Need some comfort foods for winter? Try these delicious soup recipes

Winter is soup season and what better way to enjoy the warmth of the fire than to cozy up by the fireplace with your bowl of soup.

The best part of making a pot of soup is, you don’t have to consume it all at a go; just put them in portable containers and freeze them up. It’s so much easier to defrost and just dig in on busy days when you just cannot cook.

Now, comfort food shouldn’t be boring and there are a variety of soups you can try. Just pair them with some garlic bread, any other side of your choice or just have them on their own.

There is a soup for everyone. Try these five Taste of Home recipes and ease yourself into the soup season.

Photo: Taste of home

Chunky Beef and Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 25mins, Cook Time: 2 – ¾ hours, Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup Burgundy wine or additional reduced-sodium beef broth
• 4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions

• Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon each salt, seasoning blend and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Brown beef in batches. Remove from pan.
• In same pan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and peppers; cook and stir until carrots are crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
• Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Stir in broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and remaining seasonings. Return beef to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 2 hours.
• Add potatoes; cook 30-40 minutes longer or until beef and potatoes are tender. Skim fat and discard bay leaf.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 312 calories, 10g fat (3g saturated fat), 55mg cholesterol, 695mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 5g fiber), 21g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat, 1/2 fat.

Photo: Taste of Home

Black Bean-Tomato Chili

Prep Time: 10 min, Cook Time: 35min, Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup orange juice or juice from 3 medium oranges

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and green pepper; cook and stir 8-10 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and seasonings; cook 1 minute longer.
• Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes to allow flavors to blend, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 232 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 608mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (13g sugars, 10g fiber), 9g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1-1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 fat.

Photo: Taste of Home

Carrot Parsnip Bisque

Prep Time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes, Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup peanut oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound medium carrots
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• Minced chives, optional

Directions

• In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Set aside 1 carrot; chop remaining carrots. Add chopped carrots, parsnips and stock to onion mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Remove soup from heat; cool slightly. Process in batches in a blender until smooth. Return soup to pan; keep warm. Using a vegetable peeler, shave carrot lengthwise into very thin strips. In a small saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Fry carrot strips 2-3 minutes or until crispy, stirring occasionally. Drain on paper towels.
• Gently reheat soup; stir in cream. Divide soup among four bowls. Top with carrot strips and, if desired, chives.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 241 calories, 11g fat (3g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 760mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 7g fiber), 8g

Photo: Taste of home

Salmon Dill Soup

Prep and Total Time: 30 minutes, Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 5 medium fresh mushrooms, halved
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 pound salmon fillet, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Directions

• Place the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes.
• Add mushrooms. In a small bowl, mix flour and milk until smooth; stir into soup. Return to a boil; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender. Reduce heat to medium; stir in cheese until melted.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add salmon; cook, uncovered, until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, 3-4 minutes. Stir in pepper and salt. Sprinkle with dill.

Nutrition Facts

2-1/2 cups: 398 calories, 14g fat (4g saturated fat), 71mg cholesterol, 647mg sodium, 37g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 3g fiber), 30g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2-1/2 starch.

Photo: Taste of Home

Easy Pork Posole

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cook Time: 6 hours, Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder butt roast, cubed
• 1/2 pound fully cooked andouille sausage links, sliced
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 can (16 ounces) hominy, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• Optional ingredients: corn tortillas, additional chopped onion, minced fresh cilantro and lime wedges

Directions

• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork and sausage; drain. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker.
• Stir in broth, tomatoes, hominy, cilantro, onion, green onions, jalapeno, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne and pepper. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours. If desired, serve with tortillas, additional onion, cilantro and lime wedges.

Test Kitchen tips

• Canned hominy is dried corn that has been treated and soaked, resulting in a puffy, chewy texture. Look for hominy near the canned beans in the grocery store.
• Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Editor’s Note

Wear disposable gloves when cutting hot peppers; the oils can burn skin. Avoid touching your face.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 190 calories, 11g fat (3g saturated fat), 54mg cholesterol, 957mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 3g fiber), 14g protein.