When it gets cold outside, all I want is hot coffee and soup to warm me up! Over the years, I have found my favorite made from scratch soups for my family and I would love to pass them on to you. All of these recipes freeze well, as my parents can vouch for because I send some home with them when they visit! Here are my top 5 soups to try this winter.
Ham Soup
The first of 5 soups you should try this winter is Ham Soup. This was one of the recipes I originally found on Pinterest, but made my own since I never found it again! It’s a family favorite. My five-year-old loves it with oyster crackers!
- Heat a heaping scoop of bacon grease in your dutch oven on medium heat. Add 1 diced onion, carrots (small bag of baby carrots), and celery (I don’t because no one in my family likes celery). Cook until soft (about 5-6 minutes).
- Add a scoop of minced garlic and cook for a minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add two cans of white northern or cannellini beans. You can also substitute 1 package of gnocchi, but cut the gnocchi into bean-sized pieces. Sauté until soft.
- Add ham pieces. You can cut up a ham steak or use leftover holiday ham you froze (just be sure to thaw it). Heat until the mixture is well coated in the bacon grease.
- Add seasoning. You can use hickory bacon salt. For a lower salt version, use a BBQ seasoning. I recommend a sweet and smoky one from Kroger, like Kansas City.
- Add 4 cups of chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Taste test and add more seasoning or salt per your taste.
- Top with bacon pieces and oyster crackers. Enjoy!
Chicken And Dumplings Soup
Another soup you should try this winter is this delicious chicken and dumplings. This requires two steps: making the soup and then the dumplings for a warm meal.
Soup Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups rotisserie chicken shredded (fresh or thaw out frozen)
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 carrots cut in half lengthwise and then diced
- 4 celery stalks diced(if you like celery, tastes fine without too)
- 2 small yellow onions diced finely
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup milk(I prefer whole but can use half & half or heavy whipping cream as well)
- 4 teaspoons roasted garlic and herb seasoning(this is a best guess as I never measure mine)
- ½ teaspoon Crushed red pepper(use a little or more if you like a little kick)
Dumpling Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 TB butter
- ⅔ milk
- 2 teaspoons roasted garlic and herb seasoning(this is a guess)
- dash of crushed red pepper
Soup Instructions
- Heat butter in pan on just under medium heat. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery. Cook about 5-6 minutes.
- Whisk in flour to make your roux and cook for at least one minute to remove the raw flour taste. Add some of the roasted garlic and herbs at this point to incorporate before diluting with chicken stock.
- Slowly add chicken stock while constantly stirring to incorporate.
- Add milk and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer.
- Add chicken and more seasoning now, if needed.
Dumplings Instructions
- Add flour to a medium mixing bowl with baking powder, salt, and seasoning. Incorporate.
- Add butter and milk and slowly make a dough. (If the dough is too dry, add a little more milk. If the dough is too sticky, add some more flour). Add more seasoning if needed.(You should be able to see the seasoning frequently within the dough.
- Slowly add a large tablespoon of dough at a time into the broth. You can shape however you want, but make them larger than you prefer.
- Once dumplings are cooked for about 15 minutes, you may gently cut them in half or quarters to make smaller dumplings. If you start out with dumplings too small, they will disintegrate into the broth instead of holding their shape.
Easy Chili
- 1 pound ground beef/turkey/pork/chicken
- 1 canned beans (I prefer light red kidney beans)
- 1 canned diced tomatoes (I usually use one already seasoned for chili. If you like it spicier, use Rotel with chilies or habanero)
- tomato sauce
- chili seasoning (I usually make from scratch using chili powder, cumin, onion, garlic, salt, pepper)
- BBQ sauce
- Brown ground beef in a large pot. Once done, you may drain off excess fat or leave it, based on your dietary needs.
- Add canned beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
- Add seasonings and BBQ sauce. I use a Kansas City type and add enough to make my chili a sweet and spicy flavor.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
The only things I change in this recipe: I use chipotle pepper instead of cayenne and I use chipotle Cholula for the hot sauce(I definitely use more than 2 teaspoons too)
Loaded Potato Soup
This recipe is easy to follow to a T! It’s so delicious and filling. I usually make this for parties and it pairs well with sandwiches!
Do you have any trusty soups that you make in the winter? Share your posts with us on social media with #MomsAroundLouisville!