Soups to Warm the Soul

Winters can be brutal in the state of New York. Snowfall hits triple digits annually, while temperatures regularly plunge far below zero. When the most severe storms ravage the region, life grinds to a halt as roads get plowed and people dig themselves out.

Growing up in the tiny town of Greene, just north of the Pennsylvania border, I loved the mornings when I woke up to find the world completely blanked out. As I ate breakfast, I listened to the radio as the announcer read off the school closures, praying to the snow gods mine would be named. Those unexpected holidays were always a gift. Suddenly, my younger sister and I would have a whole day to play. No schedule, no boundaries.

We would sled down the hill across the road, doing our best to steer ourselves, but often ended up barreling into a snowbank. We would lie on our backs staring up at the sky, flapping our arms and legs to create angels in the snow. We tried our best to pack the white powder into bricks so we could build an igloo, but we always ran out of energy or enthusiasm before it got anywhere close to being built.

No matter what we did, we eventually found our tummies grumbling and the cold too much to bear. So, we would head inside, where my mother would always have a pot of soup on the simmer. I would sit down to a big steaming bowl redolent with seasonings galore. After letting it cool for a moment, so I didn’t scorch my tongue, I dug in. The first spoonful was always the best, because I could feel the soup’s heat spread through my body, coursing into even the chilliest corners. By the time I finished, I was warmed up and ready to head back outside to make the most of my school-free day.

Soups are not only good for warming your body, they tend to warm your soul and make you feel cozy and content. Here are a few soups from our kitchen that we hope will do that and more. Take one to a family gathering, throw one in the freezer for later or gather around the table to enjoy one tonight.