SOUP FOR BREAKFAST

Yes, you read that correctly. Soup for breakfast. There’s no better beginning to a cold January day.

A cold January day’s walk in Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

Soup. It’s filling, warm, and flavorful. The Japanese eat miso soup served with fish or pickles for breakfast. Rice congee is a breakfast staple in China. Middle Eastern cultures know that lentil soup is a stick to the ribs kind of morning meal.

I’ve written before that oatmeal, while also a hot breakfast, is not a favorite of mine. Oatmeal is too beige, too bland, too unsatisfying. It also can’t hold a candle to my morning hunger. By 10:30, I’m ready for lunch.

Breakfast soup is also a good alternative to the many eggs I eat during a week of breakfasts. Eggs fill me up and make a good foil for vegetables, grated cheese, turkey sausage, or bits of protein from the previous nights’ dinner.

Soup for breakfast is sometimes just the change I want and need from eggs.

Soup and winter go together. Most people typically eat soup for dinner. I understand that maybe you’re not on board with eating soup for breakfast. But if one night you find yourself dining on soup for dinner and happen to have leftovers, try soup for breakfast. You can refresh it with more vegetables, leftover noodles or rice. It will heat up lickety-split. By the time your coffee or tea has brewed you’ll be sitting down to a steaming bowl of soup.

Carrot Ginger soup for breakfast. I added some leftover pasta and a large handful of arugula.

Here’s a recipe for a carrot and ginger soup made with coconut milk. The carrots cook first until they become caramelized, almost meaty. The soup is vegetarian and is great the way it is. Adding tofu or beans for protein would be an excellent addition. Because I’m me and need a lot of protein in the morning, I’ve also included a recipe for turkey meatballs seasoned with fennel seeds.

You may have rightly guessed that my favorite accompaniment to morning soup is a piece of toast, spread with butter and a pinch of salt.

The combination of the meatballs and the brightness of the soup are a good match. Just like winter and soup, eaten any time of day.

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CARROT GINGER SOUP

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons shallot, chopped finely

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Diamond Kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

6 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ cup brown sugar

1 14 oz can coconut milk

1 ½ cup water

Zest and juice of 1 lime

Freshly ground pepper, about ½ teaspoon

How to:

1. Peel and chop carrots.

2. Chop shallot into fine dice

3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium-sized pot over medium heat. When smoking, add carrots and stir to distribute on bottom of pan.

4. Add chopped shallot, salt, paprika, and grated ginger. Stir to combine. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes until, carrots begin to soften.

5. Add soy sauce and brown sugar and stir to combine.

6. Let the carrots cook for another 5-7 minutes undisturbed. At this point we want the carrots to develop some color and caramelization.

7. Once carrots are nicely browned add the can of coconut milk and water. Stir to combine and let cook for another 5 minutes until the coconut milk is fully softened and the soup is cohesive.

8. Add lime zest and juice.

9. Taste for seasoning. Adjust accordingly if you think it needs more salt or pepper or lime juice.

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TURKEY MEATBALLS

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey, 93% lean

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

¼ teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon Diamond Kosher salt. Or ½ teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350º

2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

3. Roll turkey mixture by the heaping tablespoon into 1 inch meatballs.

4. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350º for about 20 minutes until slightly browned. They should register 160º on a thermometer to ensure they are fully cooked.

5. Add to the carrot soup.

6. Stir together. Serve the soup in your favorite bowl.