Soup is a popular comfort food and truly is a nutritious meal that works just about any time of day. One of the best things about soup is that you can throw it together, put it on the stove to simmer on low heat, and let it cook until it’s time to eat.
Making soup for lunch when working from home is a perfect way to ensure you eat a healthy lunch that almost cooks itself while you focus on what’s important.
Choosing Great Soup Ingredients
Soup is a perfect way to use up leftovers from the fridge or to keep fresh veggies that have been sitting around from going to waste. Sure, you can start with a basic recipe, but the wonderful thing about cooking soups is that you can make just about any recipe your own with what you have on hand.
- Start with a good broth. If you can make your own stock ahead of time, this is always best. However, unsalted or low salt organic stock or bone broth are wonderful soup bases as well.
- Make sure your ingredients are bite sized. Chunkier pieces can be okay, but you don’t want things so large that you need to eat your soup with a knife and fork.
- When adding pasta or greens to soup, wait until the last few minutes of cooking so that they do not become overcooked and lose their amazing texture.
Finding the Right Flavor
When it comes to seasoning soups, it can be argued that less is more.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you use a smaller amount of seasoning, but more that you should focus on a flavor profile without adding a bunch of herbs and spices that don’t “match”.
- Think about the flavors that naturally pair with the ingredients you choose. For instance, rosemary and thyme are delicious with potatoes. Basil and oregano match well with tomato.
- Dish up a tiny serving and let it cool for a moment before tasting to see if you need more seasoning or if you need to add salt. Scalded tastebuds won’t give you a good reading on the flavor level.
- If using fresh herbs, remember that they are less potent than their dried counterparts and you’ll need to add more to get the same kind of flavor.
Want some delicious recipes to give you a starting point for a delicious soup for lunch? Here are a few of our favorites:
Vegan Chili
Hearty Veggie Stew
Hunter Stew
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Korean Kimchi Soup
