The weather has been a fickle mistress this winter, but now that temperatures are cooling down across the States, it's time to think about ways to keep warm. Whether your office blasts the heat or you're stuck shivering next to the window, warming yourself from the inside out with comforting soups and stews is never a bad idea.

Transport yourself to a warmer place instead of Elsa's Frozen tundra with easy soup recipes like  Chuck Hughes' Creamy Tomato Soup, pictured above, which is just waiting for a grilled cheese dipper that you can crisp up quickly in the office toaster oven.

When You're Fighting Off a Cold: Chicken Noodle Soup

Kelsey Nixon roasts chicken thighs to pack the classic Chicken Noodle Soup with flavor from the get-go. A bowl full of this will help fight off the cold going around the office  and keep you warm and toasty at your desk.

Nadia G. lightens up loaded baked potato soup by bulking it up with cauliflower. There isn't a drop of cream or milk in this Creamy Cauliflower Soup — instead, you puree the chicken stock-based wonder to thicken it up. Top your bowl with crispy pancetta and chives.

When Ain't Nobody Got Time to Cook: Slow-Cooker Lentil-Beef Stew

The only mildly time-consuming part of Tia Mowry's recipe is browning the beef before dropping it into the slow cooker. But that essential step imparts tons of caramelized, rich flavor into the soup.

Go low and slow when caramelizing onions for French Onion Soup — the nutty flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture is so worth it. Pack croutons and Gruyère cheese separately and top your soup right before it hits the microwave.

When You're Really Want a Burrito: Black Bean Soup

OK, so this may satisfy only a bean burrito craving, but this four-ingredient Black Bean Soup is worth trying. All you need are black beans, chicken broth, a pinch of allspice and a cup of salsa, so you could even make this in the morning while you're getting ready for work.

When You Can't Decide Between Soup or Stew: Italian Chicken Stoup

Rachael Ray created her Italian Chicken Stoup — aka a soup that's as thick as a stew — for a hearty dinner, and it's just as good reheated the next day for lunch. The wine-accented soup is chock-full o' vegetables, as well as porcini and portobello mushrooms, and best served with a chunk of ciabatta bread.