With fall on the way, and hopefully cooler temps, I start thinking about comfort foods.  Anything that is warm, cozy, and fills you up is fair game in our house. One of my favorite things to make when it’s cold out is soup.  Thick, rich, and yummy are the only requirements for me.

Generally speaking, I tend to prefer creamy soups.  Things like broccoli cheddar or a good ol’ baked potato soup.  However, since we’re still consistently seeing temps in the 90’s here in the Mojave, I went searching for something different.  Which led me to this lovely Sausage Tortellini Soup.  There is a bit of cream in this soup, but not enough to make it heavy.  And to be honest, if you wanted to skip the cream and leave it nice and brothy, I think it’d still be wonderful.  Served up with some crusty sourdough and a nice salad, you’d have a light summer dinner.

One of the more unhealthy things I have ever made is this Cheeseburger Soup which, while delicious, is not good for the waistline.  As long as you aren’t eating it every week, I say it’s safe to indulge in.  It is crazy how much this did remind me of a cheeseburger.  It’s perfect for those cold winter nights because it’ll stick to your ribs and warm you from the inside out.  It’s a hearty meal all on its own, but a nice biscuit or slice of French bread on the side would be a nice complement.

Eleven years ago, my older daughter went vegetarian.  After her father died nearly six years ago, she went fully vegan, which complicated my dinner making.  Because she was determined to make this stick, I did my best to find a way to feed us all without making two separate meals.  Soups – and stir-fries – were one of the easiest ways of accommodating her.

I stumbled across this Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Mini Turkey Meatballs while meal planning one Saturday morning.  In looking at the recipe, I figured I could either make the meatballs on the side – one turkey, one Beyond Beef – or I could leave them out together.  The first time I made it, I opted to leave the meatballs out, and to date, I haven’t yet made it with the meatballs.  My kids both unanimously agreed that a grilled cheese was a better option than meatballs.  And for anyone reading this who is vegan or lactose intolerant and looking for a good, meltable plant-based cheese, try Violife or Miyokos.  They are both favorites of my kids.

Personally, my favorite thing to add to this soup are these herby mustard croutons I found attached to tomato soup recipe years ago.  I’ve long since lost that recipe, but I still remember the croutons.  They’re pretty simple to make and very tasty.  So much so that, the first time I made them, I had to make a second batch because my husband and my children kept sneaking them while I was making the soup.

For the croutons (which are also great in salads or other soups):

4 cups slightly stale bread, cubed

¼ cup olive oil

2 TBS Dijon mustard, or your favorite – I usually use stone ground

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp Italian seasoning

¼ tsp crushed red pepper, optional

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.  Mix the mustard and olive oil together and drizzle over the bread; mix well.  Combine seasonings and sprinkle over the bread, again mixing well.  Spread bread onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Let cool.

Do you love a good bowl of soup?  What are some of your favorites?  Do you have any favorite accompaniments that you like to serve with them?  And if you have recipes, please share.  I’m always looking for something new to make for dinner.