Need soup!

[lillypaddle]

feeling sleepy but can't sleep? SOUP!

Hungry but too lazy to cook? SOUP!

Empty tummy feeling? SOUP!

Need to warm your bones? SOUP!

On a diet? SOUP!

Pea soup, chicken soup, lima bean soup, lentil soup, French onion soup w/crispy French bread and Swiss cheese, homemade soup, canned soup, SOUP is the answer, my friends!

mmmmm mmmmm good! (will share recipes for the above if interested)

[fierywoman]

1. I'm with you, darling!

[procon]

2. Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods.

It's easy to make, with or without a recipe, ridiculously cheap, easily digestible and very nutritious, and did I mention delicious? Penny pinchers and frugal cooks can make a rich and hearty soup for mere pennies, what's not to love!

I love the thick and creamy soups, bisques, chowders, with or without meats. My freezer is well stocked with individual servings of all kinds of soups and broths that can be quickly reheated for a fast and filling meal when you don't feel like cooking.

I used to make a diet soup with lots of fresh veggies, herbs and cabbage in a spicy tomato base. I might have to make a batch.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. And have leftovers? I get those rotisserie chickens around here for not more...

than it costs for a raw one I'd have to cook. Can't eat the whole thing at one sitting so the rest becomes soup for a week. Frozen, canned or not so fresh any more vegetables, noodles, anything else I have lying around, and the benefits of a bountiful spice shelf.

It was funny, but I always kinda resented Marvelous Marvin's Pizza Hut commercial. Made it a little extra sweet when Sugar Ray Leonard kicked his ass.

(BTW, if you happen to have any leftover Brie around, it makes a wonderful addition to a cream soup.)

[Jane Austin]

5. What is leftover Brie?

Never have that here.

(But thanks for the tip. Sounds delicious.)

[TreasonousBastard]

8. It is admittedly a rarity, but can often be snuck off a fresh wheel.

[Jane Austin]

4. Costco sells a refrigerated Broccoli/cheese soup that is divine.

It's less than $10 for two quarts and freezes beautifully. That's four meals for me. It's not gloppy with cheese, but has a nice consistency.

Here in Austin it's only available from September through February or so.

I know someone who loves it as much as I do who lives in California, and it's available year 'round at her Costco.

I could eat it every day, and I'm getting my vegetables every time I do.

When Costco ran out this February, I prevailed on a friend here who belongs to Sam's Club to bring me some of theirs. They sell Panera's Brocolli/Cheese soup.

Unfortunately it was way too salty for me, and I have to cut it with pureed broccoli and low-sodium chicken broth.

But I'm muddling through until September when Costco stocks it again.

Costco also has a terrific Tortilla Soup. It's hearty and has an abundance of white-meat chicken and lots of vegetables.

These two soups keep me well-nourished.

[Sanity Claws]

6. I love soup too

My reason: I can cook ahead and freeze lots of individual servings. After a long commute home, I warm it up and eat nutritious soup while waiting for the rest of my dinner to cook.

[Historic NY]

7. LOL, rather cool here in NY....47 this morning

so yesterday I found the ham bone from Easter in the freezer and of course made pea soup. There was a lot of meat on the bone.

[lillypaddle]

11. Yum!

Actually, I eat soup all during the summer.

[ProudLib72]

9. Red lentil soup

With dippin' bread!

[lillypaddle]

10. Is there a big difference in red lentils and the other kind?

Never have had them.

[ProudLib72]

12. Yes! Brown lentils are heavier and have a meatier taste.

Red lentil soup is really easy to make. It's just sauteed onions, bullion, cumin, and lentils. You add lemon juice at the very end. I put in cayenne because I like my food hot, but that's optional. If you get your red lentils in bulk, they are next to nothing. You just have to cook your lentils until they fall apart. It's a thick soup. You can use an immersion blender to make it all uniform and creamy.

[lillypaddle]

13. Thanks

I'll give that a try. Sounds good.

I cook the brown lentils with some ham base (Better than Bullion), and chopped onion. When they are cooked, I make a roux and that thickens them up a bit, and makes for better flavor

My mother was German, so she taught me to like them with white vinegar added to the bowl, but my kids prefer them without.

[ProudLib72]

14. I make mujadara with brown lentils

It's not a soup, but it sure is tasty!

Here's a link to a recipe so you can see what it is: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/lebanese-lentils-rice-and-caramelized-onions-mujadara-recipe-1925439

[lillypaddle]

15. That looks delicious!

Now I'm really hungry!