Soup's on

Reality has come to southwestern Indiana. It’s cold. OK, not cold cold, but compared to the recent 80 degree weather, 34 degrees in the morning is COLD. It’s my time to whine. I’m ready for summer temperatures again. Soon, Beth, soon.

There are, however, some (few) perks to the colder weather, the most important one, in my estimation, is that this is really good weather for soups. While there’s nothing to say that we can’t eat soup in the summer, the cool weather invites warm and cozy meals, and soup is the epitome of warm and cozy.

I enjoy cooking, and soups are, for the most part, pretty easy to make. I use a slow cooker for almost all my soup cooking. In fact, I have three slow cookers in several sizes, down from four (one of them bit the dust, probably from all the soup it prepared.). And I have been known to have a marathon soup-cooking session in which all the readily available cookers are in action with a variety of soup.

I can’t say with any certainty that I have a favorite soup. I make vegetable soup, chili, taco soup, barley soup, and ham and beans. There are many, many others that you probably cook when the mood strikes. When I make soup, I make a large batch so I can freeze some and have it ready when I’m ready for a quick meal.

While I don’t make-from-scratch chicken noodle soup or tomato soup, they too are in my menu rotation. I have my favorite store-bought brands that are generally always in the cabinet, ready for a quick heating when I’m too tired – or lazy – to prepare something else.

Here’s a bit of nutritional information about the benefits of eating soup. Aside from helping increase your vegetable intake, eating soup is associated with other potential health benefits. Eating soups can help manage weight, as studies show that daily calorie intake tends to be lower for people who eat soup.

Studies have also shown that eating soup, especially those which include fiber, which is known to increase feelings of fullness. And, lastly, eating soup can help you stay hydrated. Water is essential for your health, and your total water intake may come from drinking water, water in beverages, or water in food — as is the case for soup, fruits, and vegetables. Soups often include those vitamins and minerals that are so good for us. So eating soup is a win-win endeavor.

Soup is an almost-perfect comfort food. It’s pretty easy to prepare: dump the ingredients in that slow cooker and walk away, only to return hours later to the alluring aroma of a flavorful meal that is ready to eat.

Most of us have memories of soup for different times in our lives, such as when we’re sick or when celebrating special events. These memories of special foods generally include those folks who are most important to us, or who cared for us during a time of need, or who we just enjoy spending time with. So fire up the slow cookers, dust off your recipes, and relish this season of food.. For now, that’s all that matters.