Soup's On!

Of course, I’ll be making a rousing pot of Hoppin’ John soup to kick off 2026, but I thought I’d share these super “instant” soups that can be made in a pinch. So delicious, nobody will suspect they took only a few minutes to prepare!

For the last few years, I’ve thrown a small cocktail party at my mother’s house in New Hampshire on Christmas Eve and greeted guests with a soupçon of hot soup in antique teacups. It’s a wonderful idea to help friends shake off the cold and slip into something so comforting.

But after toiling over the hors d’oeuvres (such as quiche and this fabulous fruit-nutty cheese spread), I like to keep the soup preparation thing quick. So here are two shortcut soups I serve on these particular occasions, and I’ve also included variations of them below made from scratch, should you care to linger a little longer in the kitchen.

SHORTCUT: Simmer a box of Pacific Foods or the Imagine brand of Butternut Squash Soup with a few slivers of orange rind, a bushy sprig of rosemary, and a good pinch of salt. Heat until nicely fragrant, remove rind and rosemary, and serve.

LINGER LONGER: Silky Carrot Soup 

SHORTCUT: Any kind of ready-made or canned potato or potato/leek soup will do for Green Vichyssoise. Cook spinach according to package, strain, and add to soup with some milk (as suggested on packaging), thyme threads, and salt. Simmer, remove thyme and serve right away in the winter months. Otherwise, chill for a mid-summer refresher. 

LINGER LONGER: Vichyssoise

Do enjoy—and Happy New Year!

P.S. These oranges looked so pretty as I was preparing to pare off the rind.

BOOK/A TABLE - Silky Carrot Soup with Orange

 

Barbara’s back! Barbara Pym, that is. Having just made the beef bourguinon from The Barbara Pym Cookbook, I happened upon her recipe for Carrot Soup with Orange. Carrots remind me of rabbits, which make me think of Easter and naturally too, of springtime. So I thought this extraordinally flavored, silky, and simply made carrot soup would be perfect for the spring season and Easter’s imminent arrival!

I used rainbow carrots and the purple variety made the soup a little darker, but ordinary carrots will shine even more vibrantly on your table. 

“I thought perhaps a cold meal, but I’ve made one of my soups,” Leonora was saying, “just for your first evening back.”  —The Sweet Dove Died by Barbara Pym

Carrot Soup with Orange
Ingredients:
1 lb carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons oil or melted butter
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 2 oranges
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Method:
Cook the carrots, onion, and garlic in oil or butter until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the stock, season, and simmer until tender. Puree in a blender or put through a sieve. Add the orange juice and grated rind, and return to stove. Reheat, add sugar, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve quite hot.