'Tis the season for soups, stews to shine

5. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as desired. Ladle into serving bowls; garnish each with a teaspoon of shredded cheddar, bacon pieces or a rosemary sprig.

Slow cooker directions: Place all ingredients except cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water in a slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours, on low for 5-6 hours. Mix cornstarch and water into a smooth paste and stir into the soup. Turn the soup to high and leave the lid off, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, until soup thickens.

— "Soup's On!" by Valerie Phillips, published by Covenant Communications

LION HOUSE TOMATO BISQUE

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

12 to 15 Roma tomatoes, reserving 1 roasted tomato for garnish

4 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed tomato soup

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup beef stock

1 (2 ½-ounce) bunch fresh basil, or 2 tablespoons dried basil

1 cup sugar, to taste

2 to 3 cups cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup sour cream, for garnish

2 tablespoons milk, for garnish

Place tomatoes on baking sheet and roast in oven at 350 degrees F. until tops blacken. Combine tomato soup, chicken stock and beef stock in large soup pot. Place roasted tomatoes and basil in blender and puree until smooth. Fill blender only one-third full and repeat until all tomatoes are pureed. Vent lid of blender so steam doesn't build up. Add puree to pot and simmer. Add sugar until mixture is slightly sweet. (Don't skimp on the sugar — it may take more or less, depending on the tomatoes.) Add cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For garnish, stir sour cream and milk together until well blended. Place in a small zip-top bag and seal. Cut off a small corner of the bag and squeeze 8 to 12 small drops onto individual servings of soup. With a toothpick in the center of a drop, pull a line out, making it look similar to the picture. Continue with all drops of sour cream. Chop reserved tomato into fine pieces and place a few pieces in the center of each bowl.

Chef's tip: The soup should not taste like marinara sauce, but should have a slightly sweet, creamy flavor.

— "Lion House Soups and Stews," compiled by Brenda Hopkin and David Bench, published by Deseret Book

POST-THANKSGIVING TURKEY CHILI

Prep time: 30 minutes (fewer minutes if using canned chiles)

Makes: 6 1 1/2-cup servings

This is a great holiday tradition, but don't limit yourself to Thanksgiving. You might even want to roast a couple of turkeys when they are at bargain prices during the holidays, and freeze the meat for later use. Then use the carcass to make Turkey Broth, another recipe in this book.

1 tablespoon butter

2 cup frozen onions, partially thawed

2 4-ounce cans diced mild green chiles

2 cans Rotel tomatoes and chiles, original

4 cups diced turkey

3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed, or 4 cups cooked beans

3 ½ cups homemade turkey stock (or 2 14-ounce cans of turkey or chicken broth)

1 tablespoon cumin (or substitute 2 tablespoons chili or taco seasoning instead of the cumin, paprika and chile powder)

2 teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder, optional