I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shared my soup obsession only with the following words: “Soup is not a meal.” Well, I couldn’t disagree more. Soup isn’t just a meal – it’s everything. Growing up, my family started a Sunday Soup tradition. When the weekend is over, we’ll scoop out steaming bowls of all our favorites. Minestrone, lentils, mushrooms, sweet potatoes — the list goes on. Since then, my love for the new soup has grown. There’s nothing I find more comforting than serving a pot of soup to a friend — it’s one of the best ways to feed a crowd. Best of all, there’s really nothing more satisfying than making yourself a bowl of soup. To keep everyone entertained, I’m sharing 15 of my favorite winter soup recipes. Because we all deserve a little liquid warm-up, right?
Don’t get me wrong: I believe soup can completely fill anyone, and I also like to serve it with a salad and a loaf of toast. Maybe that’s the truth about my love of food. While soup itself is a joy, it also provides a central point for a multitude of other warm and aesthetically pleasing pleasures. I’m talking about everything people love most about winter. Soft sweaters, a flaming fire, piled on piles of blankets and congregated with the best people you know.
While it may seem modest, it’s true: soup has the power to bring all of that into your life. So if you haven’t joined the soup lovers fan club (we have sweatshirts), consider this your start. This dish is easy to make, is constantly customizable, and most recipes keep well in the freezer for multiple meals on the go. Honestly, what’s not to love?
Enough of my soapbox — let’s start the recipe. Try a few of these this winter and get ready to love soup as much as I do (maybe even more).
Featured image of Ashleigh Amoroso
Creamy Pumpkin Tortilla Chicken Soup from Kim’s Cravings
Why we love it: I’m a bit obsessed with this soup. It has everything I could want in a bowl: pumpkin, black beans, shredded chicken, my favorite seasonings (fennel and chili powder), and a little healthy greek yogurt stir-fry. at the end. Each spoon is a delight, plus it only takes you 20 minutes to whip. For all my vegetarian friends out there, just skip the chicken and you’ll be hooked.
Hero composition: Pumpkin puree makes this soup thick and velvety — just the way I like it.
Tomato Basil Soup from Foodie Crush
Why we love it: Here’s your classic tomato soup that’s gone up a notch. Although the nostalgia is getting better in me and makes me crave a Campbell’s can from time to time, if I could spend a little time in the kitchen, I’d happily choose this recipe instead. Roasting the Roma tomatoes in advance will give your soup a nutty caramel flavor, and it’s full of other ingredients that make soups so creamy.
Hero composition: Adding even the one teaspoon of tomato paste this recipe calls for creates a rich tomato flavor like never before.
Vegetarian chili from Cookie + Kate
Why we love it: Everyone has their tried and true chili recipe and this one mine. It’s vegetarian yet hearty, which means even the most avid meat-eater will love it. The ingredients list may seem long, but that’s because it’s packed with flavor-enhancing vegetables and seasonings that make it a crowd-pleaser. Here’s the thing about chili too: it’s always better the next day when the flavor has had time to develop. Oh, and it’s easy to double (or triple!), so I know what to eat every night next week.
Hero composition: The combination of spices (paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano) alone is the reason this recipe will be a winner in any chili dish.
Liz Moody’s Vegetarian Pesto Soup
Why we love it: Green soup is like a green smoothie – even just looking at it makes me excited to do good things for my body. There’s a truth to the picture here: This soup is packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients. Three cups of broccoli, two cups of basil, and one cup of walnuts are packed with antioxidants. A healthy winter soup? It is not impossible.
Hero composition: The handfuls of basil added to this soup give it a fresh, bright, and beautiful pesto-y flavor.
Creamy Potato Soup from Love & Lemons
Why we love it: I like my soup thick and creamy, and that’s exactly what you get with this recipe. While many cream-based soups can feel too heavy, this soup has a velvety texture from just potatoes and white beans.
Hero composition: I love the bit of heat that Dijon mustard brings to creamy dishes.
Easy black bean soup from two peas and their pods
Why we love it: You can never go wrong with this quick and easy black bean soup. Bonus: You probably won’t even need to make a trip to the store. All you need are a few pantry staples plus a bunch of fresh and colorful veggies to make this week’s night wonder.
Hero composition: Stirring a tablespoon of fresh lime juice at the end creates a pungent, fiery flavor.
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Why we love it: It’s safe to say I’ve never come across a pumpkin recipe that I didn’t love. Winter squash Sweet, nutritious and full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. It serves as the base for this healthy winter soup that you can bet I’ll put on my post-holiday reset.
Hero composition: Two tablespoons of turmeric may seem like a lot, but when combined with squash, it gives this soup a splash of color. almost too beautiful to devour.
Turmeric Chicken Soup
Why we love it: Nothing warms you up in the dead of winter like chicken soup. This recipe is undeniably nutritious and always my go-to if I feel the onset of a cold. It contains super powerful ingredients like anti-inflammatory ginger and heart-protective garlic. Pro tip: This soup keeps well in the freezer, so make a double batch and store it for when you need a quick immune boost.
Hero composition: Put your hands down, art. Praised for its anti-inflammatory properties, this spice is one of the most health-promoting ingredients you can find. While fresh turmeric works best in this recipe, the powdered version is also a great substitute.
Grilled Red Chili Soup from House of Yum
Why we love it: It’s the fusion dish I’ve always dreamed of — this really is pizza in soup form. This soup has all the creamy layers and delicious spiciness that my favorite slices have to offer. While it does take some time to roast your red peppers, it’s well worth the effort. Then it’s really just a matter of ingredients in a food processor and letting everything simmer on the stove until it turns to soup perfection.
Hero composition: Hot sauces, of course, carry heat.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup from recipe reviewer
Why we love it: Here, you can notice a consistency: I like when a recipe includes “cream” in the name. This soup has a rich texture by mixing pumpkin and carrots together and stirring in just the right amount and a half at the end. If you want to make it vegan, I recommend swapping half and half for coconut milk. All creams without dairy.
Hero composition: It’s in the name, guys. Eating squash in October and November may make you never want to look back at squash, but this soup makes a compelling argument for why you should add it back to your weeknights rotation. me.
Coconut curry red lentil soup
Why we love it: If you haven’t started cooking with them yet, lentils are the small round beans that you need to start adding to your dishes. They add delicious flavor and meaty texture to soups, salads and stews, and are a great way to add iron, fiber, magnesium, and calcium to your diet. This recipe already has flavors, spices, and everything in it, but toss the lentils in the pot, and friends, you’ve got yourself a substantial soup.
Hero composition: Adding the zest and juice of an orange will create a citrusy and tangy flavor that will make your soup brighter.
Carrot Ginger Soup from Downshitfology
Why we love it: When I want to treat my body to a healthy meal (and I’ve made the green soup above several times this week), this is my soup of choice. It’s filled with flavorful aromatics, lots of beta-carotene-fortified carrots (2 pounds!), and a sweet and warm blend of spices. Finish a bowl, and I promise you’ll feel like the best version of your winter.
Hero composition: Just a single bay leaf soaked in the broth creates a slight bitterness that helps this creamy soup have a light and refreshing taste.
White beans and hide soup from Reading My Tea Leaves
Why we love it: The idea for this soup is amazing: The creator of the recipe, Erin Boyle, teamed up with a friend to develop a soup that reduces food waste. This recipe uses 2 ounces of Parmesan rind to create a wonderfully rich broth. So the next time you make one of your favorite Parmesan recipes and want to incubate the shells, run, not walk, and make this soup instead.
Hero composition: Similar to dandelion green, the green leaves have a bitter and slightly sharp taste that will help you add some important nutrients to your diet (even in the middle of winter).
White Creamy Lasagna Soup from Half Baked Harvest
Why we love it: This is the quintessential comfort food. It’s the soup you stock up on for the coldest winter nights when you’re considering ditching your shoes and living in flip-flops and translucent socks. Before you want to raid your closet, see if a pot like this satisfies your cozy cravings. Spoiler alert: it will.
Hero composition: I have nothing to be ashamed of and will eat the delicious portions of the broken lasagna first.
Minestrone in minutes from Nigella Lawson
Why we love it: This recipe is so easy. Just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes (10 of which are for the soup to stand and develop flavor). Dinner of the week, solved.
Hero composition: The quality of this soup is completely dependent on the quality of your ketchup. I would like to introduce my favorite food Rao’s. Choose a spicy pot if you like a bit of ice.
