Stay Warm this Month With Homemade Soup!

February is one of the coldest months of the year, which is why it comes as no surprise that National Homemade Soup Day is on February 4th! With the temperature continuing to drop throughout the month, get cozy and warm yourself up with a nice hearty bowl of soup.

One of the major reasons I hear from clients why they buy soup at the store is that they don’t have the time to make it at home.Well, I’m here to tell youthat making a soup is actually very low maintenance! You can have the pot on low most of the day while you continue to accomplish other tasks without having to tend to it much. Soup is perfect for lunch and you can make a large pot on Sunday to have for the whole week.

Benefits of Homemade Soup

While going to the store and buying premade soup may be more convenient, there are many benefits to making your own soup at home.

The ingredients are fresher.Since you are picking the produce or meat that goes into the soup, you have control over the quality of the overall soup. The ingredients you choose will be fresher than those you find in a can that has been sitting on a shelf for weeks.

It can be cost effective.You likely will not be breaking the bank over one can of soup, but if you are feeding a family, the price of those cans quickly adds up. When you make soup at home, you can make it in large batches for a portion of what it would cost to buy numerous cans of the same soup.

You limit the amount of added sodium and sugar.Some soup products contain more sodium than the daily allowance and add sugar as a flavor enhancer. When you make soup at home, choose a stock that is low in sodium and control the amount of added salt. You have control over how much sodium and sugar is actually in your soup.

It’s tailored to your needs.If you have some left over vegetables that you know are going to go bad soon, incorporating them into a soup is a great way to make sure they don’t go to waste. There are so many different soup recipes out there, just search what ingredients you have that you would like to use and a myriad of recipes will come up.

Start with Homemade Broth

When making soup at home it is important to start with a broth that is tasty, well-made and low in sodium. You can buy broth at the store, but making broth at home is simple to do as well, especially if you have saved some kitchen scraps from previous cooking attempts.

Here’s a recipe for my homemade broth from my soon-to-be published cookbook, Enjoying Food Peace.

BRG Veggie Broth

Makes 1 ½ Quarts

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet onion, cut into quarters
3 stalks celery, cut into thirds
3 large carrots, cut into thirds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 leek, cut in half lengthwise
½ cup chopped fresh basil
10 cups water
2 bay leaves
? teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Put onion, celery, carrots, garlic, scallions, leek, and basil in a large soup pot. Add water and bring to a boil.
Add bay leaves and black pepper.
Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Strain broth into separate container and cool.
Use BRG Veggie Broth for a perfect base to all your soups.

Once your broth is done you are ready to make your own soup! Check out some of my favorite recipes below.

Your turn to action:What is your favorite soup recipe? Let me know in the comments below.