53 Soothing Soup Recipes for When You Need a Little Extra Comfort
Whether you’re shivering your way through winter holding a bowl of Italian bean soup or finding cooling relief in a summer gazpacho, you’ll find the best soup recipes have something in common: They channel the height of comfort. From a quick and easy weeknight chicken tortilla soup to an hours-of-worthwhile-prep chicken pho, our favorite soup recipes prove that there’s nothing better than dinner in a bowl. Here, you’ll find old-fashioned chicken noodle, energizing ramen, creamy tomato soup, so-simple-you-won’t-believe-it miso soup, and so much more. Pro-tip: Many of these recipes freeze well—an excellent reason to make a double batch and stash half away for a later date.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton1/53Cheesy Potato Soup With Bacon
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell2/53Lentil Soup With Wheat Berries and Kale
Skip the French onion soup in favor of this nourishing vegetarian soup, packed with green lentils, kale, and wheat berries. Use stock instead of water if you’d like—but truly, you don’t need it.
Photo by Gentl & Hyers4/53Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole
Plenty of garlic and Parmesan give a nice punch of flavor to this hearty and filling soup, which can be served alongside other Italian classics, like spaghetti with tomato-butter sauce or lasagna. It’s hearty and filling, perfect for cold weather.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Laura Rege5/53Apple and Butternut Squash Soup
Creamy but without cream, this soup makes a light start to any meal. The garnishes of tangy sour cream, crispy bacon, and snappy apple matchsticks really pull it all together.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones7/53Roasted Carrot and Fennel Soup With Miso-Glazed Mushrooms and Cashew Cream
This superlatively creamy take on puréed vegetable soup is one of our favorite recipes for vegans and vegetarians—but meat eaters will love it too. Carrots and fennel get even sweeter when they’re roasted in the oven; instead of croutons, this soup is topped with savory, miso-glazed shiitake mushrooms.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Christopher Barsch8/53Shrimp With Chochoyotes in Smoky, Herby Broth
This brothy soup feels like coastal Oaxaca in a bowl. It has tons of herbs, buttery shrimp, a light spicy-smoky broth, and chochoyotes, dumplings made from masa.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/53Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Soup With Pressed Rice Cakes)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad10/53Creamy Leek Soup
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton12/53Sonoran-Style Potato, Cheese, and Tomato Soup
This is Epi contributor Christian Reynoso’s version of an unsung regional Mexican dish that’s deeply satisfying, yet remarkably light. In Spanish it’s called caldo de queso, and it features chunks of potato simmered in tomato-tinted broth until soft, with fresh cheese such as queso fresco added to each bowl.
Photo & Food Styling by Joseph De Leo13/53Miso-Squash Ramen
Noodle soup recipes don’t have to start with chicken. This ramen, for example, gets rich flavor from squash that’s slathered in miso before roasting.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce14/53Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Soup
This coconut soup is ideal for fall, when squash and pumpkin are readily available. Serve it with crusty bread or roti and a hearty green salad for a perfect autumn lunch.
Photo by Eva Kolenko15/53Tomato and Cannellini Bean Soup
Cannellini beans bring protein and heft to this brothy vegetable soup, which you’re going to want to keep making all winter long.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova17/533-Ingredient Tomato Soup
Get your grilled cheese ready. Roasting the tomatoes—which can be done several days in advance—turns this easy tomato soup into something extraordinary. Active prep time here is just 20 minutes, though the roasting and simmering take a bit longer.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne18/53Yogurt Soup With Orzo and Chickpeas
Yogurt delivers unctuous creaminess to this orzo and chickpea soup, thickened with an egg yolk and dyed a vibrant yellow hue from saffron or turmeric.
Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog19/53Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup With Bean and Cheese Nachos
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce20/53Azafrán Soup With Spinach Greens and Yellow Cornmeal Dumplings
A light broth infused with azafrán (a.k.a. Native American saffron) and dotted with yellow cornmeal dumplings, sweet corn kernels, buttery summer squash, and dark, leafy wisps of spinach, this soup is earthy, fresh, and nourishing with electrifying color.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks21/53Miso-Tahini Squash Soup With Brown Rice
Rich with nutty tahini, savory miso, and plenty of ginger and garlic, this vegetarian soup is a wonderful comfort for a weeknight meal.
Photo by Chelsie Craig23/53Cauliflower Soup With Hazelnuts and Bacon
Fennel adds sweetness and a hint of refreshing herbal flavor to this creamy, rich cauliflower soup. If you like baked potato soup, you’ll adore this recipe.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks25/53Wonton Soup With Mushroom-Zucchini "Meatballs"
Unstuffed wonton wrappers take the place of the traditional dumplings in this simple, weeknight-friendly vegetarian soup.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks27/53Nabeyaki Udon Soup With Chicken, Spinach, and Mushrooms
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson28/53Grain Bowl Soup
The grain bowl just got a brothy, warming upgrade for the winter. Bone broth or chicken stock work in this recipe, which is definitely main dish–worthy.
Photo by Chris Court and William Meppem34/53Roasted Quinoa and Tomato Soup With Parmesan Wafers and Crispy Basil
Photograph by Anson Smart, Donna Hay Magazine35/53Chicken and Spelt Soup With Greens
Packed with nutritious greens and zesty lemon, this substantive soup is just the thing to perk you up on a chilly weeknight. Use rotisserie or slow-cooker chicken—no matter what, it’s bound to be delicious.
Jonathan Lovekin36/53Beet, Rhubarb, and Ginger Soup
Sharp and sweet, rhubarb and beets were made for one another; this soup is a fitting celebration of their springtime union.
Photo by Christopher Testani38/53Lemongrass-Ginger-Carrot Soup
Made with just six ingredients, this easy soup is endlessly versatile: It’s delicious hot or cold, in winter or summer.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova40/53Bouillabaisse
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, prop styling by Brian Heiser, food styling by Rhoda Boone42/53Green Chicken Soup With Dill Matzo Balls
Enliven traditional chicken soup with springy fennel and a dose of fresh green kale. Dill-flecked matzo balls bring their signature soft, spongy texture to the bowl; though these tender dumplings are traditional for Passover, they’re comforting all year round.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton45/53Lemony Chicken Soup With Farro, White Beans, and Kale
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova46/53Chilled Beet Soup With Buttermilk, Cucumbers, and Dill (Chlodnik)
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews48/53Cream of Asparagus Soup
Every spring, we try to eat as much asparagus as we possibly can. This soup, a classic from Gourmet, is an essential, enriched with crème fraîche and brightened with lemon.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell49/53Chicken Soup With Charred Cabbage
Simmer the bones of a rotisserie chicken in water with a handful of aromatics and flavor-packed mushroom stems to make the umami-rich broth for this comforting soup.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Pearl Jones50/53Chicken Peppersoup
Nigerian pepper soup should be fiery hot and packed with rich flavor. This recipe uses chicken, but can also be prepared with fish, goat, mutton, game, or organ meats.
