When the snow hits the ground and the wind is too bitter to leave the house, there is nothing better to warm up with than a cup of soup. Soup is a great way to stay warm and also an easy, delicious meal for you and your family. Not only is soup filling but there are so many different flavors and varieties of soup that there is something for everyone’s taste buds. If you are looking for some savory soup recipes, here are the best ones for the winter.

6. Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Soup with Wild Rice

Packed with vegetables, this creamy soup comes together easily for a warming meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, halved and sliced
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 2 cups cooked wild rice 
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

Steps to make it:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until the mushroom liquid has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add flour, thyme, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
2. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, rice and cream; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

5. Chicken, Sausage, and Kale Soup

A splash of vinegar is a long-standing chef’s trick for soups. Added just before you serve the soup, vinegar brightens the taste considerably.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cups kale, torn into bite-size pieces and rinsed
• 2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups diced cooked potatoes, (see Note), preferably red-skinned
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 12-ounce package cooked chicken sausages, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Steps to make it:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and kale and cook, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Stir in broth, tomatoes, potatoes, rosemary and pepper. Cover, increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in sausage and vinegar and continue to cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

4. Slow Cooker Carrot-Leek Bisque

Creamy and delicious, this slow cooker soup is a warm and savory appetizer.

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 2 leeks (white and light green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 7 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
• ½ cup uncooked millet
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh juice (from 1 lemon)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Steps to make it:

1.Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the mustard to the skillet; cook, stirring constantly, 15 seconds. 

2. Add the leeks, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; cook, stirring often, until the leek has softened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the leek mixture to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

3. Add the stock, carrots, and millet to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH until the carrots are very tender, about 6 hours.

4. Cool the soup 10 minutes.Transfer one-third of the soup to a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure the blender lid on the blender. Place a clean towel over the opening in the blender lid (to avoid splatters). 5.Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat the procedure with the remaining soup. Stir in the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle the bisque into bowls; sprinkle evenly with the chives before serving.

3. Chicken and Kale Soup

This easy chicken and kale soup will keep you warm on a cold and rainy day or any day that calls for a simple, hearty soup.

Ingredients:

• tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added great northern beans, rinsed
• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (1/2-inch)
• 6 cups unsalted chicken broth
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 3 cups chopped kale or 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped kale
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Steps to make it:

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. 

2.Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans, chicken, potatoes, broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the chicken registers 165°F, about 18 minutes.

3.Transfer the chicken to a plate and, using 2 forks, shred it into bite-size pieces. Stir kale into the soup; cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the kale is wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. 

4.Remove from heat; stir in the shredded chicken and lemon juice. Remove the thyme sprigs before serving. Serve hot.

2. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili Soup

Make a double batch of this quick vegetarian chili, full of black beans and sweet potatoes, and eat it for lunch the next day, or freeze the extras for another night. We love the smoky heat from the ground chipotle, but omit it if you prefer a mild chili. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread and coleslaw.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile
• ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tab
• 2 ½ cups water
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 teaspoons lime juice
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Steps to make it:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, about 4 minutes.
3. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
4. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often.
6. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

1. Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken

This rich-tasting but better-for-you creamy chicken soup has a delicious chicken pot pie feel to it.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
• 1 cup chopped carrots (from 2 medium carrots)
• 1 cup chopped celery (from 2 large stalks)
• 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 ounces uncooked whole-wheat egg noodles
• 3 cups coarsely chopped rotisserie chicken breast (from 2 rotisserie chickens)
• 1 cup frozen green peas

Steps to make it:

1. Melt butter with olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and salt and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly softened, 6 to 8 minutes. 
2. Add flour and stir to coat. Stir in stock and milk and let the mixture come to a boil. Add uncooked noodles to the boiling mixture. 
3. Cover and cook until noodles are al dente, about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in chicken and peas and cook until pasta reaches desired doneness and chicken and peas are warmed through, about 1 to 2 more minutes. Serve immediately.