Soup - a Great Meal on a Cold Day

Do you remember looking forward to having a bowl of grandma's good old-fashioned homemade soup. Sometimes it's ingredients included everything but the kitchen sink (smile), but no matter what she put in it, it always made for a very tasty meal.

What we probably didn't realize was that grandma killed two birds with one stone when she made that delicious soup. First, she rid herself of all of the vegetables and possibly even the meats in the refrigerator that were close to going bad, and she provided a healthy/nutritious meal for her family that might last for a couple of days (we all remember the leftover soup).

There is nothing better than a hot bowl of soup on a cold and/or stormy day. Add a salad and fresh bread to the soup and you have a complete meal. Here are a few simple meal suggestions for this upcoming winter season. Note that everything I do is quick and easy. Although I enjoyed grandma's cooking, I just don't have the time to make everything from scratch.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
I truly enjoy a tasty broccoli cheese soup. It seems complicated to make but I must admit that I cheat a little when making my soup. No, I don't open up a can, I don't cheat that much. But I do purchase a dry soup mix (there are many available at your grocer, they should be in the same area as the canned soup). If the soup mix says just add water, I will usually add some milk to make it richer. Along with adding milk, I add fresh broccoli and I season to taste with a little fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Top each bowl off with freshly grated cheddar cheese and you have a delicious soup.

I will usually include a salad with mixed greens, grape tomatoes, black olives, croutons and an italian dressing. You might also want to bake a fresh loaf of bread or go with pre-made bread or dough that you can just pop in the oven. Otherwise, top off your soup with croutons and you're good to go.

Easy to Make Chili
Start with a couple of cans of chicken broth, 2 cans of stewed tomatoes, 1 can of tomato paste, 2 cans of red kidney beans and packaged seasoning for chili. You can prepare it in a crock pot or simmer on the stove. Put these ingredients together along with a little olive oil or vegetable oil, whichever you use. While that is coming together, prepare whatever meat you want to put in it. The common choice of course is ground beef, but you can add a different spin or flavor to your chili by adding sausage, sirloin or chicken to it, or even combining meats. I usually cook my onions with my meat and I might also throw in some finely chopped green peppers, and jalapenos for a burst of flavor. For a change of taste, add a little cinnamon and brown sugar to your chili base before adding your meat(s). Other ingredients to consider are mushrooms, green chilies, dried oregano, thyme or basil, or even black olives (delicious if you like them). If it's prepared in the crock pot, I let it cook for at least 4-5 hours. Consider preparing it before you go to work and let it simmer in the crock pot all day for a truly tasty chili. If on the stove, let it simmer for about 2 hours or so. Top it off with shredded cheese, grated onions, tortilla chips and a whole pepper (if you're brave).

Add a salad with greens, but use tortilla chips and a spicy salad dressing to compliment the chili. Consider mixing a little salsa with an italian dressing for a "spicy" change.

Some other simply delicious soup ideas include - meatball soup (this is so great and wholesome, for quicker preparation buy turkey or italian meatballs already prepared), creamy lemon chicken soup (impressive, kind of gourmet), and one of my all time favorites chicken tortilla soup.

Lastly, don't forget to do like grandma. Always have beef and/or chicken stock in your cupboards. You can always throw together a hearty vegetable soup with almost any canned or fresh vegetable you have in the house. Add a meat choice to it, season to taste and you have an easy and economical meal.

Enjoy!