This is what I make when I’m fresh out of snacks.
It’s funny: running out of snacks somehow leads me straight to soup. As a food blogger I take a lot of photos of the same dishes from slightly different angles, but when the craving for something cozy hits, soup feels perfectly normal.
Right now all I want are Rice Krispie treats. They’re one of the best snacks—definitely a snack, not a dessert, because they’re cereal. Whole-grain cereal even, so that makes them practically virtuous. If you use brown rice crispies you’re basically a health guru. And no chocolate means they’re still snacks. If you dip them in chocolate, though, we need to hang out immediately because we might be soul mates.
Small confession: when I make Rice Krispie treats I often skip the pan. My husband loves them and pressing the mixture into a dish feels unnecessary, so we sometimes eat them straight from the pot. It’s easier and a little indulgent.
But back to soup.
This past weekend I wanted snacks constantly. Weekends for me are grazing: cheese and crackers, fruit, chocolate, avocado toast, smoothies, little homemade bites and a glass of wine. I was out of crackers but had the makings for soup — and plenty of chicken (a telltale sign I wasn’t traveling) plus the butternut squash I’d been hoarding. Yes, I’ve bought way too many squash lately.
I also browned some butter and stirred it into the soup at the end. The flavor is incredible. I borrowed that trick from a favorite green lentil soup recipe I’ve been making lately. The mix of butternut squash, sweet potato, a pinch of nutmeg and the brown butter becomes deeply comforting — autumn in a bowl, perfect for chilly weather. I’m enjoying the cool days but I won’t be surprised if it’s 85 degrees again in a couple of weeks and I have a meltdown. I’ll report back when that happens.
