I find that when I’m very busy, what comes to mind most readily to cook and have on hand for quick weeknight dinners is a good bowl of soup or a stew, some chili or a chowder. Not only are these bowls truly the epitome of comfort food year round, but they’re the meal that keeps on giving by virtue of leftovers. And since most soups and their kind tend to taste even better the day after you make them, they’re a great dish to prepare ahead for company or freeze portions for later use.
Though I haven’t had time to develop any new soups, stews, chilis or chowders in these last few months, I have made several of my previously posted favorites quite recently and I’m looking forward to revisiting even more of them. All are tried and true recipes that I basically know by heart, and I think you’ll find with this and the next two posts that there’s something here for everyone, starting with puréed soups.
My complete line up features puréed, chunky and hearty varieties of in the bowl goodness. A few of these are cooled or creamed by way of dairy or coconut milk, some feature a clear broth and are mild, while others are highly spiced or curried. Several are vegetarian, some are vegan and others are strictly for the carnivores.
I hope you’ll try some of the recipes featured throughout this 3-part recap series and that one or more will be added to your list of favorites, too. Click on the link in the text below each photo to find the recipe or post for the following puréed soups. Many of these are best served hot, but several are equally good cold, where noted. Pair any one with a simple green salad and you’ll have a delightful meal.
Curry, coconut milk, apple and Asian spices bring some delightful flavor to butternut squash in this elegant and Easy Curried Butternut Squash Soup.
This light, delicate and interestingly flavored soup happens to be vegan and is perfect as is, but Tomato, Orange and Tarragon Soup can be embellished with a touch of dairy or made with chicken stock instead of vegetable stock, if you so desire.
Easy Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup just might be my most favorite vegetable soup. The roasting of the veggies caramelizes and intensifies the flavors…making this heavenly soup become so much more than its individual parts. Definitely on my “next to make again” list.
Creamy Avocado Cucumber Soup is super easy to make and just the ticket for a hot summer day. It’s creamy and cooling, but has a slight kick to it as well. Just throw everything into a blender, give it a good whirr and it’s ready to slurp.
The flavors of my favorite gratin were the inspiration for this Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup. I made this again last week and we never get tired of it…whether served hot with a parmesan crouton or served cold right out of a mug. Great stuff!
Until I tried this recipe, I never would have thought I’d enjoy the pairing of sweet potatoes, red bell pepper and peanut butter so much. This slightly adapted version of Ellie Krieger’s African-inspired Spicy Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup is a real winner.
Lean, Mean and Green Broccoli Spinach Soup is exactly what it looks like…very healthy. But it’s also very delicious and in fact, this one is at the top of my list to make again soon.
This post is right up my hubby’s fav’s: creamed soups! Personally, I like a little crunch in my soup but I have to say, creamed is creeping u on me! I really love the look of them, particularly for company. I virtually never use cream but the soups are creamy with the addition of creamed lentils. I’m really curious about the sweet potato and peanut!
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Actually, Eva, only one of these pureed soups has cream in it and that’s the Potato, leek and fennel soup. The cucumber avocado has low fat Greek yogurt and the butternut squash soup has light coconut milk. The rest of these have no cream element at all, pureeing them just makes them look creamy. I think you and JT would like them all, and who knows, you might become a cream soup convert! 😉
Chunky and crunchy soups are the next post. 😀
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Very much agreed – it’s such a treat to have soup or stew on hand! They taste even better with time and make life easier and more delicious 🙂 Love that you used coconut milk too!
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I am becoming a convert to coconut milk. It has so many more uses than I originally thought. I love it in curry, of course, but it’s a great sub for dairy in quite a few things and has a lovely flavor. 🙂
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We love soups and are having a lentil one this evening. Your potato leek and fennel soup sounds especially good to me and I’m sure it is.
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It’s really my favorite of the above, Karen. I think I like it best because it really is equally good cold as it is hot. Thanks for your comment! Enjoy your lentil soup this evening. 🙂
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I have more than my fair share of soup or late, Betsy, and any of these would have been welcomed at my table. I always make far ore than needed, the leftovers finding a place in my freezer. Love opening its door to see several quarts of various soups waiting their invite to dinner. I’ve a feeling that the leek & fennel soup will soon be jining the others. 🙂
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I’m like you, John, in that I love to open the freezer and see some soup waiting for me. Unfortunately we often eat it all before it makes it to the freezer, lol. 🙂 I hope you’ll try the Potato, Leek and Fennel soup…it’s my favorite of the bunch! Thanks for your comments and hope you are well. 😀
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