When the cool weather hits, sometimes all you want to do is curl up on the couch with a steaming hot bowl of soup, and slurp away as you watch your favourite shows on television. These soup recipes are both so thick and delicious. Made with plenty of nutrient-rich vegetables, they’ll nourish your body and mind.

Creamy Tomato-Bacon Soup
The smokiness of bacon combines perfectly with sweet and savoury vegetables in this creamy soup. You’ll need:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
• 1/4 cup half and half cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion, celery, and bell pepper in the olive oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and oregano to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat, and use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup by transferring it, one half at a time, to a food processor, and then returning it to the pot. Once the soup is pureed, stir in the bacon, heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Winter Vegetable Soup
This soup is a great option if you’re following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Just use canned vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock, and it’s completely devoid of animal products, yet filling enough to satisfy your appetite. To make this delicious soup, you’ll need:

• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 red potatoes, peeled and diced finely
• 1 medium carrot, diced finely
• 1 can of lima beans, drained
• 1 can of creamed corn
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring them to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables and lima beans are very tender. Taste the soup, and add additional salt and pepper if needed before serving. Ladle yourself a big bowl, and dig in.

These delicious soups make the perfect lunch or dinner to enjoy on a cool fall evening. Pair them with some crusty bread or saltine crackers for a complete, healthy meal.