Cold weather isn’t all bad: That (seemingly relentless) chill in the air does also mean that soup season is upon us. Whether your family is a lover of chunky or smooth styles, or prefers colorful or rustic, soup is always a crowd-pleasing meal that comforts everyone as much as it fortifies us.
For all it’s one-pot simplicity, a properly made soup can be a well-rounded meal in a bowl—especially when it’s vegetable-based. (This is true whether you’re cooking with an Instant Pot, a slow-cooker, or just your favorite Dutch oven A fortified vegetable broth or homemade stock, loads of veggies and beans, and satisfying grains take the center stage in these vegetable-forward winter soups, and meat just plays the occasional supporting player.
And we’re not just talking about minestrone recipes. When it comes to inspiration, we’ve looked everywhere from Mexico to Japan to Provence. Filled with everything from mushrooms to kale to carrots and chickpeas, these beloved bowls have everything we’re craving.
Cream of Tomato Soup
Classic tomato soup gets brightness and body from crushed tomatoes; smoky depth from bacon; and a luxurious finish from a little crème fraîche. **See the recipe for Cream of Tomato Soup »**
In this traditional Lucchese soup, vegetables and beans are slow-cooked until little to no bite remains, making it a rustic, comforting dish. Be sure to give any tougher vegetables all the time they need to scompare, or disappear. The quantities are flexible, so use whatever you have on hand. Get the recipe for Italian Bean and Vegetable Soup »
Braised onions, bread, and melted cheese are the main components of this timeless dish, which epitomizes the robust cuisine of Parisian brasseries. Get the recipe for French Onion Soup »
The recipe for this garlicky bread soup comes from Rosa Filipe of O Barro restaurant in Redondo, Portugal, who claims it is nicknamed “beggar’s soup” because it contains no meat or fish. Get the recipe for Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro »
“Borscht was traditionally a fermented soup,” says Cortney Burns, who adapted the classic beet base to one featuring a combination of fresh and fermented carrots and beets instead. “The warming spices, fresh ginger, and alliums bring out the natural sweet flavor of the carrots,” she says. Burns tops her soup with anything from salt-brined caraway to shredded or wilted vegetables, pickled ginger, dill, or yogurt, but play around with combinations you like. For a red version, use purple or red carrots and red beets. For a yellow version, use yellow carrots and golden beets. Pass the finished soup through a fine-mesh sieve for a completely silky texture. Get the recipe for Fermented Carrot Borscht with Ginger and Turmeric »
Roast or sauté extra squash over the weekend (butternut or calabaza are perfect) to make quick weeknight work of this garlicky, spicy pumpkin soup. Get the recipe for Caribbean Winter Squash Soup »
This recipe for paprika-spiced cauliflower soup comes from chef Andrea Németh at the restaurant Bagolyvár in Budapest. To form the tiny dumplings, called galuska, she simply drops bits of dough into the simmering broth. Get the recipe for Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower Soup (Karfiolleves) »
As ethereal as its origins, this unusual, chilled summer soup is a specialty at the Singular Patagonia, an otherworldly hotel that borders Sena Última Esperanza (or Last Hope Sound). It’s made velvety and rich by the local avocados, which are called paltas. Get the recipe for Avocado Soup »
Author Nancy Harmon Jenkins uses olive oil three ways in this version of the venerable Italian soup: for sautéing garlic, rubbing on the toasts that accompany the dish, and finishing the soup. Get the recipe for Tuscan Bean Soup »
