Picture Books for Little Soup Lovers (Books. Lists. Love.)

It's no small secret that I love soup.  I suspect that I'm not alone - I've noticed that my posts about the Fall Soup Party have been getting more and more hits.  So there's that to be happy about!!  (insert happy dance.)  

I myself have also started my planning for the 2014 Fall Soup Party.  You have no idea how giddy this makes me!  I want to dance and sing and blog about soup and the Fall Soup Party all the time!  I've started collecting my recipes from the recesses of my recipe box and from Pinterest boards that are all but forgotten during the summer.  I'm in the midst of trying to decide what my new soups will be this year - so many are vying for the honor:)  And I've finally decided to let go of a few that were never real crowd-pleasers.  

You may not want to hear me go on and on and on about soup and the Fall Soup Party, but I can, have, and will.  Please feel free to not read those posts.  But I assure you - they are coming.   In fact... you're already reading one.  Whoops!

The girls and I have been binge-ing on soup themed picture books from the library.  And last night we had our first soup of the season.   Hey!  What a perfectly delicous blog post, one in which I can seamlessly combine  three of my favorite things - soup, books, and lists :)

(Picture Books for Little Soup Lovers)

Soup Day, Melissa Iwai 

This book is so sweet!  A mother daughter spend a snowy day shopping for and preparing vegetable soup.  Everyone enjoys a bowl when Dad gets home!  (includes a  recipe for Snowy Day Vegetable Soup!)

Stone Soup, Marcia Brown

A classic to read over and over!

(Or we like to listen to the Jim Weiss version on Fairytale Favorites!)

   Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months, Maurice Sendak
Proof that it's actually ok to eat soup all. year. long. :)

Growing Vegetable Soup, Lois Ehlert
 "Dad says we're going to grow vegetable soup" and so they do - garden 

Making Minestrone, Stella Blackstone 
Friends work together in this rhyming recipe book!

Carrot Soup, John Segal
Poor rabbit, he worked so hard in his carrot garden, but when it's time to make carrot soup, they're all gone...

Pumpkin Soup, Helen Cooper
The friendship between Cat, Duck, and Squirrel is almost ruined when one of them wants to change the way they've always made pumpkin soup!

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Last night's tasty treat...

(Easy) Hearty Black Bean Soup
from Family Fun Magazine

- I love this soup because it's soooo simple, so quick to make, and really, really good-

1 c. salsa
2 (15.5 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 c. chicken broth or stock
1 t. lime juice (and some zest if you have it!)
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the salsa in soup pot over medium heat, stirring often, for ab out 5 minutes.  Stir in the broth and beans.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat.  Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  
Use an immersion blender or counter-top blended to puree some or all of the soup, whichever you prefer.  
Stir in lime juice and cilantro and reheat.  
Serve soup with sour cream, fresh chives, corn bread or tortilla chips.  

(This recipe makes about 4 1-cup servings.  I usually quadruple the recipe and get two meals out of it plus some leftovers for Russ to take to work.)

carbohydrate info: 1 cup = 43 carbs

Enjoy!