Home / Food Bites & Articles / Janet's Notebook

Homemade Soup Recipes for a Cold Evening

Baby It's Cold Outside Burger Soup

When the cooler weather arrives, soup recipes make their way into my weekly menu. They’re economical, easy to make, and always a family favorite. A comforting bowl of one of these soups will make your taste buds very happy.

“Raising children on a dime led me to be frugal in the kitchen,” explains Joanne Hendriksen. “So I came up with this warm and nutritious Sweet Onion Potato Soup that met with everyone’s approval.”

I love how this soup is creamy but chunky at the same time. The roux thickens the soup up nicely. With green and red onion, it’s full of onion flavor. Adding ground ginger and cayenne to the recipe does give the soup a little kick. If you don’t like spicy, we’d suggest cutting back on the cayenne. Serve with crusty bread for a lovely lunch.

Wanda Grundmann (Kenner, LA) shared her recipe for Mexican Corn Soup that has just the right amount of heat in it. “So quick, so easy, and so delicious,” thinks Wanda.

You’ll definitely be hearing a lot of “mmm’s” around the dinner table when this is served. It’s a very hardy soup filled with Mexican flavors. The spices, like cumin and cinnamon, season the soup perfectly. Browned ground beef helps to make this super filling. Serve with a lovely salad for a delicious dinner.

Susan Thomas (Wildwood, NJ) shared her grandma’s Mushroom Barley Soup recipe that’s great if you’re eating healthier.

“When the weather starts to turn cold, this is a family favorite,” shares Susan. “Warms your soul!”

Like quinoa, barley is considered an ancient grain that’s loaded with fiber. It’s soft and chewy with a subtle nutty flavor that’s lovely in this soup. I also love the earthiness sauteed mushrooms add.

Carol White made this and thought the “broth is rich and delicious.” She went on to say that it’s now one of her favorites. It’s one of my favorites too.

“When I married my Jewish husband 28 years ago, his mother taught me to make ‘real’ matzo ball soup saying the fluffy kind you get in a deli isn’t the real deal,” reveals Pamela Rappaport (The Villages, FL). “I’m not jumping into the middle of the debate. I just want to share with you the way to make ‘hard’ matzo ball chicken soup. We’ve got to pass these things down, right?”

There is a real richness to Pam’s Traditional Hard Matzo Ball Soup thanks to the homemade chicken broth. I loved the texture of the matzo balls. Make sure to get a bit of chicken, some noodles, and matzo ball onto your spoon… it’s a heavenly bite.

Grace Pulley’s (Gillette, WY) Baby It’s Cold Outside Burger Soup is very simple to prepare and so good.

“Today is snowy, blowy, and majorly cold outside, so a great day for my burger soup,” says Grace. “This soup is guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out on any cold blustery day and it tastes really good too.”

Quick and easy, this will hit the spot. Worcestershire sauce is the secret ingredient that makes this different than other vegetable and burger soup recipes. It adds sweetness and tang undertones to the flavor. I also loved using rice rather than pasta in this delicious soup.

The next time there’s a very cold day, give one of these Blue Ribbon soups a try. As they simmer, they’ll make your kitchen smell amazing. Happy Pinching!