Soup soup soup soup soup!

It's SOUPENDOUS (I'm sorry)!

Hellooooooo! The world still feels like it’s on fire, both literally and figuratively, and I’m not sure when things will (ever?) ease up. So I hope you are taking extra care of yourself and your people (and animals, and plants, etc. etc. etc.!). I’m going to spend the weekend on vacation with my three best girlfriends from high school, which is going to fill my heart right up.

Today we are talking about SOUP! Turns out many of you are Big Soup Fans. One of you makes soup every Sunday and has it throughout the week. Another told me they eat soup at LEAST once a day. I know sometimes it can feel like a soup isn’t a whole MEAL, but y’all have sent some hearty AF recipes here! And even if it feels like lighter fare, a little side salad and a slab of buttery toast will even anything out!

Before we get to it, a couple quick notes:

• I’m doing a virtual event with comedian Michelle Buteau this coming Thursday, Jan. 23!!!!!!!!!!! Sign up for it here!

• And if you want MORE Zoom time with me, I’m hosting a crafting happy hour from 5-6 pm CT on Saturday, Jan. 25! Everyone is welcome, whether or not you consider yourself crafty! If you’d like to participate, send me an email.

• I’ve picked a book for February book club! We are reading Eiren Caffall’s All the Water in the World. We’ll meet on Zoom on Saturday, Feb. 22 at noon CT! Email gretamjohnsen@gmail.com if you’d like to come.

IT’S SOUP SZN

When GRETAGRAM reader Anna requested a newsletter all about SOUP, I was deeeeelighted. IT IS COLD OUTSIDE! Chewing is overrated!!!!! It’s always fun to collect recipes from y’all, and you SHOWED UP, once again. (Shoutout to Eliza, who emailed me a link to an entire spreadsheet!)

Many of you probably remember the fall recipe guide I posted a couple of months ago, which lots of you contributed to. It has an abundance of soups, so I recommend you peruse that list as well.

Some of my favorites are already in the fall guide – that curried chicken and rice soup is what I crave when I’m under the weather. Hungarian mushroom pairs so nicely with well-buttered crusty sourdough, and borscht is always a revelation. That color!!!!

Some of my other favorites: Molly Wizenberg’s rice and smothered cabbage soup (which she delightfully calls “approximately a soup”), and Alison Roman’s chicken and dumplings.

Ally said, “One of my go-to soups is this Thai-inspired chicken meatball soup recipe from New York Times Cooking. The first time I made it, I accidentally put the entire ginger and garlic mixture in the meatballs and then had to add more to the soup base and it was super flavorful--I think I actually prefer it that way! I also usually cook the meatballs in the oven.”

Sara plugged broccoli cheese soup, which is always a hit (though they did say it’s just as good with cauliflower if you have any broccoli haters in your house). Who doesn’t love a cheesy soup?!?

Here’s another cheesy one, this time from Andrea in Minnesota: “This is the ultimate Minnesota soup, imho. I made it and brought it to a friend after she had received some bad news and between the two of us, it has been called Best Friend Soup ever since.”

BEST FRIEND SOUP!!!!!!!!! I MEAN, REALLY!!!!!!!!!

And yet another cheesy soup: It’s a tomato-lentil soup with melty goat cheese from New York Times Cooking, and one reader says the melty goat cheese is “a delicious game-changer!”

Deborah’s recommendation is a roasted tomato soup with cheesy crouton toppers from The Kitchn, which sounds like the dream if you’re tempted to just make grilled cheese, cut itinto chunks, and toss them into a tomato soup, which I ALWAYS AM.

She also mentioned a cabbage, farro and lentil soup from Bob’s Red Mill that looks gorgeous!

And here is Eliza’s ultimate soup recipe spreadsheet that I mentioned above! “It’s courtesy of Caroline Weaver! (A delightful person who once owned CW Pencils in NYC, which was a wonderful store that just sold pencils and stickers.)”

Miriam told me that this golden potato and greens soup “has no business being as good as it is. I made it last night and have been thinking about it all day.”

Jen loves the Italian wedding soup recipe from The Kitchn, which does indeed sound wonderful.

Another reader is a big fan of this kale and roasted vegetable soup, saying they love the technique of blitzing some of the veggies to add to the broth.

Whichever soup you choose, I loved Andrea’s recommendation: “Whatever recipe I am making, I always find an excuse to put these on top.” BRILLIANT!

That’s it for this week! Wishing you some soul-warming comfort in the near future, whether or not it’s in soup form!

P.S. Do you like this email?! Spread the delight and forward it to a friend! (Or spam an enemy, lol!)