Cooking for One: 3 Cup of Soup Recipes

It's all in the recipe. But just one cup of soup? It's a great concept in theory, but one wonders (if you're not Campbell's) whether it's feasible to make a single serving of hearty homemade soup and if it's worth the cooking time? So at the request of our readers, SingleEdition.com decided to test out some recipes. The results? Taste for yourself. These super one cup soup recipes for Fall are simple to prepare and delicious.

The easiest way to puree a soup is to do it with an immersion blender. It's quicker and you can do it straight from the pot so there is less clean up.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons butter
¼ small onion, chopped
1 cup diced butternut squash
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons cream

Instructions
1. In a small pot, cook the onions and squash in butter until the squash is lightly browned.
2. Add the chicken stock, garlic powder and nutmeg to the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and then simmer 10-15 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
4. Puree the soup. (The easiest way to do this is with an immersion blender, it's quicker and you don't have to clean up a blender.)
5. Pour the butternut squash soup into a bowl or giant mug and swirl in the cream!


One Cup Potato & Cheese Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/3 teaspoon fresh garlic, chopped
2/3 cup peeled, diced potatoes
1 ½ cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions
1. In a saucepan, saute the onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil over moderately low heat, until the onion is soft but not brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in chicken stock, potatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Stir in cheese, heating just until melted--do not boil. Adjust seasoning to taste by adding more salt, if desired.


One Cup Parsnip Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 scallion diced, white part only
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/8- inch slices
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chicken broth

Instructions
1. Cook the onion, garlic, scallion, celery, and thyme in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened.
2. Add the parsnips, nutmeg and the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
3. Puree the soup in a blender and return to the pan.