The first truly cold morning of the fall showed up on Wednesday. I opened the living room window to let in some air while I made coffee, and closed it again thirty seconds later. That afternoon I texted Sam a single word, "soup?", and he sent back a thumbs-up and a bread emoji. That's the official start of the season in our apartment.
We just signed our lease renewal, so October always comes with a little budget tightening, and soup is about the best thing a small kitchen can do on a budget. These are the three we make most, all for two people with a little left over for lunch. Costs are rough, based on what we paid this week.
1. Lemony white bean and greens soup (about $7)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced, about $0.75
- 3 cloves garlic, about $0.30
- 2 cans white beans, drained, about $2.20
- 4 cups broth, about $2
- Half a bunch of kale or a big handful of spinach, about $1.50
- Half a lemon, about $0.40
- Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Steps
- Warm the oil in a pot over medium heat and cook the onion until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic for one more minute.
- Add beans and broth. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Mash about a third of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken it.
- Stir in the greens until wilted, squeeze in the lemon, and season.
Twenty minutes, one pot. A heel of bread and some parmesan rind in the simmer makes it better if you have them.
2. Roasted tomato soup (about $8)
Ingredients
- 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes, about $2.50
- 1 onion, about $0.75
- 4 cloves garlic, about $0.40
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups broth, about $1
- A splash of cream or milk, about $0.75
- Bread and cheese for grilled cheese on the side, about $2.50
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Drain the tomatoes, saving the juice, and spread them on a sheet pan with the quartered onion and the garlic. Drizzle with oil and salt.
- Roast 25 to 30 minutes until browned at the edges.
- Scrape everything into a pot with the reserved juice and the broth. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Blend with an immersion blender (or carefully in batches), stir in the cream, and taste for salt.
Roasting canned tomatoes sounds like an extra step, but it's what makes this taste like it took effort. Also, the oven warms up the apartment, which on a cold evening is a feature.
3. Ginger chicken and rice soup (about $9)
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in chicken thighs, about $3
- A thumb of ginger, sliced, about $0.50
- 3 cloves garlic, about $0.30
- 2 carrots, about $0.50
- 2 celery stalks, about $0.60
- Half a cup of rice, about $0.40
- 5 cups water plus 1 cup broth, about $0.50
- Soy sauce, green onions, about $1
Steps
- Put the chicken, ginger, garlic and water in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cook 25 minutes.
- Take out the chicken, shred it and throw away the skin and bones.
- Add the broth, chopped carrots, celery and rice to the pot. Simmer 15 to 18 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Return the chicken, season with soy sauce and salt, and top with green onions.
This is the one Sam asks for when he's coming down with something, and the one I make when I'm the one sniffling.
Notes
- Storage: All three keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The white bean and tomato soups freeze well; the chicken and rice gets mushy because the rice keeps absorbing broth, so I cook rice separately if I'm planning leftovers.
- Small-kitchen tip: We have one decent pot and one immersion blender. That's enough for all three.
- Broth: I keep a bag of onion ends, carrot peels and celery tops in the freezer and make broth when it's full. It's not required, just satisfying.
- Cost per serving: Roughly $1.75 to $2.25 each, assuming four servings per pot.
The window stays closed now. The pot stays on the back burner most weekends until spring.
