Hearty Soups for the Cold Winter Nights
As cold and flu—and heavy holiday meal—season sets in, there’s great comfort in having a few reliable, heartwarming soup recipes in your back pocket. These are your go-to guys when comfort, satisfaction, and ease are essential for the evening’s menu. Here are four soups sure to keep your internal fires burning through even the chilliest winter nights. —Erika Lenkert

Beef Stroganoff and Noodle Soup
If creamy, beefy soup loaded with mushrooms, gilded with a touch of cognac, and ladled onto tender bites of steak and silky egg noodles sounds like heaven, you’re in luck. This gorgeous soup is a masterpiece, which can satisfy every type of taste, from the meat eater to the classics lover.  Add bread and butter or lighten it up with a side salad and you’re golden. Get the recipe.

White Bean, Bacon, and Spinach Soup
Healthy, decadent, and fast all at the same time? You’ve got it with this sensational soup, which takes 20 minutes to throw together and a hour until it’s ready to serve. Topped with Parmesan cheese and begging to be sopped up with a nice crusty piece of bread, it requires little more than a good dining companion to enjoy it with.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
A classic that does double-duty as an elegant first course and simply satisfying one-dish meal, butternut squash and apple soup is both delicious and alarmingly easy to make. Dress it down with a sprinkle of croutons or glam it up with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped bacon. Whatever the case, this dish will rise to the occasion. Get the recipe.

Black Bean Soup
The glory of this heavenly soup lies in its simplicity. Add a few cans of black beans to some stock, throw in a couple of flavor-enhancing veggies, herbs, and spices, and—voila!—soup perfection. Bonus: You can instantly jazz it up with a dollop of salsa or add elegance with sour cream and a sprinkling of chives.

10-Minute Couscous Soup
Got 10 minutes? Then you’ve got enough time to make this delicious, nutritious, and healthily hearty soup. A fresh combination of vegetable broth, veggies—including flavor-packed sun-dried tomatoes—herbs, intrinsically fast-cooking couscous, and heat-enhancing red pepper flakes, it’s as easy as heat and serve. Garnished with a sprinkle of goat cheese and accompanied by a dinner roll, it’s an instant homemade meal. Get the recipe.