Before I had children, I loved to make soups when it got cold. After having kids, I loved the idea of making soups but didn’t have as much time to do it. I still try to make some soup here in there though, because it is a great way to use up veggies and have a healthy but satisfying meal.
I have two favorite soups I like to make and one that I get from Trader Joe’s. Butternut squash and split pea soup are the ones I make.
I buy the tomato soup for TJs….I know so many recipes but this one is so good and it comes in a box ready to go! I have made tomato soup in the past from the original Top Chef cook book and it tasted great but it was a lot of work.
Butternut squash soup is an all time favorite of mine and there are so many recipes out there. I wanted to find something that was creamy and delicious but not super fatty. After trying tons of different recipes, I ended up finding a great vegan one but you can make it vegetarian by using half and half instead of coconut milk.
I love peas but most pea soups have ham in them, which I don’t like. I found a great recipe I adapted to my liking in a clay pot cooking book. If you don’t have a clay pot, I highly recommend! There are lots of fun things to do with them, including Moroccan tagine.
Butternut Squash Soup (from the Busy Baker)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (highly recommend Costco brand)
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp powdered ginger (I use powder)
- 3/4 tsp seasalt, 1/4 tsp white pepper (I used regular black pepper)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme (can use fresh if you have but chop it finely)
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken stock)
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- Garnish with fresh thyme sprig, coconut milk, or half and half/heavy cream
Directions:
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and thyme and sauté until the onion is soft and transparent.
- Add the cubed butternut squash and toss in the onion mixture.
- Add the stock and stir to combine (you can adjust amount of liquid depending on size of squash but you want the liquid level to be just slightly lower than the squash).
- Add the lid to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once it boils turn the hear down and simmer for 20 minutes or until the butternut squash is very tender when you pierce it with a fork.
- Remove the soup from the heat and add the coconut milk.
- Puree with a hand-held immersion blender (or in batches on a regular blender).
- Serve right away with a garnish or you can also store in airtight containers and put in fridge or freeze
Green Split Pea Soup (adapted from The Bes of Clay Pot Cooking)
Ingredients:
- 1 pound green split peas, rinsed (I use Goya brand)
- 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 leek (white part only), cut lengthwise in half
- 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried (I use dried)
- 1/2 tsp finely chopped rosemary or 1/4 tsp crushed dried (I also use dried for this)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- salt and black pepper
- Coconut milk or half and half to taste (would use at least 1/2 cup)
- Garnish (optional): fresh minced dill (I used dried)
Directions:
- Placed the peas in a soaked 4-quart clay pot (you can do this by placing both top and bottom pieces in the sink and filling it with enough lukewarm water to cover both; 30 minutes the first time, and 15 minutes every time you use it after that).
- Add the carrots, leek, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and cardamom.
- Pour in 6 cups of water, cover the pot, and place it in a cold oven.
- Set the temperature to 450 degrees F and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until peas are soft and mushy (you can check the soup by stirring).
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the carrots, leek, onion, and thyme sprig (if used).
- Mash the soft garlic cloves into the soup.
- Add coconut milk or half and half/heavy cream.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Original recipe didn’t call for cream, so here is where I tasted and decided to add cream. I also used the hand-held immersion blender to make it smoother.
- You can consider adding vegetable stock if soup is too creamy.
Tomato Soup (from Trader Joe’s)
No recipe here but just a picture of what it looks like. They have a bunch of different flavors but I like this one the best. I did not enjoy their butternut squash soup. They have one with corn and one with carrots and ginger that are also great! You don’t have to always make everything from scratch.
If you have tomato soup recipes you love, please let me know! I am also always open to trying to make new things. Soups are definitely a hit in our home (although not the ones I make necessarily…) and my children eat “sopita” almost every day.