30 Comforting Soup Recipes To Warm You Up
30 Comforting Soup Recipes To Warm You Up
When it’s cold and gray, we crave warmth and sustenance. From vegetable soups, like potato leek and lentil, to hearty chilis and stews, these classic soup recipes will warm you from the inside out. Some of these soups simmer on the stove for hours, while others can be whipped up quickly for instant gratification.
30 Comforting Soup Recipes to Warm You Up
1. Potato Leek Soup
Potato leek is a classic French soup, and it’s endlessly versatile. Serve it cold for Vichyssoise, or garnish it with fresh herbs, bacon, diced vegetables, or whatever you have on hand to make it your own. Get the recipe
2. Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
This vegetarian soup is made almost entirely from pantry staples. It is the perfect weeknight recipe: it takes just 30 minutes to make, yet tastes like you spent all day at the stove, and it’s super healthy, too. Get the recipe
3. Asparagus Soup with Lemon and Parmesan
Perfect for early spring, this creamy soup is made without heavy cream – just asparagus, aromatics, broth, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese blended to silky perfection. Get the recipe
4. Thai-Inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Soup
This fragrant, slurpy noodle Thai-style soup tastes like sunshine on a dreary day. Since it’s made with a rotisserie chicken and Thai pantry staples – like green curry paste, coconut milk, and fresh ginger – you can have it on the table in no time. Get the recipe
5. Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e fagioli, literally “pasta and beans” in Italian, is a hearty and comforting soup, perfect for a cold night. The base of the soup is made with pancetta, vegetables and white wine, which give the soup wonderful flavor, and the broth is thickened with puréed beans. Get the recipe
6. Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup



Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
You’ve probably got most of the ingredients for this soup lingering in your veggie bin, so it’s easy to whip up on a cold day. The sweet potatoes add body to the soup, making it deliciously creamy, without even the slightest bit of heavy cream. Get the recipe
7. French Lentil Soup
Whether you’re looking to eat better or chase the winter blues away, this French lentil soup is the ticket. Be sure to use French lentils, which hold their shape nicely when cooked and thicken the soup without turning it to mush. Get the recipe
8. Italian Wedding Soup
The name of this soup derives from the Italian phrase minestra maritata – or “married soup”– which is a reference to the lovely way the flavors combine, like a happy marriage. The soup is traditionally made from homemade stock, but to save time, I use a combination of good-quality store-bought broth flavored with wine and lots of vegetables. Get the recipe
9. Classic Beef Chili
This is my go-to beef chili recipe. It is thick, rich, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and delicious served over rice or scooped up with tortilla chips. Feel free to add a can of your favorite beans, if you like. Get the recipe
10. Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk
This Thai-inspired butternut squash soup is flavored with ginger, red curry paste, and coconut milk. It’s creamy and flavorful, and the heat from the spices will warm you right up. Add a scoop of jasmine rice to each bowl to make it a meal. Get the recipe
11. Pea Soup with Basil
When we think of pea soup, we usually think of the hearty split pea variety flavored with a ham bone (there’s a recipe for that below). This version, however, is made from sweet green peas, fresh basil, and lime, making it light, bright, and perfect for warmer weather. The soup can be served hot or cold, depending on the temperature outside. Get the recipe
12. Tomato Soup
Made from canned tomatoes, this vibrant tomato soup is my go-to when fresh tomatoes are out of season. Top the soup with basil, croutons, and Parmigiano-Reggiano – or serve it with grilled cheese sandwiches to make it a meal. Get the recipe
13. Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Rice
This classic Greek egg and lemon soup with chicken and rice makes a comforting yet light soup. The only tricky part of the recipe is tempering the eggs, but I make the process easy by using a blender. My secret for this soup is adding a bit of heavy cream – it’s not traditional but it balances the acidity of the lemon and gives the soup a silky finish. Get the recipe
14. Chicken Tortilla Soup



Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Inspired by the signature chicken tortilla soup served at Tommy Bahama Café in Lido Key, FL, this creamy tortilla soup is made from puréed vegetables and corn tortillas. It is a nice change from the traditional broth-based tortilla soup. Get the recipe
15. Classic Turkey Chili
Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, this classic turkey chili has a spicy, rich flavor and thick texture, and it’s packed with fiber-rich beans. Instead of adding all of the turkey at the beginning, a portion is held back and added towards the end in small pieces, almost like mini meatballs, which creates nice chunks of turkey in every bite. Get the recipe
16. Pumpkin Soup
17. Cioppino (Fisherman’s Stew)
Brimming with seafood in a tomatoey broth that tastes like the sea, this Italian-American fish stew originated with Italian fishermen in San Francisco, CA. Serve the stew with crusty bread for sopping up the savory broth. Get the recipe
18. Black Bean Soup
Made from pantry staples, this Southwestern-style soup is a quick and easy. You can have it on the table in 30 minutes! Get the recipe
19. Smoky White Bean & Ham Soup
This rich, smoky soup is adapted from Georgia chef Hugh Acheson’s wonderful cookbook, How to Cook: Building Blocks and 100 Simple Recipes for a Lifetime of Meals. Get the recipe
20. beef stew with Carrots & potatoes
With thousands of 5-star reviews, this stew is my all-time most popular recipe. Pieces of well-marbled chuck roast are seared in a hot pan, and then gently braised with aromatics in a wine-based broth. After several in the oven, the meat becomes fork-tender and swathed in a rich, deeply-flavored sauce. Get the recipe
21. Crab Soup
Filled with fresh crab and seasoned simply with Old Bay, this soup tastes like a day on the Eastern shore. The recipe was given to me by the chef at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay. It is unapologetically rich and 100% worth it! Get the recipe
22. Easy Butternut Squash Soup
This is the easiest recipe butternut squash soup recipe out there, and yet, it is everything you expect a good butternut squash soup to be: silky, sweet, and loaded with flavor. Get the recipe
23. Coq au Vin
A classic French stew, coq au vin is made with chicken braised in a red wine broth with pancetta and mushrooms. It is best made ahead of time, as the flavor continues to develop overnight, and it freezes beautifully too. Serve the stew with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or good bread for soaking up the sauce. Get the recipe
24. French Onion Soup
The mark of a good French onion soup is a rich, deeply-flavored broth. The secret is patience: the onions must be cooked slowly so that they sweeten and turn a deep caramel color without burning. Get the recipe
25. Curried Cauliflower and Apple Soup
Cauliflower, apples, and curry give this soup a magical savory-sweet-spicy flavor combination. Get the recipe
26. Creamy Zucchini Soup with Walnuts and Dill
This creamy zucchini soup with fresh dill is surprisingly healthy. There are no dairy products in it; rather, it is thickened with flavorful toasted walnuts. You can have the soup on the table in 30 minutes, and it’s good cold or hot. Get the recipe
27. Southwestern Corn Chowder



Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
From my second cookbook and one of my all-time favorite soup recipes, this summer-into-fall recipe is ideal for when the nights turn cooler and you’re looking for new ways to use up late-season corn. I love to serve this soup with chips and guacamole. Get the recipe
28. Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls
Matzo ball soup is a bit of project, but it is the ultimate comfort food and oh so worth it. If you have two large soup pots, double the recipe and freeze half for later – you’ll be so glad you did. Get the recipe
29. Split Pea Soup with Ham
This classic American soup is made from split peas and a pork-flavored broth. It’s an easy recipe that delivers big flavor, and it’s hearty enough to serve as a main course. Pair the soup with artisan bread or fresh cornbread. Get the recipe
30. White Chicken Chili
Adapted from the Neelys’ popular white chicken chili recipe, this is a hearty, one-pot supper that you can have on the dinner table in less than an hour. Get the recipe
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