There is nothing as comforting as a hot cup of soup on a cold winter day.

These soup recipes will carry you through winter with comfort and warmth.

 

CHEESEY POTATO CORN SOUP

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped red pepper

½ cup finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups diced potatoes

1- 14 ½ oz. chicken broth

2 cans whole kernel sweet corn

3 cups milk

½ cup shredded American cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan cook onion, red pepper and celery in oil three minutes or until tender. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer eight to 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add corn, milk and cheese. Cook and stir until heated through and cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.

 

TACO SOUP

1 pound lean ground beef or chicken

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 can whole kernel fiesta corn, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes

½ cup water

1 4-oz. can green chilies, drained

½ cup chopped onion

8 oz. carton sour cream

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet brown beef or chicken. Drain. Stir in seasoning mix. Add corn, beans, undrained tomatoes, water and chilies. Bring to a boil. Stir in onion; heat through. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese. Makes 4 servings.

 

HAM AND SPLIT PEA SOUP

8 ounces dried green split peas

½ cup chopped onion

1 rib celery thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, shredded

1 cup cubed ham

1 beef bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

7 cups (about) water

2 medium potatoes, diced

Rinse and sort peas. Combine with onion, celery shredded carrot, ham, bay leaf, bouillon cube, salt and pepper in a two-quart saucepan. Add the water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding additional water if needed.

Add the potatoes. Cook for 30 minutes or longer or until the mixture is thickened to the desired consistency. Discard the bay leaf. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with dollops of sour cream and carrot curls. Makes: 6 servings.

It may not be an old wives tale that a cut uncooked potato added to bean soup will remove the “gas” from the beans. Be sure to remove the potato before serving the soup. Be sure and let me know what you think.

 

RUM PUNCH

Dan Cox, of Hanging Rock, requested a recipe for rum punch he had last year at a Super Bowl party.

1 quart orange juice

1 quart unsweetened pineapple juice

1 quart club soda

6 ounces lime juice

1 (750-ml.) bottle white or gold label rum

Combine all ingredients over ice in a punch bowl. Serves approximately 25.

 

HINT OF THE WEEK: A toasty touch for soups; butter bread slices and cut into shapes using your cookie cutters. Heat on a baking sheet at 425 degrees until crisp then garnish filled soup bowls before serving.

 

Ironton native Patti Howerton is a retired accountant and caterer. She can be reached at pphowerton@gmail.com.