January is National Soup Month, and for good reason- nothing tastes better on a cold winter day than a warm bowl of soup!
My family has been eating a lot of soup the past few weeks. We enjoy all kinds: canned, packaged, take-out, and homemade. We’ve been experimenting with a lot of new recipes this month, too, especially ones we can make in the slow cooker. I love how it fills the house with wonderful smells while we’re waiting for it to cook!
Soup is also an excellent comfort food when you’re feeling under the weather. Whenever I’m sick, chicken noodle soup is one of the first things I want to eat.
What’s your favorite type of soup? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
Soup Facts
Soup is a liquid dish that contains stock, milk, or water along with meat or vegetables. It’s usually served warm or hot, but there are plenty of cold soups, too.
How long have people been eating soup? Archaeologists have found evidence of soup consumption in 6,000 BC, around the time the Mesopotamia/Fertile Crescent was first inhabited.
You might be surprised to learn what the first kind of soup was: hippopotamus.
Americans eat about 10 billion bowls of soup every year- that’s about 30 bowls of soup per person!
The most popular soup in the United States is chicken noodle, my favorite childhood staple.
Source: The Bulletin
Soups Around the Country
Different areas of the country specialize in different types of soup. If you’re visiting Louisiana, for example, you might try turtle soup. In New England, clam chowder is often on the menu.
The Daily Meal made a list of soups for all 50 states based on local and national traditions, locally-grown ingredients, and other factors. Now, be aware that these aren’t necessarily the most popular soups in each state, but it’s a fun list to inspire new ideas.
Check it out below and let me know what you think about the soup listed for your state! Have you ever tried it? And if you, like me, were surprised by some of these concoctions, be sure to head over to the Daily Meal to find out exactly why they chose this dish for your state!
Alabama: Alabama Chili
Alaska: Salmon Chowder
Arizona: Tortilla Soup
Arkansas: Tomato Soup
California: Avocado Soup
Colorado: Lamb Stew
Connecticut: Cabbage Soup
Delaware: Strawberry Soup
Florida: Black Bean Soup
Georgia: Brunswick Stew
Hawaii: Saimin
Idaho: Potato Soup
Illinois: Pumpkin Soup
Indiana: Duck Soup
Iowa: Corn Chowder
Kansas: Kansas City Steak Soup
Kentucky: Kentucky Burgoo
Louisiana: Gumbo
Maine: Lobster Bisque
Maryland: Maryland Crab Soup
Massachusetts: New England Clam Chowder
Michigan: Cold Cherry Soup
Minnesota: Turkey Soup
Mississippi: Sweet Potato Soup
Missouri: French Onion Soup
Montana: Beet Soup
Nebraska: Great Northern Bean Soup
Nevada: Beef Stew
New Hampshire: Turkey Consommé Cranberry Walnut Chutney
New Jersey: Cream of Mushroom Soup
New York: Minestrone Soup
North Carolina: Black-Eyed Pea Soup
North Dakota: Knoephla Soup
Ohio: Cincinnati-Style Chili
Oklahoma: Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Oregon: Pear Soup
Pennsylvania: Snapper Soup
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Clam Chowder
South Carolina: She-Crab Soup
South Dakota: Pheasant Soup
New Mexico: Hatch Chile Corn Chowder
Tennessee: Chicken and Dumplings
Texas: Taco Soup
Utah: Slow-Cooker Turkey Fajita Soup
Vermont: Maple Squash Soup
Virginia: Peanut Soup
Washington: Lentil Soup
West Virginia: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Wisconsin: Beer-Cheese Soup
Wyoming: Bison and Barley Soup
Your Thoughts About Soup
Earlier this month, we asked panel members about soup on our Facebook and Instagram channels. We wanted to know what kind of soup you buy most often: canned, cartons/boxes, instant or microwaveable containers, store-prepared, or if you prefer to make your own soup. Not surprisingly, we got a wide variety of answers!
Many panel members buy canned or boxed soups for several reasons: convenience, for cooking other things like casseroles, or for emergencies when there’s no time to cook.
A lot of you, however, like to make your own soup!
For some, making your own is for health reasons. Sodium is often a concern for people, and when you’re making the dish yourself, you can control the ingredients. Others like to make big batches of soup and freeze portions for later meals.
It can also be less expensive to make your own soup- and it’s a great way to use up vegetables or other ingredients you have on hand.
Don’t forget…
Whether you make your own soup or buy it pre-made from a store, remember to scan the items you purchase. Sometimes the items you buy for soups, like vegetables, might not have barcodes on them- but you should still report those purchases.
If you need help with items that don’t have barcodes, check out the Non-Barcoded Items list in the app. You can also watch our video about non-barcoded items for additional help.
And, if you have a great recipe for soup, let me know in the comments! I’d love to find new ones to try this winter!
Regards,
Taylor
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Love potato soup
Tomato Basil Soup & Wild Rice Soup
Both made from scratch ~ the best
I cook chicken noodle soup and chili a lot in the winter.
Love ❤️ a chunky homemade potato soup 🍜 the chunky the better potatoes,sweet Vidalia onions,celery once cooked topped with with cheddar cheese serve with fried cornbread yummy yummy
Pumpkin Soup? I love soup and could have it everyday. Probably not pumpkin soup though. I especially like baked French onion soup.
Snapper Soup!? Never tried that and really hope it’s not turtle! Ewww
My favorite is a Loaded Baked Potato Soup!
I have never been hugely into soup, unless I go to an Asian restaurant specifically Thai. I must add that Trader Joe’s used to have a soup called Tofu Kimchee soup, that they no longer carry, that is probably the best I’ve ever had . Shame on you, Trader Joe’s !!! Also, my mom‘s Minestrone is pretty killer
I just found Mushroom soup in a tetra pak box and also i bought Cumin/ Carrot soup. Very tasty
Sometimes I will make vegetable soup but mostly I buy a particular brand of canned soup. The soups are vegetarian, made with organic ingredients, and the cans have non BPA lining. It’s difficult to choose a favorite flavor because there are so many.
I love homemade soup
I like to make homemade sometimes caned
Chicken gnocchi from Olive Garden is BOMB! I found a copycat recipe. 🙂
I’m not much of a soup person, but when it’s homemade I can rarely resist. My favorite homemade soup is vegetable beef soup with elbows. With all this talk of soup, I could go for a bowl right now.
I love making potato soup from scratch. I make a big pot that lasts for days and my family loves it
I love soups. First thing I do when I look at the menu, what kind of soups they have. And I get soup every chance I get.
I love soup, I love making soup, I love making dumplings, when I make soup it is from scratch when I make chili it is from scratch when I make dumplings it’s from scratch, I start out by boiling my chicken deboning it and then boiling the bones all day. I make a rich rich broth of it sometimes I water it down before I add my ingredients for my dumplings so that I can can freeze some of the broth and use it when I make mashed potatoes instead of butter I used chicken broth instead I boil my potatoes in a chicken broth and it gives him an extra wonderful flavor. I make soup throughout the year.
I made a simple yet delicious lamb soup. Beef broth, potatoes, onions, garlic cloves, tomatoes , carrots these were the main ingredients… add whatever seasonings you would like to taste. Absolutely delicious!
I have always been a n avid soup fan year round. I especially enjoy making my soups from scratch, including boiling the bones to make my own broth. I make them in very large amounts and either freeze or can all I can get my hands on! My family calls me often requesting one of my many homemade soups. Nothing, and I mean nothing goes to waste. I prefer to cook from scratch as I know the ingredients that are in my soups and other foods WITHOUT anything added. All ingredients are natural and more nutritious and healthy.
Love all the soups.