by JoAnn Powell

Created on: November 18, 2009

On cold, blustery winter days there's always a comfy, warm feeling when there's a pot of soup simmering on the stove. It gives you a complete meal, there is less clean up because you're only using one pot, and it's available for a bowl full whenever you are.

Here are a couple of recipes that are guaranteed to keep you warm in winter.

Bavarian Lima Bean Soup

This is more like a stew than a soup, and has spices enough to ward off the chill.

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart chicken broth

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 dried red pepper pods, with seeds removed and chopped

1 cup diced cooked ham

1 package (10 ounces) frozen baby lima beans

3 Italian garlic sausages, Polish kielbasa, or knockworst

Salt to taste

In large soup pot, saute onion, carrot and celery in oil until vegetables are limp and glazed. Add garlic, chicken broth, tomato sauce and pepper pods. Cover; simmer 15 minutes for flavors to blend. Add ham, lima beans, and sausage. Cover; simmer 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Remove sausages with a slotted spoon, slice on the diagonal and return to soup.

This makes four to six servings, and can easily be doubled or tripled for extra servings or freezing for later.

Spicy Chili

This can be made as spicey as you want, a sure way to warm up on a cold day

3 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 12 oz can tomato paste

2 12 oz cans of dark red kidney beans

2 12 oz cans of light red kidney beans

Salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste

Brown the ground beef and onions together until onions are translucent and ground beef is browned. Drain well and rinse. Rinse any remaining grease from the pot, return onions and ground beef to pot. Add salt, pepper and chili powder to taste. More chili powder can be added later if so desired. Add tomato paste and four cans of water. Add kidney beans and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

This makes six to eight servings and can be doubled for a larger crowd.

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