Cold weather soup.
 

Most of us know that during nasty cold weather, cold weather soup hits the spot like nothing else. So, being from New England, I know how to make a good clam chowder.
It's like a law here. Heck, even my high school cafeteria made it right.

So, what does everyone like for cold weather soup? I'd like to try Mushroom and potato soup. Got a simple recipe for it, sounds pretty good.

Chicken soup: but of course. Nothing wrong with it, other than it makes me want to take a nap after eating it.

Beef Stew: Actually good year round.

Corn Chowder.
Black Bean Soup.
Split Pea Soup.
Special new treat, Coconut milk soup.

CHicken & Roasted Red Pepper soup with fresh mint and marjoram. Wicked good.

Had a hambone and parsley in the fridge,
thought to myself that would make a
good split pea soup. Or some kind of
bean soup. But, checked the cabinets
and I only had barley. So what the heck,
got some garlic, onion, carrots and celery.
Threw everything in the slowcooker at
night, next day soup was served :)

Does chili count?

It's a tradition in our family. My kids each get 4 quarts of frozen Dad-the-Bad chili for Christmas every year.

Navy bean soup and cornbread.

I do a lot of cooking with a pressure cooker. One of my favorite pressure cooker soup recipes is turkey with root vegetables (parsnips, leeks, carrots--sometimes I add turnips or potatoes). With the pressure cooker one gets the same kind of intense flavor in 30 minutes that takes 2 or 3 hours of simmering on the stovetop.

Chicken, sausage, and tasso gumbo

Lentil curry made with lentil-specific curry powder from the Indian store.

Potato Leek Soup with Wild Mushrooms

2 to 4 large leeks, white parts chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 Yukon gold potato, cubed
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
½ to 1 lb. chanterelle mushrooms, chopped medium (any fresh mushrooms will do)

In large pan, sauté leeks, onion and potato in canola oil until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Melt ½ stick of real butter in skillet, sauté mushrooms until tender.
Add chicken stock, milk and Half of the mushrooms to the veggies, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Put all in a blender and mix, but do not liquefy. Return to the pan, add half and half and remaining mushrooms. Let simmer until time to eat.

Mom's recipe.

Take a look in the fridge.
Get big pot out.
Throw in some stock,whatevers on hand or plain water.
Clean out fridge into pot.
Get out bigger pot
Add spices and such.
Simmer awhile.
Taste and adjust flavourings.
EAT.

Works for me.

Pho! Best soup ever!

Chili
Clam or Crab Chowder
Bean & Ham

All severed with home made bread or cornbread.

Cooks Illustrated has a special "Soups and Stews" issue out right now. We made some of their minestrone over the weekend that was great. We also have a tremendous recipe for lentil soup, and for decades I've made my dad's old recipe for vegetable beef soup. And of course chili of several varieties, from vegan to white to my own regular recipe.

I had stew last night. It was great! I also love chili, just about any kind.

1. A beef stew, year round for us, too.
2. Clean out the refrigerator soup, as above.
3. Crock pot turkey and vegetable soup.
3. Crock pot sauteed chicken breasts and mushrooms in sour cream sauce.
4. Clam chowder with oysters added.
All are actually crock pot soups or stews. When we are extra good my wife fixes Chicken and corn chowder.

Bill

Leek & Potato
Lentil
Beef Stew
all w/home made biscuits

My sister makes a great cold weather soup that she calls Red Soup - it's got red potatoes, red onions, red beans, a little bit of bacon and chili powder, simmered in chicken stock with some milk splashed in at the end (use to be cream, but we all have to watch it now) It's so good.

Indian soups and spicy sambar

Even though I cannot stand to watch her(because of incessant talking), Rachel Ray's Italian sub 'stoup' is quite awesome. Look it up. Try it.

A single soup or stew would be boring, but I do have favorites. We generally prepare the following during the course of a winter:

Split pea and ham
Oyster stew
Navy bean and ham
Potato soup with egg rivel
Curried lentil soup
French onion soup
Burgundy beef stew
Pancetta and roasted squash soup
Roasted garlic and cauliflower soup
Bouillabaisse

Black bean w/added onion, jalapenos and tabasco
Split Pea
Lentil w/pulled pork and onions

Originally from Manhattan, I take exception to that statement.

Wife is into allsorts of home made soups and anything containing ButterNut Squash and she loves it--I don't. Anything with lots of meat in it somewhere helps me to warm up but one of the "OLD" favourites is Mulligatawny Soup. Highly spiced and warms the parts others cannot reach. Next up is Oxtail. Once again highly spiced. I like Spiced foods but had to give up when one of my neighbours made a Red-Thai soup. That was too warm--but then she was from Thailand.

[QUOTE=trackhub;13763555 I'd like to try Mushroom and potato soup. Got a simple recipe for it, sounds pretty good.

[/QUOTE]

We make an excellent potato/mushroom/cheddar soup during the winter months. I will post the recipe when I get home.

The current house favorite is chicken soup made with home smoked chicken.