The 6 Soups I'm Making On Repeat For The Rest Of This Year
Comfort food that's good for your brain
Hi everyone, I’ve just returned to the US after an incredible month in Italy hosting back-to-back BHK retreats. I have a long litany of reasons to crave comfort food right now, and few things rank as highly for this as soup. I am guessing that you, too, might be needing a bowlful of something soothing that’s brain healthy, too. If that’s the case, I rounded up six of my favorite soup recipes below. Plus, I’ve compiled a list of the soup recipes in my book, in case you haven’t discovered these yet.
Does making soup make everything better? No, of course not. But all we can do is take care of ourselves, the ones we love, do good work, and keep moving forward. I’d love to hear how you are taking care of yourself right now, and what sort of comfort food you are craving. And if you put your own spin on one of my soups, please share!
Annie’s Tomato and White Bean Soup with Lemony Braised Swiss Chard
This is a streamlined version of the one served by my friends at the Hotel Gutkowski in Ortigia, Sicily. They called it “Annie’s Soup” in honor of the first Brain Health Retreat I held there in 2022. You’ll start by roasting tomatoes until caramelized before simmering them in a plant-based garlicky bean broth. All that’s left to do is blend the mixture and top it with a quick sauté of Swiss chard (or any other green you like).
I was back at Hotel Gutkowski with this fall’s group and was really touched to see that Annie’s Soup is a permanent fixture on the menu—they change up the ingredients with the season. As soon as I have a minute, I’ll be trying to recreate their most recent version: a fava bean soup with durum wheat pasta and chewy bits of cooked whole buckwheat, all drizzled with a broccoli cream.
Chicken Miso Meatball Noodle Soup
Few things are more satisfying than a chicken noodle soup. This rendition swaps the shredded chicken for miso-infused meatballs and opts for rice noodles rather than wheat-based ones. The meatballs alone are a great staple to have on hand. I make them regulary as part of my protein-focused meal prep to have on hand as a post-workout snack or light meal.
Buttery Zucchini Soup
Zucchini is still on market stands late into the fall in many places (and will be popping up in the Southern Hemisphere soon). It is one of the few seasonal vegetables that does quite well out of season, too. After simmering the zucchini with buttery sautéed shallots and garlic until tender, you’ll purée the whole batch until silky smooth. It’s beyond easy and a delight served with grilled sourdough toast.
This soup calls for a minimal amount of butter—1 tablespoon for 5 cups—but feel free to substitute a vegan butter or leave it out.
Sardinian Lentil Soup With Lots of Herbs
If you are in the mood for a brothy soup that’s just bursting with greens, this lentil soup is for you, no blender required. It’s a flexible recipe that makes good use of ingredients you probably already have on hand. If shopping for celery for the soup, look for stalks with an abundance of leaves; they add a lot of flavor and brightness to the finished dish.
Black Bean Soup with Cashew Lime Crema
A brain-healthy diet features at least three ½-cup servings of beans and legumes a week. It’s even easier to hit your targets with a batch of this easy soup in your fridge. I top it with a plant-based cashew lime crema and toasted pepitas, but a cubed avocado and slices of radish would be delicious, too.
Creamy Broccoli Soup With Sumac and Crispy Broccoli
I love making this soup in the fall when I’m teaching at Rancho La Puerta—we get to harvest the prettiest heads of broccoli from the organic garden right before we head into the kitchen to cook. This soup is a better-for-you version of the broccoli and cheddar soup I used to make with my mom. You’ll add a handful of pistachios and simmer them with the soup before blending until creamy, adding a delicous richness and brain-friendly monounsaturated fats.
If you don’t have sumac on hand—a tart lemony spice made from ground sumac berries—feel free to leave it out or substitute cayenne or paprika instead.
More soup recipes in my book!
More of my absolute favorite soups can be found in my book: The Brain Health Kitchen: Prevention Alzheimer’s Through Food (Artisan Books 2023).
Bison and Black Bean-Cacao Chili, p.302
Brothy Chicken, White Beans, and Tomatoes with Pesto, p.335
Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry, p.122
Cranberry Bean and Sausage Stew, p.229
Creamy Cannellini Bean Soup with Frizzled Sage and Breadcrumbs, p.226
Creamy Chestnut and Mushroom Soup p.186
Creamy Seafood and Root Vegetable Chowder, p.147
Creamy Tomato Soup, p.120
Many Greens and Chickpea Soup, p.93
Wild Rice, White Bean, and Turkey Soup, p.289
That’s all for today. I am working on an upcoming post about brain-healthy ingredient swaps for baking and savory cooking. Plus, I’ll be sharing some tips about how to stay healthy on the road just in time for holiday travel. Until then, thank you for reading, sharing, and taking the best care of your brains. I am grateful for this community and so proud of all that we have learned.
Love,
Annie
Soup season is the best. My last night in Rome I had a creamy pumpkin soup topped with sautéed greens. I’ll need to work on that one for you guys when I get back!
Love this soup post, thanks so much! What kind of bread would you recommend to go along with soup, just any 100% whole grain or…?