Soup Salve-ation.

 Eggplant Soup from this Month's Food and Wine Magazine

In the winter, my routine narrows significantly. My scope is survivalist. There's no more agenda-free wandering of neighborhoods and hiking trails for hours. There's point A and point B that need to be navigated. Usually, it needs to be navigated through a rainstorm, so expediency is key. Being relieved of the task is key. So I can get home and turn up the heat. Take a warm bath. And do one of the following things: read, write, watch West Wing on Netflix (shameless) - or cook. But even my cooking becomes survivalist. It needs to be steamy-warm, nutritious and quick. It needs to be soup.

Soup, itself, is never routine though. The possibilities are endless. My Winter 2013 tally of soups that will help deliver me to spring and something new and fresh, hopefully:

Kale and White Bean Soup - Love & Lemons (adapted from Bon Appetit) 
 Made for a Sunday afternoon get together in early January. Very hearty and colorful (and well-received).

Posole in Broth - 101 Cookbooks

Pumpkin and Rice Soup - 101 Cookbooks
After my mom gifted me a 20# pumpkin, I made lots of things with pumpkin in early November - this soup being one of them. Pumpkin soup for a week, pumpkin soup for the freezer, pumpkin soup 4EVR. Unfortunately, the recipe felt incredibly bland to me - like weak baby food. I don't think I'd make this again, or if I did, I would cube not puree the pumpkin, and add other vegetables (maybe some mushrooms and greens).

Carrot Soup with Crispy Chickpeas and Tahini - Smitten Kitchen
On the docket for today! Can't wait to serve it with a little Nan.

Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame - Smitten Kitchen
 One of my favorites that I make again and again, always expecting to get sick of it, but never do. Freezes great.

Carrot and Parsnip Soup - from Portland's awesome Natural Selection restaurant (via Sunset Magazine)

Silky Eggplant Soup with Baby Peas and Radishes - Food and Wine Magazine