Farmers Market Vegetable Soup

The problem with going to the farmers market is that it is all too easy to yield to temptation and grab up way too many fresh vegetables than you can possibly eat in a week. What better way to take advantage of all that bounty than to make a huge pot of soup? You can [...]

Homemade Tomato Soup Just Like Mom Used to Make (With a Can Opener)

This is a very simple but very satisfying recipe for tomato soup that reminded me a lot of the Campbell’s tomato soup I used to eat as a kid — only better! A batch keeps for about a week in the fridge (I don’t recommend freezing), so this is a good soup to make on [...]

A Big Batch o’ Gazpacho

There’s no denying it. Despite the hotter-than-Hades August that seemed like it would never end, fall has arrived. The cool, crisp days with no humidity almost make you forget that we’re still in the midst of a record drought. Who needs rain when you have glorious blue sky and it’s 72 degrees out?
So why am [...]

French Onion Soup (Bistro Cooking)

Patricia Wells is my new best friend. I have had her cookbook, Bistro Cooking, for a while but only recently began cooking out of it. The recipes are simple but hearty French bistro fare that rely on the best ingredients for flavor, and each one I have attempted has been delicious. Her Marinated Goat Cheese, [...]

Chicken Soup for the Body

Your mother was right — when you’re sick, chicken soup is the best medicine. There’s no denying that when you’re feeling stuffed up and miserable, a bowl of chicken soup can bring relief. (My husband and I both confirmed this in independent taste tests yesterday, he with a bowl of Chinese chicken dumpling soup, I [...]

Tortellini Soup (The Best 30-Minute Recipe)

This is a very simple and basic soup, but also one that is really satisfying. Simmering the stock separately with some herbs enriches the flavor of store-bought chicken stock.

Tortellini Soup
Serves: 2
Time to make: ~15 minutes
What you need:

4 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. Italian herb mix
½ onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
6 oz. cheese tortellini
2 cups [...]

Tortilla Soup (The Best 30-Minute Recipe)

Finally, after much searching, I’ve found/adapted a good recipe for Tortilla Soup. For me, a good Tortilla Soup should be spicy but not overwhelmingly so, chock-full of good stuff so it can make a meal, and simple enough to make on a weeknight after work.

I prefer to make my own tortilla chips rather than buy [...]

Southwestern Corn & Potato Chowder

I’ve been craving soups lately, and it’s not just because it’s winter. (It’s going to be in the 70s here this weekend!) After all that holiday indulgence, soup is the perfect rebalancing food. Broth-based soups are comforting, healthy and generally chock-full of vegetables. Because they take longer to eat, you feel full faster and don’t [...]

Hidden Moon Noodles in Broth

This Asian-inspired soup is called “Hidden Moon Noodles” because of the egg hidden among all the vegetables. It makes a hearty and filling main course.

Hidden Moon Noodles
Serves: 2
Time to make: ~30 minutes
What you need:

1½ oz. dried shiitake mushrooms
¼ lb. Chinese-style noodles or spaghetti
2 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. rice wine
½ tbsp. sugar
¼ head [...]

Hearty Three-Bean Soup

A Nor’easter is blowing through our area, just in time for Thanksgiving travel. It’s cold, windy and rainy — a perfect night for soup.
As you may have noticed, I make a lot of soups and pasta dishes at home. We go out to eat one to three times a week, and we really enjoy discovering [...]