Soup: The comfort dish for all occasions

Soup is a dish for all occasions. Sick? Chicken soup. Very sick? Hot and sour soup. It’s cold outside? French onion soup. It’s warm outside? Gazpacho.

I have always loved a bowl of soup. I find it comforting to eat. But I think Irish culture will never fully embrace soup as a complete meal. You could blitz an entire Sunday roast dinner into a bowl and we would still view it as a starter course. The only exception is stew ... which is maybe technically a soup? I’ll need to investigate more into what makes a soup a soup.

Regardless, here are my recipes for my favourite soups. The chicken noodle soup can be made very easily by throwing everything into a slow cooker, or it can be cooked on a stove. Mushrooms are one of my favourite ingredients, and the chestnut mushrooms can be swapped for whatever variety you like. This is a good one to use up that packet of miso paste sitting in your cupboard or fridge.

Now, about the lasagne soup. I know. It’s not really a soup is it? Well, it is still January, just about, and what better way to warm yourself and cheer yourself up than a very quick and tasty meal in a bowl that combines two ultimate comfort food classics (three, if you include the garlic bread). Try it, and if it’s not for you, then you can transfer it to a plate and eat it as a regular (little bit looser) lasagne instead.