Five soups you can eat now, freeze for later

The great thing about soups is that they almost always freeze well. I’ve started making big batches of vegetarian chili specifically to freeze in small portions that I can reheat at work.

You can do the same with any extra soup that’s left over, but rather than wait until the last day you think it’s OK to eat (three to four days is what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends), go ahead and portion out the soup as soon as you’ve had your fill and put the containers in the freezer.

Your belly (and your wallet) will thank you in the weeks to come.

Baby Carrot Soup

Vidalia onions were first grown during the Depression in the sandy soil of Toombs County, Ga., where farmers were surprised to find they’d cultivated a variety that was sweet, not hot. Their unique taste balances the slightly hot chipotle peppers in this easy-to-make (yet company-worthy!) soup.

— Carolyn O’Neil

1 (7-oz.) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 (32-oz.) container reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth

1 (16-oz.) package baby carrots

1/3 cup half-and-half

1/2 tsp. table salt

5 tsp. reduced-fat sour cream

Toppings: chopped fresh chives, chopped dried chile peppers

Remove 2 tsp. adobo sauce from can; reserve peppers and remaining sauce for another use.

Sauté onion in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, carrots and 2 tsp. adobo sauce; cover, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, 15 to 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.

Process carrot mixture in a blender or food processor 1 minute or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Return carrot mixture to Dutch oven. Stir in half-and-half and salt. Cook over low heat 2 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle 1 cup of soup into each of 5 soup bowls. Top each with 1 tsp. sour cream and desired toppings. Serves 5.

— From "The Slim Down South Cookbook" by Carolyn O'Neil (Oxmoor House, $24.95)

Potato and Greens Soup with Parmesan Toasts

This soup is a stick-to-your ribs flexitarian special. Make it with chicken broth and prosciutto and you end up with a carnivore’s delight. Make it with vegetable stock and no prosciutto and you have a vegetarian’s delight.

Either way, it’s hearty. The potatoes — I used Yukon, but any potato will do so long as you cut it into 1-inch chunks; peel if using Russets — give it body and creaminess. The spinach and kale, nutritional superstars, give it earthiness and a bright green color.

There’s very little fat in this recipe. The vegetarian version uses just 2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil and half an ounce of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. A little bit of that justly celebrated cheese goes a long way. And carnivores can keep the fat content low by trimming off the prosciutto’s fat. If using cheese and prosciutto, you won’t need much if any additional salt.

— Sara Moulton

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 lb. Yukon gold (or other thin-skinned potatoes), cut into 1-inch chunks

4 to 5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 cups packed torn kale leaves

6 cups packed baby spinach leaves

1 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

Salt

1/4 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto

Twelve 1/2-inch-thick diagonally cut slices of baguette

1/2 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large saucepan over medium, heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, 4 cups of the stock and the wine. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the kale, cover the pan, then simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the spinach and the pepper flakes, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Working in 2 batches, transfer about 3 cups total of the soup solids, with a little added broth each time, to a blender and puree until smooth. Be careful — hot foods expand in the blender. Return the puree to the saucepan, add salt to taste and the additional cup of stock if necessary to achieve the desired texture. Heat until hot.

Meanwhile, set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the prosciutto slices in a single layer on the rack, then bake on the oven’s middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they begin to crisp. Remove the rack from the sheet pan and set it on the counter to let the prosciutto cool. When cool, crumble the prosciutto.

Arrange the baguette slices in single layer on the sheet pan and brush them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake them on the oven’s middle shelf until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over them, return the slices to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into 4 bowls, then top each portion with some of the prosciutto crisps and 3 toasts on the side. Serves 4.

— Sara Moulton

Sausage and Three Bean Soup

This thick, hearty soup makes a great winter dinner. Soup simmering on the stove will fill the kitchen with wonderful smells, but you can make this version is only 25 minutes. Keep the sausage in the refrigerator until ready to slice, which makes it easier to cut. Serve with a New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

— Linda Gassenheimer

6 oz. low-fat turkey or chicken sausage links

3 tsp. olive oil

1 cup sliced onion

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup sliced parsnips

1 cup rinsed and drained canned red kidney beans

1 cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas

1 cup frozen baby lima beans

4 cups canned low-sodium, peeled whole tomatoes, including liquid

1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut sausage into 1/2-inch slices. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage slices, onion, carrots and parsnips. Saute 3 minutes. Add kidney beans, chickpeas, lima beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin and chili powder. Break up tomatoes with a spoon or knife and bring to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.

— Linda Gassenheimer, the Miami Herald

Caramelized Onion and Squash Bisque

There is something so perfect, so satisfying about a bowl of warm squash bisque on a cool evening. And it is such a versatile dish, it is easily doctored in so many ways. You can top with sauteed shrimp and scallions, shredded Asiago and diced apples or crumbled crispy bacon and blue cheese.

You could, of course, keep it basic and simply top this bisque with a dollop of sour cream, or serve it one way on Monday night and another way on Wednesday.

You can also make this bisque vegan by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth and almond or soy creamer for the heavy cream.

— Alison Ladman

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 large sweet onions, diced

2 medium shallots, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 lb. cubed, peeled butternut squash

3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

Ground black pepper

In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onions, shallots, salt and herbs, then saute for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and brown, about another 20 minutes.

Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan. Add the squash and 3 cups of the broth, then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the squash is completely tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender. Either way, take care when blending hot liquids.

Return the bisque to the heat and stir in the cream. If a thinner bisque is desired, thin the soup with the remaining cup of broth. Heat until just hot. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

— Alison Ladman, Associated Press

Shiitake Ginger Noodle Soup with Garlic Pork

We tend to associate pulled pork with Southern-style barbecue, but for this hearty fall soup, we took our favorite moist and tender pork in a decidedly Japanese direction.

We started by marinating medallions of pork tenderloin in garlic and oil. Time is your friend here, so don’t hesitate to let it go overnight. Then we saute onions and shiitake mushrooms until brown and bring that and the pork to a simmer in chicken broth. Once the pork is tender, we use forks to pull it into delicious strands.

Add some fresh ginger and soba noodles and you have a fresh, warming take on pulled pork.

— Alison Ladman

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch medallions

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

2 (6-oz.) containers shiitake mushrooms, stalks discarded, sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced

6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) low-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

About 6 oz. soba noodles (two-thirds of a 9.3-ounce package)

3 scallions, sliced

Salt and ground black pepper

In a zip-close plastic bag, combine the pork medallions, garlic and 1 Tbsp. of the vegetable oil. Shake to coat evenly, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

When ready to cook, in a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook until lightly browned, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the pork and garlic from the bag, along with the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a plate. Using 2 forks, shred the pork pieces, then return the meat to the pot. Add the ginger and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the scallions and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

— Alison Ladman, Associated Press