowly until softened and lightly browned, without burning.
  4. Remove aromatics from the pot and set aside.
  5. Add meat to the pot.
  6. Brown the meat slowly to develop flavor and color.
  7. Return the browned vegetables to the pot.
  8. Add stock or broth.
  9. Bring to a simmer.
  10. Cook until the meat becomes tender and flavorful.
  11. Add additional vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, and kale.
  12. Simmer until vegetables are soft.
  13. Add herbs toward the end of cooking.
  14. Add rice, noodles, or dumplings if desired.
  15. Simmer until any added starches are fully cooked.
  16. Adjust thickness:
  17. Add more stock for a lighter soup
  18. Add starch or thickeners for stew-like consistency
  19. Increase thickeners further for casserole-style dishes
  20. Serve hot.
Did you make this recipe?Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

0 Comments

Share Lehman's

Kathy Harrison

Kathy Harrison

Kathy and her husband own a small hobby farm. They raise bees, have an orchard and grow organic vegetables. They also raise a few pigs and chickens. Most of what they do is a cooperative venture with close neighbors. She has written two books on family preparedness for Storey Publishing, Just In Case: How To Be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Happens and Prepping 101: 40 Steps You Can Take To Be Prepared.

View All Posts From This Author

People Also Enjoyed Reading

Grow a Kitchen Herb Garden

Grow a Kitchen Herb Garden

Lehman's
If you love using herbs as much as I do, you will probably agree that fresh-picked herbs taste better than...
Share Your Thanksgiving

Share Your Thanksgiving

Lehman's
Thanksgiving is a holiday that is shared over the many different cultures and beliefs that make up this country.  It...
Deck Out Your Cookies!

Deck Out Your Cookies!

Lehman's
In our busy lives today we try to fit so many things into each day; tending family, keeping a home,...
Healthy Holiday Nibbles

Healthy Holiday Nibbles

Lehman's
As the holiday season approaches I often need to stop and remind myself that the focus of the holidays doesn’t...