Animal crackers in my soup....

Photo credit: www.eatthinkandbemerry.wordpress.com

 Carole challenged us to come up with our 10 favorite soups. This is a significant challenge for me because, well, I love soup. Not just like soup, I love soup. Soup is my favorite food. It's good, cold in the summer, hot in the winter. Soup fills you up. Soup warms you up. Soup makes you feel loved. Soup is, for me, the perfect dinner. Or lunch. And I've been known to eat it for breakfast.

It's cheap, it can be healthy and if you have guests show up, well, you just another another cup of water to the pot. 

Ten on Tuesday's Top 10 Soups:

1. French Onion Soup. Soup Onion gratin. Very specifically, I love all french onion soup, but the 99 Restaurant does french onion soup the best. And, this place called "le central" in San Francisco, between Union Square and the financial district. Delish. 
2. Roasted tomato gratin soup at Sel de la terre. Oh, how i dream of this soup... I would eat vats of this soup. 
3. Minestrone Soup. Not surprised are you? My sister-in-law, Jess, makes the best minestrone soup. It's hearty, it's packed with veggies and it's made with love. 
4. Pasta fagiole (macaroni and bean)--- I like the Progresso one. Yup, canned, loaded with salt, but oh my... delicious.
5. Ring'O'Noodle. The Lipton packaged stuff in the envelope. When I'm down, sick or just having a crappy day, this soup can make me good again. It likes a grilled cheese accompaniment, but it stands alone just fine.
6. Kielbasa, kale and bean. I just made this last week for dinner. PC's not a soup fan (he doesn't think it's 'food' and therefore there has to be something else with the soup), but he loved this. My recipe was a bit salty but i know how to fix it for next time. Parmesano Reggiano rind, cannellini beans, kielbasa, healthy kale,...what's not to love?
7. Soup at Hands--- i love them all. Each is under 100 calories, and i keep 3 in my desk at work at all times. Forgot your lunch? Got it. Need a snack and don't (shouldn't) want cookies? Got it. Running late and didn't eat breakfast? Got it. 
8. Good ole chicken noodle. My mom used to make it with the birds' nests (if you grew up near or as an Italian, you know the birds' nests), so each bowl got it's own nest. All white meat chicken, sweet carrots... yum.
9. Carrot ginger soup. I have a great recipe that I adore, but I need to put it away for a while. It's 2lbs of carrots, 1 small potato, 2 inches of fresh ginger (minced), 6 cups veggie stock. Cook for 45 minutes. 
10. Lentil soup. (in my lunch today!) I make mine with carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste, and red lentils.