It’s winter. And, depending on where you’re stationed, it is probably cold, or at least colder than you’d like. For example, 60 degrees and overcast in Okinawa can feel like the frozen tundra when you’re used to 90 degrees and 100 percent humidity during the summer, am I right?!?!
Nothing warms you up on a blustery day quite like soup. Maybe it’s the hot broth, the hearty ingredients, or the fact that it reminds us of childhood. Most likely, it is a combination of all three. While there are some great store-bought options out there, these days it’s hard to beat the flavor of a made-from-scratch soup. Plus, your house will smell amazing!
Another benefit of making your own soup is that you can keep track of all of the ingredients. That means no preservatives and no artificial yuckiness. You control what you add!
Below, we share three of our favorite soup recipes that will keep you warm all winter long!
White Chicken Lasagna Soup
White lasagna is similar to its more traditional red counterpart, except the marinara sauce is swapped out with a creamy white cheese sauce. If white sauce lasagna is a thing (and a delicious thing at that), we could only imagine how good it would be in soup form. This version does not disappoint with chunks of chicken, healthy bits of spinach, red pepper, onion, and lots of garlic all floating in a ricotta and parmesan cream broth.
[ultimate-recipe id=”4629″ template=”default”]
Creamy Tomato Soup with Cheesy Garlic Bread
While tomato soup may seem a little boring, we promise you that this version will change your mind for good! The humble little soup exterior is hiding a real pop of flavor, one that will have you going back for spoonful after spoonful until there are no spoonfuls left to be had. From there, we recommend licking the bowl clean!
The secrets in this soup are a touch of sherry, fresh basil, and cream, and it is made even better by the fancy garlic bread served up on the side! If Italian restaurants have taught us anything, it’s that bread is the perfect starter…or side…or both — do what makes you happy. For this especially delicious garlic bread, fresh bakery bread is spread with a buttery garlic herb mixture, then topped with mozzarella and gruyere cheeses. The bread is great by itself, but even better dunked into a warm bowl of the soup!
[ultimate-recipe id=”4634″ template=”default”]
Bacon, Corn, and Shrimp Chowder
Corn chowders are usually enjoyed most in the summer months, but by adding bacon and shrimp, you’ll create a heartier version that can be savored all year long. Find some flash-frozen sweet corn (switch to fresh corn in peak season), and sauté it in the reserved fat from cooking the bacon. The shrimp is prepared the same way, which creates a rich vegetabley, shellfishy, bacony base for the chowder (yes — it’s so over the top, it warranted the creation of new adjectives). Be on the lookout for crusty round loaves of fresh bread at your grocery store or farmers market — they make for great bread bowls!
[ultimate-recipe id=”4635″ template=”default”]
Need to feed a crowd? Check out these No-Fail Potluck Recipes for some of our favorite dishes to please the masses!
Photo Credits: Christina Carter
