Ina Garten Eats This Whenever She Has a Bad Day

Ina Garten is truly a gift. From her trusted holiday menus and personal favorites to her calming presence on Barefoot Contessa and in social media videos, she has always been there for us. She’s the one who reassures us that “store-bought is fine,” and marvels when something comes together quickly with an enthusiastic “How easy is that?”

I recently listened to Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When The Luck Happens, and it was a phenomenally enjoyable experience. Hearing her narrate her own life story and guiding philosophy is so soothing. I think it’s probably one of my favorite celebrity memoirs!

If there’s one thing Ina knows, it’s how to make people feel comfortable. And if I was having a bad day, I bet she’d whip up this ultimate comfort meal for me.

What is Ina Garten’s favorite comfort food?

A great thing about Ina is that she shares her favorite recipes freely. We know her favorite dessert (French apple tart), her favorite side dish (farro salad), and we even know her preferred knife brand. So when she was asked what her go-to comfort meal was on an episode of TODAY, she had her answer ready. “I love butternut squash and apple soup,” she said. Apparently, it was a best-selling meal at her brick-and-mortar Barefoot Contessa store in the Hamptons. Butternut squash soup is absolutely elite, and I’m glad Ina Garten thinks so too.

According to Ina, what really makes this soup sing is the addition of apple cider vinegar and curry powder. The apple cider vinegar is added in at the end, once you’ve removed the soup from heat. You can add as much or as little as you’d like to bring the soup to life with its sweet apple flavor. And the curry powder, of course, adds great warmth and depth of flavor.

I’m definitely tucking this recipe away for my next rainy day. I think it will pair nicely with crusty bread and a glass of wine, but you could go all-out and pair it with the best ever grilled cheese sandwich or even butternut squash mac and cheese. However you enjoy it, make sure it’s with re-runs of Barefoot Contessa!

Related:

• This Is Why Ina Garten Only Uses Extra-Large Eggs
• This Is the One Ingredient Ina Garten Will Never Use in a Recipe
• We Made Ina Garten’s Lemon Capellini—and It’s Her Absolute Best Weeknight Dinner