Some of the outdoor activities that come to mind include things like riding snowmobiles and snowboards, going to a resort for a weekend skiing get away or going to the local ice skating rink and take to the ice.

But when you’re outside during the winter it’s easy to get a chill very quickly, and aside from the usual fare like a steaming cup of hot chocolate or a hot toddy or a soothing cup of tea, there’s nothing like a healthy bowl of warm soup to chase that winter chill away.

Let’s look at a few soup recipes that are hearty, healthy and guaranteed to keep the chill of winter at bay throughout the whole winter season.

 

Pork, White Bean & Kale Soup

The recipe for this soup has a few ingredients that, when combined together, make for a very tasty and flavorful soup. The ingredients for this soup include:

– Lean Pork Tenderloin

– Kale

– White Beans

– Smoked Paprika

 

Finishing off this is easy with some Manchego Cheese and some warm bread.

 

Spinach and Goat Cheese Bisque

For those of you who enjoy variations on the usual French onion soup recipe, here is something that is very different but still has that little touch that’s going to remind you of that soup we mentioned just a moment ago.

For the spinach lover who wants to try their favorite green veggie in a decidedly different manner, this soup is going to do the trick. The recipe for this soup has several ingredients that you’ll need to gather:

– Extra virgin olive oil- 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon

– 2 large yellow onions chopped

– Salt to taste

– 2 full cups of water and an additional 2 tablespoons

– 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or 2 fresh tablespoons

– 1 large Yukon Gold potato diced and peeled

– 2 tablespoons of Marsala or Cream Sherry

– 4 cups of vegetable broth

– 24 cups of spinach gently packed

– A touch of Cayenne pepper

– ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

– ½ cup of ground goat cheese

– 2 tablespoons of butter

– 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or enough to taste

– Soup croutons for garnish

 

Okay, so there’s a bunch of ingredients to put together for this soup, but the proof’s in the pudding so to speak, because this is a delicious tasting surprise to serve to your friends, and you can actually prepare this ahead of time.

Prepare, refrigerate and this delicious soup will stay fresh in your refrigerator for up to three days.

 

Traditional Jewish Chicken Soup

There are stories about this traditional soup curing all the ills of someone who has a cold and just can’t seem to shake off its effects, and it’s been referred to as Jewish Penicillin due to its effectiveness.

Jewish Chicken Soup is a dish usually made for certain Jewish holidays, including Passover. When made properly, this rich flavorful chicken soup is perfect for the addition of things such as egg noodles, kasha or matzo balls.

There’s more than one method to making a rich and flavorful chicken soup, but the basic ingredients include:

– 3-4lb whole chicken

– 6-peeled and sliced large carrots

– 6-celery stalks sliced and peeled including the stalks

– 1-yellow onion washed and cut in half

– Kosher salt

– Fresh dill and parsley

– 1-3 Cloves

– 2 tsp of black peppercorns

– 2-bay leaves

– Optional-1/4 tsp saffron threads for that rich yellow color

 

The recipe takes around two to three hours to cook, but the end result is almost indescribable – it’s just that good.

 

Smoky Black Bean Soup

Looking for a soup with a little umph to it? Here’s one last recipe for a soup that is not only healthy, it’s probably one of the most unique soups you’ll ever try.

This is another one of those soups that seem like a lot of trouble to put together, but then again, thirty minutes can pass by fairly quickly as you work on making this delicious soup.

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this hearty soup:

– Black Beans-about 2 cups or 1lb

– Extra virgin olive oil- 2 tablespoons

– 2-finely chopped medium sized onions

– 1-Red bell pepper thinly chopped

– 2-Large celery stalks finely chopped

– 1-Jalapeño pepper-seedless and delicately chopped

– 3-large garlic cloves finely diced and chopped

– 1-tablespoon of ground cumin

– 4-cups of water

– 2-brewed cups of coffee (whatever flavor satisfies you’re palette)

– 1-ham hock-this is an option if you’d like to flavor this soup up a bit more

– 1-bay leaf

– 1-teaspoon of salt or flavor to taste

– 6-tablespoons of either plain Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream as a garnish

 

This is a tasty soup idea with some kick to it with that Jalapeño pepper added in, and even though the ham hock is an option, adding it to the soup will add some flavor to the soup stock as it cooks.

Another ingredient that you can add is a small amount of Cilantro, freshly chopped as a garnish to complete the presentation for your guests.

 

So these are the four soup dishes. They’re fairly easy to make, and they’re great soups to enjoy with friends and family over the winter and the best part is that they’re actually healthy to eat and they taste great.

 

Got more easy recipes for tasty and healthy soups? Share them in the comments so we can all enjoy.