It’s broth, bisque, and stew week! As the weather gets colder, it’s time to heat up the kitchen with steaming bowls of soup. Soups are the ultimate comfort food, and it always feels good to ladle a bowl of warm soup for someone else. No longer considered peasant’s food or simply an appetizer at the start of a meal, soups can easily take center stage. All of these soups are easy to prepare (even one that boasts a French pedigree name like “Beef Bourguignon”). The flavors of these soups are diverse, but they all share the same quality: Love does come in a bowl.

Enjoy!

Whisk by Ami Team

Sweet Potato Carrot Ginger Bisque by Esther Deutsch

This soup pays homage to my favorite drink: freshly squeezed carrot orange ginger juice. The ginger is subtle: It doesn’t overpower the other ingredients, yet, at the same time it is strong enough to balance this soup with its other naturally sweet and subtle spicy flavors.

Creamy Tomato Vodka Soup with Basil by Esther Deutsch

 While on an Alaskan cruise, my friend Rikki W. couldn’t get enough of the “Cream of Tomato Soup.” For the first several days on the cruise, Rikki would help herself to heaping bowl after bowl of a delicious soup that was served at every lunch. One day she actually scraped the bottom of the pot clean and requested more “soup.” To her dismay, she was told that she’d been consuming the vodka sauce meant to be poured over the penne a la vodka pasta! This story inspired me to develop a vodka tomato cream soup that’s reminiscent of the popular pasta dish. I wanted the same delicious taste, but lighter, without all the butter.

Beef Bourguignon by Esther Deutsch

Beef Bourguignon is a rich, luxurious French stew that was first made popular in America by Julia Child. (It’s pronounced boor-ghee-NYON.) It may seem like this soup requires extra effort, but it is really quite simple to prepare. So much more than a soup, it’s a meal in itself when served with garlic knots or good crusty bread.

Minestrone Soup by Esther Deutsch

This signature Italian soup represents peasant Italian cooking at its best. It is derived from the Italian word “minestra” meaning “big soup.” It’s thick, hearty, and absolutely rejuvenating.

Best Chicken Soup by Esther Deutsch

The enduring Jewish gift gets rewrapped and fully loaded. The title of “best” is awarded to this recipe that has been years in the making. You will find this soup lives up to its healing reputation on many levels: this rich, full bodied broth will surpass your expectations.

No-Grease Everything Knots by Esther Deutsch

It was my nine-year-old daughter’s idea to call these knots “everything” instead of just “garlic” knots. She reasoned that even though these knots are seasoned with minced garlic, there are many other spices and herbs that are added as well. They instantly turn any soup into a full meal.