These seasonal soups will soothe the soul

Daily Emerald

Dreading winter quarter’s dreary, gray arrival? The 8 a.m. classes you’d kill to sleep through and even the noon ones? Even the closest dorm foods seem far come frosty February mornings. Downtown lunch strolls, outdoor dinner seating and morning cafe stops before class: These are a few of our favorite things! But for now, baby it’s cold outside.
Pick up a thermos, or even repurpose an insulated to-go coffee mug, and sip your cold-shaken soul soothed on your morning walk to class this quarter with these tasty homemade soups:
Garlic Baby Bok Choy Soup

1 cup water
1 cup vegetable broth, low-sodium if preferred
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt, more to taste
1 tsp grated ginger
1 lb fresh bok choy (currently seasonally available at most grocery store chains)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thinly
-Trim ends off of bok choy. Slice the white parts into quarter-inch pieces and transfer them to a bowl. Chop the green parts into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer them into a separate bowl.
-Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add white parts of the bok choy and sauté two minutes, stirring occasionally. Add green parts of the bok choy and the garlic and cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
-Add the stock, water and ginger; bring to a simmer.
-Add the lemon juice and sea salt. Enjoy.
Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
1 cup wild rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme, or fresh finely chopped
3/4 flour
8 cups chicken or mushroom stock
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

-Cook wild rice in 4 cups of water for 45 minutes or until it fluffs up. Drain any remaining liquid. Set aside.-In a large pot, add vegetable oil. Sauté onions, carrots and celery until softened, about 3 minutes. Add dried thyme and all-purpose flour. Cook and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes.-Pour in stock. Bring to a boil.-Add mushrooms and salt and pepper. Reduce heat and allow soup to simmer for 10 minutes.-Add cooked wild rice and pour in half-and-half. Bring soup back up to a boil and allow it to heat through, about five minutes.-Turn off heat. Stir in chopped parsley. Soup will thicken as it cools. Enjoy.
Classic Chicken Noodle
2 tbs olive oil2 onions, chopped3 carrots, sliced3 celery stalks, chopped4 chicken breasts2 quarts chicken broth1 quart cold water4 sprigs of fresh parsley, finely chopped1 tsp dried thyme, or fresh finely chopped2 cups egg noodlessalt and pepper
-Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes.-Add thawed chicken breasts and broth to pot. Add water until about 2 inches over ingredients. Bring to a boil.-Add parsley and thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2 hours, until chicken is fully cooked and tender.-Add egg noodles and at medium-high heat cook until done, about 10 minutes.-Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy.