Soup Links-A weekly rundown of soup in the news

Another soup-tastic week (yes, I said that) and boy do I have lots planned for this month-International feats, turning meals into soups, and trying my hand at cold soup, to name a few exciting things that will be appearing on Seriously Soupy. Until then check out what is going on in soup across the web, including National Soup Month (who knew?), soup in a cart, and another variation of a detox soup.

• National Soup Month. Apparently January is National Soup Month. I did not receive a memo about this, but then again it was created by Swanson, so I guess I can see why. Although I am a fan of eating  soup 365 days a year, I appreciate Swanson's effort to encourage people to eat more soup, including their suggestion to celebrate with a soup party. Um...sounds like something I discussed in the "How to Throw a Soup Party Series," (check out: part one and part two).The article also discusses all the wonders of soup such as how broth-based soups are less caloric, how soup be frozen for multiple uses, and how even kids love soup! There is also a basic vegetable soup with garlic drizzle and split pea recipe to kick off National Soup Month. Read more about it at http://blogs.babble.com/nibblers/2010/01/06/beautiful-soup-january-is-national-soup-month/

• Detox Soup. A popular concept after the New Year, chezus.com also created their own variation of a cleansing and detoxifying soup. Very different from my own, the chezus.com recipe is loaded with veggies such as leeks, kale, carrots, rutabaga, and beans to fill you up without feeling deprived. Chezus also notes that the soup can be savored for days by simply adding more veggies or broth when the soup lessens-a pretty simple concept, but one that is definitely useful, especially when you don't want that pot of soup to end! I also love how they included a listing of the ingredients in the soup and their health benefits. Check it out at http://www.chezus.com/vegetarian/detox-soup/

• Soup on the Street. Now when you need soup you need to look no further than a cart on Park Avenue (that is of course if you live in the NYC area). Recently, the Herb International Soup Factory located in Queens has been selling nine varieties of their soups in a food cart. Ranging from lentil, pumpkin with veggies, beef shank, and rice with chicken, the soup is available in 12oz, 16oz, and 32oz containers, which can also be sampled before purchased. Read more about the cart at http://midtownlunch.com/2010/01/07/queens-based-herb-international-soup-factory-opens-cart-on-park-ave/ or pick up a soup at the NW corner of 53rd & Park Avenue.

Detox Soup Recipe

Detoxing is a pretty popular buzz word that actually just means "cleansing the body." Although I am not advocating detox diets or drinking virtually next to nothing in order to cleanse,  I think there is something to eating less every now and again, which can include starting a meal with say, a soup. Like tea, this detox soup can be enjoyed every day before meals or as a light snack that can fill the body up, while providing essential nutrients. And after the non-stop holiday eating season that sounds just perfect right about now. Here's how to make a tasty and quick detox soup:

Detox Soup - Seriously Soupy

Detox Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups of water
1 apple (I used gala)
5-6 baby carrots, cut up
2 fresh basil leaves
1 piece of ginger, shaved of its skin and cut into squares
1 tablespoon of lemon juice (I would prefer to use a fresh lemon, but this is what I had)
drizzle of honey, optional
* I made a smaller batch of soup, since this is what I had on hand. This made one cup of soup, but I would triple the ingredients if I was making my normal six servings recipes.

Directions:
Pour water in a pot and let boil. Cut up an apple, removing the skin and place in the pot. Add the carrots, ginger, lemon ,and basil and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, blend with a hand mixer and top with honey (optional).

Pretty simple and easy. For next time I would opt to use mint instead of basil (I had basil in the house, so it seemed like an interesting choice) and maybe a little less ginger.You can also vary up the recipe by using other "cleansing" fruits, such as using pineapples, mangoes, or papaya to create a tropical variation of the soup.


Seriously Soupy Serena