Warm Up With These Hot Soups

Fresh bowl of menudo with homemade tortillas

Fresh bowl of menudo with homemade tortillas
The December days have been pretty warm in San Antonio, but we’re still seeing temperatures dip at night as we approach the start of winter. When it’s time for dinner on those cooler nights, nothing warms the heart like a bowl of hot soup, so try these homemade soup recipes.

Vegetable Soup

This soothing vegetable soup combines fresh and frozen vegetables for easy preparation. It starts by heating up olive oil to saute the mirepoix – a mix of chopped onion, celery, and carrot. You’ll also need broth, tomatoes, and potatoes, which will take the longest to cook, so plan for a slow simmer. It’s worth the wait. Once you’ve made this soup a few times, you might want to experiment. Instead of the typical mirepoix, consider the Cajun flavor base known as Trinity, which swaps out the carrot for green bell pepper. You could also try a suppengrün base with leek, parsley root, or even rutabaga.

Hot and Sour Soup

If you like the wispy texture of egg drop soup, you’ll love this satisfying hot and sour soup. You can make this soup as spicy or as mild as you want, and you can also turn up or dial back the tartness depending on how much rice vinegar you decide to use. You can even add extra protein with a little pork. Mushrooms add a heap of extra flavor, and the recipe suggests shitake shrooms for superbly savory results. The heat comes from chile garlic sauce, while a little ground ginger adds extra spice. To achieve the classic egg drop soup ribbons, slowly drizzle in whisked egg into the soup while also stirring the stock.

Menudo

This last soup is a popular dish here in Texas, and if you haven’t tried homemade menudo yet, now’s the perfect time. The soup was originally intended to make the most of castoff cuts, particularly tripe, which adds a rich and beefy flavor to the stock. Look for honeycomb tripe, which is the most tender variety, and feel free to add a can of pre-made hominy for added flavor. The soup’s bold, earthy spice comes courtesy of a sauce made from dried chiles like guajillos and pasillas, plus cumin, pepper, salt, and garlic.

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