Best Winter Soup Recipe

There's something about soup during the winter that's just so... right. It's warm and cozy, and helps warm you up from the inside-out.

(Credit: flickr/Katrin Morenz)

Winter soups have a few things in common that make them truly fantastic:

Flavor Base. All delicious soups start out with aromatic vegetables. Sauté flavorful vegetables like onions, garlic, celery, leeks, and carrots. After you add in the stock, these simmer down to create a huge amount of flavor.

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Protein. Whether you're in the mood for stew meat, chicken breast, or chickpeas, add some protein to the soup; it'll keep you full for longer and help satisfy all of your comfort food-cravings.

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Liquid. You can use homemade stock for soup, but store-bought stock works just the same.

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Vegetables. This is a case of the more, the merrier; add whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Just make sure to chop everything to about the same size (bite-size is what you're aiming for) to keep cooking time equal.

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Cozy Winter Soup with Fennel Sausage, Leeks, White Beans, and Rapini. It's everything you've been hoping for in a winter soup.

(Credit: Erin Scott)

Julie Ruggirello is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal and loves warming up with a bowl of soup. Follow her on Twitter @TDMRecipeEditor.