This creamy soup is super healthy and though it tastes rich, there’s not a drop of cream in it. In fact, the ingredients are so simple that you might be surprised at how well it turns out!

I made this up for a brunch on a cold rainy day and it was well received. Since it goes beyond the plain squash, it’s more exciting than the average soup, with a aftertaste of roasted pepper that is really delightful. Perfect for those days when summer seems far away.

Roasted Pepper Squash Soup

Serves 6

2 acorn squash or about 5 c. cooked squash (I steamed mine)
3 red sweet peppers
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 Tblsp. oil
5 c. broth
1 tsp. garlic salt

Rub the peppers with oil and place in a pan to char over high heat. You can also roast over an open flame. When thoroughly blackened, set aside to cool.

When cooled, remove the seeds and peel the peppers. Cut into strips and put in the blender. Add the squash and one cup of broth.

Blend until smooth and set aside.

In a pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add onions. Saute until transluscent. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Add remaining broth and simmer for 10 minutes.

Let the mixture cool a bit, then blend it until smooth and pour both the onion broth and the squash puree into the pot. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes, adding the garlic salt, and serve hot.

Spinach isn’t everyone’s favorite vegetable, but when mixed in with leeks, onion and garlic, it becomes a very tasty addition to this soup. I call this a grown-up soup since most kids are probably going to shy away from the green color and the flavor of leeks and onions . . . if not, then great!

This spinach leek soup is actually fairly mild, thanks to the cooking and it is the perfect way to start a meal with your friends. I actually made it for a group of moms that I meet up with to cook lunch once a week and it was a big hit!

Spinach Leek Soup
Serves 4

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 leeks, chopped (use the white part and about 2″ of the green)

3 handfuls spinach, destemmed and chopped

4 c. water

1 Tblsp. consomme powder

Olive oil

Heat a little oil in a pot over medium heat and add the onion and leek. Saute until the onions are translucent and add the garlic. Cook for one minute.

Add the water and consomme and simmer the soup for 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

There’s a little restaurant in Antigua where my husband and I regularly eat out because they have cheap meals that are incredibly good. For just over $2, you get soup and bread, tortillas and a meat dish with a side, a dessert and drink . . . the REAL treat there is the lovely soup. They make their soups with vegetables and no consomme, it’s all flavored by the day’s veggies and they are SO delicious.

This soup uses just two vegetables to make a lovely soup that is just light enough to work for spring. Add a little salt to taste and you have something that is wonderfully tasty without being too complicated. In fact, my husband, who dislikes soups in general, ended up polishing off the ENTIRE POT! Guess I’ll just have to make this one again.

Carrot Corn Vegetable Soup

Serves 4

4 carrots, finely chopped

2 c. corn kernels (I used fresh, but frozen would be fine)

2 c. water

2 garlic cloves, peeled and whole

Salt to taste

In the water, cook half the carrots and half the corn, along with the garlic, for about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard.

Blend the soup in your blender for 3 min. or until smooth. Remember, when blending hot liquids, you need to carefully remove the center cap so the steam can escape.

Return the mixture to the pot and add water if needed to get the right consistency, a light soup. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer until the carrots are tender. Salt to taste and serve.

For me (and I suspect many of my readers), lettuce has always been a raw food. However, I’ve seen recipes for lettuce soup in several cookbooks now and they’ve made me curious, so for lunch one day, I made lettuce soup. To my surprise, it was quite delicious. The only thing I would change from this very simple recipe is to perhaps add some crumbled bacon to the top . . . it would go so very well with this recipe!

Creamy Lettuce Soup

Serves 4

3 c. beef broth
3 c. lettuce, shredded
1 Tblsp. onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. milk
paprika

Bring the broth to a boil. Add lettuce, onion, and garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add milk and remove from the heat. Sprinkle each serving with a pinch of paprika for color.

This soup is nice and hearty without having much in the way of calories, so it’s a great diet food. The rich flavor comes from the roasted peppers and the onions that are blended into the broth. The wine is optional but it really adds a nice depth to this soup. Perfect for a cool day.

Roasted Red Pepper and Carrot Soup

Serves 8

1 c. red pepper, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3 c. beef broth
3 c. water
1 c. rice
2 large carrots, chopped
2 Tblsp. red wine

Heat a little oil in the pot you plan to use for the soup. Add the peppers and allow to roast, stirring occasionally. When the peppers begin to blacken, add the onions and saute until limp. Add the broth and remove from heat. In a blender, blend the pepper mixture with the garlic until smooth. Return to pot.

Add remaining water, carrots and rice, then simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Add wine, cook another five minutes. Serve hot.

Most bean soups involve whole beans, but this one is creamily smooth, with flecks of fresh parsley throughout. The white beans give it a unique taste . . . there’s no hint of refried beans anywhere in this hearty soup! And, it’s super easy to whip up, you could literally have it on the table in 10 minutes!

White Bean Parsley Soup

serves 4

3 c. white beans
1 c. bean juice (from can or from cooking)
2 c. chicken broth (for vegetarian version, use vegetable stock)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tblsp. mayonnaise

Blend all ingredients in the blender until creamy, about 3 minutes on High. Pour into a pot and heat until just heated through. Salt to taste and serve with a sprinkle of parsley.

With winter in full force for most of our readers, it’s high time to enjoy some soup. This tasty soup uses three colors of beans, in a rich broth to warm you up on a chilly day. I’ve used red, white and black beans, but you could easily use any types of beans that appeal to you. I added baby zucchini since they are in season, but again, you could use any vegetable, such as carrots or green beans.

3 Bean Winter Soup

Serves 4

1 c. kidney beans
1 c. black beans
1 c. white beans
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
3 c. beef broth (use vegetable for vegetarian dish)
1 c. bean liquid (if using canned beans, reserve liquid for this purpose)
1 c. chopped vegetables.

Saute onions in a little oil in a pot until translucent. Add beans and veggies and heat through. Add liquid and herbs, bring to a boil.

Let the soup simmer for 30 min. or until your vegetables are tender. Serve hot with a chunk of bread to soak up the tasty broth.

When you think of soup, green beans aren’t the first veggie to come to mind. The other day, though, I had a bag of them in the fridge and was desperate for a nice creamy, comforting soup. Since things like green beans tend to languish in the veggie drawer if I’m not careful, I decided to turn them into soup. The decision was spurred on by the fact that I had very few other soup ingredients in the house.

The end result was surprisingly delicious and with the cheese sprinkled on top . . . I could have easily finished off the pot all on my own, but my 2.5 year old insisted on helping.

Garlic Green Bean Soup

Serves 4

4 cloves garlic
2 small onions, diced
1/4 c. margarine
1 Tblsp. dried oregano (not powdered)
3 c. chicken broth (use vegetable if you want a vegetarian dish)
1 lb. green beans
2 Tblsp. fresh Mexican cheese (you could substitute another white cheese)

Melt the butter in a pot and saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1 min.

Pour in the chicken broth and add the beans and oregano. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 10-15 min.

Use your blender to liquify the soup. Pour it back into the pot and reheat.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh cheese.

I’ve been fascinated by dumplings since I was a child. But it wasn’t until recently that I dared try to make them. This chicken stew was simple enough that it could handle something extra and when showed to my friends, they mentioned that these dumplings looked a lot like Hungarian noodles. Since I never had those, I can’t say for sure if that’s so.

The stew is warming and ideal for a cold winter’s night and the dumplings add an extra touch of chewiness to what would otherwise be mostly soup.

Chicken Stew

Serves 6

1/2 chicken, cut into pieces, rolled in flour
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 c. fresh parsley
3 sprigs rosemary
1 Tblsp. dried oregano
8 c. chicken broth

Brown the chicken with a little oil in a large pot. Add onions and garlic. Saute 1 min.

Add chicken broth and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Simmer for 30-60 min. or until the chicken is cooked through.

Dumplings

Makes 1 doz.

3 eggs
1/2 tsp. chicken consomme powder
dash of salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
Flour, 1-1.5 c.

Beat the eggs with the salt, consomme and oregano. Beat in flour gradually until a soft dough is formed. Drop by the spoonful into the simmering chicken stew about 10 min. before it’s done. Cook for 10 min, flipping with a fork if needed.

This soup is extremely simple and while it doesn’t look that exciting, the flavors are sure to make your tastebuds do a happy dance. The blend of paprika with the flavors of herbs and chicken broth mix with the heartiness of the cabbage for a soup that is so tasty, you’ll be asked for seconds.

The recipe came about during a late night hunger attack when I didn’t want to cook anything complicated, but needed the warmth of soup. Try it yourself, it’s not only delicious, it’s cheap!

Paprika Cabbage Soup

Serves 4

1 c. carrot, cut into strips

3 c. cabbage, sliced

2 onions, chopped

3 sticks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp.  rosemary

1 Tblsp. dried paprika

6 c. chicken broth

Add oil, onion and celery to a pot and cook until the onion is translucent. Add garlic, cook one minute.

Pour in chicken broth and veggies. Simmer for 15 min. Add herbs and simmer another 10 min.

Serve piping hot.