Long Live Hot, Brothy Soups

Even in the summer!

Hot Soup by Mariano Fortuny Marsal

Today’s newsletter was going to be about something completely different, but I woke up still battling a gnarly summer cold that makes me feel as if I am doing 100 sit-ups all at once, each time I cough. When I feel this way, I want soup, no matter what the weather outside says. But not any soup will do: it must be the brothy variety, ideally with little bits of vegetables or pasta swimming it in to keep me entertained.

There is no room for thick, pureed soups here, at least not when i’m feeling under the weather. And the broth must be vegetarian or vegan, but still full of flavor. I do not want a dull hot, brothy soup. (And yes, I am a hot soup in the summer girl and cold ice cream tastes better in the winter girl.)

I’ve learned that if you keep the right things stocked in your pantry and fridge, you also can have really great brothy soup whenever you want without that much effort.

Here are my go-to brothy soups :

I love this miso ginger broth from Trader Joe’s. It’s got a nice amount of ginger too it, but I also like to grate in some fresh ginger before adding a large handful of sliced mushrooms (ideally shiitake!), green onions, and cubed tofu (soft or firm) and letting it all simmer.

When I want a less-thick tomato soup, I make a big pot of sopa de fideo, which is basically Mexican tomato noodle soup. I blitz a can of tomatoes with half an onion, as much garlic as I can stand, and a couple cups of vegetable broth. I toast fideos or whatever small pasta you have, or break up some spaghetti in a little oil. Add the tomato mixture to the pot, add in more broth plus salt and pepper and let it all simmer. I top this with some feta and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

I never grew up eating chicken noodle soup, but I can see the appeal. I make a veggie version with celery and carrots and onion as the base with a good veggie broth (and usually some veggie bouillon too add some extra oomph), a bay leaf or two, plus whatever small pasta I have on hand (I like this with shells). If I am feeling fancy, I will simmer in some frozen tortellini to make a poor mans tortellini en brodo, which is actually maybe my favorite soup of all time?

I am also obsessed with the mushroom broth from Brodo (it is made with shiitake and kombu). I like this simmered with a lot of garlic and ginger and a package of frozen udon noodles if I have it.

If I want something with a bit more body, I like to do a base of coconut milk, a ton of broth, lots of ginger and garlic, and some lemongrass ideally if I have it, or lemon grass paste. I also throw in a tablespoon of red curry paste and let it simmer together before throwing in whatever vegetables im in the mood for (usually a mix of mushrooms, there’s a pattern here) and maybe some carrots and broccoli and a little tofu and a ton of lime juice to finish it all off.

If I want something just a little heartier, I always turn to this tomato egg noodle from my friend Lucas Sin.

If I don’t want to make the soup I either pick up the minestrone from Olive Garden and doctor it up with more broth, a ton of Italian seasoning, and some extra garlic. It always ends up stretching the soup into 4-6 servings, too.

Or I order in the veggie pho broth from the one restaurant that gets it really right and a side of rice noodles to keep it super simple.

I also love a good soondoobu, or boiling brothy tofu stew. I get an order from Surowan tofu house in Koreatown.

When I am sick, I always forget that tortilla soup is also a brothy option, but I need to add that to the rotation soon.

Do you have a brothy soup you turn to? Would love to hear!