OK, now this makes sense. The other day we had New England Clam Chowder Day, which seems like more of a summer food holiday than a winter one (though I guess that depends on what part of the country you live in), but National Soup Month in January is a no-brainer.
As we’ve learned from those Campbell’s commercials where the kid has so much snow on him he’s a walking snowman, soup can be the perfect food to eat on a cold day. My favorite has to be chicken noodle soup. It’s satisfying and tasty and a classic comfort food all in one. I think I make a pretty damn good chicken noodle soup, if I say so myself. I cheat a little by using Mrs. Grass noodles and herb mix, and to that I add chunky pieces of celery and carrots. It’s basic, but I find that too many other veggies in a chicken noodle soup turns it into something else.
I like a good Minestrone too. This Minestrone Soup recipe from Simply Recipes explains that there isn’t one recipe for the soup because it depends on what veggies are in season, but there’s a good bet it will include beans and tomatoes. Speaking of tomatoes, 101 Cookbooks has a nice Roasted Tomato Soup recipe, with lots of garlic and sea salt. Amazing how the roasting of tomatoes kicks a regular tomato soup into another category.
And since it’s always good to include a recipe that’s just a little bit different, how about a Sauerkraut Soup, with Polish sausage and dill? I’m not a sauerkraut fan so I won’t be trying this (the sauerkraut I’ve had in the past was practically soup anyway), but it might entice you. A good French Onion Soup can be orgasmic, and America’s Test Kitchen has a recipe that solves the “there’s way too much cheese on this!” problem that a lot of french onion soups have.
Oh, and if you must eat a Chicken Noodle Soup that isn’t mine, here’s a great list of several from Cooks.com, a Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe from Southern Food, and a recipe from Alton Brown that includes fresh lemon juice for some reason.
Clacked by Bob Sassone 
on Jan 23, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
Don’t knock the lemon juice for your chicken soup. The acid will brighten the flavors and add a certain i-don’t-know-what. When I’m feeling lazy and having chicken soup from a can (gasp!), lemon juice makes it actually taste like something.