The reason we crave “cozy” food this time of year
Plus: A cozy meatball tortellini soup to make this weekend. Because it’s COZY. WE LOVE COZY.
Working in media, it’s kind of hilarious to me how adding “cozy” to any headline this time of year is the key to getting people to click. Cozy soups, cozy crock pot meals, cozy casseroles, cozy blankets and clothes and candles and books. It’s a versatile word, sometimes overused…and yet the Internet falls for it every time.
But why? Why are we so obsessed with being cozy right now?
In my humble opinion, “cozy” has always been associated with nostalgia in some way. When I think of cozy things, I think of the things that make me feel safe and comforted. A cocoon on the couch with a good book, a cup of tea or a bowl of soup, a candle burning at the end table, a fire crackling in front of me. “Cozy” is a time for nesting, a time that brings me back to colder winter days when I would spend many weeknights and weekends doing the same exact thing in my childhood home. Even now, when I burrow onto the couch, it feels like my safest spot. Because somehow, in my head, cozy means safe. Cozy means home.
Turns out, I’m not the only one who feels this way. Our need for cozy things this time of year—including food— stems from this deep desire to experience nostalgia in some way. Consuming or experiencing something nostalgic can actually inspire introspection. Experts spoke with National Geographic about this phenomenon, stating that these “fuzzy feelings” we experience with nostalgia help us to think back to who we are, and even our purpose in life and who we want to be. That feeling of “warmness, fondness, and belonging” gives us emotional comfort while also stretching our thinking, helping us to believe that things are actually good in this world, and can get better.
Hence why people were so prone to reach for nostalgic things (including all the comfort foods) during the pandemic. A recent study published in Social Psychology and Personal Science looked at people’s craving for nostalgia during the COVID-19 pandemic—like their desire to reminisce about the “good old days” through music, sports, games, and even food—and concluded that nostalgia satisfied this deep desire people had to connect and interact in a time when those things were, well, not allowed face-to-face.
Nostalgia—and all of those “cozy” feelings—help us to connect with a time that made us feel safe, happy, and secure. It makes sense that, along with watching your favorite holiday movie, you may also want to dig in to a cozy meal. Especially if it’s a family specialty, like your mom’s noodle casserole or your grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies. It brings comfort and security when maybe things feel unsettled or stressful, and maybe even help you reorient your purpose in life.
Plus, the fall is known as a season for reflection. As the year comes to a close and we start to look toward the goals we want to achieve during the year ahead (that don’t include losing weight 😉), it makes sense that you’ll also want to spend those moments reflecting back to who you are with all of your favorite cozy foods, movies, music…you name it.
So, in the effort to keep with all things cozy, I made a meatball tortellini soup recently that I wanted to share with you. To make life even easier, I used a package of frozen Italian meatballs so you don’t have to prep them yourself. However, if you do, you could always cook up my Italian meatball recipe here and proceed with the recipe as normal.
Frozen Meatball Tortellini Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced small
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup shredded carrot, loosely packed
8 cups beef broth (could also use chicken broth)
1 package frozen Italian meatballs (~26 oz., I like Good & Gather)
1 wedge parmesan cheese, rind cut off
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
3 cups curly kale, loosely packed
1 package refrigerator tortellini (~20 oz.)
Instructions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven (I use a 6-quart), heat up your oil over medium-high heat.
Add the diced yellow onion, minced garlic, and shredded carrot. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in your beef broth, then add your frozen Italian meatballs, the rind of your parmesan cheese (yes, just the rind!), dried basil, and dried oregano. Stir together and let the broth come to a simmer.
Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and cover partially with the lid. Let the soup simmer on low for 15 minutes.
Toss in the kale, stirring until the kale has wilted and reduced in size.
Then add in the refrigerator tortellini, stirring until the tortellini is fully submersed into the soup.
Let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes, to let the flavors all come together.
Remove the parmesan rind and toss.
Serve the soup in a bowl with some freshly shredded parmesan cheese.
In case you want MOPE COZY SOUPS.
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings from Pinch of Yum: I’m still a bit shocked how easy it was to throw this one together. My husband wasn’t a huge fan; he says chicken and dumplings should be creamier, but I kind of liked this was on the brothier side. I didn’t have refrigerator biscuits so I actually made some Bisquick dough instead and dropped little biscuits at the top before sealing the Instant Pot.
Roasted Broccoli Soup with Melted Cheddar Croutons from The Original Dish: I mean nothing can beat a good ol’ broccoli cheddar from Panera, but this is a great homemade version. Do not skip on those cheddar croutons, which are basically like an open-faced grilled cheese. You’ll regret it if you do.
Sausage Potato Kale from EatingWell: It just feels a lot heartier than a minestrone or a potato soup, and I’m a sucker for any brothy soup made with sausage. Hot tip: Use hot Italian sausage for the soup to give it an extra kick.
Spicy Tomato Chickpea from The New Baguette: It’s basically an upgraded tomato soup, packed with protein and perfect for lactose-free girlies like myself. I made this with sweet potato in the past and it was divine.
A mantra to start the new week that’s a little more inspiring than “I’ll start on Monday.”
"Soup is a reminder that good things take time and patience.”
Have a good one. 😉