30 Minute Comfort Soup

This is the perfect soup for when you crave something warm and comforting on a gloomy day. It’s for when your only plan is to sit on the couch watching copious amounts of your favorite tv show. Watch a couple episodes, take a 30 minute soup-making break, and then go back to your show. This sounds like a perfect gloomy day funtivity to me. 

This soup comes together in no time thanks to some convenient star players. Using salsa as a flavor base provides a gentle heat and slight acidity. Tomato paste enhances and deepens the tomato flavor but is ultimately optional. I use chicken broth for the main liquid, but vegetable broth works just as well. Any canned or frozen vegetables you want can go into this soup. This recipe is simple, but lends itself to some creative license. 

Comfort Soup
Yields:11 Cups

Ingredients
2tsp olive oil
1 (15.5 oz) jar of salsa
2T tomato paste 
6C chicken broth 
45 oz canned or frozen vegetables or beans (examples include corn, black beans, kidney beans, carrots, potatoes)

Directions
1. In a medium sized dutch oven, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes.
2. Add salsa and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring until it is bubbly and thickened. 
3. Add tomato paste (if using) and cook 1-2 minutes until incorporated into salsa.
4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, bring heat down to a simmer. 
5. Add vegetables and/or beans and cover dutch oven with a lid. 
6. Simmer soup for 15 minutes. 
7. After 15 minutes, ladle soup into serving bowls and serve topped with crackers, grated cheese, or fresh herbs. 

Print the recipe —> ComfortSoup