Winter is coming! And after a long, hot Texas summer, I am ready for sweaters and fires....and soup! As temperatures have been in the triple digits for the past few months, I have neglected my absolute adoration for soups. Though I still managed to have it at least once or twice a week through summer, I practically live on soup once the temperature gets below 70. There are a few reasons for this: 1) it warms you up 2) it freezes and re-heats well 3) I usually have the ingredients hanging around the kitchen, making it easy to throw a quick soup together, and, 4) it's delicious! For years, I have been making soups, tweaking recipes, and looking for new delicious varieties that use my favorite ingredients. In preparation for this wonderfully cold season, I'd like to share my top 5 favorite soup recipes with you. Enjoy! 

Baked Potato Soup

This is my all time favorite soup! I LOVE potato soup and it's a great recipe for groups because there are so many delicious toppings you can choose to add or go without so everyone can have their potato just the way they like it!

Ingredients

• 12 slices bacon
• 1 stick butter
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 7 cups milk
• 5 - 6 large baked potatoes, skinned and cubed. You can also boil your potatoes. Skin, cube, and boil until soft
• 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic
• Toppings: about 4 green onions, sliced; 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar

In bottom of stock pot, cook bacon over medium heat. Drain and set aside leaving just a bit of the bacon dripping in the bottom of the pot. This is for flavor so if you are concerned with the fat content, cook your bacon in seperate pan and omit bacon drippings.

Add margerine to stock pot and melt over medium heat wisk in flour until smooth. For extra flavor use 2 tbsp of your bacon drippings and 2 tbsp less of margerine. Gradually stir in milk, stirring constantly.

Stir in potatoes and onions, continue stirring. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, about 7 pieces of bacon, crumbled (use the remaining pieces of bacon to top the soup) and cheese and stir until cheese is melted.

Add toppings to taste and enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have also heard it called taco soup. It is a chicken broth based soup with chicken and vegettables with a spicy (or mild) Mexican flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken - I like to boil and then shred the chicken with a fork. Shredded Chicken will absorb more of the flavor than cubed ckicken, but, this is a matter of taste. For a quick meal, use 2 large cans of chicken, drained.
• about 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped - I prefer green
• 1 cup or 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can rotel- here's where you begin to play with your spicy meter. Choose mild if you don't want the heat
• 1 can dark red kidney beans and/or 1 can black beans, rinsed - I like to use both but it is not necessary
• 1 packet taco seasoning - this will be in the grocery store next to the packets for meatloaf and gravy...McKormick's makes the one I prefer
• Shredded jack and cheddar cheese
• tortilla chips

In a large pot, combine chicken, corn, onion, bell pepper, beans, rotel, and taco seasoning. Cover with chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. **Watch your liquid level!! If it gets low, add some water. Add salt and pepper to taste (though the taco seasoning should have enough salt - so taste it before you add anything).

To serve, place some tortilla chips in a bowl and ladle the soup on top. Top with cheese - I like a lot of cheese (but it is good without for all my lactose intolerant buddies) and enjoy! Also, keep the chips handy in case you need more! Flour tortillas go well with it too. It was a huge hit with my co workers also. Share the love on a cold wintery Friday with your office mates!

Since I am single and live alone (don't cry for me - it's by choice), these recipes make much more than I can eat! I ladle about a cup and a half into ziplocs and freeze them. Soups reheat well in the microwave or on the stove.

Broccoli Cheese

Who doesn't love this soup!

Ingredients:

• 3 10oz packages frozen chopped broccoli
• 3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 lb. Velveeta, cubed
• salt and pepper to taste. I prefer white pepper with this recipe

Simmer broccoli in chicken broth for about 15 minutes in large pot over medium heat. 

In a skillet, melt butter and add onions and saute until tender. 

Add flour to butter and onions and stir into a paste. Add milk and stir until thick.

Add the milk mixture to the broccoli mixture in large pot.

Add cheese and stir until melted.

Add salt and pepper.

DO NOT let the soup boil!!!!!! It breaks down the cheese. Be patient and leave on medium heat.

Chicken and Corn Chowder

One of my all time favorite soups, though I'm still working on seasonings...The consistency of this soup is smooth and delicious!

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon
• About 1lb chicken, boneless, skinless and cubed (about 2 large breasts)
• 1 large onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn or 1 can, drained
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Set aside. Save 2 tbsp. bacon drippings in pot and discard the rest. Crumble bacon when cooled.

Saute chicken, onion, bell pepper and garlic in bacon drippings until chicken is done and onions begin to soften. Add chicken broth and the whole kernel and cream corn. Mix corn starch and milk and stir into soup.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add salt, pepper and cheese and stir until cheese has melted. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

Split Pea

A traditional, classic soup that is filling and delicious. Believe it or not, the kids I babysit love this one!

Ingredients:

• 12 slices bacon
• 1 1l dried split peas
• 2 cup fully cooked ham, cubed (very thick sliced lunch meat works well. They have a great variety at HEB)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 5 cups boiling water
• 1 cup hot milk

Cook bacon and set aside.

In large slow cooker layer (in this order) dried split peas, ham, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, pepper and boiling water. DO NOT STIR.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf and stir in hot milk. Add the bacon and turn slow cooker to the 'warm' setting. When any body's hungry, it'll be ready!

That's it! By far the easiest recipe on my list. While many of these recipes can be made in the slow cooker, with split pea, you can layer the dry ingredients in the morning, add the boiling water at lunchtime and turn on, and when you get home from work, it's almost ready! On a busy, cold day, the time you will save before dinner is priceless!

And I personally love a good split pea soup. This one is thick and simple but very delicious.

So here they are - my top 5 soup recipes for winter! Enjoy and please let me know what you think if you try any of the recipes!!