The 13 Best Soup recipes
1. Tomato Basil Soup
I love making a bowl of tomato basil soup on a cold evening. It’s comfort in a bowl.
For mine I start with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and a clove of garlic. I also add a dash of heavy cream and a pinch of crushed red pepperflakes for a pinch of heat.
 Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the chopped onion. When the onions are soft and translucent, after about 5 minutes, stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, the sugar, the broth, the salt and the pepper, and give everything a good stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
3. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer on low for about 20 minutes, gaining richness through all its components.
4. Stir in the chopped fresh basil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
5. For a richer texture, stir in the heavy cream and heat through, taking care not to let the soup come to a boil.
6. Puree the soup with an immersion blender to the desired consistency, or transfer some soup to a blender at a time, pureeing until smooth and adding back to the pot. Serve hot.
2. Chicken Noodle Soup
Sometimes, when I think about comfort food, I think about a particular stew. There might be some chicken, some noodles, and some vegetables – carrots and celery.
I like to garnish it with parsley or thyme. When I cook it, the aroma of fresh herbs can be intoxicating.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 cups wide egg noodles
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Put olive oil in a heavy pot and on medium heat until hot. Add onion, carrots and celery; sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are soft.
2. Add minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
4. After boiling, add cooked, shredded chicken, dried thyme and dried parsley and let simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the wide egg noodles and cook to the package directions, which is usually around 6-8 minutes, until the noodles are al dente.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
3. Minestrone Soup
When you think of comfort food, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me it has to be something hearty and filling.
My all-time comfort food is minestrone because it has so much in it, like vegetables, beans and pasta. My favorite vegetables are carrots, celery and spinach as they all add good texture and are good for you.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 potato, peeled and diced
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup small pasta (such as ditalini or elbow)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and, stirring occasionally, sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Put the carrots, celery, zucchini and potatoes into the pot and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes (with their juices), vegetable stock, cannellini beans, oregano and basil. Boil.
4. Bring to the boil then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.
5. Add the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente.
6. Add the fresh spinach and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, and sprinkle on a bit of grated Parmesan cheese if you like.
4. Clam Chowder
Making clam chowder is my favorite thing to cook because of the flavors that come together in it. First, of course, there are the clams.
Then there are hearty chunks of potato, plus the rich, savory depth that’s added by bacon. Cream and butter bring it all together for that velvety rich texture that I like in every bite.
And then my top secret ingredient – a touch of thyme.
 Ingredients
- 2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 quart half-and-half cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- Bacon bits (optional, for garnish)
 Instructions
1. Drain juice from canned clams into a large skillet. Add potatoes, celery, onion, and carrots. Cook over medium heat, adding water to cover vegetables until tender.
2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in flour until smooth, then whisk in cream and bring to a boil, while constantly stirring, until thick and smooth.
3. Add vegetables and clam juice to pot with cream and butter mixture; heat through, but do not boil. 4 Stir in clams and serve. Don’t cook clams too long or they get tough. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, parsley and bay leaf, remove bay leaf before serving.
5. Garnish with bacon bits if desired. Serve hot.
5. Beef Barley Soup
Letting a pot of soup boil away feels a bit like leaving the front door open so that you can be softly embraced as the swirls of chilly air outside nudge their way inside. With that in mind, when I’m cooking my signature soup, I always try to get a little of everything in there.
A few chunks of tender beef, a handful of barley, a tumble of veg: carrots, celery, onions… It’s the most comforting, sustaining thing you can swallow.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 8 cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
1. In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef stew meat and brown until all sides are golden brown.
2. Stir in the chopped onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
3. Sprinkle in the carrot, celery and pearl barley. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the beef stock, the diced tomatoes, bay leaf and dried thyme and stir to combine.
5. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the barley and beef are tender.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
6. Black Bean Soup
Nothing quite does the trick as a stick-to-your-ribs, heart-warming meal than good old-fashioned black bean soup. Hearty and tasty, this comes loaded with all the good stuff: black beans, thick broth, cumin, garlic, diced tomatoes and sweet corn, just to name a few.
As far as go-to comfort food meals are concerned, it’s truly hard to beat black bean soup.
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado
Instructions
1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté about 5 mins until softened.
2. Mince the garlic and then add it to the pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
3. Add the ground cumin and the smoked paprika, stirring for about 30 seconds to toast the spices.
4. Add black beans, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 20-25 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
5. Blend with an immersion blender until the soup is as smooth as you like. Blend a smaller portion of the soup for a chunky texture.
6. Add the lime juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot with any of the suggested optional toppings.
7. Lentil Soup
There’s no better recipe, for me, for a fortifying bowl of soup than one with lentils and an assortment of vegetables tossed in – carrots, celery and spinach, for instance. More nutrition, plus more color.
And enough garlic and ground cumin for a thrill.
Ingredients
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
6 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
Fresh parsley, chopped (optional for garnish)
Instructions
Step 1: Warm olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté until vegetables are soft, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add in the garlic, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Cook for an extra one to two minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
3. Pour in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and rinsed lentils. Throw in the bay leaf and boil. 4) Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in a splash of lemon juice for brightness.
6. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
8. Split Pea Soup
Split pea soup is my comfort food. I like to start with the split peas, of course, but then I like to add carrots, celery, and onion, for that earthy base.
Throw in a smoked ham hock, or maybe just a little bacon, and you’re on the right track. A clove of garlic and a bay leaf, and that’s the way I like it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried split peas, rinsed
- 1 ham bone or 2 cups diced ham
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Rinse and sort the dried split peas, removing any stones or debris.
2. In a large pot – or Dutch oven – put the split peas, ham hock or ham cubes, onion, chopped carrots, celery and garlic, along with the chicken broth, the bay leaves and dried thyme.
3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook until the peas are tender and the soup is thickened. Add more broth or water if you want the consistency to be thinner.
5. Discard the bay leaves and the ham bone (if using), shred any remaining ham from the bone and return to the pot.
6. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
9. Potato Leek Soup
This is such a classic soup and one that I love to make when the weather starts to get cool. One of my favorite potato in this soup is Yukon Gold – they have just the right texture for a puree and another great ingredient of mine is the fresh leek – it has a wonderful mild onion flavor that is irresistible to me.
The added cream at the end makes the most wonderful rich texture.
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Fresh chives or parsley for garnish
Instructions
1. In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add diced potatoes and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Blend the soup in a blender before reheating: using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Otherwise, carefully transfer the soup to a blender, working in small batches, and blend until smooth.
4. Add the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes just until it heats through.
5. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chives or parsley if desired.
10. Cream of Mushroom Soup
Comfort food at its best! I always use fresh mushrooms to lend their earthy richness, cream and butter to lend their lush smoothness, and garlic and onion to round it out.
Usually, a splash of white wine for extra depth (optional). It’s a wonderful recipe to have in your repertoire of comfort foods.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (such as cremini or button)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Drop in the sliced mushrooms and sauté until they release their juice and soften, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Shower the flour over the mushrooms, then stir well to combine, and cook another 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
4. Add the broth slowly while stirring, and bring to a simmer, cooking until the soup thickens slightly, 10-15 minutes.
5. Stir in the heavy cream, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for another 5 minutes, until the flavors have melded.
6. If desired, purée the soup with an immersion blender, or leave it chunky for a heartier texture. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley if you like.
11. Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Nothing beats a warm, creamy bowl of soup. You give it some crunch with fresh broccoli, bite with sharp cheddar cheese, and a little garlic flavor.
I like to add some nutmeg (optional) for extra depth. Always onions in addition..
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Coat the onion and garlic with flour, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
3. Stir in the broth a little at a time to ensure the sauce is lump-free. Bring to a gentle simmer, then stir in the florets and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the broccoli is tender ribbons.
4. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, milk and cream, stirring until the cheese is melted and the soup is uniform.
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve hot. Garnish with more shredded cheddar or black pepper, if desired.
12. Italian Wedding Soup
Bolognese is a dish that I love to make. The meatballs, which are small and accessible for kids, are made from a beef and pork mixture, and I think the combination of meats adds depth of flavor.
I add spinach to make it a bit healthier, and adds a lovely green color. I also add orzo pasta for a bit of texture.
And, of course, there is Parmesan cheese for that touch of indulgence.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup small pasta (e.g., acini di pepe or orzo)
- 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
1. Mix in a bowl the ground beef and ground pork, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, egg, the garlic, salt and pepper. Shape in small meatballs (1-inch diameter).
2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the pot in batches and brown on each side. Remove the meatballs and set them aside.
3. Add the chopped onion and the minced garlic to the pot, too, and cook until softened and smelling good, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Put the meatballs back into the pot, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the small pasta into the pot, and cook as instructed until al dente. During the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped spinach to the pot and mix until wilted.
6. Serve hot, topped with additional grated Parmesan cheese.
13. Tortilla Soup
I start with a chicken stock as the base and then add succulent pieces of chicken, fresh tomatoes and black beans and end with crispy tortilla strips, slices of avocado and a sprinkle of fresh lime juice for a touch of zest. Then it is topped with a generous amount of fresh coriander and a sprinkle of cheese.
A loveable, comforting bowl of food.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Corn tortillas, cut into strips and fried or baked until crispy
- Optional toppings: avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium flame. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic and jalapeño to the mixture, cooking another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add the cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika, stir and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices.
4. Pour in the chicken or vegetarian stock, the chopped tomatoes, black beans and corn, bring to the boil, and then turn the heat right down and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken and cook to heat through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with tortilla strips and any of the optional toppings (avocado, sour cream, or shredded cheese).