Hi Reader,

If we have to say goodbye to summer, we can at least take heart in the arrival of fabulous, cozy, hearty soups—the start of comfort food season. In our home, we serve them as a meal-in-a-bowl with some crusty bread.

In keeping with the theme, we have a few good tips on how to make great soup -including building flavor, seasoning, speeding up cooking, and more.

As always, hope you find something you like!

Cheryl and Jenna

P.S. Shanah Tova to those celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! If you're still looking, last chance for Rosh Hashanah recipes!

Latest Hit

Chicken and Noodle Recipe in Spicy Coconut Sauce (30 Min)

Pack a delicious punch with this chicken and noodles recipe featuring a sauce of creamy coconut milk and fiery chili crisp that coats the chicken, noodles, and veggies in a warm comforting hug. 30 minutes.

Cozy Fall Soups

Best part about Fall... well, except for the rest of the comfort food! 😍

Best Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

Hearty beef barley vegetable soup is the ultimate comfort meal-in-a-bowl. Deep rich flavors and loaded with healthy grains, veggies and protein. This soup is one of my all-time faves. 1 hour 20 minutes.

Red Lentil Soup With Vegetables

This red lentil soup with vegetables is thick, rich, flavorful and super nutritious. Don’t miss it – it’s consistently rated in our top 5 recipes in the Fall! 45 minutes.

Easy Tomato Soup With Cheese Croutons

Remember eating Campbell’s tomato soup with saltine crackers on a cold day? Well, we promise this creamy tomato soup with canned tomatoes is a way better version. Classic comfort food in 20 minutes.

Curried Lentil Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Healthy and hearty curried lentil soup is a delicious vegan meal-in-a-bowl. Lentils, curry seasoning, tomato sauce, coconut milk, garlic, ginger and cilantro are the stars of this soup. 35 minutes (instant pot) 50 minutes (stovetop).

Instant Pot Turkey Soup

The best instant pot turkey soup in just 30 minutes? Yep. This soul-warming, comforting soup is a quick, easy and yummy weeknight meal-in-a-bowl. Swap the turkey with chicken if you like. 30 minutes.

Vegetable Barley Soup

You will not miss the meat in this hearty, healthy vegetable barley soup with fiber and protein-rich beans. 1 hour 7 minutes.

Tips for Making Delicious Soup

Soups are perfect for cooler weather—soul-warming, nutritious, and delicious. Homemade soups are made with love, a bit of patience, and a few rules of thumb.

1. Use a good broth: Homemade is best but I mostly use Better Than Bouillon paste or undiluted full-strength broth in a can. With both, you can control the water and depth of flavor.
2. Build flavor by sautéing aromatics first (onions and garlic). This releases considerable flavor into the soup.
3. Seasoning: Salt and pepper are crucial, but not the whole story. Choose a flavor profile you love - Mexican, Indian, Asian, Thai, Italian, etc. and add the appropriate seasonings. Or try umami (savory) flavors like parmesan, fish sauce, mushroom or miso to add depth. Taste as you go until you're happy.
4. Add an acidic component like zest or lime juice to brighten things up and balance the flavors.
5. Add baby spinach in the last minute for extra nutrition. If you follow our recipes, you know that we do this with a ton of recipes!
6. Double the recipe for leftovers.
7. Speed things up by dicing your veggies smaller.

​How to freeze and store soup (Taste of Home). Don't freeze cream-based soups or soup that contains pasta, rice or potatoes.

What You're Saying...

My wife and I were stunned at how delicious this recipe turned out. The taste and texture of the meat rivaled the very best steak we’ve ever had, anywhere! I’ll scale up the recipe and invite a crew over next time, but this batch is only for us. Thanks for sharing your easy approach to cooking! I like your style! Jim

​Sous Vide Short Ribs (Boneless Beef)​

Have a great week!

Cheryl and Jenna

jenna-cheryl@twokooksinthekitchen.com

Website: https://twokooksinthekitchen.com/​

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