good soup

with a layer of parm on top

Every time I feed my husband soup, he loves it. And yet, every time I ask him if he wants soup for dinner, he says, “bleh, I don’t like soup.”

Men. But I know he’s not the only soup-averse person out there!

This is a soup for people like George who “don’t like soup.” It is PACKED with nutritious veggies, lentils, grains, and sausage, and the broth has so much flavor, from harissa, lemon, and salty, rich Parm. Most importantly: it’s just really delicious.

George was absolutely obsessed with it, but when I started telling him how nutritious it was, he was like, “I don’t need to know all of that, it’s just good soup. If you’re gonna feed me soup, don't tell me how healthy it is, too. ” So there you have it. That’s all your family needs to know. It’s just good soup.

My favorite part might be the garlicky olive oil-fried croutons and the heavy dusting of Parmesan on top. I highly recommend grating the Parmesan tableside, and watching your family’s faces light up when you just keep adding MORE AND MORE PARM.

You know when you’re at a nice Italian restaurant and the server brings the Parm to the table and says, “tell me when!”? I always have this moment where I’m like, *do I have to say “when” now? I want more Parm, but is it socially acceptable to ask this server to cover my pasta in so much Parmesan that it’s not even visible beneath the cheesy layer?* Inevitably, begrudgingly, I say “when…”

Well, we’re not saying “when” here. We’re letting it RAIN, y’all. Not just because we love cheese, but also because it balances the soup perfectly — the broth is a bit spicy from the harissa and has a slight tang from the lemon, and the layer of Parm is the perfect salty fatty balance. Don’t skimp on the Parm! (DF folks: there are of course, lots of sub ideas that rock for you!)

Better Than Bouillon is one of those “not chef-y” ingredients that I’ve always been embarrassed to love. But I’m officially leaning into unapologetic convenience in 2023, and it’s time to give BTB the love it deserves. I ain’t got time for homemade chicken stock right now.

I think BTB really failed itself in its branding. Yes, it can serve as a bouillon — when combined with water (like we’re doing here) it creates a delicious broth. But it’s so much more than that. It’s basically ground meat, vegetables, and spices condensed into a paste, and it is a total flavor bomb. If you ever make a stir fry, soup, chili, pasta, casserole, etc and it’s lacking flavor — try stirring in a small amount (it’s VERY flavorful) of BTB to wake it up.

I keep a jar of beef, chicken, and vegetable BTB in my fridge/pantry at ALL times. If you don’t already, I think you will too after trying this recipe!

Another flavor bomb ingredient of note: Harissa! It’s a chili pepper paste native to Northern Africa that’s full of amazing herbs and spices. You’re looking for a mild harissa paste like this one. If spicy harissa is all you have or can find, cut back on the amount — I’d use between half and one tablespoon.

---

good soup

Serves 6-8

Cook time: 1.5 hours (~20 minutes active, 1 hour inactive)