During winter and chilly weather soup can warm you up in a hurry. No, not a can of soup! Your homemade soup. Soup can fill your home with delicious smells and is very easy to make with the taste you like. It's a simple way to give your family a hardy, healthy meal full of veggies. It's a great way to use up leftovers and can stretch your food dollars. With or without meat, soup is a tasty warming meal on a chilly day.

Fall veggies like beets, cabbage, carrots, leeks, parsnips and potatoes are perfect ingredients for a delicious hardy soup. Start with the basics and then add the veggies or protein you like.

Soup or Stew? A teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in about 1/3 cup of broth can thicken your soup. Dissolving the cornstarch before you stir it in prevents lumps. Use lean chicken or beef for lean protein without the extra fat. Lean meats are a good source of iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and are easily absorbed by the body. If you want more protein in your soup, add a can of black or pinto beans or chickpeas. Add cooked rice or noodles for a heartier dish.

What do you get? Delicious warmth, a dish made to your taste, hearty nutrition with a big dose of vitamins and energy.

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RECIPE: Tuscan Bean Soup

A Favorite Italian Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 ounce) can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, no salt added
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves or chopped kale
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

PREPARATION:

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender. About 5 minutes.
Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.
Serve topped with parmesan, if desired.

TIPS: Preparing Your Basic Soup Ingredients

Chop an onion, some celery and a couple of carrots, include some garlic in the mixture if you want. Sautee in a tablespoon of olive oil until the ingredients are soft.
Add a few cups of veggie or chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add a red pepper or jalapenos for a spicy soup.
Add "hard" veggies like parsnips, potatoes, leeks or cabbage cut in small pieces.
Season with a bay leaf & a pitch of thyme, or any of your favorite spices.
Simmer until the veggies are slightly soft. About 15-20 minutes.
Brown a few chunks of chicken or beef and cook until meat is tender.
Add rice and noodles if you want to at the end.
Salt and pepper to taste.

DIPPERS FOR SOUP:
Toast up stale bread. Cut it in finger size strips and serve with soup. Delicious dunked into soup.

MORE RECIPES:
Lemon Chicken Soup:
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with Kale Recipe | EatingWell

Old Fashioned Vegetable Soup:
http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/old-fashioned-vegetable-beef-soup-58901