Soup and Salad with a Substance

Fall is upon us, and I can feel a slight shift in the breeze near our coast. With the evenings becoming a little less heated, let's move the heat into the kitchen shall we? Let's talk soup...and maybe a little salad to keep things cool.

Soup & Salad: The Perfect Fall Lunch Combo

I was never much more than a chicken noodle soup girl until I had kids and realized how fast and easy it is, and how many options there are to sneak veggies in. It's a great meal on busy nights when activities make dinnertime rushed. But let's face it...sometimes soup doesn't feel like enough. At least if you're me because I'm a girl who likes to eat carbs (i.e. the croutons below with a side of soup).

Homemade Croutons Make All the Diffeence. Nom Nom

Today I'm not making soup from scratch. But I am telling you my favorite way dress it up. Enter a quick, easy salad and homemade croutons you can make in 10 minutes or well ahead of time for days like this (they keep well in the freezer). Plus you still get the convenience of the can of soup.

Like I said...Homemade Croutons make all the difference!

It's how my mom taught me to make the croutons alongside her in the kitchen over half my life ago. So, to my dear friend Kathryn (who I'm pretty sure liked these croutons growing up more than she liked hanging out with me lol), here's the golden recipe. ;) It's so easy, y'all!

Soup:

Wolfgang Puck's Organic Minestrone (pictured)

Salad:

Romaine or Mixed Greens lettuce cleaned, drained, cut

Parmesan Cheese

Homemade Croutons:

Baguette or any extra bread you want to use before it expires. I've used it all.

3-4 cloves garlic

Salt & Pepper to taste

Butter/olive oil (butter will help them brown better. I use a combo of both)

Chopped herbs to your liking (optional)

Parmesan or Romano cheese (optional)

Cut bread into desired sized cubes for croutons. Heat pan to medium on stove. Pour some olive oil and butter into pan to coat. Add garlic and sauté on medium heat until you smell the aroma of garlic, and before you smell the aroma of burned garlic (hey, I'm not a professional chef here, lovelies). Before garlic browns, add bread to pan and stir to coat bread with butter/olive oil. Add a little more butter/olive oil if necessary throughout cooking process. Add salt/pepper and chopped herbs. Turn heat to low and stir every so often to turn the croutons and brown most sides. Add cheese and stir if desired. Finished croutons will be slightly browned and crunchy. Enjoy!

*Storage Tip: If you want to use croutons at a later date, allow to cool to room temperature and store in a freezer safe bag or container in the freezer for later use. They work great if smashed for breadcrumbs as well!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

-Kelly :)