During the cold, damp winter months, nothing chases the chill better than a bowl of comforting, homemade soup. While simmering a pot of soup is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday, there are plenty of quick recipes that deliver soul-satisfying flavors without having to spend hours in the kitchen.
Ready to get your soup on? Here are three recipes, courtesy of Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Broth, to get you started!
Bubbe’s Chicken Noodle Soup
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 jars chicken broth
2 carrots, cut into rounds
⅛ cup chopped parsley
8 ounces cooked chicken, diced
8 ounces any pasta noodles, cooked
Salt and pepper
Directions
Over high heat, in a large soup pot, bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add carrots and parsley. Simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots are soft.
Increase heat to medium and add chicken and noodles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 8 minutes.
Winter Squash Soup with Apple, Smoky Bacon, and Sage
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 1 hour Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
8 slices thick-cut smoked bacon
1 (3 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch chunks
4 carrots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped, plus extra leaves for garnish
2 teaspoons sweet curry powder
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
2 qts. broth, chicken or veggie
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375℉. Lay bacon out flat in single layer, without overlapping, on lightly sprayed rimmed baking pan. Bake for 14-19 minutes or until bacon has crisped, rotating pan halfway through cooking. Remove bacon from pan with spatula while warm, draining on paper towels and reserve. Pour off fat from pan and reserve.
2. In large bowl, toss squash and half of reserved bacon fat until evenly coated. Transfer squash to lightly sprayed rimmed baking pan, in single layer, and bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized, stirring occasionally for even cooking.
3. In large pot (6 qt or larger), heat remaining bacon fat over medium-high heat and add carrots, garlic, onion, and apples, cooking for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sage, spices, salt, and pepper and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are softened well. Add cooked squash and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for additional 15-20 minutes for flavors to develop. Puree with immersion blender or regular blender until smooth. If using regular blender, be sure to blend in small batches (half-full), removing center hole lid of blender and covering with dish towel while blending. Additional broth (or water or apple cider) may be added if thinning is needed. Serve hot, garnishing with apples, sage, and crumbled bacon. For a special touch, quickly fry whole sage leaves in oil until darkened and crisp.
Chef’s Tip: This recipe is easy to make vegetarian if so inclined. Make "bacon" by tossing thinly sliced mushrooms or eggplant with a little oil, soy, or tamari and smoked paprika and bake on lightly sprayed baking pan at 350℉ for 30-45 minutes or until slightly crisped, turning vegetables a few times for even cooking. Bacon fat in recipe may be replaced with your preference of butter or oil.
Quick Chicken Ramen Noodle Bowls
Prep: 45 minutes (includes the broth) Cook: 15 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the Broth:
12 cups chicken or beef bone broth
6 medium carrots, sliced
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
½ cup thinly sliced fresh ginger root
2 3-inch cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
To Serve:
2 small chile peppers, such as jalapeno or Serrano, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 cups baby bok choy, sliced crosswise
½ cup sliced bamboo shoots (about one 8 oz. can), drained
1 pound fresh refrigerated or 8 ounces dry Chinese (ramen) noodles, cooked per package directions
2 cups pulled rotisserie chicken meat
2 eggs, hardboiled, peeled, and halved lengthwise
¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
1 sheet nori seaweed, cut in half and sliced into ¼-inch ribbons
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha, if desired
Directions
1. In large saucepot over medium-high heat, bring broth, carrots, garlic, onion, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain broth, discarding solids, and stir in soy sauce and reserve.
2. In sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook chile peppers in oil for 4-5 minutes or until skins have blistered and are beginning to char, turning as needed. Remove from pan and let cool. In same pan over medium-high heat, cook shiitake mushrooms for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned and reserve. Slice chiles in quarters lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs if desired for less intense heat.
3. Return reserved broth to saucepot and heat over medium-high heat till simmering. Add in shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and bok choy and cook for 1 minute. Gently stir in noodles and chicken and cook until heated through and broth has returned to simmer.
3. Using tongs, distribute noodles from broth into serving bowls and ladle remaining mixture over noodles and garnish with egg, green onion, peppers, and chile sauce, if using.
Chef's Tip: Prep your broth up to three days ahead and refrigerate until needed. Change it up a bit and try using beef instead of chicken. Thinly slice one pound of cleanly trimmed beef strip loin and add to hot broth, cooking until desired doneness. Partially freezing your beef will help make thinly slicing much easier.