The Awesomeness of Soup

“What a marvelous resource soup is for the thrifty cook – it solves the ham-bone and lamb-bone problems, the everlasting Thanksgiving turkey, the extra vegetables.” – Julia Child

“Whenever something went wrong when I was young – if I had a pimple or if my hair broke – my mom would say, ‘Sister mine, I’m going to make you some soup.’ And I really thought the soup would make my pimple go away or my hair stronger.” — Maya Angelou

Soup is awesome. Especially this time of year, a steaming bowl of hot soup can do two amazing things: Warm you up and fill your stomach.

But that’s just the beginning of the awesomeness of soup. Let’s look at five reasons why you should make soup this week. Or sooner—maybe even tonight.

1 Soup is (usually) good for you

Soup is an easy and delicious way to increase your intake of the healthy vitamins and other nutrients you need.
Pick a soup recipe that is loaded with nutrient-rich ingredients, like vegetables (fresh or frozen) and proteins like beans, chicken, fish or shellfish.
Most soups (except for noodle soups) are naturally lower in calories and low-carb, too.
But you’ll want to read the labels on canned soups, which are often loaded with extra salt and sugar. You might also want to avoid or limit cream-based soups that are higher in fat and calories.

2 Soup is (usually) easy and inexpensive

Sauté some onions, carrots, garlic and celery in olive oil, add some chicken or vegetable broth (or even water), and toss in a cup of cooked chicken or a can of beans and you’ve got a soup. That’s not a big investment in time or money.
You can use other vegetables that are on sale or seasonal, too: pumpkin, butternut squash or kale, are just a few examples.
Like Julia Child, you might decide to use leftovers from Thanksgiving turkey or ham, or toss in the vegetables that have seen better days from the back of the produce drawer.
Making soup with appliances like a slow-cooker or Instant Pot can save time and offer convenience, too, allowing you to put soup on the menu even on the busiest days.

3 Soup tastes even better the next day

Soup is probably one of the best examples of the outstanding advice to “cook once, eat twice.” You can make a big batch of soup on a Sunday afternoon and eat it for lunch the rest of the week.

Soup also freezes well. You can make a pot of soup or hearty stew and eat half of it one day and stash the rest in the freezer for a night when you’re just too tired to cook.

4 Soup can be a creative endeavor

Soup can be a speedy meal, but it can also be a therapeutic way to slow down.

Stretch your creative culinary skills by searching for unusual recipes, carefully chopping fresh vegetables, using fresh herbs, unusual spices, or layering in special ingredients, like the rind from a piece of parmesan cheese, or homemade dumplings.

Taking the time to make your own vegetable, bone, or fish stock can be a real gamechanger, too. You can explore the world through soup—every food culture has its own special varieties of stews, chowders, and gumbos.

5 Soup is comfort food

Soup can be a real comfort when things are tough.
There are probably scientific reasons—healthy ingredients in soup like onions, chicken broth, garlic, and other vegetable can give our immune systems a boost and perk up our overall sense of wellbeing.
But for many people—including author Maya Angelou—soup represents comfort food at its best.
Filling our stomachs with something simple and warm takes us back to times when we’ve felt loved and cared for.

And that is awesome.

Pro Tip: When buying canned soup, get more bang for your buck: Choose options that contain lots of fiber, from beans, chickpeas, lentils or whole grains and an abundance of vegetables. You’ll feel fuller longer and get more of your daily nutritional needs.