89 Hearty Soup Recipes to Keep You Warm Through Winter
The minute cold weather creeps in, you’ll find us tending stewpots (on lazy days) or dialing up an Instant Pot tomato soup (on days when we need to get things done a little more quickly). There’s nothing like the homey comfort of savoring the rich broth of a hearty soup, hands clamped around a warm bowl.
Here you’ll find all of our favorite hearty soup recipes: brothy bowls to nourish you and thick-sauced stews to warm you to your core. We’re talking ramen so amped up with flavor you’ll forget it’s vegetarian, bright tomato stew chock full of tender, juicy chicken, and more cozy favorites. If you’re bundled up and wondering what’s for dinner, you’ve come to the right place. These 89 recipes were built to help you keep the winter chill at bay.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova1/89Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
This hearty soup recipe is about as classic and comforting as they come. Using ditalini pasta means less mess when getting soup to mouth, but you can opt for spaghetti if you like.
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou2/89
Green Curry Lentil Soup
Green curry paste adds heat and lots of complex flavor to this easy soup recipe; big chunks of sweet potato and wisps of spinach bring balance.
- Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima3/89
Coconut Cod Chowder With Seasoned Oyster Crackers
Coconut milk and lots of zippy aromatics bring life to this creamy soup. Make extra oyster crackers—you'll want to snack on them later.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth4/89
Slow-Cooked Chicken Stew with Kale
This flavorful, long-cooking chicken stew can be made over several hours or broken down into bits over a few days.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens5/89
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
This black bean soup is seasoned with a heavy hand. If you are salt- or spice-averse, decrease the amount of salt to 1½ tsp. and use 1 chipotle chile with 1 tsp. adobo sauce instead.
- Photo by Alex Lau6/89
BA’s Best Chicken and Dumplings
This recipe for homemade chicken and dumplings has tender shredded chicken, just the right amount of vegetables, and light, fluffy dumplings.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by yekaterina boystova7/89
Kadhi
The base of this deeply comforting, spice-forward Indian soup is yogurt mixed with chickpea four and turmeric. It's easy to pull off and tastes great on its own or spooned over a bowl of white rice.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Jennifer Ophir8/89
Simple Ribollita
This classic Italian bread-and-vegetable soup is pure carb-y comfort, packed with hearty greens, meaty beans, plenty of rich olive oil, and salty Parmesan cheese.
- Photo by Chris Morocco9/89
Spring Hot-and-Sour Soup
Hot-and-sour soup inspired this highly nontraditional springtime version. Miso gives just enough body so that you won't need cornstarch to thicken it, and you can use silken tofu or thinly sliced yuba instead of egg for that same silky effect.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova10/89
A Better Turkey Chili
Pair ground turkey with white beans and a robust dried chile purée for a bowl of winter comfort with major body and richness.
- Photo by Sarah Jampel11/89
Chickpeas and Dumplings
The lightning-fast broth in this gluten-free, vegetarian riff on chicken and dumplings gets its flavor from caramelized miso and nutritional yeast.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski12/89
Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup
Presenting the ultimate soup for sick days: If you'd like the broth to be thicker—on it's way to congee—let it continue to boil for a few extra minutes.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova13/89
Broccoli Cheddar Soup With Cheesy Croutons
Our better-than-ever broccoli cheddar cheese soup is lighter and brighter than the kind you might remember from childhood—with a creaminess that comes from blended potatoes and broccoli stalks rather than heavy cream.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich14/89
Fridge Clean-Out Nabe With Mushroom Dashi
Christina Chaey’s mushroom dashi can go with whatever vegetables and proteins you have in the fridge. It’s her favorite cold-weather meal.
- Photography by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jamie15/89
Braised Beans and Sardines With Fennel
Tinned sardines add briney flavor (and protein!)—leave them whole or break them up and fold them into the soup.
- Photograph by Jessica Pettway, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio16/89
Broccoli Soup With Turmeric, Peanuts, and Crispy Shallots
This cream of broccoli soup (without the cream) gives the classic a run for its money.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones17/89
Tomato and Egg Drop Noodle Soup
A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup—which relies heavily on fridge and pantry staples—is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp.
- Photograph by Yudi Ela, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio18/89
Udon in Buttery Tomato and Soy Broth
You may be surprised at how quickly this broth builds flavor, with massive depth from golden onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, and just a tiny bit of butter for a silky finish.
- Photo by Heami Lee, food styling by Judy Haubert, prop styling by Rebecca Bartoshesky19/89
Instant Pot Beef Pho
This deeply flavored broth comes together in no time, thanks to toasted spices, browned onions, ginger, beef bones—and pressure, of course.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown20/89
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Spiced with Hungarian paprika, dill, and thyme, this comforting soup is just what you need when winter seems to go on forever, and ever, and ever…
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime21/89
Yemeni Chicken Matzo Ball Soup
Chef Einat Admony’s soup marries Ashkenazi matzo ball soup with the Yemeni chicken soup she grew up eating during Shabbat in Israel.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown22/89
Mushroom-Farro Soup
This cozy vegetarian soup delivers all the savory richness of mushroom-barley soup without meat or beef broth thanks to a few umami-heavy pantry ingredients.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown23/89
Salmon Coconut Soup
Adjust the heat in this riff on Thai tom kha gai to your liking—use one chile for mild heat, two for medium, and three if you want sweat beading on your brow.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman24/89
Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup With Caramelized Cabbage
Hearty and packed with caramelized cabbage, this vegetarian matzo ball soup doesn’t miss the chicken.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova25/89
Vegetarian Chili With Lots of Fritos
Quick, spicy, filling, and made mostly of pantry ingredients, this chili/tortilla soup/frito pie mash-up is calling your name. (Shhh. Listen closely.)
- Photographs by: Emma Fishman26/89
Creamy Curry Egg Noodle Soup
Ward off the winter blues with this dreamy, creamy, umami-packed noodle soup flavored with red curry paste and chock-full of chewy egg noodles and kale.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Sophie Strangio27/89
Chicken Soup With Rice Noodles and Scallion Crisp
Not every chicken soup needs hours on the stove. This weeknight number gets a jump-start in flavor from browned ginger and bone-in chicken breasts.
- Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou28/89
Khichdi
This porridge of rice and peas (you can use mung beans, pigeon peas, or red split lentils) is made with pantry ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Michelle Gatton29/89
Instant Pot Red Bean and Quinoa Soup With Taco Fixins
Let your Instant Pot do the hard work while you assemble a host of garnishes worthy of taco soup night. Think shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, avocado, pickled onions, crushed tortilla chips, and anything else you have on hand.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Ceramics by Meilen Ceramics30/89
Khoresh Bademjan
Spiced with cinnamon and turmeric, this Persian tomato and eggplant stew is just the warming dish you need on a cool night.
- Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Micah Morton31/89
Black-Eyed Pea Masala With Kale
In this riff on North Indian-style lobia masala, black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of an onion- and tomato-based vegetarian gravy along with kale or any greens you’d like.
- Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime32/89
Alicha Denich
This hearty vegetarian Ethopian dish from chef Fanta Prada gets its gingery, garlicky kick from awaze, a versatile hot red pepper seasoning with a myriad of variations.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman33/89
Kimchi-Lentil Stew With Poached Eggs
Kimchi lends big flavor to this speedy, satisfying stew—go double or nothing by pairing it with a fancy kimchi grilled cheese sandwich.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Molly Baz34/89
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Split pea soup is a lot like your favorite pair of slippers—it might not look like much, but boy does it make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
- Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman35/89
Butternut Squash and Green Bean Stew
Graduate from classic creamy butternut squash soup to this hearty fare with tender chunks of roasted squash swimming in a warm coconut curry.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown36/89
Leveled-Up Potato Leek Soup
A creamy potato soup without the puréeing, plus a crunchy, fresh topping you'll want to scatter on everything.
- Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Micah Morton. Prop Styling by Paige Hicks37/89
Japanese Curry With Winter Squash and Mushrooms
Swap instant curry cubes for a homemade Japanese curry sauce that delivers the same rich and nostalgic flavor—without preservatives or fillers.
- Photograph by Jenny Huang, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Linden Elstran38/89
Nana’s Chicken and Rice Stew
Chef and cookbook author Matthew Raiford credits his grandmother with this rib-sticking stew. And you know grandmas always have the best soup recipes.
- Alex Lau39/89
BA's Best Slow-Cooker Beef Chili
This is no quick ground beef affair. This Crockpot chili is made with succulent brisket which bubbles away all day in a spicy bath made from a purée of dried chiles.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susan Ottaviano40/89
Poul Ak Nwa (Chicken With Cashews)
This traditional Haitian chicken stew is packed with flavor thanks to the mainstay spice blend known as epis.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones41/89
Okra Gumbo
This rich, warming stew, punctuated by succulent shrimp, juicy hunks of beef, and crisp-tender okra, is one of our favorites from Toni Tipton-Martin’s Jubilee.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova42/89
Digaag Qumbe (Yogurt-Coconut Chicken)
Warming cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and ginger make this Somali chicken stew recipe from Hawa Hassan a rich aromatic experience.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Yekaterina Boystova43/89
French Onion Beef Noodle Soup
This super-savory dish draws inspiration from Taiwanese beef noodle soup, then gilds the lily with a Dutch oven’s worth of sweet, slow-simmered onions.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth44/89
Warm-Spiced Saucy Lamb Stew
Harissa and lamb are a fantastic marriage in this hearty stew with minty yogurt.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones45/89
I-Can't-Believe-It's-Vegetarian Ramen
The goal here was to achieve a tonkotsu-like broth without using any meat. Tomato paste, dried shiitake mushrooms, kombu, and a little bit of butter help to get you that rich umami-like effect.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth46/89
Coconut-Ginger Chickpea Soup
The dal is vegan but full of hearty protein thanks to the chickpeas, lentils, and coconut milk.
- Eva Kolenko47/89
Tomato and Cannellini Bean Soup
You can swap other greens, like spinach, for the chard in this crimson-hued white bean soup recipe. Pro tip: It tastes even better a day or two after it's made.
- 48/89
Oxtail Soup with Onions and Barley
A hefty splash of bourbon gives this long-cooking meat and barley soup a back note of warming sweetness. If you double the oxtail broth, you can freeze half to use for other delicious soups later in the season.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig49/89
Low-Commitment Wedding Soup
Turn sweet Italian sausage into meatballs and skip the separate pasta pot in favor of canned beans for a super flavorful take on wedding soup that we call one-pot, one-bowl magic.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone50/89
Chicken and Rice Soup with Garlicky Chile Oil
The broth for this almost-creamy chicken soup is thickened with a handful of rice that gives off its starch, creating lip-smacking body.
- Gentl & Hyers51/89
Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole
Parmesan rind and a kitchen sink’s worth of aromatics give heady flavor to this classic pairing of beans and pasta. Want to go even heartier? Swap out the lasagna sheets for tortellini.
- Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio52/89
Spring Chili With Greens
Chiles, beans, and aggressive use of your spice cabinet come together for a chili that’s perfect for the in-between season. This dish can be made with water, but chicken broth adds extra oomph.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li53/89
Chicken Meatballs in Spring Vegetable Broth
For this meatball soup recipe, we skipped browning and poached the meatballs instead. This will keep them very tender and their flavor light, which is ideal for this seasonal dish.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Anyka Brown54/89
Lemony Tortellini Soup With Spinach and Dill
Silky and comforting yet light and spring-y, this tortellini and spinach soup is the perfect winter-to-spring meal. To make the silky base, you'll whisk eggs and lemon juice into hot broth.
- Gentl & Hyers55/89
Black-Eyed Pea Chile Verde
Black-eyed peas, a smoked ham hock, tomatillos, and a duo of green chiles make for a very tasty, rich, smoky (and verdant) chili. Warm up leftovers and spoon them over a baked potato for lunch the following day.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Pearl Jones56/89
Cream-ish of Mushroom Soup
This may come as a surprise—even when you're in the middle of eating it—but, this creamy, earthy, silky rich soup is vegan. Puréeing some of the mushrooms along with cashews adds body that doesn’t compromise on flavor.
- Christopher Testani57/89
Kale Minestrone with Pistou
This soup is all about layering powerful flavor-enhancers that you probably already have on hand—bacon, tomato paste, herbs, peppercorns, a Parm rind, and, of course, kosher salt.
- Christopher Testani58/89
Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblano Chiles
A base of dried and blistered-green chiles and a topping of queso fresco and toasted pepitas gives this black bean soup Mexican flair.
- Chelsie Craig59/89
Cauliflower Soup with Hazelnuts and Bacon
What's the best way to add heft to a creamy puréed vegetable soup? Cook the aromatics in bacon fat, then top with crisp bacon and toasted nuts.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott60/89
Clam and Cod Chowder
Weeknight chowder? Use clam juice. Cooking on the weekend? It’s worth making fish stock from scratch.
- Christina Holmes61/89
Pappa al Pomodoro
The soup equivalent of dipping your bread into tomato sauce, this rustic dish is total comfort food. (And feel free to use canned tomatoes instead of fresh in wintertime!)
- Eva Kolenko62/89
Petit Trois's French Onion Soup
If you have the time, this veal stock recipe is fabulous. If not, sub in low-sodium beef stock—or go with chicken broth or vegetable stock if you're cutting back on red meat.
- Alex Lau63/89
Lentil Soup with Sausage and Mustard Greens
Any type of lentil will work in this hearty weeknight soup. You can even substitute a couple cans of cannellini beans in their place.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott64/89
Spiced Fava Bean Soup with Rice and Tomato
Preparing this soup on the weekend and storing in portioned containers means it's ready to reheat whenever you're ready to eat.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova65/89
Soba Soup With Shrimp and Greens
The base for this satisfying soup is a quick 15-minute homemade dashi. And once that's done, you're more than halfway to dinner.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen66/89
Chicken and Tomato Stew with Caramelized Lemon
Cooking lemon slices to almost-burnt adds a layer of complex flavor to this comforting stew.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova67/89
Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup
This weeknight chicken soup goes Greek with orzo, lemon juice, and a handful of fresh dill.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li68/89
Simple Khichari
Use whatever vegetables you have on hand to make this restorative, healthy soup. We called for cauliflower or daikon, but carrots, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, or asparagus would also work well.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Chris Morocco69/89
Spiced Coconut Carrot Soup
Puréed soups are easy because they don’t require lots of knife work... but they can also be boring. Amping up the seasoning and topping with crunchy shaved vegetables and bright herbs makes it clear that this one's not baby food.
- Danny Kim70/89
Sundubu Jjigae With Clams
This Korean tofu stew gets its earthy flavor and deep color from gochujang, a sweet and spicy fermented chile paste. A combo of clams and anchovies bring in briny balance.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou71/89
White Bean and Spring Vegetable Stew
This stew recipe is all about those lovingly cooked and seasoned dried beans and the glorious (vegan!) broth they create.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth72/89
Ham Hock and White Bean Stew
The ham hock in this stew lends a rich, smoky essence that flavors the beans from the inside out.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova73/89
Obe Ata Stew With Chicken and Spinach
Obe Ata is a Nigerian sauce that incorporates floral habanero chiles and bell peppers. Here, obe ata is the base for a spicy, warming chicken and sweet potato stew.
- 74/89
Beef and Bacon Stew
Call it boeuf bourguignon if you want to sound fancy—nobody has to know how much easier this beef stew is than that French classic.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li75/89
Posole Verde with Chicken
This bright, smoky, and rich soup features roasted green chiles, tomatillos, cilantro, and hominy, which gets toasted to concentrate and deepen its flavor.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott76/89
Navy Bean and Escarole Stew with Feta and Olives
There’s no stock in this wintry vegetarian stew recipe—it relies on the starchy bean cooking liquid for its flavor (which is a polite way of saying sorry, but you can’t use canned beans here and get the same results).
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Chris Morocco77/89
Smooth and Spicy Pinto Bean Soup
Warm up with this satisfying bowl of creamy puréed beans, chiles, and lots of creamy, crunchy mix-ins. It's the perfect way to stretch a small amount of leftover shredded chicken or chopped up steak.
- Alex Lau78/89
Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Fried Bread and Salsa Verde
Fried bread is what toast dreams of becoming. And this stew, which starts with dried black-eyed peas, is something you'll be dreaming about for days to come.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth79/89
Silky Pork and Cumin Stew
Serve this huge pot of flavorful stew as the centerpiece surrounded by fixings that guests can pick and choose to build their own bowls.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou80/89
French-ish Onion Soup
Onions, garlic, oil, wine, salt, and time are all it takes to make a rich vegetarian broth that still evokes the classic version.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen81/89
Braised Chicken and Spinach Soup With Pita Chips
Molokhia, a braised chicken and greens dish popular in Lebanon and Egypt, inspired this riff on chicken soup.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski82/89
Chorizo and Potato Stew
This is the hearty, rustic, and deeply warming comfort food you'll be craving on all snowy days.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li83/89
Bean and Grain Stew with Garlic and Chiles
This vegan stew is packed with flavor from seared mushrooms, fried garlic, creamy beans, and chewy grains. A duo of lemon juice and red wine vinegar lifts it with brightness.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth85/89
Oxtail and Red Wine Stew
Oxtails contain a ton of collagen, which melts into the stew to create an ultra-rich, ultra-silky texture and flavor.
- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott86/89
Stewed Cannellini Beans with Chiles and Thyme
Consider this pot of creamy white beans your go-to base for winter. Top a bowl of them off with leftover meat or a poached egg, pickled onions, and hot sauce; or add the cooled beans to a salad of winter greens.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig87/89
Chicken Soup with Caramelized Ginger
This ginger-forward chicken soup is the tonic you need on days when you're not feeling your best. Make a big batch and stash it in the freezer before that day arrives.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio88/89
Chicken-Lentil Soup With Jammy Onions
Double or triple batch these jammy onions and use the remainder to zhuzh up grain bowls and add quick flavor to other soups and sauces for as long as they last.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen89/89
Lamb and Winter Squash Soup
If you can’t find delicata squash in your grocery store, acorn or butternut squash would be equally delicious in this hearty soup recipe.
