Quick, Cozy Soups That Taste Like They Simmered All Day

Hi, Five Weeknight Dishers. It’s Krysten, former editor of this very newsletter, stepping in for Emily this week.

If we are what we eat, then I’m about 20 percent coffee and 80 percent soup — especially in winter. But the problem with soup is that you have to play the long game: It takes time to develop flavor, and broths require patience to become their best selves, and for their ingredients to soften and break down.

So when you do find that rare bird — a quick soup with loads of flavor — you’ll keep it around forever. See: Melissa Clark’s red lentil soup, Sarah Copeland’s take on Italian wedding soup and Sue Li’s brilliant lemony shrimp and white bean stew. I’ve featured a couple of quick soups below, as well as some easy winter dinners that hit on those cozy spoon food notes. Because sometimes it’s good to leave your comfort zone.

1. Chicken and Rice Soup

It doesn’t take long for rice to simmer into something almost like porridge, and Ali Slagle puts that knowledge to great use in this soup, which turns rib-sticking thick in about 40 minutes. The end result is equal parts familiar (from the chicken and rice combo) and bright (from the celery and tangy lemon).

View this recipe.