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Lagostina/AP Photo

This soup pot with an olive wood ladle is part of the Italian-made Lagostina line, newly offered by Williams-Sonoma. It offers beautifully curved cookware with ample, solid handles welded on either side.

As the weather takes a turn toward winter, it's only natural to turn to an old friend: that hot, steaming bowl of soup that warms the spots the space heater can't hit.

And making your own fall soup isn't that much more difficult than reaching for the can opener, say local chefs. With a little know-how, you can make something healthy and hearty that's missing the preservatives and salt you'd get from the canned variety.

The key to a great soup is in the ingredients, says Lonnie Fisher, dinner chef and assistant kitchen manager at WheatFields Bakery Cafe, 904 Vt.

"Fresh ingredients are obviously important. I shy away from using anything prepackaged," Fisher says. "Even right down to (spices), we don't use a lot dried spices."

His favorite fresh ingredient to add? Fresh garlic.

"Garlic is an important component with a lot of my cooking," Fisher says. "Instead of using the store-bought minced stuff, we actually peel our own garlic and do everything the right way. "

Carl Latham, owner of Terrebonne Downtown Catering up the street from WheatFields at 805 Vt., says it also helps to be confident in your use of spices.

"Don't be scared of spices," Latham says. "Everyone is scared they're going to put too much and you've got to put plenty in there. Taste it first."

Also, don't be afraid to experiment with last night's dinner. Fisher says that some of the best soups are created when those aforementioned fresh ingredients and spices mix with leftovers.

"If there's some chicken or something left over from the night before, leftovers always make great soups," Fisher says. "Absolutely."

Same thing goes for the soup, says Latham - time improves it.

"Soup is generally better the second day anyway," he says, "once all the flavors get a chance to melt together."

But if you want to save it for a rainy day, no need to can it. Just throw it in the icebox, say Latham and Fisher.

"Most of it freezes very well," Latham says. "A lot of times we'll freeze it in individual servings. Everybody makes those small plastic square (containers) that you can freeze in and those work really well for one or two servings."

And while freezing makes your soup fresh all winter, Latham says it doesn't hurt to think of soup as more than just a cold-weather treat.

"I love soup and I make it all year round really," Latham says. "To me all soup is fall soup."

Curried pumpkin soup with maple caramelized onions

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced

15-ounce can pumpkin

Juice of 1 orange

3 cups milk

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

8 small toasts or crackers

In a large skillet over medium-high, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and half of the onions. Saute until the onions are very soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the maple syrup and ginger, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring often, until the onions are thick and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium-high, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the remaining onion, the curry powder, red pepper flakes and the apple. Saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in the pumpkin and orange juice, then transfer everything in the Dutch oven to a blender or food processor. Add the milk and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and return to a gentle simmer. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, then top each serving with 2 crackers or toasts. Arrange some of the caramelized onions over the toasts.

Creamy stilton soup with sauteed pears

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (about 3 medium leeks)

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

2 pounds (about 4 medium) red or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

10 ounces crumbled Stilton or other blue cheese

1/2 cup half-and-half Kosher salt

2 Bartlett pears, ripe but not too soft

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary or 3/4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Fresh rosemary sprigs, to garnish

To make the soup, in a large, heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and celery, then saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, stock and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, and puree. Return the soup to the pot and set over low heat. Whisk in the cheese until it melts, then whisk in the half-and-half. Heat for another minute, then season with salt.

Make the pears during the soup's 20 to 25 minutes of simmering. To do so, peel the pears, halve them lengthwise, then core them. Cut each half into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the pear slices and cook until golden brown on the underside, about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the pears with the sugar, then turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the pears with the rosemary.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with 2 to 3 pear slices and a rosemary sprig. Serves 6.

Recipe from Betty Rosbottom's "Sunday Soup," Chronicle Books, 2008

Greens, tomato and white bean soup

Larry Crowe/AP Photo

Greens, Tomato and White Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)

Two 14 1/2-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice

1/2 cup whole-grain orzo or other small shape pasta

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup water

15-ounce can white kidney beans, rinsed

4 cups chopped dandelion greens or escarole (about 1 bunch)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes, orzo, red pepper flakes, black pepper and water. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the beans and greens, then cook, stirring often, until the greens are tender, about another 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Smoky cider beef stew

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

2 pounds bottom sirloin or skirt steak, cut into bite-size chunks

1/2 cup apple cider

2 large carrots, cut into thin rounds

3 small potatoes, cut into small chunks

14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice

14-ounce can beef broth

1/4 cup cool water

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Salt and ground black pepper

Prepared biscuit dough or puff pastry, cut into six 2- to 3-inch rounds

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, combine the oil, onion, garlic, thyme, smoked paprika and ginger. Saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the steak and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs. Add the cider to deglaze the pot, then use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom to release any stuck bits. Add the carrots, potatoes, diced tomatoes and beef broth. Stir well, then bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. In a small glass, mix together the water and cornstarch, then add the mixture to the stew. Simmer for several minutes, or until the stew begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the rounds of biscuit dough over the top of the stew. Place the pot in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the biscuits have risen and browned lightly. Alternatively, the stew can be ladled into 6 large oven-safe ramekins. Arrange the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet, then top each with a biscuit and bake. The biscuits may bake faster with this method.