A co-worker asked on a recent meeting as an icebreaker question ‘what’s saving your life right now?’ My response was a good book. The more I thought about it though, soup should have been my answer. I’m in a real rut of meal planning right now. The thought of having to think about what to cook my family for supper makes my head hurt. Soup to the rescue! My family loves soup and I’m grateful for that. Here’s what I love about soup.

1. It’s easy to make and can often be made in the slow cooker.
2. It can be a complete meal when using 3-4 food groups.
3. There are so many options from those with meat to vegetarian.
4. It works well to make ahead and freeze for when you need a quick meal.
5. It makes great leftovers, which means another meal I don’t have to think about making😊.

Chili is a go-to at our house. I like that I can put it in the slow cooker and it is ready when we get home from work and school. Some of our favorite Spend Smart. Eat Smart. recipes include Mexican Chicken Soup, Pasta Fagioli Soup, Autumn Soup, White Chili and Winter Black Bean Soup.

Another reason I like soup is that you can be creative and make your own recipe using what you have on hand, which helps to use up leftovers. The University of Maine Extension has a guide for making your own soup.

If you’re not sure what to have for supper tonight, I’d suggest soup!