Soup for the Soul
A few weekends ago Nik's dad was out of town so we went out to lunch with his mom. We had a lovely time at our local soup and sandwich spot, Main Bread and Butter. It's wonderful to sit in the warm glow of the early afternoon sun, watching the chilling winds whip around outside, surrounded by locals who come to keep good company. It's nice to have a place to chat and peruse Mennonite postcards and foods that remind us of our childhood in Europe.
To me the best winter meal is a nice warm bowl of soup and some bread, to warm you from the inside out. One of my winter resolutions was to make a soup at home that I have never made before. Well friends, I'm here to tell you that is what I did. I attempted the french onion soup recipe from the Newlywed Cookbook. It was lovely, though maybe not the best meal I have ever made. I was personally more impressed with the accompanying chocolate pudding recipe, also a first for me. Still, it was a lovely evening of wine, games, and celebrating friends.
I am wondering, what soups are out there to be easily made at home? My favorite soup is tomato but I don't have a blender and feel like it really is necessary for a good creamy version. Then there is the "throw lots of fun ingredients in the crock pot" soup, but I've been told this doesn't really count as making a homemade soup. Today I had a lovely beef barley soup for lunch, but it did not come from my own kitchen.
Since moving to this wintry land, I find changing our meals to match the season makes even more of a difference than ever before. Casseroles, backed potatoes, cheesy pastas, and soups sustain us through winter's chill. Light salads, barbecued meats, and local vegetables and berries make summer even warmer and brighter. Maybe in the autumn I will try another new soup. For now I'm planning the last few things on my winter list, skating and sledding, and dreaming of my summer garden.
