Now that the weather has gotten colder I have turned toward soups as a filling meal. Some soups can be very rich and fattening but I've been trying to make them with mostly vegetables, sometimes a little meat for flavoring, and no noodles or rice.

Tonight I am making a cabbage soup with carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes and it smells really good. I am debating on whether I should throw in some dried peas.

When I was younger I used did a bit of work in a commercial kitchen and we used to make all the left over veg in to soup. There is no right or wrong as to what to put in it. If you have some peas then go for it

I think to allow it to fill you up you need a little meat and or rice or noodle, doesn't have to be much? I love chicken and veg soup done in the slow cooker NOM and served with some bread, all in moderation they say

I would say my favorite soup is tomato and I love to dip crusty bread into it. It's not filling enough by itself and really needs the bread or crackers.

I like homemade chicken noodle and vegetable. I have never tried to make soup in the crock but that's an idea I will be using!

TwylaDee, I am with you on the tomato soup -- with a grilled cheese sandwich, ha! I also like vegetable soup, but I have to put meat in mine, otherwise I'll be hungry again in an hour.

You could maybe try pearl barley to thicken it a little, I usually put it in stews, but I'm guessing it'd work in soup! It does absorb a LOT of water though!

I don't really "get" soup, it's just not a drink and not a food unless you really thicken it up actually, I've got some leeks, potatoes and parsnips that need using, I may have to see what I can conjure up!

I agree with PrincessPikachu, barley is a wonderful filler, especially in vegetable stews! And ooh, parsnips! That's a great idea for some potato and leek soup! That's one of my favorites, and it makes for a very filling soup. I usually use unsalted vegetable broth, two cans of low-fat cream of herb, one leek, and plenty of potatoes. Parsnips would be amazing with that.

My grandmother made beef and barley soup a lot. It was really good. I haven't even tried to make any but I think I may do that. I only eat soup when it's cold outside or if I'm sick but I do like it when it's thick like a stew.

Vegetable soup is very healthy and filling. One of my favourite soups is broccoli and cauliflower. My father in law makes a delicious ham and pea soup which is lovely with crusty bread

I make at least one huge pot of ham and pea (or bean) soup every year after Christmas from the leftover ham bone. I end up with a lot of containers of it in the freezer for months after. It's almost that time of year again.