Winter, with its cold, is still upon the Outer Banks. Homemade soup is just right on long winter nights.

Below are some soup recipes from local cookbooks and a basic recipe for chunky soup.

Old-Fashioned Bean Soup

Kinnakeet Cuisine

Lois Gray Miller and Jacqueline Gray

Ingredients

1 pound dry navy beans (soak overnight)

2 quarts water

1 pound ham or bone or 1 pound salt pork

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper or 5 peppercorns

1 medium onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

What to do

Place washed beans in a large pot with two quarts of water. Add remaining ingredients and cook on medium for 2 to 3 hours or until desired tenderness.

 

Ham Soup

Wanda O’Neal

Kinnakeet Kitchens 2008

Ingredients

1 3-pound picnic ham

1 (16-ounce) can tomatoes

1 (16-ounce) can green beans

1 (16-ounce) can cream-style corn

5 medium diced potatoes

1 large onion

2 cups diced cabbage

Salt & Pepper

What to do

Cut ham into 4 large pieces. Cover with water. Cook until tender. Add tomatoes, cream-style corn, green beans, potatoes, onion and cabbage. Cook for 40 minutes over medium heat.

 

Onion Soup

Steve Ryan

Cooking with Salvo, compiled by Salvo Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, 1996

Ingredients

4 medium onions, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2½ cups water

1 bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

4 slices 1-inch thick French bread

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

What to do

Cover and cook onion in butter over low heat in 3-quart pan for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add bouillon cubes, water, bay leaf, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Toast or broil both sides of French bread. Place in ovenproof bowls; add broth. Top with Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil until cheese is golden brown.

 

Crock Pot Ham and Potato Soup

Laura Young

Cooking for a Cause, Vol. 3. Hatteras Island Cancer Foundation

Ingredients

7 cups of potatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 large carrot, chopped

2 to 3 cups ham, diced

2 teaspoons parsley

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Pepper to taste

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

½ cup sour cream

What to do

Add diced potatoes, onion, carrot, ham, thyme, parsley, pepper and broth to a crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours. Remove 2 to 3 cups of potatoes and carrots and mash, then return mixture to crock pot. Add milk and sour cream. Stir and cook and additional 15 minutes.

 

Whatever You Want Soup

Samin Nosrat

Cooking.nytimes.com/recipes

This basic recipe can serve as a canvas for any kind of chunky soup, writes Samin Nosrat.

Mix and match ingredients to suit your cravings, using an aromatic base of onions and garlic, seasonings, flavorful stock (or water), and whatever main ingredients you choose or have on hand.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, olive oil or neutral-tasting oil

2 medium onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

Kosher salt

6 to 8 cups meat, vegetables or other add-ins

About 1½ pounds raw, boneless chicken (optional)

About 8 cups water or chicken stock, preferably homemade

Preparation

Set a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons butter or oil. When the butter melts or the oil shimmers, add onions and garlic, and a generous pinch of salt.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 15 minutes.

Place the meat, vegetables and other add-ins in the pot, along with the raw chicken (if using), and add enough liquid to cover. Season with salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Cook until the flavors have come together and the vegetables and greens are tender, about 20 minutes more. If you added raw chicken, remove it from the soup when cooked, allow to cool, shred and return to the soup. Taste and adjust for salt.

Add more hot liquid if needed to thin the soup to desired consistency. Taste and adjust for salt.

Serve hot, and garnish as desired.

For add-ins, you can use a combination of vegetables diced into 3/4-inch pieces (use one or more of carrots, fennel, celery, leeks, winter squash, potatoes or parsnips); cooked beans, lentils or chickpeas; up to 4 cups of sliced kale or green cabbage; or up to 3 cups of cooked, shredded chicken or pork, if not using raw chicken.

If desired, replace some of the liquid with bean broth, heavy cream, chopped tomatoes in their juices or full-fat coconut milk.

RELATED:

Super food for watching the big game

NC Cooperative Extension Cooking with the Seasons classes set

New Year’s Day calls for a few traditional staples