🥣 Dump Out That Water… It's BROTH Season 🦴

Broth and bouillon sound like they should be distant French cousins who only see each other at weddings, but they’re actually just two ways of getting deep, savory flavor into your life without chopping an onion at 9pm. Broth is typically made by simmering bones, vegetables, and aromatics in water for hours, extracting collagen, minerals, and flavor like a long, slow… let's say "hug". Bouillon, on the other hand, is the shortcut artist: dehydrated broth concentrates, cubes, pastes, or powders that dissolve into hot water faster than your resolve on a rainy Bay Area evening. Fun fact: the word bouillon literally means “to boil,” which is fitting, because that’s basically the only instruction it needs. 🫖

So when do you use which? Use broth when you want body, richness, and that silky mouthfeel that makes soup feel like a warm blanket for your soul. It’s perfect for sipping, ramen upgrades, or pretending you’re doing a cleanse while actually just drinking liquid flavor. Bouillon shines when you need control and convenience: dialing in salt levels, boosting flavor in grains, beans, sauces, or even sneaking depth into a Tuesday night risotto without committing to a stockpot situation. Pro tip most people don’t know: a pinch of bouillon in tomato sauce, mashed potatoes, or sautéed greens can replace salt and add umami… it's basically MSG’s charming, organic cousin.

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And yes, Ava’s really does have the best organic versions of both, because we are morally incapable of stocking anything bad. Our broths are made from real ingredients you can pronounce, not “chicken-adjacent essence,” and our bouillons are thoughtfully sourced, organic, and balanced: not salt bricks in disguise. Extra nerdy cooking tip: freeze broth in ice cube trays for instant flavor bombs, use warm broth instead of water when making rice or quinoa (life-changing), or deglaze a pan with broth instead of wine when you’re feeling virtuous… or just out of wine because, you know, Dry January and all. 🍷

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🥣 Soups for the Lazy Busy… 🥫

Some weeks you are a home-simmering, ladle-wielding hero. Other weeks you are a human who just needs soup immediately. We respect both versions of you. That’s why Ava’s is fully stocked with organic, ready-made soups that require nothing more than opening a lid, pouring into a bowl, and staring aggressively at the microwave while it counts down in slow motion, like it’s personally mocking you. From Tomato Basil (comfort food on steroids) to Butternut Squash (sweet, cozy, and vaguely autumnal even in July), these are soups for people who want nourishment without emotional labor. 🍅🎃

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And then there are the thicker, heartier, “this is basically a meal” soups. We’re talking Amy’s Thai Coconut, which somehow tastes like you planned your life better than you did, Bar Harbor Clam Chowder, which brings big coastal energy to landlocked Mountain View, and Rao’s Chicken & Gnocchi—yes, gnocchi, those delightful little potato pillows that feel illegal to eat anywhere but a sit-down Italian restaurant. 🇮🇹

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Now for the pro tips you did not ask for but absolutely deserve. First: add acid, not salt. A tiny splash of lemon juice, vinegar, or pickle brine (yes!) wakes soup up like a caffeine hit for liquids. Second, a microwave hack: heat halfway, stir, then finish. This reduces “lava edges, ice-cold center,” a problem science refuses to fully solve. Third: drop in a Parmesan rind while reheating (if you have one lurking in your fridge like a forgotten artifact). It melts flavor into the soup and makes it taste like you own a wooden spoon collection. Fun fact: your brain associates acidity and fat with “freshly made,” even if the soup came from a box and your soul knows the truth.

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Now some thick tips: use thick soups as sauces. Thai Coconut over rice? Chicken & Gnocchi poured onto toast? Chowder over roasted potatoes? Congratulations, you are now a food influencer. Or swirl in a spoonful of yogurt, sour cream, or coconut cream and suddenly it’s “creamy” instead of “I am tired.” Some nights are for simmering. Other nights are for microwaves, bowls, and survival in style. 🍲

🍜 Alex's Special Recipe: Pastina!

Pastina is what happens when pasta decides to become a hug—and this one is Alex’s special recipe. For anyone new around here: Alex is one of the wonderful humans who works at Ava’s, and clearly also someone who understands emotional triage via tiny pasta. Pastina is often the first food Italian kids eat and the last thing adults crave when they’re sick, exhausted, or staring into the fridge like it's a Nietzschean abyss somehow staring right back. The good news is that Ava’s has everything you need, and the recipe itself is aggressively simple. ⭐

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Here’s Alex’s extremely simple method: simmer 1 cup pastina in 4 cups organic broth until it’s soft and cozy. Turn off the heat, add a scoop of butter or olive oil, then stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano until it melts into creamy perfection. Optional but encouraged: stir in an egg while it’s hot for that silky, comforting magic, or add a splash of milk for full “someone is taking care of me” energy. Fun fact: pastina thickens as it cools, so if it looks a little loose at first, give it a moment… it’s doing important work.

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Pro tip: pastina isn’t just sick-day food! Add black pepper and lemon zest and it’s suddenly refined. Swirl in pesto or a spoon of tomato sauce and it becomes dinner. Eat it quietly and feel your shoulders drop two inches. And when that warm hug spreads from the inside of your body, know that it’s coming from Alex at Ava’s, via tiny pasta, good broth, and some extremely sincere comfort. 🍲

🍷 Check Out Our New NA Section! 🍹

Big news at Ava’s! We’ve officially created a dedicated non-alcoholic wine, spritz, and spirits section, all together, right at the end of the wine aisle… because wandering around awkwardly reading labels is so 2025. Whether you’re Dry January’ing, Dry Living It, or just shopping for that friend who also deserves to be holding a fancy glass, this is your spot. We’re talking a shockingly large selection of NA wines, bubbly spritzes, and spirits that actually taste like grown-up beverages (not juice in a cheap tuxedo). Same ritual, same mouthfeel (somehow that's a word), with zero regrets. Come check it out, and enjoy feeling hydrated and smug. 🍷✨