Easy dinner recipes: Three luscious soups to cozy up to

When the weather cools down, a bowl of hot, luscious soup is all you need for dinner.

For the vegetarians, here’s a recipe for an easy carrot soup made with leeks and just a hint of cayenne pepper and cumin.

And this recipe for a winter vegetable soup incorporates potatoes, parsnips, leeks, celery root and a little heavy cream.

For something hearty, here’s a recipe for an easy steak soup from the now-closed Pam Pam Restaurant in San Francisco.

PAM PAM’S EASY STEAK SOUP

1 pound round steak, diced

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup flour

1 onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped

3 quarts beef stock

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt, pepper

1 1/2 cups half and half

Brown the meat with the butter in a stockpot over high heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the flour until smooth. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook 10 minutes. Add the undrained tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer 1-1 1/2 hours (the soup will become thicker the longer it cooks). Skim the fat. Add the half-and-half the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Each of 16 servings: 247 calories; 722 mg. sodium; 55 mg. cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.25 grams fiber.

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