The weather locally has finally gotten cold – at least what I always consider as “winter cold”.  Although we haven’t seen much snow (yet), the sub-freezing nights and short, windy days have me craving big, hearty, and comforting bowls of soup on the lunch and dinner table.

I mean, come on – can anything beat a hot, grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of creamy tomato soup on a blustery day?  Dipping the corner of that melted cheese and toasted bread into all of that rich and satisfying tomato goodness?   Plus I’ll need plenty of “Cheez-Its” or “Pepperidge Farm Goldfish” to add to the soup to finish it out once my sandwich is gone.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Soup is a staple on the winter menu, and there’s also nothing easier to make in the kitchen.  A handful of common ingredients from your pantry, a large pot, and a long afternoon of simmering on the stove and anyone can make a comforting bowl of wintertime satisfaction.  All you really need is time.  Soup is something to savor, and although easy to prepare, making a good one is not something to rush.

Got a frying or roasting chicken you don’t know what to do with?  Cook it off in a pot, add some celery, garlic, onions, and noodles and viola!  A hearty chicken soup.  Substitute some frozen bags of corn for the noodles and you’ve got chicken-corn soup instead (also a flavor winner).

Old beef roast sitting in the freezer?  Cook it down and throw in some crushed tomatoes, some pasta or grains (like barley) from the pantry, and a pile of those bagged veggies in the freezer that you didn’t know what to do with and presto!  It’s beef vegetable soup.

I’m currently cooking down some mushrooms in the kitchen, along with some heavy cream, onions, and chicken broth – for tonight we’ll be feasting on creamy and rich mushroom soup.  I’ll even dress it up with some lump crab meat I had hiding in the back of the freezer.

The list goes on and on. 

Pair up any of these soups with a slab of thick homemade bread (or even crackers) and you’ll soon be looking for a place in the living room or bedroom to stretch out and take advantage of a post-meal nap –  all while the wind howls, the snow blows, and Jack Frost has his way with the great outdoors.

Come on, you can do this.   There’s nothing complicated about it.  Don’t be afraid to experiment with seasonings and flavors, either.  Take a basic recipe and make it your own. It’s really kind of hard to mess it up.

Drop me a line in the comments below to tell me about your favorite soups – and share your best techniques!  Then find a bowl or mug and grab that big ladle.  Soup’s on!