In winter, I tilt towards foods that are comforting but speedy. My schedule is not always accommodating of hours spent in the kitchen, so I have developed a small repertoire of very nurturing dishes, but do not always require a lot of fuss.
That’s why simple soups, hearty stews, thick soups and smoky slow-cooked meats become my goto.
Here are my favorite recipes for quick winter comfort foods!
The 11 Best quick winter recipes
1. Quick Winter Vegetable Soup
On cool days, I make a batch of this vegetable soup. It’s full of nourishing greens punctuated by carrots and celery.
Simmered for a few hours with rosemary and thyme, it is the winter-warmer of soups. Scoops of peas serve as a sweet pop of color and flavor.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped kale or spinach
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until the vegetables are just softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, minced garlic, and dried thyme and rosemary and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the vegetable broth and the can of diced tomatoes (juice and all) and bring the whole lot to a simmer.
4. Add the chopped kale or spinach and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the greens are wilted.
5. Stir the frozen peas into the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then cook for another 5 minutes to reheat the peas.
6. Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh herbs if desired.
2. Easy Chili Con Carne
This easy chili con carne with ground beef, diced tomatoes and kidney beans is so hearty and comforting. You season it simply with chili powder and cumin, and its rich, beefy aroma fills your home.
Delicious!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeños
Instructions
1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the beef mince to the pot and smash it up with the spoon. Brown until cooked through.
3. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, and cook 1-2 minutes until spices are fragrant.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans, beef broth and tomato paste. Stir well to combine.
5. Allow to simmer and then lower the heat and let cook on low for about 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, to combine flavors.
6. Serve hot, topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeños, if desired.
3. Fast French Onion Soup
When we reached the pinnacle of cozy food – French onion soup – I thought about this quick version. It’s so comforting with just caramelized onions, beef consommé and a few slices of melting Gruyère on a crisp piece of baguette.
Ingredients
3 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 baguette, sliced
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Instructions
1. In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil on medium heat. Add the sliced onions, sugar, salt, and sauté until browned and caramelised, about 20 minutes.
2. Pour in the beef broth, the white wine, the Worcestershire sauce and the thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Heat your oven to broil. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler until golden brown.
4. Pour the soup into heatproof bowls. Lay one toasted slice of baguette on each bowl.
5. Sprinkle the grated Gruyère cheese over the baguette slices, ensuring an even layer.
6. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and brown around the edges, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.
4. One-Pot Chicken Stew
When the temperature drops and the nights get chilly, a one-pot chicken stew, comforting and easy to cook, becomes my preferred fallback. Chunks of boneless chicken thighs, garlic, carrots, potatoes and more, all simmering in chicken broth, is a stalwart on the stove.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. When pot is hot, add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery to the same pot, and sauté until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, thyme and rosemary, and cook for a further 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste is fragrant.
4. Place chicken back in pot, pour in the chicken stock and bay leaves, bring to a simmer, add potatoes, cover and cook 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in the peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Remove bay leaves before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot.
5. Simple Beef Stroganoff
When it comes to beef stroganoff, I love the classic simplicity and satisfying wholesomeness. Seasoned beef sirloin strips and earthy mushrooms tossed with garlic, Worcestershire sauce and sour cream create a rich, creamy, warming classic meal topped with fresh herbs.
Served over egg noodles or rice, it’s classic comfort food.
Ingredients
1 pound beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup sour cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cooked egg noodles or rice, for serving
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
1. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef strips and sear until browned, then remove from the pan.
2. Add the sliced onions and garlic to the same pan and sauté until the onions are soft. Then place the mushrooms in the pan and sauté until they are tender.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture; stir to coat. Add the beef stock, stirring to combine and prevent lumps. Pour in the Worcestershire. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
4. Put the beef strips back into the skillet and continue cooking in the sauce for another 5 minutes or so, until the meat is heated through and the sauce has thickened.
5. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the sour cream and gently warm through; season with salt and black pepper to taste.
6. Serve over cooked egg noodles or rice, garnishing with chopped parsley if desired.
6. Creamy Mushroom Pasta
I am very fond of making one-bowl dishes – things with elements of comfort and luxury, and creamy mushroom pasta is a very good example of that. Tender pasta, earthy mushrooms, creamy sauce made with heavy cream and Parmesan.
I love fresh parsley to add some freshness.
Ingredients
8 oz pasta (such as fettuccine or linguine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz mushrooms, sliced (such as cremini or button)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
1.Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions, set aside 1 cup of water, then drain the rest and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Return the heat to low and add the heavy cream to the mushroom mixture and stir well. Then add in your grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add in a little pasta cooking water until you reach your desired consistency.
5. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly with the mushroom cream sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve the creamy mushroom pasta hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
7. Quick Winter Squash Risotto
I love making a comfort food dish, and nothing hits the spot like this risotto on a chilly day. This is really my favorite risotto – Arborio rice cooked in dry white wine and then stirred over low heat until creamy, the soft diced winter squash warming it up, and the generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese making it just creamy enough.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
2 cups diced winter squash (such as butternut or acorn)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
1 Stir fry the onions with a bit of olive oil in a wide pan, over a medium fire until the onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and stir.
2. Stir in the Arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the rice is lightly toasted.
3. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the liquid is almost absorbed.
4. Add the warm stock in one-ladle amounts at a time, stirring frequently, allowing much of it to be absorbed before adding more, until the rice is tender and creamy, about 20 minutes.
5. Add the cubed winter squash with the last of the stock, and cook until the squash is tender.
6. Remove from the heat, stir in the Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chopped parsley if you like. Serve immediately.
8. Spicy Lentil Curry
Among the many recipes I have discovered in a lifelong love affair with cooking is the soothing interplay of heat and spice in a meal made from red lentils, cumin and a mixture of spices softened by a combination of onion, garlic and ginger.
Ingredients
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
4 cups vegetable broth
Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Lemon wedges (for serving)
Instructions
1. Put the vegetable oil in a big pan on medium-high heat until it crackles, then add the chopped onions and sauté until they’re translucent.
2. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stir and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
3. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, tumeric, and chili powder and fry for a minute until fragrant. Stir in the cayenne and ground garam masala.
4. Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to break down.
5. Stir in the rinsed lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the curry has thickened.
6. Season to taste with salt, and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving with wedges of lemon to taste.
9. Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
There is nothing more soul comforting to me than a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup. This recipe has chicken, garlic and carrots and celery, all come together and cooked quickly in an instant pot, the soup is delicious and filling but doesn’t necessarily require hours of slow simmering.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups egg noodles
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
1. Set Instant Pot to sauté mode, add oil and add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
2. Add the carrots, celery, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to soften the vegetables.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and arrange the chicken breasts. Put on the lid, set the valve to the sealing position, and turn on the high-pressure cooking program to 10 minutes.
4. When the cooking cycle is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then quick-release. When all the pressure has released, open the lid.
5. Take out the chicken breasts, shred them with two forks, and return them to the pot. Stir in the egg noodles.
6. Put the Instant Pot in sauté mode and let the soup simmer until the noodles are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh parsley and lemon juice if you like, right before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Happy slurping!
10. 15-Minute Tomato Basil Soup
A quick soup is very good to make at home. And this tomato basil soup is no exception: it has a good depth of flavor thanks to the crushed tomatoes and the garlic, and an exhilarating freshness in the basil in the mix.
This 15 minutes soup recipe is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated (for garnish)
Instructions
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about three minutes over medium heat until softened.
2. Mince the garlic and cook for 1 more minute before adding to the pot.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Let the mixture boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
5. Take off the heat. If using, stir in the heavy cream. Stir in the basil and either puree the soup with an immersion blender or leave it chunky, depending on your taste.
6. Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
11. Speedy Shrimp Alfredo
It’s fettuccine with shrimp in Alfredo: fettuccine boiled in salted water, simultaneously poured into a skillet with garlic sautéing in butter, shrimp added to the mix, and Parmesan in a cream sauce on top.
For all its simplicity, nothing invites me into the kitchen more than the scent of garlic cooking in butter. Never mind that it’s a dish I make regularly, twice a week – I’d make it every night if I could.
And plump shrimp? Nothing says ‘special event’ like shrimp.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. Cook the fettuccine pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Add the garlic and butter to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Bring heat to low and stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Let cheese melt and sauce smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the cooked pasta and shrimp back to the skillet; toss to coat in the Alfredo sauce and cook for another 2-3 minutes to heat through.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving, if desired.
