When it is cold outside it’s the perfect time of the year to have soup. Soup is warm, and it warms your body and soul. Soup is also one of those meals that has everything, and is an extremely healthy thing to eat.
Think about it. Soup usually has meat, or at least some kind of protein, a grain, vegetables, and it’s normally a nice filling food that can be ate on it’s own, or you can have it with a salad. It’s quick and easy to make, as well. Simply toss the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook.
If soup is your thing and you aren’t sure where to get started, here are some basic soup ideas to get you going.
Taco Soup
If you like your soup spicy, taco soup can be a great idea, and is something different and fun to make. There are plenty of different recipes out there for taco soup, and can be as easy as broth, some easy melting cheese, salsa, your choice of meat, and some taco seasoning.
Instead of eating your taco soup with crackers, try crumbling your favorite corn chips into it. If you like it hotter, dice up some fresh jalapenos.
Chili
Chili isn’t always considered a soup, but it’s close enough. It contains all the same ingredients, and you can even get a little creative with it. Instead of just sticking with chili beans, burger, broth, tomatoes, and chili powder, try using kidney beans and maybe add some shredded carrots.
Chili is great when it is extra hot, so dice up some green chilis or jalapenos in it. Top with some shredded cheese when you serve it.
Split-Pea
Split-pea soup isn’t for everyone, but it is a great soup to try. Peas are a bit sweeter than most beans and legumes, and when mixed with the salty flavor of ham, it makes an interesting combination. While you can go simple, with just the split-peas, ham, and broth, you can also add some extra vitamins by adding some diced carrots.
Bean
Bean soup can be much the same as split-pea, with just that one different ingredient. You could add diced potatoes to it, as well, for a little more substance. Bean soup doesn’t have to have ham, you could use burger, or just make it meatless since the beans are already rich in protein.
Some of the best bean choices for bean soup include navy beans and northern beans, but you can also experiment or try a multi-bean soup that even includes lentils.
Chicken Noodle
You don’t have to be feeling under the weather to enjoy a nice bowl of chicken soup. If noodles aren’t your thing you can have rice or dumplings in it instead. Add as many vegetables as you want, from lima beans to celery.