The flowers may be blossoming but there is still a chill in the air. Perfect weather for a hearty and comforting soup.
Three-quarters of the year comfort soups are a staple for many pacific northwest families. Not only are they nutrient-rich but you can incorporate a lot of your produce bin- whatever vegetables and herbs you have on hand go right in. BCS is a fantastic renewable resource for keeping the cupboards full of soup-making ingredients: both vegetable and chicken stock, beans and legumes both dried and canned, all kinds of grains, and flavor-boosting condiments.
That’s the beauty of making soup for dinner (or lunch). You can truly add in any vegetable from acorn squash to zucchini and sprinkle in some rice if you need it to stretch. And don’t forget the added bonus of soup:
- it’s portable
- it makes multiple meals but only ONE big clean up. SCORE.
Need some inspiration for vegetable combinations to put into a soup? Here are some of the plethora of veggies that make for amazing soup additions:
- squash (butternut, acorn, zucchini, summer, patty pan, pumpkin…)
- onion (red, yellow, Walla Walla, scallions, leeks, …)
- garlic, ginger, or turmeric
- potatoes (russet, red, new, Yukon gold, …)
- carrots, celery, fennel, or green beans
- peppers (green, red, orange, jalapeno, …)
- broccoli and cauliflower
- tomatoes (Roma or plum)
- leafy greens (spinach, kale, collards, dandelions, chard…)
Now you are ready to get cooking! Let us know what delicious soup you created using the vegetables you had on hand.
Calling All At Home (or outside of the Home) Chefs and Cooks
Do you enjoy experimenting with new recipes? Or maybe you stumbled upon a delicious combination of foods that you are itching to tell someone about? If you have simple recipes or food inspiration ideas to share, we are ready for them! Just email steph@bcsi.org or contact us here.
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1 thought on “Comforting Soup for the Spring Season”
We made a chicken and vegetable soup this week with leftover veggies.