We all know that a fresh salad is the healthiest thing we can consume in the spring and summer months; but when winter comes the produce aisles in the grocery store can look pretty foreboding. The only things available fresh are the root vegetables; which can make for a few good side dishes; but then what?

S-O-U-P!!!!!!

It is good and tasty and warm and delicious on these cold winter days.

You can’t go wrong with a fresh serving of homemade soup.

We try to alternate a regular meal and a meal of soup on the weeknights at our house in the winter months.  It works out nicely.  I’ve also enjoyed having homemade soups for lunch a lot.

There are more than health benefits in this alternating soup for dinner method; it is also easy and less time-consuming when you get home from a long hard day at work.

YOU CAN’T GO WRONG

If you take the time to prepare homemade soups ahead on the weekends; you can just heat and serve them during the weeknights. Add a few crackers; maybe a sandwich and a beverage and …….“Wallah! A Delicious and nutritious dinner is served!”

If you own a freezer, a good plan would be to spend a weekend canning and/or freezing some of your favorite soups before the winter months arrive.

You will be all ready when that first winter blizzard hits; no running to the grocery store in the midst of a crazed crowd of frantic shoppers.  You will have more peace and tranquility for your winter season.  While everyone else is out there; you can be enjoying the cozy fireside with your warm and tasty winter meal.

Here are some good old every day, heart-warming soup recipes that you can add to your weekly menus; plus; a great way to spice up the cornbread that you might want to serve on the side:

CHICKEN AVOCADO LIME SOUP

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions (including whites, mince the whites)
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (leave seeds if you want soup spicy, omit if you don’t like heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
Tortilla chips, Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream for serving (optional)
Preparation:
In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add green onions and jalapenos and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes, adding garlic during last 30 seconds of sautéing. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, season with salt and pepper to taste and add chicken breasts. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken has cooked through 10 – 15 minutes (cook time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts). Reduce burner to warm heat, remove chicken from pan and let rest on a cutting board 5 minutes, then shred chicken and return to soup. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Add avocados to soup just before serving (if you don’t plan on serving the soup right away, I would recommend adding the avocados to each bowl individually, about 1/2 an avocado per serving). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream if desired.

TORTELLINI AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cups refrigerated cheese tortellini
1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Preparation:
In a Dutch oven, saute carrots and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, zucchini, tomatoes, tortellini, spinach, rosemary and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Just before serving, stir in vinegar. Yield: 7 servings.

TURNIP GREEN SOUP

Ingredients:
1 pound cooked and diced ham
1 tablespoon extra pure virgin olive oil
1 package dry Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix
2 cans great northern beans
Three shakes of Tabasco sauce
1 can pinto beans
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups chopped potatoes
3 cups chopped onions
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
1-32 ounce package of freshly cut and washed turnip greens
2-48 ounce cartons chicken broth (may use beef if preferred)
2-15 ounce cans black-eyed peas (drained and rinsed)
1 (14.5 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation:
In a large stock pot with a tablespoon of extra pure virgin olive oil combine ham, onions, potatoes and carrots. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently for 7 to 8 minutes, or until ham is browned and onion and carrots are slightly soft. Add turnip greens, and cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until wilted. Add chicken broth, black-eyed peas, Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix, northern beans, pinto beans, Tabasco sauce, garlic powder, Rotel tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. Bring all to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes or until greens are tender. Serve steaming hot.

(If you use the fresh frozen veggies instead of the canned this soup usually taste better – or you can go all out and use totally fresh veggies – your choice – always good no matter how you do it. After Christmas I always freeze the left over ham slices and save it for this dish on New Year’s Day. We love it!)

CHRISTMAS EVE SOUP

(I love this recipe because it taste so good on a cold winter day, but it is SO EASY to make and easy to prepare ahead.  You don’t really have to wait till Christmas Eve to try it.)

Ingredients:
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch Powered Dressing Mix
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans
1 can white shoe-peg corn
1 can pinto beans
2 lbs. cooked lean ground beef, drained
1 cup water
1 onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons minced garlic
Sea Salt (to taste)
Ground Black Pepper (to taste)
Preparation:
Sautee the onions and minced garlic, then fry the beef in a skillet on the stove, being sure to drain off any excess grease. Transfer that to a soup pot and add all the other ingredients. Stir well and heat until hot. Add in the salt and pepper that you desire, then; simmer a few hours before serving. (Grated cheddar cheese is a nice topping and I like to serve thin crackers with this too.)

Such a simple lunch; but I promise all who eat it will enjoy a tasty meal. My Mom doesn’t like a big fuss; so this suits her well on her holiday visits.

SPICY SAUSAGE AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Ingredients:
1 16 ounce package spicy pork or beef sausage
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2-32 oz. boxes of chicken broth
2 heads cauliflower, trimmed
1 cup half-and-half
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Green Onions for garnish.

Preparation:
Cook sausage over medium-high heat until sausage is brown and crumbly. Remove sausage and reserve drippings in pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add vegetable oil and flour and cook, whisking to remove any lumps, until mix is light brown. Stir in chicken broth, whisking to remove any lumps. Add cauliflower and simmer until tender and it begins to fall apart. Stir in half-and-half. Top each bowl of soup served with desired amount of sausage. Garnish with Cheddar cheese and green onions.

BROCCOLI CORNBREAD

(This dish is always a lot of fun to serve because the broccoli is a surprise which adds flavor and interest to the every-day dish of regular cornbread. On holidays I use a pre-mixed cornbread just for simplicity and to save time, but I rarely do this the rest of the year.  During the holidays I’m all about easy!)

Ingredients:
2 packages white cornbread mix
4 eggs
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup cottage cheese
2/3 cup melted butter
Preparation:
Prepare a casserole dish. Mix all ingredients together and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cut in squares and serve hot with butter.

Stay warm and enjoy your soup recipes!