Favorite Winter Soups

Yikes, it’s been cold this week! It’s 18 degrees here right now, which is very cold for Maryland (although when we lived in Vermont, I would have laughed at that statement!). Snow is in the forecast, we’ve got sick kids, and my face is still red from getting it micro needled the other day. I think it’s safe to say that we’ll be staying home this weekend and hibernating.

The best part about that is that I’ll have plenty of time to read and to play in the kitchen, and I’m planning on making a few batches of soup. The girls love soup, and it seems like the perfect thing to have simmering on the stove when we’re home all day without anywhere to be. I’m also terrible about eating lunch during the week, but if I have a pot of soup ready to go, I’ll heat that up, so I’m going to make another batch that has a lot of veggies and a little more of an exciting flavor for me. Now, if I could just figure out how to teach Mr. Trucks to walk himself, I might never leave the house! -Eloise

Half Baked Harvest Coconut Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

I made this for the first time earlier in January and it was so good. The coconut milk and cilantro gave it so much flavor, and the sweet potatoes and lentils made it filling and cozy. I left the rice out of it because I was worried about the rice absorbing all the broth if I saved it and ate it for lunch over a few days, and I also left the kale out. I’m not into really wilted greens, so instead, I’ll put some baby spinach right into the bottom of my soup bowl, ladle the hot soup on top of it and stir it around a bit. The spinach wilts just enough but still retains a little bit of its shape.

Damn Delicious Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this soup a few weeks ago and the whole family loved it. Even Chad, who was not expecting to like, said that it had enough chicken to be man friendly. I used some wide, fancier noodles from Trader Joe’s, which were delicious, but a little long, so next time, I would either break them in half or use smaller noodles. Even with the longer noodles, it was messy but delicious! I served it with a salad and bread for dinner and it was plenty of food.

Martha Stewart Southwestern Corn Chowder

My kids are obsessed with corn, so I thought this could be a good one to try. I used to make a corn chowder that had beer and cheddar and bacon in it, which I can still remember making for Lila’s 4th birthday party, when I invited a million kids over to our house and had someone from from Eco Adventures with lizards and turtles and every other reptile, while I fed the parents corn chowder and they watched from the kitchen. Our house barely had any furniture at that point because we had just moved in and the whole party was a little wild, but I still remember clearly how good that soup was! I can’t find that recipe anywhere, but this looked like a pretty close approximation and maybe a little bit lighter, but still with plenty of delicious flavor.

Half-Baked Harvest Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I’m picturing serving this with a side of chips or nachos and eating in on the couch or at the counter while we watch football on Sunday. It looks spicy and warm and very cozy. Chicken tortilla soup is great for tweaking to make it healthier or richer with toppings, and we love to put out a bunch of toppings and let everyone make it their own. Chad will make it super spicy, Lila adds cheese to everything, and I’m usually trying to cram a few more veggies and herbs in somewhere.

Barefoot Contessa Winter Minestrone

I’ve made this soup at least a million times and it’s one of my favorites. If I want to eat it for lunch over a few days, I cut the amount of beans in half and then instead of adding the cooked noodles and spinach to the pot, I put however much I want each time in the bottom of my soup bowl and ladle the hot soup on top. This keeps the noodles from absorbing the soup broth and keeps the spinach from being too wilty. I also love to buy the fresh butternut squash from Trader Joe’s that’s chopped in the zig zag shape to make it easier to prepare. And the pesto on top is a must-so so good!

Barefoot Contessa Roasted Tomato Soup

This is the girls’ and Chad’s favorite soup. I make it exactly as the recipe instructs and I always serve it with grilled cheese on the side, and it’s a hit every time. It takes a little bit of time because you have to roast the tomatoes first, but I’ll try to do that earlier in the day or right when the kids get home from school and we’re all bustling around the kitchen for snack time anyway. It’s worth the effort-it has so much flavor and just the right texture. Yum!