Soupy Summer

Who makes soup when it's over 90 degrees outside and the air is as thick as a long-simmered broth?

This girl.

On a hot and humid Sunday--armed with the spoils of a recent Target shopping trip and some veggies that either needed to be used or tossed--I settled in to chop, sauté, boil and simmer, getting into a relaxing rhythm, forgetting about all the other things I should be doing instead. I realize in this moment that the process of making soup is almost as comforting as eating the end result.

How can you eat soup in the summer? I've been asked. I honestly don't see the difference between a spoonful of soup and a bite any of hot dish. At least with soup, I don't have to turn on the oven--just a couple of burners on my gas stove. Or better yet, dump all the ingredients into a crock pot and let them slow cook all day. And, I'm sitting inside an air conditioned house when I eat it anyway, so I won't spontaneously combust or anything.

I've also gotten the question when I order a bowl of soup or chili at restaurants as my meal: Is that all you're having? It's all I need.

There is something soothing about soup, like a hug for your insides. And you can't argue with mothers everywhere who whip up a pot when their children start to come down with a cold.  My mother didn't dote too much on us when we were sick, but she did nurture our snotty selves with some killer chicken soup. I swear, it cured whatever ailed us every time. I believe it its power so much, I've carried on the tradition in my own home.

Beyond helping you physically feel better, it also soothes your soul. Maybe it's that you have to slow down to eat it, carefully assessing its temperature as you breathe in the savory steam wafting up from the bowl. You can't help but be in the moment. Maybe it's the physical warmth of it radiating through your body as you swallow, melting away all the frustrations and stress of the day. Maybe it's a combination of all of the above.

There's a whole franchise of Chicken Soup for the Soul books with touching and inspirational stories for people from all walks of life. People eat those things up. There's no denying it: We equate soup with healing, with nurturing, with satisfaction.

As I am typing this post, I can smell the turkey dumpling and chicken with fennel and cannellini bean soups simmering on the stove, better than any air freshener or plug-in or potpourri around. And, you can bet I'll be diving into a big bowl as soon as it's ready.




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