During the cooler months, our bodies naturally crave cooked foods and warming spices. When it comes to hearty comfort food, few things beat cozying up to a warm, nourishing bowl of homemade soup. This season use these five tips when cooking your favorite pot of homemade soup. Plus, enjoy ten of our favorite, easy fall and winter soup recipes that will have you feeling great all season long.

#1 Stock Up for the Seasons 

When shopping for soup ingredients, focus on local foods that grow near your home. During fall and winter that means stocking up on dense root vegetables, hearty winter greens and in some cases, high quality animal protein. Some good options include roasted beets, baked sweet potatoes, roasted squash and winter pumpkins. 

#2 Keep Vegetables Consistent

When preparing vegetables for your soup, slice, dice and chop your vegetables in similar sizes so their flavor distributes evenly throughout the soup while its cooking. Additionally, you can also cook your vegetables in your favorite plant-based milk such as almond milk or coconut milk. This will give the base of your soup a creamy consistency without the unpleasant side effects that often accompany traditional dairy options.

 

#3 Pop In Plant-Based Protein Sources

When it comes to making soup, we often times rely on fatty protein sources for flavor (think beef and bacon). Instead of animal sources, consider adding beans. Some beans that work great in soup include garbanzo beans, lentils and red beans, which deliver protein and fiber. By simply adding a serving of beans you can easily transform your bowl of soup into a complete meal. Talk about a one pot wonder!

#4 Give Your Soup Some Greenery

No matter what soup recipe you are making, every soup can always afford an added serving of greens including chard, collard greens, kale and spinach. However, hold off on adding these until the end of your soup preparation. This will help to preserve the nutritional content. Most greens only need about 3-10 minutes to simmer on a low heat before they become soft and tender, so save these for last.

 

#5 Splurge on Herbs

Dried herbs are perfectly fine to use in soups, but did you know most dried herbs and spices only have a shelf life of about one year? Take your homemade soup to the next level with fresh herbs like basil, black pepper, garlic, ginger, fennel, rosemary and turmeric. The more fresh herbs you use, the less likely you will rely on table salt for an added burst of flavor.

10 Cozy and Easy Soup Recipes

Looking for some soup inspiration? Try one (or all) ten of these soup recipes, perfect for the fall and winter months.

- Black Bean Soup

- Bone Broth French Onion Soup

- Butternut Squash Soup

- Leek and Potato Soup

- Lemon Rosemary Lentil Soup

- Matzoh Ball Soup

- Parsnip and Kale Tuscan Soup

- Simple Pumpkin Soup

- Sweet Potato Chili

- Tomato Basil Soup

Stay cozy and feel great this season with these ten easy soup recipes. Don’t forget to enjoy a big bowl of soup with a side of your favorite almond flour crackers or sprouted seed crackers!