Soup on the Run

I was intrigued, amused, even challenged, by an incident that Stacey Ballis describes in her book Out to Lunch. She tells this story. While at the Whole Foods’ salad bar, she hurriedly filled three cardboard containers with carrots, celery, sliced onions, shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes. garbanzo beans and corn. Shredded chicken, peas, chopped cauliflower, and broccoli. Baby spinach leaves and cooked barley. 

Once home she writes: “I don’t even take my coat off. I get out one of my big stock pots, and dump all three containers into the pot. From the pantry, a jar of Rao’s marinara. From the freezer, a container of homemade chicken stock. I don’t even bother to thaw it, I just plop it like an iceberg into the pot. Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes for heat. I crank the heat to medium, give it a stir and leave it.” 

By golly! I think Ms. Ballis maybe onto something here. Since soup mainly involves chopping and waiting, she’s cut the task in half. There was no indication how the soup turned out, but the inclusion of homemade chicken stock alone should assure success.

My Fab Five

Here’s 5 of my longtime favorite soups. I tend to repeat them throughout the cold months. So I don’t get into a rut, I’m currently gathering items for a new soup I’ve never made: Moroccan Chickpea Soup. I have high expectations, but there are 22 ingredients, for heaven’s sake! Some involve a trip to Global Foods. I’ll keep you posted on this one.

But for now, these Fab Five soups have proven themselves over the years and given me cause to look forward to fall—even though I prefer spring.

1. Chicken Noodle Soup

2. Italian Minestrone

3. French Green Lentil Soup with Sausage

4. Root Vegetable Soup

5. Butternut Squash Soup

After writing this post and seeing these photos, I’ve decided to make a soup for the freezer, so when the first really cold day comes along, I’ll be ready. Hmm. . . thinking about the lentil soup . . . .