While you’re filling the cart with what you’ll need for the big Thanksgiving hoo-haw, throw one more thing in there that I promise will bring you happiness after the madness of the holiday.

No, Mama’s not talking about an extra bottle of hooch (I’m sure you’ve already taken care of that).

You need to pick up one of those “gourmet” soup mixes that seem to be falling off the shelves of grocery stores these days.

We all know that soup is a healthy, affordable way to feed the family… and with so many leftovers after Thanksgiving, soup is an easy dinner or lunch option (particularly if you still have guests). Using a soup mix gives you an easy head start.

Back in the day, the most popular soup mix was also the one you’d use to make that sour cream-infused onion dip (oh, how I loved that onion dip. Sodium galore… mmmm).

Now, there are organic mixes, vegetarian mixes, gluten-free mixes and legume mixes. There are soup mixes that are high in fiber and low in sodium; mixes with flavors that will take you to India, Cuba or Louisiana and mixes that also give you the option of making a chowder, stew or chili.

Most of the soups come in cute packages… so make sure you read the ingredients and don’t get sidetracked and forget what you have on hand, what you’ll need to buy or any special dietary issues that the package may (or may not) address.

You’ll be souper happy you took my advice. (C’mon…it’s Thanksgiving; cut me some slack!)

One of my favorite brands is Nueva Cocina because their mixes are all natural, come in eight different varieties and have a Latino flair. All of the soup mixes have a “sofrito” base: a flavorful mixture of sautéed garlic, onion, peppers and spices… the savory foundation of most Latin dishes. Just add leftover vegetables to the Latin Lentil Soup for a meat-free, gluten-free soup… or shred some turkey and stir it into the Tortilla Soup with Cilantro mix for a dish jumping with flavor.

Frontier Soups also makes a great line of soups that are salt-free, with no MSG, trans-fats or preservatives. With 37 varieties of soups, stews, chili and chowders, they’ve done a pretty good job of replicating regional American favorites. More than 30 of their soups are gluten free… that’s a big wow. Try the Connecticut Cottage Chicken Noodle Soup… except substitute your leftover turkey for the chicken. I guess it would be Connecticut Cottage Turkey Noodle Soup… but I’m sure they won’t care.

Sierra Soups are another favorite because all of the soups have beans or lentils so it’s a complete meal. These soups are vegan, vegetarian and most are gluten-free. For added protein throw Italian sausage in Mama Sorrenti’s Minestrone Soup or let the turkey carcass hang out with Country Vegetable Soup mix for rich, homestyle goodness. What’s also cool is that all of the soups make at least 8 to 10 servings… and that’s a big deal especially for the crowds at my house during the holidays.

 

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