The weather is finally cooling off and the leaves on the trees are slowly beginning to show their vibrant reds, golds, and oranges.  This can mean only one thing:  IT’S TIME FOR SUNDAY SOUP GROUP!!!

“What the heck is Sunday Soup Group”, you might be asking.  Well, let me be the one to introduce you to this wonderful tradition started by my daughter, Elizabeth!

A few years ago Elizabeth came up with the great idea of starting a Facebook group that centers around making and serving soup on Sundays.  Each week during the Fall, she posts a recipe for a delicious soup for us to try.  Others in the group share wine pairings and bread recipes, and photos of their delicious bowls of soup.  The longing in the human heart to be in community with others has found its home in our small (but growing) group of souper cooks.  I don’t know many of the group’s members in person, but after a few years of making soup with them, I feel like I do.  After hearing them talk about how much they and their families and loved ones enjoyed a particular recipe, or what they served alongside a particular delicious bowl of soup, helps me learn a tiny little bit of their story.

But Why Soup?

I guess in the summer one could start a Sunday Salad Group, but seriously, it wouldn’t be the same!  Salad doesn’t simmer and it’s green and cold.  And it can’t warm the soul the way a large bowl of heavenly smelling Tortilla Soup can.  Am I right?  Yes, I know I am.  A pot of Soup IS community.  One-pot of almost any soup you can find a recipe for will make enough for a large sit-down family meal or maybe a, “Hey! Let’s invite the neighbors over for soup” night.

Soups take the chill out of an Autumn or Winter night, the aromas that fill your kitchen as your soup simmers on the stovetop or in your slow cooker or Instant Pot will make your mouth water with anticipation.  But be patient. Good things come to those who wait.  And soup likes to do a slow dance in the simmering heat as it creates bouquets of flavor that will wow even the most ardent of picky eaters.

My Early Years As A Soup Hater

As a child, I HATED soup because my mom usually made soup as a way to stretch her grocery budget dollars until they were crying for help.  I’m not sure she followed any of the recipes that Elizabeth so freely shares with us; she used anything that was in our refrigerator and all leftovers were fair game.  M0m used creativity and her canned tomatoes to flavor her patchwork of our refrigerator’s odds and ends.  I think I didn’t like it because I think it made me believe that maybe we were poor.  But anyone with leftovers isn’t poor, and I now wish I could go back and have a bowl with mom’s soup with her and dad at our kitchen counter.  My mom would have LOVED Sunday Soup Group!

The Magic Soup Stone

Mom’s method reminds me of the story of the hungry tramps who came to a village promising that they aren’t beggars, but self-sufficient travelers who were in possession of a stone that makes soup.  They said that all they needed was fire, a pot, and some water (aka my mom’s leftovers). “The stone will do the rest!” they assure the villagers.  As the stone simmers, the villagers begin adding in meat and vegetables to go with the stone and water, and by the end of the story, everyone eats a delicious, hearty bowl of soup!   I’ve read that this story goes back to the 1700s  and has been retold and rewritten dozens of times.  But in each version of the story, the villagers end up happy.  Why wouldn’t they?  They gave and they received.  And someone else cooked dinner!!!

But I digress

The beggars in the story knew, and so did my own mother, that soup is a meal that can be made from what’s available in your refrigerator or you can make it from specialty ingredients to make it a more glorious meal.  And if you have guests, just throw in some more broth or stock and voila! you suddenly have enough soup to feed everyone!  There are so many reasons for you to enjoy making, serving and eating soup!  And if the reasons I’ve already shared aren’t enough to convince you, let me tell you one more!

More Soup Group Fun

Our Sunday Soup Group is wonderful because of the recipes that Elizabeth finds and shares, and the wine pairings and the bread and side-dish ideas that everyone contributes.  But occasionally the Soup Group gets EVEN better!  There are drawings for prizes!  Woo Hoo!  The Immersion Blender that’s being drawn for this week is a dandy tool to have in any kitchen!  To enter for the blender, all you have to do is be a member of the Sunday Soup Group, make a pot of this week’s Tortilla Chicken Soup and post a photo of your soup.  Elizabeth made entering so easy!

If you’d like to join our humble group of Souper Cooks, just message me and I’ll invite you to join us!

In the meantime, here’s a link to the recipe for Tortilla Chicken Soup

And here’s an Instant Pot version of the Tortilla Chicken Soup

My husband ate two bowls of this soup tonight for dinner!  I like to top mine with a dollop of sour cream and a few tortilla chips.  The chips add a bit of crunch and the sour cream adds more richness to the already delicious soup!  We invited our neighbors to come over and join us, but I’m a bit slow and they were already eating by the time we sent our invitation text.  Next time I’ll think ahead!

My tummy is warm and full, and I’m ready for more cool days ahead.  It’s sweater weather and almost time to start cranking up the fireplace.  Autumn is my favorite time of year!  Great boots, the kids are back in school, comfort food is what’s on the menu plan and the holidays are right around the corner. It’s definitely time for soup!