Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this year, which means winter will keep on rolling. Maybe that means more ski trips for you, or the booking of a last-minute trip to a tropical island. For me it means more time in the kitchen cooking heart-warming, healthy, good-for-the-soul meals for my family. I am currently on a soup kick making a big batch of easy soup recipes for dinner and keeping the rest for lunch leftovers for the next few days or freezing them for future use. Before you stock the kitchen with fresh veggies, here is what you will need.

Make sure your kitchen is suited with a good stockpot. Look for one with an enamel finish like the Le Creuset Enameled Steel Stock Pot, 8-Qt. The enamel finish makes the pot durable and easy to clean, and you won’t need to season the pot before cooking. This pot also heats up quickly and is heavy on the bottom which prevents ingredients at the bottom from scorching. The tight lid keeps flavors inside and lets heat circulate. The size is great for cooking for large parties but the main benefit of a pot that’s higher than it is wide is that it prevents too much liquid from evaporating. Best part: it’s dishwasher safe.

You will need a good old-fashioned long-handled wooden spoon to constantly be stirring your soup mixture while it cooks on the stove. Pair it with a ladle in the same finish for serving.

For many soup recipes, you will need a blender. Blending your veggies will create a great velvety texture, like that of a butternut squash soup. Go for a classic blender you can leave on the counter and use for smoothies as well like the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series Blender. The Bamix Classic Immersion Blender is a great alternative which you can use for blending right in your deepest pots. The handheld blender chops, minces, and purees raw and cooked fruits and vegetables and is great for both hot and cold foods.

I have been using hint® water as a main ingredient for all the recipes I have been making and listed below. Order a case of flavors you love so you have them on hand whenever the urge to mix up a soup hits this winter.

Try these three great recipes below:

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pie pumpkin, halved and seeded
• 3/4 cup crisp apple hint® water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon red chile powder
• 1 dash ground nutmeg salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup milk,  (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pumpkin halves on baking sheet
3. Bake in preheated oven until pumpkin is soft and easily pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Scoop pumpkin flesh into a blender; add hint water and blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Pour pumpkin mixture into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat; stir in butter, curry powder, ground ginger, chile powder, ground nutmeg, salt, and ground pepper.
6. Thin soup with milk to reach desired consistency.
7. Cook and stir soup until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved vertically and seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ½ cup chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot bulb)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar free maple syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Up to 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup pear hint® water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, to taste (substitute olive oil for dairy free/vegan soup)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the pan and drizzle each half with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the squash on the inside (about 1 teaspoon each). Rub the oil over the inside of the squash and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
3. Turn the squash face down and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 45 to 50 minutes. Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Then use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into a bowl and discard the tough skin.
4. Meanwhile, in a large stockpot, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until simmering. Add the chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
5. Transfer the cooked shallot and garlic to your blender. Add the reserved butternut, sugar-free maple syrup, nutmeg, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth and hint® water, being careful not to fill the container past the maximum fill line (you can stir in any remaining broth later). Secure the lid and select the soup preset. Stop the blender once the soup is super creamy.

Recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate.

Curried Squash and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 1 10-ounce package frozen pureed winter squash
• ½ cup light coconut milk
• ½ cup lime hint® water
• 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• ½-1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Heat squash, coconut milk, and hint® water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash defrosts, about 10 minutes.
3. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
4. Stir in spinach, lime juice, sugar, curry paste to taste and salt and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.

Note: Red curry paste is a blend of chile peppers, garlic, lemongrass and galangal (a root with a flavor similar to ginger). Look for it in jars or cans in the Asian section of the supermarket or specialty stores.

Recipe adapted from eatingwell.com

What are your favorite soups to make? Share with us below.