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Home / 2 Healthy Winter Soup Recipes to Cozy Up With

2 Healthy Winter Soup Recipes to Cozy Up With

There’s nothing quite like a warm, hearty bowl of soup to bring comfort and nourishment during cozy season. Creating your own soups at home provides a canvas for creativity and ensures control over the ingredients.

A soup can serve as a balanced meal with the right ingredients. Carrots, celery and onions are classic choices that add vitamins and minerals to your soup and act as a great flavor base. An assortment of fresh vegetables, lean proteins and wholesome grains enhances both the taste and nutritional content of your soup. Leafy greens, such as spinach or kale, can contribute an extra boost of nutrients and interesting textures.

Warm up with these delicious recipes:

Creamy Curry and Veggie Soup

Serves 4

Difficulty: Medium

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

This flavorful soup packs in a healthy dose of nutrients from onions, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes. The curry paste is lightly sauteed to bring out the variety of flavors, then combined with creamy coconut milk.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ white onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 4 oz. jar red curry paste
  • 8 oz. fresh white mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 13.5 oz. cans light coconut milk
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Salt to taste

Instructions:

  1. In a large pan over medium low heat, add olive oil. Once oil is warm, add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant.
  2. Turn the temperature up to medium, add curry paste and allow it to sauté for about 5 minutes with the garlic and onions. Add mushrooms and sauté until lightly softened. Add coconut milk and brown sugar and stir. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, then add cherry tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add lime and salt to taste. Stir.

Roasted Garlic, Pepper and Tomato Tortellini Soup

Serves 4

Difficulty: Medium

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 75 minutes

The bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic that provide a base for this soup are first roasted, then blended to creamy perfection. Roasting the vegetables allows complex flavors to develop and brings sweetness out of the garlic. The soup base serves as a nutritious base for the Italian tortellini.

Ingredients:

  • 3 bell peppers, red, yellow and/or orange 
  • 24 oz. cherry tomatoes 
  • 2.5 cups vegetable broth 
  • 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (reserve 2 tbsp for drizzling) 
  • 1 garlic head 
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil 
  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning or oregano 
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • 9 oz. refrigerated tortellini of choice, such as cheese, chicken or sausage
  • Garnish of chopped chives, basil or other herb 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and coating the paper with spray oil.
  2. Cut bell peppers in half, removing seeds, core and membrane. Add to prepared baking sheet face down. 
  3. Cut the top of the garlic head off to expose a small part of the garlic clove. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap garlic head in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet. 
  4. Add tomatoes to baking sheet. Season the vegetables with a drizzle of 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and salt and pepper.
  5. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until bell peppers have sunk in and started to show signs of charring.
  6. Add roasted peppers and tomatoes to a large pot, except for the garlic to allow it to cool. Add vegetable broth, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes to the pot.
  7. Once garlic is cooled, squeeze garlic cloves into the pot and add coconut milk, reserving 2 Tbsp for drizzling.
  8. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, and then put back in the large pot. You could also use an immersion blender in the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Add the tortellini, and allow to simmer until tortellini has softened to the desired texture, about 10 minutes.
  10. Serve in bowl. Drizzle with the reserved coconut milk and top with garnish of choice. 

Shanthi Appelö is a registered dietitian and health and wellness spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan based in Detroit. Passionate about the science of nutrition and behavior, Shanthi has experience working in clinical nutrition, public health and teaching in the university setting. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, exploring the outdoors, working on art and spending time with family. For more recipes and health information, visit ahealthiermichigan.org.

A Healthier Michigan
Author: A Healthier Michigan

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