There's nothing quite like a nice, creamy bowl of soup on a cool fall afternoon. But a decadent, delicious soup doesn't always have to be made with cream; sometimes certain soup recipes are so good that they fake it.
With the holidays on the horizon, we think lightening up on the soup front isn't such a bad idea, so we gathered a few of our favorite recipes from the past (and not-so-past) that taste sinfully creamy, but aren't. From a half-pureed lentil soup to a spicy sweet potato, there's inspiration here to last throughout the season.
Try a Recipe:
• Curried Lentil Soup (pictured) - A Sweet Spoonful
• Roasted Tomato and Thyme Soup - The Sophisticated Gourmet
• Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeno Bisque - Everybody Likes Sandwiches
• Cauliflower Soup - The Wednesday Chef
• Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup - Joy the Baker
• Potato Leek Soup - Simply Recipes
• Carrot Soup - 101 Cookbooks
• Curried Pumpkin Soup - Epicurious
• Early Fall Soup of Zucchini and Broccoli - Seven Spoons
• "Creamy" Onion Soup - Kayotic Kitchen
Related: 10 Simple Soups for the Beginning of Fall
(Image: Megan Gordon)
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Monterey Pitcher fr...
Coming to Terms with a Knockoff: Original vs. Reproduction Furniture Design
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
I made that Potato Leek soup from Simply Recipes last week and it was delicious.
I LOVE that curried lentil soup from Molly Wizenburg. So delicious, warming, and hearty!
My favorite ultra-quick thick and comforting soup - a can of diced tomatos and a can of navy beans, throw them in a pot and use an immersion blender until it's creamy with no chunks (or use a blender, but it's a bit more to wash out) and then heat and season if you want. I like to completely drain the tomatos as well as the beans since it makes it thicker, but you could include the tomato liquid to make it thinner. Excellent variation on traditional tomato soup, filling due to the beans, and killer with grilled cheese. And oh-so-easy after a long day at work!