Souper-quick Chili for a January Night In

Today's snow total outside my door is five inches. We are meeting friends for lunch but staying in for dinner. I'm trying to figure out a good soup recipe because hey, wouldn't you know it? January is hot soup month (surprise, surprise!) 

I thought and thought and thought last night about what kind of soup I want. Considered bean, chicken, fish chowder, miso and hot carrot and ginger.

Then I remembered that my favorite soup this time of year may not be considered a soup at all, but in my mind, it's sort of like soup consistency wise, so I'm going with it. 

My vote for tonight's and January's soup of the month is CHILI. I'm sharing this recipe from The Wholesome Dish because it can be made in minutes, and I like my minutes best when I don't have to stand in front of the stove. So, here you go:

QUICK CHILI INGREDIENTS:

• Large soup pot
• Olive oil
• Chopped medium onion
• 2 pounds ground beef
• w tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 eight-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 and a half cups pinto beans
• 1 and a half cups kidney beans
• Cup of tomatoes 
• Cup of kidney beans
• Half cup beef broth

DIRECTIONS
• Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. 
• Add chopped onion and cook for five minutes.
• Add ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon.
• Cook for seven minutes.
• Add chili powder, cumin, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne.  
• Add a little honey if you must? ('Cause I think it's better than sugar).
• Stir until all ingredients are well mixed.
• Add diced tomatoes, kidney beans, beef broth, and tomato sauce. 
• Stir well.
• Simmer for 20-25 minutes.
• Let the chili stand for five to ten minutes before serving.

TOPPING IDEAS 

• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• sliced green onions
• saltine crackers or oyster crackers
• diced avocado

I'd serve with cornbread (I'd buy it rather than make it, because that's how I roll). As Glinda the Good Witch says in Oz, "That's it! That's all it is!"

If you're a mom with smallish children, I even found you some soupy picture books:

Pumpkin Soup is about soup made by three (animal) friends. There's a quarrel and a good read here too.

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes is by the renowned chef Mollie Katzen and says it contains recipes for "preschoolers and up."

Stone Soup is of course the 1947 classic about three hungry soldiers who trick greedy townsfolk into providing them with a meal.

All right? Are we good? Let me know if you try this recipe. 

Happy Soup Month.

Soup Eater: Leonid Manchenkov