Every day, home cooks hear, “what’s for dinner?” as hungry family members sneak a peek into bubbling pots and sizzling pans with anticipation. And, while there’s definitely a place for multi-hour braises and slow-simmered sauces, sometimes you just need a satisfying meal on the table. From quick and easy to classic and developed, nothing seems to shed the cold and warm the soul like a hardy, earthy, soup or stew. Here are a few favorite recipes that create that back-home feeling.

Sausage and Spinach Garbanzo Bean Soup
Sweet Italian sausage and chopped spinach combine to give this fall soup the soul-warming hardiness we love in our comfort food. This is a tasty and hardy soup for those days you need to take a little chill off the bones, and is also ideal for a quick meal when pressed for time. This is best when served right away while the spinach still has some crunch.
Get the recipe here.

Campfire Chili (Mild)
This is a very flavorful, but mild heat, beef chili that was developed during family campouts, keeping youngsters’ pallets in mind. Take it in what ever direction you like by selecting some of your favorite sides or seasonings. Get the recipe here.

Spicy Sausage and Navy Bean Soup
This is a perfect soup for those chilly days of fall and winter, with Hot Italian Sausage, Fire Roasted tomatoes, and fresh kale. This is a quick and easy recipe, but if you want to cook it longer to blend the flavors, leave the kale out until just before you are going to serve. The kale is best when it has just a little bite to it. Get the recipe here.

Gene Vaughn’s 2-Alarm Chili
This recipe was one of my dad’s favorites. It was adapted, enhanced and embellished from the Army’s 1944 Cook’s Manual for Chili Con Carne. Dad’s recipe doesn’t much resemble that one, but is the result of much trial and error. This chili carries a lot of spicy flavors, mellowed by chocolate.
Get the recipe here.

French Onion Soup
This classic soup delivers the wonderful aromas of caramelized onions, apple and a bouquet garni. Large sweet onions caramelize in butter that browns itself during cooking, and get a boost in flavor with apple juice or cider. Finish under the grill for that eye-pleasing presentation that is a classic favorite.
Get the recipe here. 

White Bean and Pork Chili
Another chili, but this one is made with pork, and gets mild spice from a Poblano chili. The velvety texture is surprisingly luscious, and is derived from the last minute addition of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Keep your sausage in bite-size chunks for the “meatiness” texture we favor in chili soups of all kinds. Get the recipe here.

Spoon Dumplings for Soup
Add another layer of flavor and comfort to any soup or stew by adding simple spoon dumplings just like great-grandma used to make. This recipe was handed down by Lea’s grandmother to her mother, Pauline Tate. Lea has used this recipe since she was a child cooking at home with her family. These dumplings really stand out on top of soup beans, vegetable soup and even chili! Get the recipe here. 

More Soup Recipes: It’s Soup Season!