Baby, it’s cold outside.
I don’t know where you live, but here in Oxford, we’ve been enduring wintry snow, and freezing temperatures. On one hand, it was amazing watching my three-year-old son build his first snowman. On the other hand, I’ve consumed more cups of hot tea in the past few days than I have consumed in the past month…..all in the name of keeping warm.
Because of the cold, and the need to curl up under a blanket to catch up on some much loved television shows, I’ve wanted our dinners to be quick and simple – just a delicious soup with a french baguette. I trialed several soups in the past week or so, and wanted to share my favorites with you all.
I roasted a pumpkin for the first time this past autumn, and froze several cups of it to use at a later time. I had never made pumpkin soup, so tried it out. Definite hit in our house.
I will say a few things about this recipe:
1. Add a spice of some kind, like cumin or chilli flakes. Without it, the soup was a bit bland for our tastes.
2. I added a bit of garlic (2 cloves, minced).
3. I didn’t add the seeds or croutons, but did have a warm seeded baguette to serve with the soup.
4. The soup freezes well.
I’ve never been a huge fan of lentils, but this soup made me change my mind. It was hearty and warm, and quite filling. The leftovers were even better.
The only change I made to this soup was using organic bacon in place of the pancetta. That was just my preference though. I’m sure either one would suffice.
I’ve had sort of a love/hate affair with black beans for a long time (to be honest, it’s really just beans in general). As I’ve learned to like black beans, I’ve found that if they’re paired with the right thing, they are quite tasty. I was skeptical of this recipe at first, but am now a HUGE fan of this soup. It should be described as more like a chilli, than a soup, as it was very thick, even after I added more stock to it. The bacon really added a smoky element to it, and the shredded cheese and sour cream reminded me of my favorite Mexican restaurant back home. Win-win.
From my kitchen to yours…..enjoy!
What’s your favorite soup? Would you be willing to share a recipe below?
Stay warm,
~Mandy
the graduate wife 
I LOVE a good soup. My favorites are just a nice hearty lentil soup, just a basic one, nothing too fancy.. I also love WHITE BEAN Chicken Chili.. If it’s made right it’s so good. I make it OK, but going into a soup store back home that makes it amazing.. All the difference in the world, :)
I’m surprised that you don’t love beans.. I kind of feel that they have little flavor- and just take on the flavor of the items that you’re cooking with it. For example, black beans on a taco would taste well only if paired with the right spices, right? I mean, some chili, maybe a little cajun, garlic, etc. I’ve also learned that it’s so important to cook the beans with salt, if they’re dried, otherwise they just taste a lot like booty.
I don’t love beans. I’m trying to, though.It’s more a texture thing, than a flavor thing. Or a carryover from childhood. :)
Wow, that is so crazy! I didn’t have any ideas when I read this post the other day, but in planning our meals for the week I thought about this great white chicken chili I had made for a Super Bowl party last year. I made it today and thought I’d pass on the recipe in case you’d like to try it, although I will say it’s definitely not a recipe for the calorie counter! http://www.karenceliafox.com/Eating/recipe_whitechili.htm
Thanks, Keeley!