Winter

Winter recipes that celebrate slow braises, steaming soups, roasted roots and citrus-lifted dishes to cut through the cold. Expect hearty mains, one‑pot meals, warming spices, rustic breads and festive sweets built for cozy nights and holiday gatherings.

Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

By Regina Schrambling

This rich, comforting stew was brought to The Times by Regina Schrambling in 2001, in the dark days immediately following the attacks on the World Trade Center. The accompanying article was an ode to the therapeutic benefits of cooking and baking: "Whoever said cooking should be entered into with abandon or not at all had it wrong. Going into it when you have no hope is sometimes just what you need to get to a better place. Long before there were antidepressants, there was stew." This one, while complex in flavor, is not difficult to prepare, but it cannot be rushed. Make it when you have the time to indulge in the meditative qualities of chopping, sautéing, reducing, braising, waiting and tasting. You will be rewarded with an exceptionally flavorful dish that is just as satisfying to eat as it was to cook.

3 hr

Slow cooker bone broth

By Good Food team

Leave this bone broth overnight in the slow cooker. It's flavoured with vegetables, bay, lemon and herbs to make it all the more satisfying on a winter's day

30 min

Seupa à la Vapelenentse

By GIC Kitchen

This rustic, hearty soup from the Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) is a humble dish that sees layers of cabbage, bread and local Fontina cheese simmered in beef stock – ideal for combatting cold winter nights.

45 min

Smoky sausage casserole

By Chelsie Collins

Sure to be a family favourite, this warming winter one-pot has gently simmered sausages, hearty cannellini beans and a crunchy breadcrumb topping

1 hr 15 min

Gratinée des halles - French onion soup

By Martin Wishart

This classic French onion soup recipe topped with garlic croutons is ideal for a grey day. Martin Wishart uses smoked bacon and two types of onion in this soup.

1 hr

Lemongrass Coconut Beef

By The Good Bite

Tender short rib slow-braised in a fragrant lemongrass, coconut and Thai curry sauce until falling-apart soft. Serve with jasmine rice and fresh chilli, spring onion and sesame for a warming, comforting winter meal.

2 hr 50 min

French onion soup with miso, Gruyère and hot honey

By GBC Kitchen

This take on the French classic combines the salty, umami flavour of the miso and Gruyère, with the sweetness of the white onions and the warmth of hot honey. The key to this recipe is getting a dark caramelisation on the onions, creating that full-bodied flavour.

1 hr

Steakhouse Salad With Black Pepper Dressing

By Jesse Szewczyk

Crisp winter greens and tender slices of steak get the restaurant treatment with a punchy peppercorn dressing, crisp bacon bits, chives, and blue cheese.

The River Cafe's winter minestrone

By Good Food team

A really thick, filling minestrone soup - tastes even better after a day

1 hr 45 min

Carbonade Valdostana – Valle d'Aostan beef stew

By GIC Kitchen

This robust, hearty beef stew from the mountains of northwest Italy is exactly what you need when battling the cold alpine weather. Strips of beef are simmered in plenty of red wine with herbs, cloves and juniper berries adding plenty of aromatic flavour. Serve on a bed of buttery polenta for the full Valle d'Aosta experience.

1 hr

Caramelized Braised Cabbage

By Andy Baraghani

Cook charred cabbage wedges in a spiced tomato braise until sweet, savory, and tender to the core for an easy vegetarian main or standout side dish.

Guinness Pie

By Sam Sifton

Beef in dark, silky gravy composed of fat and reduced stout, flecked with tender vegetables, covered in pastry: This is a dish that delivers good cheer and contentment in equal measure. We built it out of advice and instruction from the British chefs Jamie Oliver (the stew) and Fergus Henderson (the pastry). Eating it — salty and rich, buttoned with sweetness — will occasion thoughts of a coming walk or a nap on the couch with the dog. You’ll want some red wine to drink. It's awesome.

6 hr

Leek, butter bean & crispy chorizo soup

By Esther Clark

Blend leeks and butter beans to make this filling winter soup. Top with crispy chorizo and rosemary for a final flourish and serve with crusty bread

40 min

Spätzle con speck e panna – spätzle with ham and cream sauce

By GIC Kitchen

Our easy spätzle recipe is served with a cream and speck sauce. Perfect comfort food for a wintery day in the mountains.

1 hr

Bourbon-Braised Leeks With Pistachios

By null

Welcome to Plus One, a column by Food Editor Emily Ziemski where those small-but-mighty additions that instantly upgrade whatever’s on the table—ingredients, sauces, toppings—are the star of the show. Today, an ode to the heart of the ocean, ahem, the produce aisle. I will forever defend leeks. Like leaving Céline Dion off of Rolling Stone’s Greatest Singers of All Time list (I’m still salty about this), leeks continue to be passed over in favor of other stars. Someone told me recently that they liked them, but their only use was to cook them down to be blended into sauces or soups and, quite frankly, what an extreme underutilization of such an incredible allium. Maybe it’s because they’re filled with dirt and annoying to wash, or maybe people simply forget about them while onions, scallions, and garlic get all the praise. This week, I’m sharing a love letter to my favorite vegetable—the humble leek. The main reason why I love leeks so much is their versatility. Their mild garlicky flavor lends itself well to truly any savory dish, and their hearty stalks stand up well against heat, adding texture and substance to anything they’re cooked with. Thinly sliced, they blend in perfectly with a hearty pasta sauce. Halved, they become a main character, which is how I’m choosing to work with them for this dish. Here, I’m leaning on the wintry flavors of orange and bourbon (reminiscent of a hot toddy of sorts), plus verdant pistachios for a nice finishing crunch. Braising the leeks in bourbon adds nutty, sweet notes, while zippy orange juice imbues the leeks with citrusy pep. Together, they gently meld with the charred allium goodness. Serve these braised leeks in a gorgeous enameled cast-iron skillet for a stunning oven-to-table moment, maybe with a gorgeous roast chicken or some scalloped potatoes.

Celeriac, hazelnut & truffle soup

By Sophie Godwin – Cookery writer

Rustle up this healthy vegan celeriac and hazelnut soup as a starter on Christmas Day. Truffle oil adds a bit of luxury, or leave it out for a simple supper on a winter's night

1 hr 5 min

Roasted red pepper, sweet potato & smoked paprika soup

By Emma Freud

Enjoy this hearty pepper, sweet potato and paprika soup as a starter, or for lunch on a cold winter's day. If venturing outdoors, take it with you in a flask.

40 min