A warm bowl of soup is a great way to stay warm and cozy as we endure the last weeks of winter. Soup is satisfying to make, and trying out different recipes and ingredients is a great way to introduce new foods to your family. Check out our cozy soup recipes and let us know what you think!

Scroll to the bottom of the page for February’s What to Eat 4 Dinner calendar!

Corn Bacon Potato Chowder

BY KENDAL RAE JENSEN

Corn (choose one)
4 ears of corn or whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream of corn (if not using fresh corn)

Soup
1 tsp butter (or oil)
8 oz bacon, chopped
2 tbsp butter (use 3 tbsp if bacon is lean)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, diced (or half large onion)
5 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
3 cups milk
2 lbs potatoes, cut into cubes
2 sprigs of thyme OR 1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shallots / scallions, green part finely sliced
Salt and finely ground pepper to taste

Cut the corn off the cob. One way to do this is to place a small ramekin in a large bowl. Place corn on the ramekin, then cut the corn off. Keep the naked cobs or open cans of corn.

Place 1 tsp butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove onto a paper towel lined plate. Leave fat in pot.

Lower heat to medium high. Add 2 tbsp butter. Once melted, add garlic and onion. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes until onion is translucent.

Add flour and mix it in. Cook while stirring for 1 minute.

Add broth, milk, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Break the naked cobs into 2 or 3 and add them into the liquid. Put the lid on and simmer for 25 minutes (adjust heat so it’s simmering energetically but not bubbling too much).

Remove lid and remove corn cobs. Add corn and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked to your taste.

Stir through cream and 3/4 of the bacon and shallots. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining bacon and shallots.

Hearty Gnocchi Soup with Chicken

BY CINDY JONES

Sourdough rolls are a delicious compliment

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp black pepper
32 oz box chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 tsp Thyme
1 pound bag gnocchi
Parmesan or Romano cheese for topping

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring until softened, between 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the broth, chicken, and thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the gnocchi, spinach, and half-and-half. Cook until the gnocchi floats to the top and the spinach is wilted, about 6 minutes. (Refer to gnocchi package for specific cooking time.) Top with Parmesan or Romano cheese and serve.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

FROM THE MINTON RECIPE BOX

28 oz diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup carrots finely diced
1 cup onions, finely diced
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups half & half, warmed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano

In a large crock pot, combine tomatoes, chicken broth, celery, carrots, onions, and a bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Make a roux by melting butter in a pan and adding flour. Whisk constantly for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup of hot soup from the crock pot. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add it all back to the crock pot mix. Stir in parmesan, half and half, pepper, basil, and oregano. Cover and cook on low for another hour. You may use fresh basil and oregano if desired. 1/4 cup fresh basil and 1 Tbsp fresh oregano.

Yield: 6 servings

Cowboy Stew

BY MELISSA SPELTS

This recipe is one that I found on 100recipes.com last year. It is seriously so yummy. I love it because it is a hearty stew that fills tummies. It is so easy to make and delicious to eat.

2 lb ground beef
2 packages of Hillshire Farm Cajun Style Smoked Sausage sliced into 1⁄2 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves
1 onion, chopped
2 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained
4 medium baked potatoes, peeled and diced
2 (15oz) cans pinto beans, with liquid (optional
1 (15.2oz) can whole kernel corn, drained OR
2 to 3 cups of frozen corn)
2 (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with green chile pepper with liquid
1 (10oz) package frozen mixed vegetables
4 cups of water
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
Salt & pepper to taste

In a pot add 2 Tbsp of butter and onion and sauté until golden brown.

Add ground beef to your sautéed onions and let your ground beef cook until brown as well.

At this point I add everything to the pot. If your potatoes are not cooked, let stew simmer for 1 hour until cooked. If you add cooked potatoes, warm up your stew on medium heat for 10 to 20 minutes until it is at the desired temperature and eat.