Hearty Soup Ideas for Cold Winter Days

Steamy bowls of soup melt winter chills. For the past few weeks I've been chopping and tossing vegetables into the soup pot instead of the salad bowl. You too can skip store-bought soups and whip up a few of these hearty soup ideas for warm vegetarian bliss.

My Go-To Unofficial Soup Formula

My husband laughs every time I whip up a fabulous dinner with whatever is lingering in the refrigerator and pantry. He jokes that I'd better enjoy it, because I'll never be able to make it exactly the same way again. (Note to self: start writing more impromptu recipes down!)

This is very true when it comes to soup: it's the perfect throw-together meal based on what's on sale at the store, abundant in the garden, or getting a little wilted in the crisper drawer.

I usually start with a pre-packaged vegetable broth (powder or liquid) to keep things easy. Then, I add a starch like rice, noodles, or potatoes for the comfort factor. Next comes protein. Since I'm a vegetarian, I opt for hearty chickpeas, lentils, peas, quinoa, edamame, or beans. Finally, I top the pot off with a mix of chopped vegetables including leafy greens like kale, parsley, or spinach. They wilt down perfectly in soup.

If you're a little nervous about the toss-together method, dig into tried-and-true recipes to ensure dinner success.

Simple Vegetarian Winter Soups to Try

It's no secret that I'm a fangirl of Chocolate Covered Katie and her healthy desserts. Recently, she made the leap into sharing recipes for meals, too! To say that I was excited is an understatement. Browse these:

• No-chicken noodle get-well comfort soup. If you love mushrooms and feel a little sniffle coming on, this is the soup to try. This Japanese-style recipe features miso and garlic to wake up your taste buds.

• Butternut squash soup. Creamy, decadent, squash-based soups can be enjoyed long after the holidays. This vegan recipe can also be made with sweet potatoes if you're not a squash fan, and is made more robust with the addition of some chopped vegetables and spices.

I've recently discovered a singing chef who focuses on healthy vegetarian and vegan recipes made with common ingredients. Laura Theodore is also known as the Jazzy Vegetarian, and she often takes over my weekend TV time these days. Here are a few of her soup recipes:

• Winter warming soup. This hearty recipe features white beans, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, green beans, mushrooms, onions, and more! It's the "everything" vegetable soup you've been looking for during this cold weather.

• Cauliflower, sweet potato, and celery chowder. Creamy, chunky, and comforting is the best way to describe this blend of classic winter vegetables. Delicious!

Have you been craving creamy, steamy bowls too? I'd love to hear about your hearty soup ideas over on Twitter. Tweet a picture of your latest inspiration using the hashtag #GoodMatters.

Image source: Angela Tague | Angela Tague | Angela Tague | Angela Tague

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