Soup for the soul

I heard on the news that we can expect six more weeks of winter, contrary to what the groundhog said. To me, that means more soup.

Soup is the all-round cold weather comfort food. I love the aroma of simmering soup on a cold day, and a hearty soup with a whole grain bread makes a simple and nutritious meal.

A bowl of soup is a great way to feed your child all those vegetables that he normally refuses to eat. Once it’s blended into a soup, your child will never know it’s there and, chances are, he’ll slurp it up to the last drop.

Soup is the perfect way to clean out your fridge. So many leftovers can be thrown into a pot of soup, from last night’s vegetables to yesterday’s chicken. The best soup is the homemade variety. Canned soups are often very high in sodium. If, by chance, your own soup is too salty, add a potato to absorb the salt and then discard it.

It’s easy to freeze soups. Just make sure to leave enough room for expansion at the top of the container. For young children, you can freeze soup in an ice cube tray then remove cubes when solid and store in freezer bags, defrosting as many as you need for a serving at one time. Perfect for children’s lunches!

To remove fat from soup, add a lettuce leaf to the pot. Remove as soon as it has absorbed the fat. Or you can refrigerate after cooking. The fat will rise to the top and congeal, making it easy to skim off the top.

Here are a few easy recipes that your kids will love, chockful of veggies and nutrients. Serve with hearty bread or whole grain crackers.

Chicken Soup

1 chicken, cut into eighths

1/2 parsnip

4 qt. cold water

1/2 turnip

1 onion

1 sprigs dill

3 carrots

Salt and pepper

2 stalks celery

1 onion

Scald chicken. Place in water and bring to a boil. Skim. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1.5 hours. Strain. Add rice or noodles if desired. 12 servings.

Potato Soup (when there’s nothing in the house)

1 onions

1 qt. water

2 tbsp oil or butter

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup noodles

2 medium potatoes

Saute onions in oil or butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour to make a paste. Add potatoes, water and seasonings. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Add noodles 10 minutes before the end. If soup gets too thick, add more water and seasonings. 6 servings.

Long, slow cooking makes a good soup, so enjoy the aroma that fills your kitchen as you wait for the warm spring salad weather to arrive.

Lila Hope-Simpson is the Director of the Home and Heart Child Development Centre in Wolfville