Soup recipes to warm the soul

A hot bowl of soup is the perfect meal to warm up a frigid winter day. Chef Kathleen Daelemans, author of "Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen," shares recipes that are sure to warm your soul.

Sausage, Squash and Sweet Potato Stew
I crave the big flavor sausage delivers but I’m not willing to pay the price for indulging in too much of a good thing. A half pound of good quality sausage is all you need to complement the flavor of the tomatoes, sweet potatoes and squash. The chick peas deliver protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Cumin and fennel exploit the flavors in sausage making this rich and hearty stew a nutritional powerhouse.

Because this is a stew recipe, I take the time to cut the sweet potatoes and squash into chunks. I’m not gonna pretend it’s a quick kitchen task because that wouldn’t be nice. It takes some time and the results are worth every minute of effort. I enjoy cooking but on days I’m feeling less ambitious, I roast the sweet potatoes and squash in the oven which changes the soup from a chunky stew to a thick and creamy soup. The flavors are the same and the nutrition is all there. Change the rules anytime you please! Customizing recipe directions to suit your needs and time constraints is a great way to stay motivated to cook.

How to Dice Squash without Losing a Limb
Poke holes in the squash all over with a fork. Place in microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove skin with a sharp carrot peeler. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds. Cut into 1/2 thick slices. Stack slices on top of one another in piles you can safely handle. Cut slices crosswise into 1/2 inch thick strips. Cut strips into 1/2 inch chunks. Repeat with remaining squash.

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from its casing
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 sweet potatoes, about 2 pounds, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch chunks
1 small squash such as buttercup, about 1 1/2  pounds, peeled, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1 15 oz. can chick peas, drained and rinsed
Coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat, when hot but not smoking, add the onions and garlic and 2 Tablespoons of chicken broth or water. Cook covered, stirring every now and then, until onions have completely softened, about 10-12 minutes. Add the sausage and cook stirring occasionally until sausage has broken apart and is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.

special feature SOUPS: •  Ahoy! Steal this chef’s super chowder recipe •  A variety of winter soups to warm your soul •  More soup recipes to warm the soul •  A scrumptious mushroom soup recipe STEWS: •  Crockpot cooking for cold winter nights •  A hearty meal that won't bust your waistline ROASTS AND OTHER DISHES: •  A larger-than-life meatloaf, Tuscan-style •  Humble no more: In praise of the pot pie •  Steal this chef’s sizzling pork loin recipe •  Muy bueno! Steal this chef’s paella recipe COMPLETE MEALS: •  Warm up your winter with this modern cuisine •  Winter foods to keep you warm, Italian style •  Classic, hearty French food made easy •  Cook up a fall-into-winter extravaganza •  Kick up the flavor in your winter dinners OTHER RESOURCES: •  More winter warmers in our Recipe Search

Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, sweet potatoes, squash, cumin and fennel seed. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until squash is almost done, about 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook uncovered 7-8 minutes more or until chickpeas are heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Roasted Vegetable Soup
Especially delicious in colder months when you’re craving the kind of comfort foods you shouldn’t over indulge in. This hearty soup is great the night you make it and even better the next day.

Shortcut Chef
Peel and chop vegetables the night before while you’re watching TV (or listening to public radio). Store them in a plastic bag with oil and pepper. Hold the salt or the vegetables will throw their water and steam instead of roasting to golden brown. Salt vegetables just before you put them in the oven.

Tip
The recipe says to cut all vegetables into 1 inch pieces. Unless you’ve studied culinary arts abroad, this is practically impossible. The point is to keep the vegetables uniform in size so they’ll cook evenly.

Yield:   4 – 6 Servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds washed potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces|
1 large peeled, cored sweet onion cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound peeled carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound peeled parsnips cut into 1 inch pieces
6 garlic cloves in their skin
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 sprig rosemary (unless you hate it like me, then use thyme instead)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Throw all vegetables and the garlic into a plastic bag (one of the bags you brought them home in). Pour one tablespoon oil into bag with veggies and shake until well coated. Spread vegetables on two rimmed baking sheets. Season with salt and pepper and roast, turning once or twice, until nicely browned, about 45 minutes.

Scrape vegetables, but not garlic, into large soup pot except the garlic. Peel the garlic and place it back on the baking sheet. Set the baking sheet on the largest burner you have over medium-high heat and pour 1/2 cup chicken broth and the balsamic vinegar over pan.     

Deglaze by stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of pan. Magically, all the tasty nibbly bits will come loose and the garlic will disintegrate into pan juices. Pour this viscous sauce directly into soup pot with vegetables.

Add remaining 5 1/2 cups broth to soup pot with rosemary or thyme. Bring to a simmer, taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and cook slowly until flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add water as necessary to thin soup. Remove herb sprigs and serve immediately.

Potato Seafood Chowder
Challenging to work into a fussy eaters diet, fish is an essential ingredient for heart health, especially cold water fishes such as trout, mackerel, sardines and salmon because they contain omega three fatty acids which can help reduce high triglyceride levels.

People who don’t like fish are often reacting to the strong flavor the good fat delivers. You might start out by serving some of the leaner fishes such as cod and snapper. Chowder is an easy way to disguise fish. This version calls for cod. When no one falls off their chair in horror, make it with salmon next time.

We haven’t cut the creaminess and hearty texture one expects in a bowlful of chowder but we have cut out the cream.  And all of the fat and calories that went with it.

Tip
Some people can’t stand the thought of touching fish, my Mom included so she decided to cook the fish right in the package it came in. It wouldn’t have worked if the fish was packaged in Styrofoam or wrapped in plastic, but since it was wrapped in butcher paper she got away with it. “It wasn’t wrapped too tight so I threw the whole package in the microwave for one minute on high and walked out of the room”. There were no explosions and it got the job done.”

Alternatively, place the fish in a microwave proof dish, cover loosely with plastic and microwave on high for one minute.

Serves 4
Ingredients
3/4 pound cod
2 oz. pancetta or country bacon
1 medium sweet onion, very finely diced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup low sodium chicken broth or stock
1 tennis ball size Yukon Gold potato, about 1/3 pound, peeled and diced
1/2 pound green beans cut into bite size pieces
1 cup corn kernels, about 2 ears corn
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped parsley

Directions
Place cod in a microwave proof dish covered loosely with plastic or leave it in the butcher paper you buy it in and microwave on high for one minute. Set aside.

Place pancetta, onions, celery in a large soup pot over medium and cook for two minutes uncovered. Add 3 tablespoons of the chicken broth, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have completely softened, about 8 to 10 minutes more. If the onions are dry, add a splash or two more of chicken broth or water.

Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, green beans and corn. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered 3 to 5 minutes or until green beans are al dente.

Stir in the milk and fresh thyme, reduce heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are just fork tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add the fish and cook just until heated through, about 3 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasonings with cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

Chili Pork Stew
We really weren’t sure what to call this dish, it has a bit of an identity crisis. It’s a cross between a really great chili and a hearty soup yet has elements of a good stew. Serve it with a simple salad of garden lettuces. It’s very hearty so don’t feel like you need a bunch of side dishes.

Shortcut Chef
This is another great dish to make and freeze and as you know by now, it takes very little effort to cook a double batch so if your life is hectic and you could use a break next week, make a double batch already.

From Mom’s Lips To Your Ears
Cooking times in recipes are highly debatable. If you’ve got a hair appointment, lower the heat, get your hair done and come home to a pot of stew you hope hasn’t burned. On the other hand if you’re in a hurry, crank up the heat, pay attention to what you’re doing and cook it less.

Tip
Who needs part of a can of tomatoes hanging around in the refrigerator and why do recipes call for partial cans? What is that about? When a recipe calls for part of a can, look at the recipe give it a thought and decide whether you’d like to throw it out, watch it mold or if you’d like more sauce. I usually like extra sauce so I throw in the whole can. This will not work in the case of butter, however. Remember this is just dinner. It’s only food. Recipes don’t have to be followed to the letter. Go with your instincts.

Up the good calories
Add shelled edamame (soy bean pods). They look like large frozen peas and are an excellent source of protein. You can use them instead of or in addition to the corn.

Yield:   4 Servings
Ingredients
­2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound pork (or beef) stew meat, cubed
1 cup diced onions (about 1 medium onion)
1 Tablespoon chili powder (or more to taste)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
Coarse grained salt and cracked black pepper 
3 cups green beans, trimmed, cut into 2” pieces
2 cups corn (fresh is best but you know that – about 2-3 ears)

Directions
In a 3-quart pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add meat and brown on all sides stirring often, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and chili powder and cook until onions soften, about 7 – 10 minutes more. You may need to add a splash of water if the onions are in danger of burning.

Add tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and cook on low for about 30 minutes. Add the beans and corn and cook 20 minutes more or until you’re starving and can’t wait another minute. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Recipes courtesy of Kathleen Daelemans.

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