Each season lends itself to a certain type of food, and during winter, it’s a warm and hearty one! Soup is a classic comfort food often associated with feelings of well-being and coziness, especially when the temperatures drop. After all, nothing beats a savory bowl of soup to help you warm up when those cold, blustery days roll in.
Read more to get inspired with three cozy soup recipes that will help you get through those freezing winter months.
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Have you ever wondered why there’s such a connection between soup and comfort? There are a few reasons.
First, soup may be a nostalgic reminder of a time when someone took care of you. When you were sick as a child, your parents may have given you chicken soup to help you feel better. As an adult, you may associate eating soup with healing and wellness.
Our minds also like to equate physical warmth with social warmth. Research shows that dining on a bowl of hot soup or even just holding a warm cup of it in our hands can stir up positive feelings toward others.
And finally, soup is often a healthy, hearty meal. Many soups are packed with nourishing ingredients like vegetables, spices and lean cuts of protein to fuel our bodies with the good stuff.
If you’re not yet convinced to grab a delicious bowl of soup and cozy up, below are three simple soup recipes to nourish your body and warm your heart.
The traditional chicken noodle soup we all know and love is made even more flavorful with John Soules Foods Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast. You’ll feel good about serving your family this healthy, easy soup recipe. The best part? You can get this chicken noodle soup on the table in under 40 minutes, thanks to pre-cooked chicken. Pair this classic with a fresh side salad and a slice of crusty bread for the perfect wintertime meal.
Start by heating olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Toss in onions, carrots and celery and cook for five to eight minutes until tender.
Pour in chicken broth along with thyme and bay leaves, and heat to boiling. Stir in your noodles, and let them cook until soft. Next, add your Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast and continue cooking to heat it through. Ladle the soup into bowls, add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve!
Calling all Southern food fanatics! This delicious recipe makes for one hearty meal that will warm your soul on a chilly winter night. We’re combining traditional gumbo ingredients like sausage, okra and white rice with John Soules Foods Southern Style Chicken for a new twist on a Cajun classic. This crispy chicken gumbo comes together in under 30 minutes and yields eight servings. Leftovers, anyone?
Place your chicken on a baking sheet and heat for 12 to 14 minutes, flipping halfway through, in an oven heated to 375 degrees.
While the chicken warms up, heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly.
Add chopped onion and bell pepper along with some Cajun seasoning, and cook for another minute before whisking in chicken broth and bringing to a boil.
Next, stir in okra and sausage and simmer over reduced heat for about four minutes until fully cooked. Spoon the mixture over bowls of cooked rice and top with chicken. Garnish with a sprinkle of green onions, and serve!
Ahhh, chili. This iconic American classic is filling and flavorful. After gaining popularity in Texas in the 1800s, chili is now served all over the country, and everyone seems to have their own unique, favorite recipe. Some chili connoisseurs even like to engage in friendly debates about what ingredients should and shouldn’t be included in chili. But with such a variety of chili recipes, who says you have to pick a side?
This recipe for salsa verde grilled chicken chili uses zesty green salsa, John Soules Foods Grilled Chicken and Mexican-inspired toppings like spicy cheese and avocado to add Tex-Mex flair to cozy chicken chili. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, snow days and your next chili cook-off.
Once you round up your ingredients, this chili couldn’t be easier to make! In a large pot over medium-high heat, add your chicken broth, cannellini beans, flame-grilled chicken, salsa verde, chiles and seasonings. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
To serve, ladle the chili into bowls, and add your favorite toppings.
These easy soup recipes are great for those nights when you’re short on time but still want to serve a delicious, hot meal. If you have a little more time to spend in the kitchen, making soup from scratch is easier than you may think!
Many soup recipes call for pantry staples that you probably already have, so there is no need to make a special trip to the grocery store. Use chicken, beef or veggie broth, heavy cream or tomato puree as your liquid and add any or all of the following ingredients for a tasty, made-from-scratch soup.
John Soules Foods offers ready-to-eat chicken and beef that are perfect for adding to homemade soups. Because soup doesn’t get hot enough to cook meat, you’ll want to use a protein that’s already cooked. Save yourself the extra step of cooking your protein by choosing a pre-cooked option!
At least three different veggies will make your soup hearty and nutritious, but feel free to use as many or as few as you have. Veggies to toss into your homemade soup include the following:
Sautee firm vegetables in butter to soften them before adding them to your soup. For vegetables that don’t need much cooking time, like spinach or tomatoes, feel free to throw them in and let the soup do the work.
Adding grains to your soup boosts the filling factor and can stretch out the number of servings. If you’re using uncooked grains, be sure your soup simmers long enough to cook them. Grain options include:
Seasonings make a basic soup recipe taste amazing. Salt and pepper help enhance the natural flavor of food, so start there and add other spices and herbs that complement your soup’s flavor profile, such as:
John Soules Foods offers delicious pre-cooked beef and chicken with a focus on quality and flavor. Our products are a great start to an easy, satisfying home-cooked meal. Find a John Soules Food retailer near you, and make your next soup recipe a convenient and tasty one.
