A Soup for Soup Season

Hitting all the right notes

There are all kinds of soups for all seasons and reasons — chilled pea in the spring, gazpacho in the summer, Italian wedding soup for loud family events — but today I’m offering up a Soup For Now, the ultimate Soup Season soup. I had a week of serious eating, both in the city and upstate in Hudson, so I wanted something simple, decently healthy, and satisfying. I whipped up this soup and I think it hits all the requisite notes for a cozy winter meal:

• It has greens (collards)

• It has beans (chickpeas)

• It has a smoky, porcine broth thanks to a smoked ham hock (a game-changing addition to any soup)

• It has just the right amount of heat and funk, emanating from a couple of tablespoons of gochujang

• Finally, and most importantly, it’s topped with a poached egg