Soup That Soothes the Soul
Student sampling soup made from ingredients they grew.
Each morning in the month of October, when my fellow garden manager Henry and I arrive at work, we immediately light the stove and put on that day’s vat of soup. These fall mornings are usually crisp, even if temps will be in the 80’s later that day. As I write this, we have soup heating to serve 75 children.
Soup is welcomed by all, especially me.
We all have routines that help keep us comfortable and regulated, whether that be going to the gym in the morning, walking the dog at sunset, or even taco Tuesdays! A part of mine has always been soup, every day. A quick can of soup between school and sports practice as a kid turned into a fulfilling meal I could rely on as an adult.
The more I work with kids and their relationship to food, the better I understand my own. Soup is my comfort food, a part of my daily rituals, and a love I now share with most elementary schoolers in Missoula. This soup is made from vegetables grown in their school gardens and served to the very kids who helped plant them in the spring. Our fall soup lesson is a celebration of sorts, with those who made it all possible.
Soup soothes the soul in the way that it warms you from the inside out. It fills your belly. Our soup isn’t anything special on paper, but it becomes something magical when served in the garden. Students have offered to turn the garden into a soup restaurant, exclaimed that we need to serve it in the cafeteria every day, and even praised it over their family’s own beloved soup recipes.
Watching kids build a strong and healthy relationship with food, especially with sometimes-tricky foods like veggies, gives me a strong sense of joy and hope. When it’s time to pack up and leave, our students are frantically asking for the recipe, sometimes even scrambling for a piece of paper to write it down. Once we’ve assured them that the recipe is coming their way, I always like to add that this recipe is just a base, and encourage them to make it their own with unlimited additions. Each of us has a unique relationship with food. This recipe gives students permission to develop that relationship and build meal autonomy.
Lyris serving the famous Harvest Soup on a chilly October morning at Jeanette Rankin Elementary School.
As my day comes to a close, I grab my purple Dutch oven — my designated soup pot — and heat it up, beginning my process, my ritual, my comfort: a pot of soup. I start thinking of all the silly stories and all of the sweet faces I met today, wondering who else might be heating up the stove in anticipation of a warm bowl of soul-soothing soup.
Here’s the recipe — but remember, it is just a base. Add your own twist to make it your own.
Harvest Soup!!
Ingredients
Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken Base
Carrots
Winter squash (any variety will work!)
Potatoes
Onions
Kale
Salt to your liking
Instructions
Chop your veggies into bite-sized pieces, ideally about the same size. Add equal parts of each veggie (as much as you like) to 4 cups of water (more or less depending on preference). Add bouillon (1 tsp per cup of water). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until veggies are tender. Add salt. Enjoy!