Two Feel-Good Soups You’ll Want to Keep in Rotation All Winter

The new year is a time to reset, especially in the kitchen. To help you get there, we’ve partnered with Eggland’s Best to highlight dishes that are satisfying and nourishing, but light enough that they won’t feel over-indulgent. All are made even more delicious with EB eggs.

Like pretty much everyone else in America, I use January as a time to rest and reboot. I focus on getting my health back on track after all those Manhattans and peppermint brownies, re-establishing my budget, and spending more time at home after too many late nights out. There’s one place I can accomplish all of these goals at once: in the kitchen, with dishes that are quick, inexpensive, and just the right amount of filling.

I’ve found that the fastest way to my resolution is through eggy soups: That is, soups that are bolstered by egg stirred in at the last minute to give body and heft. It’s the kind of food that makes me feel good from the inside out; the fact that these recipes are also cost-effective and easy to pull together make them that much more satisfying.

For nights when I want to spend almost no time on dinner, Egg Drop Soup with Ginger, Chiles, and Spring Peas is my go-to. This soup comes together in literally (literally!) 10 minutes. It’s made with chicken broth (store-bought works here in a pinch) that’s delicately infused garlic and ginger, and then given body and kick from a quick slurry of vinegar, cornstarch, and soy sauce.

Once the flavors have sufficiently come together, a drizzle of beaten eggs into the simmering broth creates lacy, feather-light ribbons of protein. I usually finish it off with some frozen peas, sliced radishes, fresh chiles, and scallions, or whatever vegetables I have lurking in the fridge. Sometimes I stir in a little fresh cilantro, and a dash of sriracha and a squeeze of lime never hurts, either.

If I want to go a heartier route, a take on Greek Lemon Avgolemono is my choice. Slightly more stick-to-your-ribs, this soup features orzo cooked in broth for extra oomph. Lemon and dill keep everything bright and fresh, while eggs add a magical creaminess. The trick of this soup is to whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, beat in the egg yolks and some lemon juice, and then temper with hot stock. Tempering eggs with stock isn’t hard, but it does require constant stirring while the egg and hot stock blend; you want them to become fully incorporated without any eggy clumps—it’s basically the opposite effect of the egg drop soup.

While I’ve got some ambitious goals for myself this January, I know soups like these two will keep me warm until the snow melts. They’re a habit I’m happy to adopt in the new year, especially when they’re so easy to pull together—and easy on my wallet.

What are some of your favorite fast, light winter dinners? Tell us about them in the comments!

We’re sharing dishes that are as good as they are good for you, all made more delicious and nutritious with EB eggs. Eggland’s Best credits the extra vitamins and minerals in their eggs (like more than double the omega-3s and vitamin B12) to an all-vegetarian hen feed.

Tags:
avgolemono, egg drop soup, new year’s resolutions