A big batch of soup on Sunday can provide a week of easy lunches, and you can freeze it too.Healthy soup recipes—ones with lots of vegetables and beans—can keep you satisfied longer.There are many delicious soup recipes to try, including ones requiring just four ingredients.
Two summers ago, I started doing a little bit of meal prep on Sundays, spending about 30 minutes building a salad bar for my fridge (hat tip to David Burtka for the brilliant idea). My process goes a little like this: I wash a couple of heads of lettuce and tuck them into a sealable bag with paper towels to wick away moisture. I shred beets, carrots and radishes in my food processor. Finally, I make a homemade dressing or two (my fan-favorite recipe for Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette is frequently shaken up).
It’s made assembling salads at lunchtime a cinch—and both my husband and I have dramatically increased our intake of vegetables. But when it starts snowing, we crave something warm. So when the seasons change, I swap my salad spinner for my favorite soup pot. And that, my friends, is when Soup Sunday became a thing at my house.
I’m sure we’re not the first people to do this, but, boy, is it a good idea. I make a giant batch of soup almost every Sunday afternoon. Sometimes we eat it for dinner that night, but sometimes we don’t. Since I make such a big batch, there’s always enough soup to eat for lunch for a few days. And on particularly busy nights, we might even have it for dinner. If there’s a lot still in the fridge by Thursday or Friday, I’ll tuck a jar or two in the freezer, which my future self is always grateful for.
And guess what? I make a lot of EatingWell recipes on Soup Sunday. I worked in the EatingWell Test Kitchen for more than a decade, so I’ve tried my fair share of soups and even developed a lot of the recipes myself. What I like about our soup recipes is that they frequently lean heavily on vegetables, so it feels like a good swap for our summer salad habit. Plus many of the soups are bean-based, which means we’re getting a dose of satisfying fiber midday—which helps keep us full.
Inevitably, whenever I ask my family which soup I should make, my daughter requests One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan. Even though it’s on heavy rotation (I literally make this at least twice a month), we never seem to get sick of it. If I’m scrounging around for something to make, I’ll cook up a pot of Adas bis-Silq (Lentil & Chard Soup). This recipe is from my great-aunt’s cookbook, and it’s made with just four ingredients that I usually have on hand. This weekend, I’m adding the ingredients for Aromatic Chicken & Rice Soup with Fried Garlic Oil to my shopping list. Our recipe tester said it was one of the best soups she’s ever made. I can’t wait to try it!
I understand that Soup Sunday isn’t for everyone, but if you find yourself with a little bit of extra time over the weekend, try making a big pot of soup. I promise you won’t regret it, and you might even start your own tradition.
The Bottom Line
Preparing salad ingredients over the weekend for a week of quick, easy lunches is ideal for summer. However, during colder seasons, making a large batch of soup can be more appealing and provide multiple lunches throughout the week. Choose recipes that feature a variety of nutritious vegetables and bean-based soups, as they are not only healthy but also high in fiber and filling. Our EatingWell website provides a wide selection of soup recipes that are simple to double or triple. The only challenge is deciding which one to try first!