If your go-to meals alternate between pasta and pizza, soups are an easy and delicious way to help you survive the Montreal winter. These basic recipes are tasty on their own, but may also act as springboards for experimental chefs to show their own flair.

Chili con carne with tomatoes
Serves 4-5
Chili often seems like a daunting task for beginner cooks, but with the right spices anyone can create a great crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped 1 cup green pepper, chopped1 can (796 mL) tomatoes
1 can (398 mL) tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne red pepperPinch of paprika
1 can (460 mL) kidney beans, drained

Instructions:
1. Cook and stir beef, onions, and green pepper in a large pot until meat is brown and onion is tender.
2. Drain off fat.
3. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, cayenne red pepper, and paprika.
4. Heat to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in kidney beans and heat through.

White bean’n’ham soup
Serves 4-5
The beans and ham in this soup create a thick, flavourful favourite for those cold days.

Ingredients:
2 cans (460 mL) white beans (great  northern beans preferred) 2 medium carrots, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp margarine
2¼ cups water
1½ cups cubed ham
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Instructions:
1. Mash one can of beans and set aside.
2. Sauté carrots and onions with butter in a saucepan.
3. Stir in all other ingredients.
4. Heat through.

Egg drop soup
Serves 4-5
Simple, yet classy.

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken bouillon1 egg
2 green onions, chopped

Instructions:
1. In a medium-sized pot, boil chicken bouillon.
2. Crack egg into bouillon, stirring constantly.
3. Add green onions.

Beef stew
Serves 4-5
Stews may take longer than your average soup, but this one is totally worth the wait.

Ingredients:
1 can (470 mL) tomatoes
1 cup celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 onions, chopped
6-7 potatoes, chopped
1½ lb stew meat
3 tbsp tapioca
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Instructions:
1. Place ingredients in a large glass baking dish.
2. Cover with foil and bake at 250°F for 5 hours.

Cheese and corn chowder
Serves 4-5
Creamy and rich, the corn in this chowder adds a nice pop of colour. You can also experiment by adding a few spices for an extra kick of flavour.

Ingredients:
½ cup water 2 cups potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, sliced1 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups cream-style canned corn
1½ cups milk
⅔ cup grated cheese

Instructions:
1. Combine water, potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper in saucepan.
2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add corn and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add milk and cheese. Stir until cheese melts and chowder is heated through—do not boil.

Photos courtesy of simplyrecipes.com,  Sea Salt with Food, Taste Food Blog, and The Curvy Carrot