During those cold winter days, hot fluids are the best ways to keep you warm. Whether we are talking about a hot cup of tea, a big mug of hot chocolate or a bowl of delicious soup, hot is the way to go. Since today we are focusing on delicious soups, here are ten soups recipes that will keep you warm in the winter. If you are just working your way into the kitchen, before you start, make sure you read this useful cooking tips.
1. Homemade Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is, of course, our number one choice for hot soups that comfort you on cold days. And this recipes guarantees you will get the perfect combo.
Ingredients for ten servings:
- 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
- 4 carrots, halved
- 4 stalks celery, halved
- 1 large onion, halved
- water to cover
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (optional)
Preparation:
Put the chicken, carrots, celery and onion in a large soup pot and cover with cold water. Heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken meat falls off of the bones (skim off foam every so often). Take everything out of the pot. Strain the broth. Pick the meat off of the bones and chop the carrots, celery and onion. Season the broth with salt, pepper and chicken bouillon to taste, if desired. Return the chicken, carrots, celery and onion to the pot, stir together and serve.
2. Cream of Mushroom Soup
We cannot talk about delicious winter soups without including this awesome recipe for cream mushroom soup. Easy to prepare and enjoy.
Ingredients for four servings:
- 1 pound regular white mushrooms, cleaned, quartered or sliced
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp minced shallots
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
- Minced parsley for garnish
Preparation:
In a food processor, coarsely chop mushrooms and lemon juice. Melt butter in (4-5 quart) sauce pan and lightly sauté shallots on medium heat. Add mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf, sauté over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid that is released from the mushrooms disappears. Add salt, pepper, cream and chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add cornstarch and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Correct seasoning and add more lemon juice to taste. Serve sprinkled with a little parsley.
3. French Onion Soup
This French delicacy is simply amazing. You wouldn’t think there would be so much flavor in onions, but there is. And plenty of it.
Ingredients for four-six servings:
- 6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced root to stem (see How to Slice an Onion)
- Olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups of beef stock, chicken stock, or a combination of the two (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock)
- 1/2 cup of dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon of dry thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 8 slices of toasted French bread
- 1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere with a little grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes. Add the sugar about ten minutes into the process to help with the carmelization. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.
4. Portuguese Cabbage Soup
Also called Caldo Verde, this traditional Portuguese dish spiced with chorizo is the perfect meal to keep you warm.
Ingredients for one large pot:
- 2 fat onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 60ml/2¼fl oz olive oil
- 1 chorizo sausage
- 6 large potatoes
- 1.5 litres/2 pints 13fl oz good vegetable or chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- large bunch of greens or cabbage
- smoked paprika and olive oil, for dressing
Preparation:
Gently fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil until softened and translucent. Chop the chorizo into small chunks and add to the pan with the onion. Fry the onions and sausage for a few more minutes and then add the diced potatoes. They will absorb all the flavor from the sausage. Transfer the mixture to a large pan, add the stock, seasoning and bay leaves, and cook until the potatoes are soft.
Meanwhile, very finely chop the cabbage. When the potatoes are ready, mash them into the broth to make a thick base. Blanch the greens in boiling water for one minute to take off any bitterness, drain, then add to the simmering broth. Add as much cabbage as the broth will support – if you want heavy soup add loads of greens, if lighter, add less. Simmer for a few minutes. The soup will go the color of jade. Mix the smoked paprika with some olive oil to make a dressing, and swirl this red magic into the vibrant green soup. Serve with some rustic country bread.
5. Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
If you are looking for soups recipes that will keep you warm in the winter, look no further. This delicious recipe is guaranteed to make you ask for another serving.
Ingredients for eight servings:
- 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking wild rice
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato
- 3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 10 ounce light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)
- 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Preparation
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and potato; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until potato is tender. Combine milk and flour, stirring well with a whisk. Add the milk mixture to potato mixture; cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in rice, chicken, pepper, and salt. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
6. Chicken Noodle Soup
Another classic on our list, chicken noodle soup is one of the best soup recipes ever.
Ingredients for eight servings:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 6 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 4 cups diced peeled baking potato
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups diced leftover roasted chicken
- 1 cup evaporated skim milk
- 4 ounces (2 cups) uncooked wide egg noodles
- Fresh thyme (optional)
Preparation:
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic clove; sauté 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour, oregano, thyme, and poultry seasoning over vegetables, and cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, potato, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Add roasted chicken, milk, and noodles, and cook 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.
7. Garden Minestrone
The Italians knew what they were doing when they created the Minestrone. This incredible veggie soup recipe will not only keep you warm, but it is also light and packed with vitamins.
Ingredients for eight servings:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups chopped yellow squash
- 3 cups chopped zucchini
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
- 4 cups chopped tomato, divided
- 3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (very short tube-shaped macaroni)
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
- Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Preparation:
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, zucchini, carrot, and corn; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Place three cups tomato and one can broth in a blender; process until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan; return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Add pasta and beans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.
8. Chicken and Dumplings
Now this is what “soul food” really means. Commonly found in the Southern and Midwestern United States, this recipes will comfort you whenever you need it.
Ingredients for eight servings:
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 4 pounds chicken pieces, skinned
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Dumplings:
- 2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
- 2/3 cup fat-free milk
- Remaining ingredient:
- Chopped parsley (optional)
Preparation:
Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in sherry and the next 4 ingredients (sherry through soup), and bring to boil. Add chicken pieces; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken pieces from cooking liquid. Place chicken in a bowl, and chill 15 minutes. Remove chicken from bones, and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones. Add chicken to pan; stir in peas. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well.
To prepare dumplings, combine baking mix and milk. Drop the dough into chicken mixture to form 16 dumplings. Bring to a simmer; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
9. Beef goulash soup
Goulash is without a doubt a true feast for Magyar warlords.
Ingredients for eight servings:
- 1kg/2lb 4oz braising steak or venison
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 4 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, leaves and all, diced
- 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tbsp good sweet Hungarian paprika
- 2 tbsp caraway seeds, crushed
- 60g/4 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 litres/3½ pints good beef stock
- 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- flaked sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- soured cream and flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Preparation:
Trim the meat and cut it into bite-sized chunks. In a large bowl, mix the flour with a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss so that all the chunks are dusted with flour. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef in small batches, setting each batch aside while you brown the next. Take care not to crowd the pan or the beef will steam rather than brown.
Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan, add the onions, carrots, celery, red pepper and garlic. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until they start to soften. Add the beef, paprika, caraway seeds, tomato purée and bay leaves, then pour in the beef stock.
Stir well, cover the pan and simmer for at least 1½ hours until the beef is starting to get tender. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the seasoning before serving. Serve the soup in bowls with a generous swirl of soured cream and a good sprinkling of parsley.
10. Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu
We had to have something spicy on our menu and packed with proteins. This recipes can work as a meal in itself easily.
Ingredients for six servings:
- 1 (14-ounce) package firm water-packed tofu, drained
- 1 3/4 cups water, divided
- 1 (1/2-ounce) package dried sliced shiitake mushroom caps
- 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained and cut into julienne strips
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onion tops
Preparation:
Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover tofu with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard paper towels. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in mushrooms; let stand 30 minutes. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture, tofu, and bamboo shoots into broth mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Slowly drizzle egg into broth mixture (do not stir). Place pan over low heat; cook 1 minute. Stir soup gently to combine. Sprinkle with green onions.
Do you know any other soups recipes that will keep you warm in the winter? Make sure you share them with the rest of our readers.
Recipes courtesy of: BBC Food, My Recipes, Cooking Light.
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