It is officially winter, and the country are being bombarded with frigid temperatures and harsh winds. These recipes offer all the comfort with minimal effort, meaning you can get back under the blankets quicker. This recipes that are sure to keep you warm this winter.
1. Winter Squash Soup
Yum. I love a good squash soup! These soup recipe comes by Erren’s Kitchen, and is a super easy recipe that’s sure to be delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2.5 lbs winter squash peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 5 cups chicken stock
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Fresh parsely, chopped to serve (optional)
Some of the ingredients could be substituted (you could substitute onion powder for the sauteed onions) if you’re feeling adventurous.
2. Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Whenever I had the patience, I would cook everything in a slow cooker. The aroma fills the house, and then I inevitably get hungry…it is a vicious cycle. This slow cooker beef stew by Six Sisters’ Stuff takes about 8 hours in a slow cooker, but only a few minutes to prepare.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound beef stew cubes
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 4-6 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix
- 2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas
This recipe is well worth the wait. Just be sure to start it in the morning so you can enjoy it for dinner
3. The Best Chili On Earth
Now I’ll admit, the title is quite boastful! Many people have their own chili recipes to swear by, but for those of us just beginning on our own, we need a bit extra guidance. This chili recipe from Pip and Ebby does just that; them takes the guess-work out of making your first chili! Admittedly, I’d probably make the bean:meat ratio much MUCH larger.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs ground beef, turkey, or venison
- 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (optional, but highly recommended)
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 46-oz. container tomato juice
- 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
- 15-oz. can tomato sauce
- 16-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 16-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- Shredded cheese and sour cream
Go on and give it a try; this chili is sure to warm you up.
4. Chickpea Pumpkin Coconut Curry (VEGAN)
These chickpea pumpkin coconut curry from Emilie Eats are my absolute favorite thing to cook. I use about four times the spice she lists in her recipe, and I LOVE the smell of curry on the stove (or crockpot). The combination of curry powder on pumpkin and coconut is almost to good to be true.
Ingredients:
- Oil for cooking
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 teaspoon)
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk (light or full-fat will work)
- 1 cup water
- ½ lime
A couple of substitutions I usually make are chicken broth instead of water (this makes the recipe non-vegan, be aware) for extra flavor, sweet potatoes instead of tomatoes, onion powder instead of onion, adding chopped chicken, some pinches of garam masala, and TONS more curry powder I like it hot.
5. Ham Bone Bean Soup
These ham bone bean soup from Kevin Is Cooking are absolutely delicious and perfect for a cold winter day. It’s a mixture of beans and ham in a slow-cooker soup, with about 8 hours preparation time.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Bean Mix (See Note 1 in link)
- 2 lb smoked ham bone
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 onion, chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tbsp Tabasco Garlic Pepper Sauce
- Parsley for garnish
A few possible substitutions include:
- Ham broth for ham bone
- Onion powder for onion (I know, I suggest this a lot)
- Chili Powder for Tabasco (2 tbsp should do it)
6. Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
This look delicious, right? A big heaping plate of crispy sweet potato skins with savory bacon and melted cheese is sure to warm you up in no time. These delicious snack recipe comes from Sally’s Baking Addiction, and is said to be a real crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup milk1
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheese (I use half sharp cheddar and half mozzarella)
- 4 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, and crumbled
- sour cream and chopped chives for serving
7. Gluhwein
These recipe is for a drink. However, this drink is a German holiday tradition, and as we all know, the Germans KNOW food and drink. Gluhwein is a type of mulled spiced wine, served warm at Christmas markets all over Germany. These recipe from Food.com will definitely warm you up on a cold winter’s night.
Ingredients:
- 3⁄4 cup water (or orange juice)
- 3⁄4 cup white sugar (or less to taste)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange
- 10 whole cloves
- 1(750 ml) bottle red wine
There are non-alcoholic varieties of wine as well! Just check your local grocery stores, many will have it, especially around the holidays. If you simply can’t find it, try substituting grape juice!
