Winter Soup Recipes

Recipe: Desperation Winter Soup

I was desperate, nothing for dinner, super busy day. So I hunted through my pantry and fridge to see what I could throw into the crockpot on high and hope it cranked out something good. To my great delight, the house began to smell wonderful. When I ladled the contents into my families bowls, all I heard was mmmm and yum.

Among other things, this desperate but successful winter soup has sweet potatoes and split peas. Lots of savory herbs, I am definitely making this again!

Total Time: About 20 minutes prep

Yield: About 10 servings

Source: Self

Ingredients:

• 5 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups dry split peas
• 4 carrots, peeled and coined
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 13 cups chicken broth (I make mine using bullion cubes - 1 cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water = 1 cup broth)

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Steps:

1. Place all of your ingredients into your crockpot. Mix well.

2. Turn setting to high. I checked mine exactly 3 hours and 46 minutes after turning it on. It probably would have been ready to eat after 3 hours on high. If you want to cook this on low, I would cook it for 6-8 hours.

Tip: Annual Midwinter Soup Party

Each midwinter I have a soup party for family and friends.

I make several different kinds of soup. I might have potato soup, pea Soup, My own "Better Than Congressional Bean Soup", Chicken or Turkey vegetable - whatever I happen to have on hand.

Each person invited to the party must bring their own soup bowl and spoon, which must be decorated in some way to make it interesting, pretty, outrageous, and I get to pick the best of the bunch. I always give a prize which includes take home servings of their favorite soup and a dessert to go with it.

Several of my favorites have been quite simple: One man brought a regular soup bowl which was tucked into his son's football helmet. The spoon was tied with a ribbon in the team's colors.

One woman brought in her own homemade bread bowl, and the spoon was a wooden mixing spoon.

Another dipped her regular glass bowl in melted chocolate, which she chipped off when she got there and shared with others. She handed out those chocolate covered spoons for your coffee to everyone there.

One woman had a large frog ashtray in which she placed a soup bowl, and a man who did pottery brought a bowl he had made. It was beautiful in soft colors of yellow and teal.

Another time when the party was near Valentine's Day, every bowl was red or pink and appropriately decorated.

The most outrageous I think was a fake skull whose cap came off and was used as the bowl!

By Nancy from Cross Lanes, WV

Recipe: Hearty Winter Soup

Bring water and vegetables to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally until cheese is melted.