These recipes originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of HomeLifeMagazine.
Entertain those you love with the recipes you’ve always loved.
With the chill of autumn finally here, it puts me in the mood to rummage through my soup recipes seeking comfort and warmth. Here in the South, we expect the cold snap about the first week of October, so I thought it’s the perfect time to share some of my favorites with you, along with the stories that brought them to me.
My recipe collection is like a menu of memories. Olfactory, or sense of smell and recollection, seem to be very tightly connected. Case in point: When I put on a pot of soup that my nana made for us when I was a child, the kitchen heats up with its savory, familiar aroma, and the lessons she taught me come flooding back.
Nana’s Great Northern Bean Soup is a comforting family favorite, but the gift that comes with the memory is her grandmotherly wisdom on nutrition, frugality, efficiency, and easy entertaining. She taught me that beans are healthy and cheap and that I should freeze my Easter ham bone. When an opportunity to serve dinner to a crowd presented itself, this was the recipe to use because it is hearty, inexpensive, cooks well in a slow cooker, and pairs nicely with cornbread.
Nana said that a simple meal is the secret to entertaining often and well. Guests enjoy the meal, and the hostess enjoys her guests.
Great Northern Bean Soup ▶
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1 16oz. bag Great Northern Beans
Ham bone
6 c. water
1 large onion (peeled and chopped)
1 large potato (peeled and chopped)
3 stalks celery (sliced)
3 carrots (peeled and sliced)
2-3 Tbsp. ketchup (optional)
Directions
Rinse beans and place in a crockpot with ham bone and water. Turn temperature to low for approximately six hours. On the last hour, when beans are nearly done, add vegetables and allow to cook until tender. When beans and vegetables are tender and ham has fallen off bone, soup is done. Remove ham bone and stir in ketchup (optional). The ketchup gives a little flavor but mostly it adds color to the soup.
During my years working for the school system, our department celebrated birthdays together with a soup lunch. One person brought the soup and the rest of us contributed the toppings, bread and crackers, drinks, and dessert to complement the main course. Amy’s Tomato Basil Soup goes down in history as our favorite birthday lunch. I like to serve it with oven-toasted grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s perfect for a last minute supper or a cozy late night snack.
Amy’s Tomato Basil Soup ▶
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
5 10.75 oz. cans condensed tomato soup
1 envelope Onion soup mix
2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
2 c. heavy whipping cream
4 c. water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. torn Basil
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
In a Dutch oven, mix all ingredients together, stirring until well combined. Bring to a boil, then simmer and serve.
One year my mother and dad hosted Thanksgiving for a crowd in their remote home in the mountains. We were all staying with them through the weekend, which made the cooking seem endless. To offer the cooks a break on Friday, my cousin Kim suggested we all bring the ingredients and make our favorite soup recipe. The idea was a hit, as was her contribution of Cheeseburger Soup. This recipe always reminds me of that special Thanksgiving when we were all together.
Cheeseburger Soup ▶
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. parsley
1 small onion (chopped)
3 stalks celery (sliced)
3 carrots (peeled and sliced)
6 c. chicken broth
2-3 small potatoes (peeled and diced)
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
3/4 lb. American or Cheddar cheese (cubed)
Hot sauce (optional)
Directions
In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef and add spices. Then add onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté for four more minutes, then add broth and potatoes. Bring potatoes to a boil and reduce heat.
Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add flour, stirring constantly for two to three minutes. Add mixture to broth. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Whisk in milk and cheese. Keep whisking until cheese melts. Serve with bread and hot sauce.
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Laura Schupp is the author of Our Newlywed Kitchen: The Art of Cooking, Gathering & Creating Traditions. Learn more about Laura at OurNewlywedKitchen.com.
