menu planning with Winter Soups

Winter Soups ecookbook
by Jackie Patti

So we have already covered the summary... 50+ soups, including both vegetarian and paleo soups, more than half dairy-free, more than half GAPS-friendly, just soups galore!

But I wanted to get into a bit more detail today about what is actually included in this gorgeous cookbook...

menu planning

Personally, I do my grocery shopping monthly, as I have a milkman who delivers weekly so I can avoid the store. Since every trip to the store seems to involve buying a certain amount of junk, going monthly means both limiting crappy food and saving our budget.

This time of year, we do soup at least twice weekly for dinner, with enough leftovers for the following day's lunch. So prior to my next shopping trip, I need to pick 8 soups.

Easier said than done with this overabundance of riches...

list of recipes in Winter Soups

Asian Spiced Daikon Mushroom Soup
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
Broccoli Spinach Quinoa Soup
Buttercup Squash Soup
Butternut Squash-Parsnip Soup with Bacon
Carrot and Ginger Soup
Cheesy Cream of Broccoli Soup with Bacon
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Chicken Immu-Noodle Soup
Chicken Soup For the Paleo Soul
Coconut Chicken Soup with Cabbage & Carrots
Cozy Celeriac Soup
Creamy Lentil Coconut Curry
Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce Soup
Dairy Free Cream of Spinach Soup
Dutch Meatball Soup
Easy Butternut Squash Soup
Easy Creamy Leek Soup
Fusilli Sausage Soup
Garlic Leek Soup with Egg
Golden Goddess Sunshine Soup with Squash, Sweet potato, Carrots, Ginger + a twist
Hearty Ham and Navy Bean Soup
Hearty Lentil Soup
Hearty Paleo Soup
Hearty Potato Soup
Hot & Sour Soup
Hungarian Chicken Paprika Soup
Irish Beef Stew
Italian Sausage Soup
Jamaican Chicken Soup
Korean Fusion Health Soup
Masala Carrot Soup
Oyster Stew
Paleo Asian-Italian "Abondigas" Soup with Beef Bone Broth
Paleo Butternut Squash Soup with Ham and Ginger
Paleo Chicken Jalapeño Soup
Pumpkin Hazelnut Chai Soup
Pumpkin Sage Soup
Pumpkin Sausage Soup
Roasted Maple Butternut Squash Soup
Simple Asian Beef Soup
Slow Cooker Kelp Noodle Beef Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Spicy Chorizo Soup
Spicy JalapeƱo Butternut Squash Soup
Sprouted Lentil and Coconut Curry Soup
Sweet Pumpkin Soup
Tom Kha {Thai Coconut Soup}
Turkey Vegetable Soup
Vegetarian Pumpkin and Kale Soup
White Bean, Chorizo and Spinach Soup
Wild Rice Corn Chowder
Wisconsin Cheese Soup

 

BONUS!

Laurie included a French Bread Recipe for Homemade Bread Bowls, which sounds really awesome - what could make ANY soup more special? It's RenFaire year-round!

my menu plan

I've come to realize there's no way I'm getting through these soups this winter!

I have a lot of squash/pumpkin in the freezer, so will choose at least 2 pumpkin soups. I will choose 2 bean or lentil soups as they're a nice way to stretch the food budget. I will choose a chicken soup cause I do a roast chicken every month and will have the broth from that carcass as well as leftover meat. I am still pulling leeks from the garden, so need a leek soup. And I want to do something different or unusual soup to round things out. Finally, they all have to be soups I expect my extraordinarily picky husband will actually eat.

this month's soups

Easy Creamy Leek Soup from Vivian of The Real Food Guide
Garlic, onions and leeks are carmelized in coconut oil, then seasoned with cumin, which strikes me as a very interesting flavor combination. The soup is cooked in bone broth (I will use beef broth) and the creaminess provided by coconut milk. Finally, the soup is finished with a crunchy topping - bacon!
Hearty Potato Soup from Stacy of A Delightful Home
Potatoes, onions, carrots and celery are cooked in my own chicken broth seasoned with basil, salt and pepper, then sour cream, green chilies and shredded cheese are stirred in until a melty goodness is achieved, then each serving topped with bacon. This sounds like a real husband-pleaser!
Easy Butternut Squash Soup from Carolyn of Real Food Carolyn
This soup will REALLY be easy since I already have cubed squash in the freezer! Cubed squash, coconut milk, chicken broth, diced apple are cooked in a crockpot with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, then buzzed with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, add a swirl of EVOO and a dollop of sour cream to finish. Yum!
Roasted Maple Butternut Squash Soup from Amy of Real Food Whole Health
This will not just use up some of my freezer squash, but some shallots too (minced and in freezer also!) Roast a squash with coconut oil, cinnamon and nutmeg. Meanwhile, fry some bacon in a soup pot, removing bacon when done, then add some butter to the bacon grease and fry shallots, garlic and diced apple. Add the squash, minced ginger, thyme and chicken broth, after a brief cook, buzz until smooth, then stir in maple syrup and cream, and top with reserved bacon.
Tom Kha {Thai Coconut Soup} Natalie of Honey, Ghee, & Me
Peppers, lemongrass, and ginger are fried in coconut oil until fragrant, then coconut milk, chicken broth, kaffir leaves, honey, and water chestnuts are added. After a short cook, one adds mushrooms, cooks a bit more, then adds lime juice and scallions, and finally snap peas just long enough to warm them through. Garnished with fresh cilantro, it looks gorgeous.
Hearty Lentil Soup from Linda of The Organic Kitchen
A simple soup - carrots, celery, onions and garlic are sautéd, then add chicken broth, lentils and tomatoes and cook until soft, then partially buzz the soup to thicken and add salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar to maximum yumminess.
White Bean, Chorizo and Spinach Soup from Tracy of Oh, The Things We'll Make!
I will use kale or chard instead of spinach, as I have that on hand (there's some chard still alive in the garden actually!) After soaking beans, add to pot with bone broth (I'll use beef broth) and cook until softened, then add sliced sausage and greens and season with salt, pepper and paprika.
Chicken Enchilada Soup from Shannon of All Things Health
Sauté onions, garlic, chili powder and cumin; add flour to make a roux, then add chicken broth, tomatoes and chicken. Meanwhile, make crispy tortilla strips by slicing corn tortillas, tossing with coconut oil and salt on a baking sheet, and bake until crisp. Stir cream into soup and serve with shredded cheese, fresh cilantro and crispy tortilla chips.

next month?

It's really bugging me that I can't do more this month, I'm so wanting to try the Hearty Paleo Soup from Shanti of Life Made Full, the Irish Beef Stew from Beth of Red and Honey, the Asian/Italian fusion "Abondigas" from Lauren of Healing and Eating, the Coconut Chicken Soup with Cabbage & Carrots from Christy of Whole Foods on a Budget, the Hungarian Chicken Paprika Soup from Susan of Grow In Grace Farm, the Fusilli Sausage Soup from Suzanne of Strands of my Life, the Paleo Butternut Squash Soup with Ham and Ginger from Amanda of The Curious Coconut, Pumpkin Sausage Soup (garnished with walnuts and pears!) from Pamela of Paleo Table and so many more...

At this rate, I won't get a chance to make my own Italian sausage soup again until next winter!

Through February 4th, Winter Soups is available for only $3.97!

Get your copy now and start souping it up today!

add to cart

Special Thanks go to:

Pat of Heal Thyself, our fearless leader, who patiently cajoled, helped and answered questions as we proceeded with uncertainty and much confusion...

Aubrey of Homegrown and Healthy, who took on the Herculean task of organizing over 50 recipes in different formats along with pictures and bios, designing us a gorgeous book.

Starlene of GAPS Diet Journey, who took on troubleshooting and formatting issues when it looked like we were in over our heads.

Vivian of The Real Food Guide, who designed our Community Cookbook logo, our beautiful book cover, plus many banners and graphics.

Winter Soups Contributors:

Sarah of Real Food Outlaws,
Shannon of All Things Health,
Shanti of Life Made Full,
Shelley of A Harmony Healing,
Sjanett of Paleolland,
Stacy of A Delightful Home,
Stacy of Paleo Gone Sassy,
Starlene of GAPS Diet Journey,
Susan of Grow In Grace Farm,
Susan of Learning and Yearning,
Suzanne of Strands of my Life,
Sylvie of Hollywood Homestead,
Tracy of Oh, The Things We'll Make!,
Vanessa of Natural Family Today,
Vivian of The Real Food Guide,
Vivica of The Nourished Caveman,
and
Wendy of Cooking Quinoa.
Which recipe do you want to try first?