During the chilly days of winter, National Soup Month in January offers some warm respite.

Soup is a dish that has taken countless shapes since record of the first bowl was in 20,000 B.C., with cultures around the world adapting over 250 varieties today. A perfect dish for this time of year, soup is a simple dish that only requires broth and vegetables, fish, meat or grains of choice.

As locally grown sweet potatoes are available now in Virginia, soup offers an alternative for cooking them. Learn how to whip up a creamy Curried Sweet Potato Soup prepared by Chef Tammy Brawley on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program. Find locally grown sweet potatoes nearest you by visiting the Virginia Grown website.

Or celebrate the versatility of soup with recipes inspired by cultures around the world, like this Beefy French Onion Soup and Chinese Egg Drop Soup. These classics require just a few staple ingredients, and pack warmth, heartiness and bold flavor.


Beefy French Onion Soup

1 pound ground beef
2 cans (10 ½ ounces each) condensed French onion soup
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices French bread, cut 1ʺ thick

Heat large saucepan or nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add beef, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4 ʺ crumbles and stirring occasionally until beef reaches an internal temperature of 160°.

Remove from the saucepan with a slotted spoon, and pour off the drippings. Return the beef to the saucepan.

Add soup and the water specified in the soup directions. Stir in thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

Cut the cheese to fit the bread slices and top the bread with the cheese. Place the bread slices on a rack in a broiler pan so the surface of the bread is 3-4ʺ from the heat. Broil 1 to 2 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Evenly ladle the soup into bowls, and top each bowl with one bread slice.

—Recipe adapted by Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.


Chinese Egg Drop Soup

½ cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cans chicken broth
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon turmeric
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 green onion, thinly sliced diagonally

In a medium saucepan, stir together water and cornstarch until well blended.

Add broth, soy sauce, pepper and turmeric.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the broth is boiling and slightly thickened. Reduce heat to simmering.

In a small bowl, beat together eggs and sesame oil.

While stirring the soup, slowly pour in the eggs, which will separate into fine threads. Immediately remove from the heat. Adjust seasonings, if desired.

Sprinkle with green onions, and ladle into deep soup bowls.

Tip: Slivered carrots and small cooked chicken pieces can be added for a richer soup.

—Recipe adapted by the Virginia Egg Council