There’s an entire category in Persian food of thick stews/thick soups, آش [Aash] and since that’s one of my SOs favorite types of food I have been trying to find ones that we both like and it just so happens this very simple barley stew is a winner with us. This soup is filling on its own without bread or other side dishes and it has soft comforting flavors that aren’t too challenging for people not used to Persian flavors.
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This is absolutely the opposite of authentic Thai food but I was able to find some really great tom yum soup base. I would tell you the brand but it’s literally only in Thai on the label and unfortunately I don’t read Thai. However, you can use whatever ready tom yum soup base you’re able to find though they do all taste different. This comes together pretty quickly and would be great with lots of extra vegetables especially corn or bamboo shoots and greens of any type.
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If you want a delicious winter soup that is easy and hearty and kind of feels like it heals you upon the first bite then this is the one. In the original recipe the ginger is in chopped chunks but in future versions I started grating it finely because the texture is a little strange to me but you can go either way depending on your personal preference. If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand this is one of those really easy recipes that doesn’t take much time or energy and the rice makes it hearty enough to be a full meal by itself.
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I accidentally made this soup with bulgur wheat instead of barley once but it’s also similarly delicious. This soup is one of those hearty, thick soul satisfying things that sticks to your ribs and is perfect on a chill fall or cold winter afternoon. I cooked it down so that it was incredibly thick but you can stop it well before this point if you like a looser soup.
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This is a super simple but really hearty chili that can be made with very minimal prep. This can also easily be adapted for any diet. It can be made vegan using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and it can be gluten-free by substituting potato starch instead of flour. This is a fairly spicy chili so you might want to serve it with cream, cheese, or some bread but it’s not so hot you can’t just eat it as it is. If you want a thicker chili you can mash a portion of the beans before you put them in the pot as well.
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I know there’s so many recipes on the internet for matzo balls and they’ll all create a little different texture but I had a lot of trouble finding one in grams/weight instead of cups which just does not work for me now that I’m in Europe so this is my eventual take on matzo balls. Unlike my grandmothers recipe they only take about two hours to come together also and you’ll get a medium dense but still buoyant ball. You can experiment with flavors but personally I think they should just taste like they do. If you have schmaltz definitely use that but olive oil or vegetable oil also both work.
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This really hearty and delicious stew is great for a cold day or any occasion. You can make this ahead of time without the noodles and just add them as you’re warming it up (if you’re using thin vermicelli style noodles). This is basically minestrone but with slightly different flavors and chickpeas instead of beans in case you need a little variety in your life.
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I love lasagna as much as the next person but it is a production. Sometimes you just don’t want to put in the effort but you still want something that is vaguely lasagna-like and this fits the bill really well. You don’t have to use ground meat (I used ground chicken) but if you skip it I’d definitely add some lentils just to round out the soup. Also the original recipe had a genuinely distressing amount of cheese and I’ve cut that down to about 1/3 in this version and I couldn’t imagine adding more, but you do you.
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Originally I was supposed to use white beans in this soup but I only had chickpeas on hand and those worked just fine. When I made this a second time I did use the white beans which were just as good but I also chopped the chard much finer which is my best suggestion otherwise this absolutely delicious soup is not to be missed. I wouldn’t skimp on the heavy cream it is what takes the soup over the top. I found this soup to be too filling for extras but no one would complain if you made a nice bread with it I’m sure.
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Technically you don’t have to roasted the squash before you make this soup but the flavor is much richer if you do and it’s easier to cut squash up if you roast it first. You can absolutely used pre-cut squash and roast that also. This soup is a real warm winter treat and can be topped off with crushed nuts, breadcrumbs, or grated cheese. Paired with a nice roll or a salad it can easily be a full meal.