September is for Soup!
Labor Day has passed and while we still have some warm sunny days left, you can feel that the weather is changing.
- The humidity is leaving the air
- The mornings are a bit crisper
- Days are getting shorter…
- and I know the need for soup is just around the corner.
National Soup Month isn’t until January, I like to make sure that my freezer is stocked well in advance. When I was a child, it was quite normal to go to the cupboard and grab a can of Campbell’s.
Now while most people are not thinking about making soup in September, I am. I become a soup-making fiend the first weekend of September which doesn’t end until the last Sunday in October and that is probably more of a pause because I turn to making casseroles to break things up a bit.
Most childhood memories began with a hot bowl of Campbell’s Soup which led the soup company to claim the wintery month back in 1986.
My dad’s favorite was beef & barley, while mine was cream of potato and Chicken noodle was reserved for when I was sick. Now in adulthood, we no longer reach in the cupboard for a can, we reach in our chest freezer for some homemade yumminess.
Happiness is Homemade Soup
So why so much soup? Well, I am not a big fan of winter. My work hours also tend to increase in the winter and I like to have quick and easy meals to put on the table. Soup is my solution.
“There is nothing Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup can’t fix.”
I can pair it with a salad, with bread, or by itself, because I tend to make pretty hearty soups or stoups, thank you, Rachael Ray. We don’t get sick of soup because I like to make so many different kinds that we always have a choice and it doesn’t become monotonous.
I am all about making meal prep easy and not overwhelming, hence why I start in September. Making one double batch of soup each Sunday, will not only give me 8 different soups to choose from throughout November-March, it is a lot easier than trying to make 4-8 different soups in a day. It is also more manageable on the wallet and weekly budget.
Over the years, we have our favorites and then I usually find a new recipe that I like to through into the mix. I always ask my husband which one he wants me to start with and his answer is always the same… Rachael Rays, Double Chicken Dumpling Soup.
I love Rachel Ray and have a shelf filled with her cookbooks and years of magazines. Many of my favorite soups are either from her recipes or I have adapted them to fit my dietary needs. I also like her recipes because they are quick and easy, yet are full of flavor.
Then I try to mix up the proteins even though chicken tends to be the basis for the majority. Rachael Rays, Stuffed Cabbage Soup is next.
Then a Mexican Posole with pork and hominy. I also try to mix up rice, pasta, quinoa, etc. so that I am not so carb-heavy. I always add extra veggies just in case I’m not in the mood to eat a cold salad on a snowy day. Then I toss in a couple of meatless soups like tomato and pumpkin that I can serve with grilled cheese or this wild rice that I love. It adds a heartiness to the pumpkin soup that satisfies our “meat & potatoes” appetite.
Next to the mix is chili. I usually make a White Chicken Chili and a basic beef chili. Football games need chili and no soup collection would be complete without a chicken noodle.
When spring approaches and we start to use up the heavier soups, I start the process again making some Spring soups. While there is still a chill in the air and you aren’t quite ready to break out the bathing suit, these soups will fill your belly and satisfy your craving for springtime flavors.
Meal Planning Made Easy.
My goal is to help you create simple meal plans that can be incorporated into your week and leave you more time for other enjoyments like your family and time for yourself. Let’s see what we can create together!
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