The temperatures may be getting colder outside but that’s certainly no reason to let the upcoming winter season get the best of you.
In fact, there’s really nothing better on a cold day or cold night than a hot bowl of soup. And when we say hot, we mean hot! A sizzling bowl of soup doesn’t just mean the actual surface temperature, but a measure of some of the hottest, super hot ingredients packed into the bowl.
Hot peppers and hot pepper products are a great addition to most soups because they can really heat you up, even when the temperature’s hovering near zero. Capsaicin, the natural chemical found in hot peppers that makes them so hot and spicy actually creates the sensation of heat, warming you up without packing on any extra layers. Not only can hot peppers make you feel hot, but it’s said they can actually induce your body to start converting energy to heat, increasing your body temperature. That’s, of course, good news if you’re looking for a way to warm up, especially as the winter season approaches.
The great news is that it’s easy to make a hot soup even hotter by adding in a dash of bottled heat.
Potato soup is even tastier when you add in an extra dose of peppers, transforming the flavor from bland to extraordinary. Many Asian-inspired soups are also extremely hot in flavor. If you find yourself with some leftover Thanksgiving turkey you could also add it to a hearty soup, mixing in some chili peppers or hot sauce to really take things up a notch. From adding a splash of heat to your tomato soup to a new take on chicken soup, feel free to use some creativity when coming up with new recipes for hot, hot soup this cold winter season.