One of my favorite things about soup is this: The recipe does not have to be long and complicated to be perfectly delicious. Here are a few of our favorite quick and easy soup recipes, perfect for this chillier weather.
Hamburger Soup
This easy and comforting soup is a quick weeknight meal that will satisfy everyone in your family. It uses simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
3 gloves of minced garlic
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 quarts beef stock
1 - 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
3-4 carrots cut into chunks
3-4 potatoes cut into chunks
Pinch of Italian herb blend
Salt & pepper to taste
1. In a large pot over medium heat brown the ground beef and drain. Return the meat to the pot and add the onions cooking until tender. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the celery.
2. Pour in the beef stock and the tomatoes. Stir to combine.
3. Turn the heat up and bring the soup to a boil. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook until tender.
4. Season with herbs, salt and pepper.
Butternut Squash Bisque
Some notes on this: If you are in the mood for a long cook, then I recommend making your own stock and preparing fresh butternut squash for this recipe. However, it is not necessary for this to be delicious. You can absolutely use pre-made stock and even frozen butternut squash (yes, frozen!). This is also a highly versatile recipe. You could use harissa spices or curry spices; you could use Italian spices or even just keep things simple with salt and pepper. The sky is the limit- make this soup how YOU like it!
3 cups butternut squash, diced
4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
1/2 large onion, diced
1 Tbls. minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 Tbls. olive oil
3/4 cup coconut milk
salt and pepper, to taste
Makes 4 BIG bowls, or 6 smaller cups of soup
In a pot, cook onions, garlic, and spices together in the olive oil until onions are browned and fragrant. Add squash and stock to the pot. On low heat, bring the mixture to a roiling boil and let boil for 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and turn off the heat. Let the soup cool. Once it is cool, either blend the soup mixture in a traditional blender until smooth or use an immersion blender directly in the pot. You can control the texture here- blend it to your preferred consistency.
Serve warm with bread or crackers.
Optional: Top with toasted pepitas.
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