5 frugal soup recipes to get you through winter

There’s nothing more warming and soulful than eating a bowl of soup on a cold winter day. It’s one of those feel-good foods that make everything feel all right. And when you’re sick, it’s the go-to food that can help alleviate many of the symptoms you are feeling.

For the budget-seeker, including soup as part of the winter meal plan can keep costs low. Plus, you can make these soups in large batches, freeze them and use them when needed, which saves a lot of time. It’s also the easiest meal for the busiest of people.

To get you through this winter, I’ve got five delicious and frugal soup recipes that you and your family can enjoy, courtesy of my husband Chef Hansen Lee of dusitD2 Constance Pasadena. So get ready and be prepared for some deliciousness to come your way!

Apple and Pumpkin Bisque

Ingredients:

1 cored apple

1 cup diced pumpkin

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup maple syrup

3 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup heavy cream

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a pot, sweat the onion, celery, pumpkin and apple in medium heat. Add maple syrup to the pot and stir. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer down. Add seasoning. Once everything is tender, place the mixture in a blender and blend very well. Put the soup base in a pot, reheat and add heavy cream. Mix it well.

Chicken and Mushroom Ramen Soup

Ingredients:

1 pack ramen

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced mushroom (shitake preferred)

1/2 cup Mirin (Japanese sweet wine) or white wine

1/2 cup diced chicken breast

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 tablespoon soy sauce to taste

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a pot, boil water and add ramen (cook like pasta). After the noodle cooks, give it an ice water bath and put it in separate bowls (you can add sesame oil to prevent it from sticking together).

Put a separate pot on medium high heat and add oil, onion, carrot, celery, mushroom and chicken. Let them sweat. Add Mirin and chicken stock. Let the mixture boil and then reduce heat to simmer, adding soy sauce to taste.

Place the ramen noodles in a serving bowl and pour hot soup over the noodle. Add cilantro as a garnish.

Chestnut Soup with Gorgonzola Cheese and Bacon Bits

Ingredients:

1 cup chestnut roughly chopped

1/2 cup onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/3 cup white wine

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoon gorgonzola cheese

1 tablespoon bacon bits

Directions:

In a pot, add onion and chestnut. Sauté them together. Add wine and reduce all way down. Add chicken stock, bring it to a boil and let it simmer down. Put mixture in the blender. Blend together, add heavy cream and season to taste. In a serving soup bowl, pour the soup and add cheese and bacon on top.

Spicy Seafood Soup with Barley

Ingredients:

3 ounces shrimp

2 ounces squid ring cut

2 ounces diced lean fish

4 each clam or mussels

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced zucchini

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup barley

1/2 cup diced tomato

1 teaspoon garlic minced

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

3 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a pot, add vegetables and let them sweat. Add paprika, cayenne pepper and garlic (do not let it burn). Add seafood and fish, and let them sweat together. Add tomato and wine to reduce down. Add stock and barley. Cook until barley is done and season to taste.

Kale and Potato Miso Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 sheet Japanese kelp (kombu)

1 ounce roughly chopped ginger

1/2 gallon water or chicken stock

1/3 cup white miso

1 cup chopped kale

1 cup diced potato

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions:

In a pot, sweat potato, carrot and onion on medium high heat. Add stock or water, then add kelp and ginger. Bring to a boil and simmer it down. Add miso paste to taste. Stir it well and once the potato is done, add kale.

More from U.S. News

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5 Frugal Soup Recipes to Get You Through Winter originally appeared on usnews.com

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