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Warm, wallet-friendly soup recipes

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By Duante Beddingfield, Contributing Writer Updated 7:56 PM Thursday, October 13, 2011

With the recent ups and downs in temperature, I would bet most of us — many not even consciously — made a subtle, yet major, shift in our thinking where food is concerned. When the weather cools down, we find ourselves in need of comfort food — filling and savory meals to keep us warm on increasingly frigid nights. One of the best ways to fill that need is a hearty soup.

And in these economic times, it’s handy for other reasons too: the ingredients required for soup are usually inexpensive and few, it can be made in large portions (perfect for weekend gatherings), it keeps (and freezes) well, and the leftovers can be stretched out for several days if need be.

Here, for your cold-weather delight, are a perfect take on a classic and a simple, spicy take on a Mexican staple. Take that coat off and grab a spoon. Soup’s on!

Old-Time Beef Stew

(Recipe from Food Network star Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

2 pounds stew beef

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups water

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 or 2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Dash ground allspice or ground cloves

3 large carrots, sliced

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly. Total time  2 hours and 20 minutes, yields 6 servings.

Hot and Spicy Tortilla Soup

(Recipe courtesy of Food Network stars Pat and  Gina Neely)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, finely diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced Mexican style tomatoes

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus 2 tablespoons

1 (12-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast, diced

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Sour cream, for topping

Monterey Jack, shredded, for topping

2 limes, wedged

Directions:

1. In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Saute the onions. Add bell pepper, jalapenos, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions become translucent. Add the cumin and stir until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Add the diced chicken and cook through for about 10 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.

2. Ladle soup into bowls and divide the crushed tortilla chips between the bowls. Top with sour cream, Monterey jack cheese, cilantro, sliced avocado, and lime wedges. Total time 35 minutes, yields 4 to 6 servings.

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