Soup Season

Written by Wren Jones  

As the season changes and things cool off, the darkness creeps in. An imminent third wave of the pandemic looms on the near horizon, and we’re all finding ourselves in our kitchens once again. Only this time, it's soup season! Ambrosic broth, viscous and clear, chunky stews, velvety bisques to tempt and delight your taste buds. It’s time to pull out your cauldrons and Dutch ovens and make copious amounts of soup. 

It seems simple and tends to be looked down upon, but kitchen witchery is an effective and easy tool to have in your arsenal. Why not use this time to not just increase your cooking skills, but your herbal knowledge as well? Understanding herbs and other ingredients in both their magickal and mundane aspects can lead you to surprising avenues on your path - like, consuming as much soup as you can reasonably get in your greedy little gullet. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest the fall came with wind storms and torrential rains that (specifically in my neck of the woods) have sucked all notion of warmth from the world. Generally when it gets this cold out, my secret weapon is a recipe I found three years ago in the pages of Bon Appetit, Chicken Soup with Rice and Garlicky Chili Oil. 

I’ve never been a fan of traditional chicken noodle soup, but this spin is bright and packs a punch, I can’t get enough of it. The medicinal uses of garlic are unquestioned as it’s great for cholesterol, and other aortic deposits. Garlic is also a traditional remedy to prevent and help cure the common cold. Magically though, it is useful in spells for protection, luck, as well as love. I honestly can’t express enough how much I love this soup, at the very least.

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-and-rice-soup-with-garlicky-chile-oil 

Another tried and true brew in my household is a rarity you won’t find in many places. Pan Roast. Yes, it brings up visions of meat rendering slowly over a fire, but in this case it's a seafood stew with a cream base that you can find in only a few places, most famously The Grand Central Oyster Bar in NYC. 

It brims with shrimp, oysters, crab, whatever you desire really! My first encounter with it was at a small restaurant on the Oregon coast, and it started an obsession that can only be satiated by more pan roast. This recipe doesn’t have a lot in the herbal category, but it does have a nice shot of paprika, which is super useful in boosting spellwork, when building a spell, you can add a dash of paprika to superpower your ingredients. Then there are the oysters, which are a pretty well known aphrodisiac. 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/grand-central-oyster-bars-oyster-pan-roast-5 0140086 

Khao Soi is a thai soup that probably caught your attention by name alone, because you’re a deviant and you know it. That said, its coconut milk base is creamy and gives a nice setting for noodles and the complicated flavours brought together by the spices. The recipe is a little complicated with making the paste, but what springs forth is a show stopper. There are so many herbs and spices in this soup it could be a very effective piece of spellwork with the right intentions. From the turmeric, known for purification, healing and vitality to ginger which can be used as a catalyst for spellwork. 

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-khao-soi 

If you’re feeling a little intimidated, start with something easy, Tomato soup! Is there a soul alive who doesn’t love tomato soup? Whether it's chunky and brothy, or smooth and creamy, you’re bound to like it one way or the other. It’s a great medium to play with spices to completely change its character and push your abilities. That's one of the great things about simple dishes, the ways you can challenge yourself to make it unique and amazing. 

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/creamy-tomato-soup 

Another spice heavy soup that I adore every chance I get is Tortilla soup. Now maybe you like that weird one that is like a chowder and thick, and that's nice, but if it's not brothy and almost pushing the limit with spice, I’m really not interested. Some tortilla chips crunched on top, some cheese sprinkled, with a couple of slices of avocado, and I am good to go. You will be too. 

This recipe has Cumin, Onion, Chilis, black Pepper, all of which make for effective spellwork. The cumin alone draws abundance, aids in protection, as well as love. 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/easy-chicken-tortilla-soup-with-bean-and-cheese -nachos 

When we aren’t in a pandemic, I generally live in Seattle, where the clarion call is for Pho. Its dominance is unchallenged and while I won’t say no to a bowl when I’m sick as hell, if I’m not sick as hell, there are other vietnamese dishes I’d rather have. That said, you know what asian soup I could never ever say no to? Korean Soondubu Jjigae. Never had it, you say? Picture a cast iron bowl bubbling with an aggressively red broth, pork and tofu gleaming perfectly nestled together as an egg is cracked and dropped in the middle. 

It's almost pornographic if you’ve experienced it. And I won’t tolerate your protestations of tofu. I promise if I put a bowl of this in front of you, you would finish every last drop of it, just trust me on this one. A unique ingredient in this soup is Kelp, which is useful in spells of protection, storm work, and protection from evil.

https://thewoksoflife.com/soondubu-jigae-korean-tofu-stew/ 

Now to be fair, Soondubu requires a lot of ingredients that a lot of non asian households, and specifically, non Korean householes, wouldn’t generally have on hand. So if you were to door dash this one I wouldn’t judge you. But if you DO try it out, leave a comment, and let me know how it goes. 

I’m super interested to see your experiments in soup this season! I’m going to leave you with a few more soup recipes that I am fond of, and let you sort it out for yourself. Enjoy! 

https://thewoksoflife.com/spicy-beef-noodle-soup/ 

https://www.gastrosenses.com/blog/pressure-cooker-oxtail-stew/ 

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Bongo-Bongo-Soup 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/italian-wedding-soup-recipe-1915916 https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/20-minute-zuppa-toscana-soup/