Wednesday, 18 January 2012
The Magical Powers of Soup
You're feeling under the weather and nothing is shifting the nasty bug. That weird kind of sick where you're not quite hiding under your duvet for a week, but no cold and flu drugs works. You're not super sick, you've just been feeling 'meh' for the whole of January. Even those four hot toddies last night haven't worked. Nothing will work and YOU'RE GOING TO BE SICK FOREVER.
Calm down, you drama queen. There's one thing that will save you. The magical powers of soup.
Magic soup. Simple, warming, hearty and healthy. But magic. Whether you go for something thick and creamy, or something spicy, you'll be saved. I'm not sure if it's because when I was sick my mum would heat me a can of chicken soup, but it works. Soup always works.
I tend to stick to chunky soups with spicy broths. I'm not one for whizzing things up into mulch but I do love looking in the fridge and throwing everything into a pan with herbs and spices. Tom Yam Gai is a favourite and for lunch I'm having spicy sausage and lentil leftovers. Alex is a fan of creamy cheese varieties with healthy veg and she likes her root veggies. Carrie even likes something a little unusual and created this nettle soup and Elizabeth uses bacon garnishes instead of croutons. Can't say no to a bacon garnish.
I think it's clear by now that the Domestic Sluts bloody love soup. In fact, Carrie just tweeted about how much she loves a can of Heinz tomato.
It cheers us, it's like a hug in a bowl and it makes us happy. I firmly believe that soup has magical powers. There's nothing that works as well (Lemsip adverts need to probably admit that their strange tasting radioactive powder stuff isn't a patch on the soupy stuff). I might even have another bowl, just to make sure the magic works.
Tell us about your soup! Which recipe do you go to when you're feeling ill? Was it the same you were made a kid? With croutons and fancy things, or without? Whipped up or chunky? Got a soup that cures all ills? We wanna hear about it.
I only got into soup in recent years, I hated it as a child. I was scared of all the lumpy bits.
ReplyDeleteTom Yum Soup does actually have healing powers thanks to the fresh chilli, ginger/galangal, lemongrass, garlic and chicken - all are known for healing whether it is antiseptic, antioxident or nutrient-rich. Plus, it tastes amazing.
Failing that, Heinz Tomato Soup is the best thing in a can.
Soup is amazing. I love it and especially love making it. It is a fab use of leftovers and I love the idea of being thrifty but making something healthy and tasty. A favourite of mine is chuck all the leftover bits of takeaway curry in a pot, boil up with some water & maybe a stock cube and then blitz. Save the rice leftovers and add after blitzing to add texture - thrifty mullagatawny type soup :0) Also leftover chilli con carne makes great soup too, just water down, add a few more veggies and cook for a bit to make chunky soup. Yum :0)
ReplyDeleteMy all-time favourite is my grandma's vegetable soup, which is also a major comfort food for me. She uses long-grain rice, potatoes, celery, carrots, a dash of olive oil and lots of lemon (that's Mediterranean food for you). It's chunky, filling and very healthy. Not to mention it brings back so many memories from my childhood :)
ReplyDeleteI make a different pot of soup every week for at-work-lunches. Cheap, really tasty and healthy. If I'm properly ill it's got to be tinned Heinz chicken (because that's what my mum used to give me) But I'm a bit more adventurous the rest of the time. This week made broccoli and stilton. Current favourite is Turkish style lentil, with bulgur wheat, chilli and paprika, mint and lemon.
ReplyDeleteHeinz Tomato is my LEAST favourite thing. Smells a bit vommy to me...
ReplyDelete