Mazen was given this book by his teachers last Christmas, and it’s a cozy bedtime read! The story is about a little girl who helps her mom make a vegetable soup on a snowy winter day. At the end of the book there is a simple soup recipe. Every time I read it I get a strong craving for a brothy vegetable soup!
No, I didn’t adopt a little girl. That’s Sylvia, Mazen’s best friend. She was over for a play date and I thought it would be fun if they helped me make the soup like the girl does in the book. All Mazen wanted to do was play fort, but Sylvia was into it!
VIDEOS
We read the book together and got started.
She was excited for me to take her picture while she washed the veggies just like the girl in the story. Maybe I should swap kids with Sarah for a few days! : )
I got her set up with the zucchini and a dull knife to do some slicing. She went very slowly but eventually got through all four zucchini! When Mazen came in to see what we were up to, Sylvia said to him: “I can’t play now, sweetie, I’m cooking.” LOL – I wonder where she learned that!
Mazen had a change of heart and joined us for a while, but then he got bored and went back to Batman games.
100% kiddo chopped!
Meanwhile, I was grown-up chopping everything else with a very sharp chef’s knife.
Sylvia went off to play while I did the hot parts in the big pot.
They were both excited to try the soup and suggested I light a candle and dim the lights for their dinner. (Hence the awful photo color – it was dark in there!) I topped their bowls with cheese, but they both did a great job trying all of the vegetables. The red peppers were the biggest hit and the mushrooms were left in the bowl, sadly.
Thomas and I had bowls of our own later on. We topped them with pita chips and sour cream!
I don’t think I’m permitted to publish the recipe, but it was a simple broth with lots of fresh vegetables and pasta stirred in. Very similar to this minestrone of mine from years back!
What’s your favorite soup recipe? I want to make one a week all winter!
Lovely kids
http://www.foodiespirit.com/2017/11/29/fudgy-chocolate-cake/
My 4 year old was making cookie dough with me last night. I love working with her in the kitchen!
I made this soup last night, with the addition of a tablespoon of roasted chili paste and it was sooooooo good. https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1438666
Omg that comment by Sylvia made me crack up hahahah!!! Too darn cute— kids are the best!
The book looks so fun to read! Anything to get the kids cooking, hehe! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thats such a sweet activity to do together!
This is amazing. Not the healthiest ever but so delicious! I use veggie broth since I’m a vegetarian. If you like dill pickles you will love it! https://noblepig.com/2013/03/dill-pickle-soup/
oh man – I would never dream of a pickle soup! I love dill though, so it sounds kind of appealing!
Honestly you need to try it. It’s incredibly good (but filling!!)
And Sylvia has a similar hair style to the little girl in the story! Great cooks, both of them!
I made an amazing roasted tomato soup at the end of summer with a grilled cheese sandwich I saw on The Mind of A Chef. Who knew that mayo takes grilled cheese to another.
I do want to make a winter root veggie soup soon.
Maybe even a good mushroom broth based ramen
The photography is here stunning, Kath! and getting kids involved in the kitchen makes them appreciate the foods they eat so much more.
Thanks!
Making soup together looks like so much fun, and I LOVEEE veggie packed soups with chips and cheese.
My 10-year old keeps begging me to make corn chowder. I always know when she’s coming down with a cold, as that’s when she asks if we can make homemade chicken noodle soup!
I make these two soup recipes all the time:
https://bluecottonmemory.wordpress.com/2009/09/17/swine-flu-soup/
https://ourbestbites.com/2012/01/italian-potato-sausage-soup/
They’re always a big hit with my husband….and sometimes my 2-year-old will eat some too!
Awesome!
Sylvie’s comment made me lol. Here’s a soup that I make quite a bit…
http://chefmaribeth.com/creamy-butternut-squash-soup/
My blog needs a little TLC 🙂
Love your header font! And the soup looks great.
Two recent favorites made in my Instant Pot are Avgolemono (Greek lemon rice soup) and also Bean & Bacon Soup. So good! I really love almost all soups. I live in Michigan and the winters are so long, so we eat a lot of it!
How sweet! Sylvia is so cute. That comment to Mazen is hilarious. I think my favorite soup is sometimes just a throw together based on what we have on hand. Those can be the most fun. Just take cooked vegetables, protein, broth, and seasonings and simmer until nice and combined. 🙂
FYI if you go to the book on Amazon and “Look Inside!” the book, you can find the recipe! 🙂
Good hack!!
As a licensed personal chef, I say try to teach ALL kids basic knife skills. Giving kids “dull knives” to work with is also a poor decision. A small, good quality utility or paring knife for small jobs is preferable over an 8 inch dull bladed chef’ s knife. Knife tip always on the board, fingers curled UNDER. When the knife is in the child’s hand, they need to be told to keep the knife on the table, do not wave it around. Knives are important tools, not toys.
This was just a butter knife, and I’m not quite ready to give them sharp adult ones, but a good kids knife set would be a good Christmas gift
I love soup so much! I have an entire Pinterest board called “Soup Addict” – yum!
Our favorite soup at the moment is: https://damndelicious.net/2017/01/18/detox-chicken-soup/
The mushrooms make the broth exceptionally rich and delicious. Even my 6 year old, non mushroom eating, son gobbles it up!
What a fun idea! When my kids were young I read them The Little Red Hen and then we made bread, similar idea!
Sylvia is so grown-up working in the kitchen. And that comment to her “sweetie” that she was busy cooking and couldn’t play. Adorable.
Okay, that soup looks healthy but where’s the beef?
Ha!
My favorite (and easiest) is Crockpot Minestrone Soup. I always double the spinach and enjoy with parmesan cheese!!
http://littlespicejar.com/homemade-minestrone-soup-slow-cooker/
Soup is such a great way to inject lots of veg in to kids diets! We love soup and make it all the time in winter. My Favourites are cauliflower and cannellini beans (served with lots of fresh black pepper and blue cheese crumbled on top) broccoli Florentine and vegetarian ham and split pea soup…smoked paprika replaces the ham but packs in so much flavour! So filling and warming for winter!
Love the idea of blue cheese on top!
Hi Kath! I’m catching up on all your recent posts!
I don’t really use a recipe, but I make a kale, italian (turkey/chicken) sausage and cannellini bean soup all fall and winter long that is SO GOOD. Sometimes I add diced tomatoes for a little zip. I always finish with some lemon juice and parm. I love that the cannellinis give you that starchy comfort so you don’t have to add pasta or other carb. I’m all about cannellinis!! This is a pretty close approximation to what I do, thought I use fresh sausage – brown it in skillet, deglaze with a bit of white wine or stock, then build my soup vegetable base from there: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/kale-and-white-bean-soup-106153
Bon apetit & Merry Christmas!!!!
Melanie
Sounds delicious!