January is National Soup Month

“Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living. For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish.”

Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949)

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Here it is the last week of January and I'm only now informing you that it's National Soup Month. Please forgive me. I hope you've all been taking part in this wonderful, filling, warming, low-cal (most of the time) pastime.

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When I was a SAHM and had a husband who went off to work, I spent hours each day creating nourishing meals for my little family. I was part of a local LaLeche League and met wonderful women who shared their knowledge of child-rearing and cooking! We all loved to cook .... and eat! I practiced being a back-to-the-land granola-type person for a little while -- lots of flowy skirts and bare feet, whole wheat everything and homeopathic medicine, etc. But quite frankly, I couldn't live with hairy legs and triticale flakes for very long! But I kept on experimenting with cooking (and homeopathic medicine). Gradually, I found a mommy-groove that felt right for me: I think you could call it a combination of earth-mother and disco queen!!

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One thing that I did right with my kids was to raise them to love a wide variety of food. Even as toddlers, they turned nothing down -- veggies, tofu, humus, brown rice -- it was all a food adventure to my girls! Other than when Molly found something "too mushy and blushy!!" (to be said emphatically, with a scowl, while stamping your foot), I never had to throw out food.

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We often supplemented our food budget with eating beans of every sort cooked in many different ways. But now-a-days, my favorite way to eat beans is in a soup! I have jars of dried black, navy, pinto, kidney, azuki and garbanzo (or chickpeas), as well as convenient cans in my cupboard. And let's not forget quick-cooking lentils! I love them all!

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Beans are super nutritious, fairly cheap and they'll last for years if you store them properly (a sealed container in a cupboard)! Sometimes I soak and cook beans and then freeze them in baggies (with some liquid) so I have them on hand. I like to make what I call my "kitchen sink" soup which is just a combination of leftover meat and veg from the fridge. I seldom use a recipe, but I vary the spices and/or herbs I use so they taste different and, sadly, cannot be replicated! (Like me!)
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Last week I made a beautiful kitchen sink soup! I sauteed some cubed pork, onions, garlic and the last of the celery. I poured in water and a beef boulion cube; then I added some leftover coleslaw mix, a small chunk of squash cubed, a few diced carrots, a little leftover rice and about a cup of frozen black beans. I spiced it up with dried marjoram & parsley and a little "Spicy Primivera Mix" which I bought from a local craft market (not sure what's in it but it sure is good!). When it was cooked, I pureed a cup or two of it and poured it back in the pot with the remainder of my sour cream (about 3/4 cup). I served it with an earthy multi-grain bread with a good crust. It was great!

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This weekend, I made a beef and barley soup. I used beef,

onions, garlic, carrots, the few green beans in the fridge and a couple of good handfulls of barley; then I threw in a dollop of tomato paste for color and flavor. (I freeze large soup spoon dollops of tomato paste on a wax paper lined cookie sheet; then peel the frozen dollops off and put into a baggie which goes back in the freezer to be used as needed.) That was also delicious!

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I have a butternut squash that's calling to me this week. I think I'll make Gypsy Soup! That's a combination of squash with chickpeas and chopped spinach. I got the recipe years ago from someone in my LaLeche League group, and it's remained one of our favorites! I'd like to share it with you.

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Sandy's Gypsy Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 chopped onions

2-3 cloves crushed garlic

2 1/2 cups cubed winter squash

1 cup diced tomatoes (I use canned & freeze the rest)

2 cups cooked chickpeas

2 cups chopped spinach

Dash of Cinnamon and a dash of Cayenne

1 bay leaf

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Basil

Salt & pepper to taste

3 cups of stock or water (I use chicken stock or add a bullion cube)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

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In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic till soft. Add squash and stir. Then add all the seasonings and the water (excluding soy sauce). Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and spinach and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Just before serving, add the soy sauce.

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You can puree a little of this soup, if you wish, to add a creamy texture. You can also add a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt to each bowl.

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• What soups have you been enjoying this month?
• Do you have a favorite recipe to share?
• And are you a lover of legumes?

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Come on ............... spill the beans!!