One of the best ways to fight the winter chill is to enjoy hot and hearty soups that can be made right at home with some basic ingredients.

Home cooks are invited to learn how to make three different soups during a virtual cooking class to be offered via Zoom by the Mortel High Hopes for Haiti Foundation on Sunday, Jan. 9, beginning at 4 p.m.

The cooking class will be led by chef Mariella Amato from Mangia Mangia Italian Grill in Hershey, who will teach participants how to make two authentic Italian soups. Additionally, Dr. Rod Mortel, foundation founder and president, will share how to prepare a traditional Haitian soup.

"We're going to have people register for the Zoom and then we are going to send them the complete recipes with the list of ingredients and all the preparation instructions," explained Rod's wife, Cecile Mortel, events coordinator.

Cecile explained that cooks will be able to watch how the soups are prepared and then cook them later during their own time. "Mariella, in her personal kitchen, will have all the ingredients there and go step by step how to prepare each soup," she said. "The soups need time to simmer, so people cannot cook along. One of the soups has to simmer for two hours." In addition, Amato will prepare a recipe of garlic bread to accompany the soup.

The first item on the menu will be a bean soup called ribollita zuppa. The other soup that will be prepared is tortellini in brodo di pollo, which is chicken tortellini soup.

A highlight of the program will be the preparation of soup joumou, which is Haitian squash soup. "It's a pumpkin soup, but we are having people use butternut squash, which is similar," Cecile noted.

The soup is known as Haiti's national symbol of freedom from slavery. "When the French occupied Haiti, only the slave masters could eat this soup," Cecile explained. "When Haiti gained its independence in 1804, the first thing they ate was this soup, so it has become a symbol of independence."

Cecile pointed out that the UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, recently added soup joumou to its "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" list. "The soup was awarded protected status by UNESCO. It is a very special recipe to that country," she stated.

The virtual cooking class will be free, but attendees will have an opportunity to donate to the foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides schooling, preventative health care, nutrition and support to children in Haiti.

"In between the soup demonstrations, we will talk about what we do in Haiti and invite people to support our efforts," said Cecile. "Even though there has been political unrest, violence and natural disasters such as earthquakes ... our schools have been able to remain open because of our staff here and in Haiti and because of the donors that provide hope everyday by supporting our students."

To register for the cooking class, visit http://www.highhopesforhaiti.org/event/soup. All registrants will be entered into a prize drawing. For more information, visit http://www.highhopesforhaiti.org or http://www.facebook.com/highhopesforhaiti, email info@mortelhhh.org or call 844-466-7835.