new year, new soup
/In the before times, I would kick off the new year with so many resolutions. Dive deep into how I’m going to better myself for the sake of growth, emotional health, world peace. Chasing that elusive self-care dragon. If I cut off my family from refined sugar in January certainly that means my kid won’t listen to “Baby Shark”. If I wake up at 5:30AM everyday and use the Peloton, deny myself a glass of wine at night, I’ll have that Rosie Assoulin dress I’ve been coveting by March. That’s how it works, right? A myriad of “self-care” resolutions that inevitably result in a return to the status quo by February because that’s how normal life works. We all do it to some degree the last few days of the year. Assess, review, make promises.
Not in 2021.
no resolutions for 2021. no diets. planning more cookies and more joy where we can grab it.
This year, for the first time, I’m not resolving anything. Not because I didn’t do a yearly self-assessment. I certainly did. In fact, I assessed so hard I cleaned the house top to bottom, reorganized the kitchen, all the things to “start fresh”. I even bought a new day-planner because this year will definitely be the year I write in one. For sure. But here’s what I realized while moving the glassware from one cabinet to another identical cabinet across the kitchen: last year was self-care. Not in the form of diets, more exercise, more reading. None of the usual suspects. In fact, we probably ate more refined sugar. But we also played more, walked more, talked to each other more. 2020 was rooted in self-care because I finally learned to accept things as they are and learned that how they are is good enough.
We just wrapped up one year of a global pandemic while rolling straight into a new year of the same. We don’t need to take on anymore. I don’t need to change a damn thing because the woman who did all that stuff last year? Mistakes, blow ups, stress spirals… she’s fine. 2020 wasn’t just a test, it was life in overdrive. Maybe I didn’t pass with flying colors but that’s OK. Getting straight A’s or a gold star doesn’t teach you anything. The real lessons come when you fall flat on your face, get up, make more coffee, and keep going. The goal is to fall forward and that’s exactly what I’ve done.
2021 is the year of saying no to resolutions. No plans for self-overhaul, definitely no new diets. I don’t want to lose weight. I don’t want to read 15 more books than last year. I don’t want to learn how to crochet. I don’t want to be influenced to think I should be better. I want to keep moving forward and to be able to find and actually appreciate joy where it pops up. We could all use more joy after the last year.
So, if you’re feeling like me and the idea of self-improvement in this moment makes you want to scream, please join me in resolving to not resolve. Instead, let’s make soup. Why soup? Because it’s calming to chop vegetables, soothing to mash tomatoes in their juices, it’s a release to bring something to a boil then down to a simmer. It’s healthy and easy and if you’ve been cooking non-stop for 10 months but still somehow have unused vegetables, this is a great way to clear out space. After all, isn’t a clean and organized fridge one of the tentpoles of a healthy self-care routine? Also, if you have a family this will be dinner and lunch for a few days and it freezes super well which is always a win.
it’s a vegetable soup
Ingredients
2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
3 carrots, same as above
1 butternut squash (you can omit if you don’t have it but I always have one sitting around this time of year)
1 large yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole tomatoes, with juices
2 .5 cups kale or spinach, rough chopped
6 cups chicken stock, veg stock, wouldn’t recommend water but… whatever.
1 rind of Parmesan, if you have it. If you have another rind of a similar cheese, add that instead. I’m not here to judge what kind of rinds you save.
2 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1 bayleaf
1 tbsp paprika
1 /4 tsp cloves
salt, pepper to taste
Directions
Using a heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven, sauté onions until translucent and aromatic.
Add garlic and stir one minute more.
Add carrots, squash, sweet potato, tomatoes. Smash the whole tomatoes with the back of your cooking utensil (wooden spoon, I’m guessing you’re using a wooden spoon).
Add some salt and pepper.
Add paprika and cloves.
Add fresh herbs.
Add stock of choice.
Drop in rind.
Bring to a boil then down to a simmer and let it go for 15-20min.
Come back, add beans and kale. Let everything cook together for another 5-10min.
Let it sit for a little bit. it’s better once all the flavors really have a chance to hang out.
Serve with some grated Parmesan or whatever cheese you like. This is not the time to stop eating cheese. This is a time to put cheese on all dishes. Dip crusty bread in it, too.
HOT TIP: Take out the fresh herbs and cheese rind before you serve it to your loved ones. There’s nothing worse than hearing, “That soup was good in theory but I got a mouth full of Parm rind and now I can’t taste anything else.”
Happy New Year!
