February 4th is exactly the day to warm up with soup, in honor of National Homemade Soup Day. Soup is one of the dishes that provide a rich base of flavor and history.
Before the era of modern transportation, soup was a product of foods available in the area. For this reason there are now thousands of soup recipes. Every region in the world has its own soups.
For example, Polish and Russian cuisine produce beetroot soups (borscht), potatoes and grove mushrooms - vegetables that were available and could be picked in the area. Fish soups can be found in areas close to the sea. In Andalusia, Spain, the gazpacho soup was very popular, consisting of simple ingredients that were found in the area: dry bread, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar. After Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 he brought with him to Spain the tomato and pepper and they became an integral part of the soup.
Many soups also offer medicinal properties. What was once considered a grandma's story, chicken soup, is now backed by the scientific community. Chicken soup helps relieve cold symptoms. Scientists believe that a soup bowl may reduce pneumonia because it slows down the activity of the white blood cells that cause inflammation. They could not pinpoint the exact ingredients that help fight inflammation, and could be a question mostly of vegetables. (source)
But that's not all that homemade soup does. Every cook knows the most important ingredient that goes into any boiling soup pot. They keep the ingredient in the place where it does the best job. While they work, they season the soup wholeheartedly and give it the right amount of love every time. Whether they add noodles or vegetables, spinach or cream to the soup, every cook knows that what matters is the love he puts into the soup. That is why homemade soup is the best cure.
Homemade soup is easy to prepare. You can put everything you like and find in the house and it almost always comes out delicious. You can add soup almonds, noodles or all kinds of snacks (but then it will be a little less healthy). Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, gluten sensitive or anything else, you can always find a soup that suits you. Besides, homemade soup is one of the most delicious, comforting and fun foods there is - anyone want to argue about that?
How to celebrate Homemade Soup Day?
Tell us about your favorite homemade soup. Share a recipe or memory. Gather the family or friends to eat soup together or if this is not possible, sit down alone with comforting soup, inhale the fumes that come out of it and bring up memories.
February 4 is also World Cancer Day, Facebook's Birthday and Sri Lanka's Independence Day
