Brrrr, it’s cold outside! Let’s discuss, ladies: what are your favorite winter soups and stews for working moms, either because they’re easy or quick… or other reasons? This year we’re trying to make a lot more soups and stews, usually served with “freshly baked” bread — I love those parbaked loaves for the pantry and rolls for the freezer. (We got out of the habit of having soup for dinner for a while because my husband often eats soup for breakfast, and I haven’t wanted to force him to eat soup twice in one day — as we approach ten years of marriage I finally just declared winter Mondays to be Soup Mondays and then he at least knows that’s what’s coming for dinner.) My kids love consomme and pureed tomato soup, but not many of these meals below — it’s not because they’re non-kid-friendly meals, it’s just that my kids are weird. So: most nights when I serve soup for my husband and myself, I make separate meals for the kids — or I tend to “disaggregate” the soup or stew and serve the kids the meat and vegetables separately on their plates, sometimes plucking things from the soup itself, sometimes just keeping some aside to saute at the last minute separately.
- Moroccan Chicken Lentils & Stew – we’ve been making this one for a thousand years! We’ve “upgraded” recently and use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, and it’s a ton creamier.
- Bean and Sausage Soup – I’ve been making a very similar recipe to this for years now from an old Weight Watchers cookbook, Make It In Minutes. It’s very easy to pull together quickly if you have everything — instead of making my own mirepoix I just use the ones from the freezer section. (Sometimes they include potatoes or onions, which are fine for taste and consistency purposes.) I am weirdly opposed to pureeing soup so I’ve never done that step.
- Slow Cooker Low Carb Zuppa Toscana Soup – This one is a bit heavy because it’s keto-friendly and uses whipping cream, but it’s so tasty.
- Mediterranean Beef Stew – Great if you have zucchinis or canned tomatoes you need to use.
- “Dad’s Lentil Soup“ – A Corporette reader shared this recipe a few years ago and we finally tried it. It’s delicious! Very bright and light, much different than I think of a lot of lentil soups.
- Spicy Soups and Stews (know your kiddo!)
- Kimchi Jjigae – It’s always better to eat it out but I’ve made this a few times, just using pork tenderloin, and it hits the spot if it’s been too long since we’ve gone to a Korean restaurant!
- Black Bean Chili with Lime & Cilantro — so tasty! Spicy, though, so have some sour cream on hand.
Food photography is, unfortunately, a skill I do not possess, which is why I used a stock photo up top… some of my own casual pictures of our favorite winter soups and stews are below, though.
Pictured below, clockwise from the top: Kimchi Jjigae / Bean and Sausage Soup / Dad’s Lentil Soup / Mediterranean Beef Stew
Readers, what about you guys — what are your favorite winter soups and stews? Have you found success with anything that the whole family can eat?
anon says
I have a corn chowder recipe from a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I love. Chili is another, although I personally think chili is tastier after it simmers for awhile. Most times, making soup is a weekend activity, though.