My strategy for staying in balance during the holiday season can be summed up in one word: soup. I always have a big batch in my refrigerator waiting to be warmed and ladled into deep bowls and eaten with crusty bread for lunch or dinner, or in smaller, mug-sized portions for a quick snack that takes the chill off the afternoon.
I cook some kind of soup almost every week of the year, but during the holidays I make a point of filling my pot with broth or tomato-based varieties that pack in as many vegetables as possible. It’s an ideal counterbalance for the rich, festive fare of the season, and it always winds up being exactly what I am craving in between parties.
This soup is among my favorites. It’s packed with colorful vegetables — carrots, onion, squash, kale, tomatoes — and has tasty bites of chicken sausage in every spoonful. The way its savory and sweet elements play off of each other, plus the bright, piney essence of fresh sage, makes it compellingly, deeply flavorful.
Make a pot of it and relish the belly-warming, comforting boost to your vegetable intake over the holidays.