Let’s admit it: getting through January can feel like a bit of a slog. You’re trying to get into your newly resolved routines, your kids are protesting theirs, and there just don’t seem to be enough minutes on a dark winter day to get everything done. January is the month that dinner could use a little help. January, in other words, is the perfect month for soup and salad.

Soup is forgiving; it’s versatile; you can make it with ingredients you already have; it uses up all your leftovers; and on the days when your schedule’s packed, soup is the easiest thing to pull out of the freezer or pop into the slow cooker. To pull it together into a fresh-tasting dinner, pair it with a classic salad. Both soup and salad are great starter meals for kids to help with—they can wash and prep vegetables, and with a little coaching, even slice them up for you. To get you inspired, we’ve rounded up our best parent-sourced recipes this month, along with some can’t-fail suggestions from our favourite food bloggers.

Soups:
Soup can easily be a one-pot meal when you bump it up with an affordable protein like legumes. Try a hearty soup like this Potato, Turnip, Kale and White Bean Soup or this Roasted Root Vegetable Soup. And, for a meal that’ll give everyone an energy boost, try this lentil and chickpea dahl. Soup is also an especially smart choice when you’re feeling run-down: for a meal that will comfort even the worst colds, we love this easy chicken soup or this Mexican Lime Soup. And, on the nights when you’re really pressed for time, this beautifully green zucchini soup can be ready in about 5 minutes. Still feel like you’re in a soup rut? Try this brilliant list of soup ideas or check out all the soups other parents have contributed to our site here.

Salads:
Nothing fights the January blues like a bright burst of green, and this easy kale salad puts leafy goodness front and centre.  Warm curried chickpea and green bean salad is deliciously spicy, and fun for kids to toss in a pan. And for nights when you’ve got nothing green in the house, this citrusy apple and carrot salad is easy to grate and serve. For more salads and sides, you can find our community’s favourites here. 

What’s your family’s go-to soup and salad combo? Tell us about it - we’d love to see your photos and recipes on our Facebook Page!