A few years ago, my husband suggested I make a big pot of soup on Sundays so we could eat leftovers for lunch throughout the week. It may have been the best idea he’s ever had (shhh, don’t tell him). While I have no trouble making a pot of soup without a recipe, using whatever we have on hand in the fridge and pantry, I do like to use recipes, too, especially when I feel like I’m in a rut. Since I’ve worked for EatingWell for almost 20 years (!), I’ve developed, tested and tasted dozens of soup recipes over the years. And these are the ones I actually make at home.
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Slow-Cooker Spiced Lentil Soup with Vegetables
This soup was love at first bite. Loaded with warming spices like cumin, coriander and turmeric, lots of veggies and lentils, this soup is very satisfying. I love that it’s a dump-and-go slow-cooker recipe (meaning you just add all of the ingredients, without cooking anything in advance, and press start), plus it makes a generous 12 servings so we can eat it for several meals or freeze some for the future.
Tinola (Filipino Ginger-Garlic Chicken Soup)
I get a community supported agriculture (or CSA) share year-round, and the farm we get it from grows bok choy well into the winter. Whenever we get a big enough bundle, I like to whip up a pot of this soup. It’s also a go-to when we’re sick, since it’s very brothy and hydrating, which can help with cold symptoms.
Chunky Cheeseburger Soup
We created this recipe for our soup cookbook and I have to say, I was extremely skeptical. Cheeseburger soup? But one bite is all it took to become a believer. It’s creamy and cheesy and sprinkling chopped dill pickles or dill pickle relish on top is a pro move.
Classic Chicken Soup
Another go-to when someone in my house isn’t feeling well is chicken noodle soup. Cooking bone-in chicken breasts in chicken broth makes for a more flavorful base, but I’ve also been known to throw in some leftover chicken for ease. Since we’re a household of three, and this recipe makes eight servings, I typically keep the noodles separate so they don’t get mushy in the soup as it sits.
Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque
This recipe is from a 30-minute soup story we ran in EatingWell magazine in 2009. Each soup was developed using a specific convenience product. In the case of this recipe, it’s a surprising one—tomato-vegetable juice blend. It adds more flavor than canned tomato products would on their own. And it’s something I often have on hand, along with the other ingredients, so I can make it on a whim.
Ono Kao Sweh (Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup)
Jenny Huang
A new Thai restaurant opened near me recently, and this soup is on the menu. The owner waited on us the first time we ate there and she recommended it, so I gave it a try. There’s only been one other time that I didn’t order it, because my daughter and husband did and I thought it was silly for all three of us to get it. I was so sad. Luckily my daughter swapped meals with me halfway through dinner. Now I make it at home with this recipe.
Sweet & Sour Beef-Cabbage Soup
I think cabbage is the most underrated vegetable, and it really shines in soups. This recipe is no exception. The addition of chopped apple to this recipe is so, so good, I hope you give it a try. My husband and daughter are avoiding red meat these days, so I’ve made it with ground turkey and it’s equally delicious.
Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Curry Soup
Karla Conrad
This is another big-batch soup that I like to make to feed us for a few days, inspired by a recipe about a now-defunct soup delivery service in Portland, Oregon. It’s been a go-to for me ever since I tasted it—and the recipe developer feels the same too! It’s particularly good when there’s a chill in the air. It’s thick and rich, so it warms you from the inside out, plus it’s packed with immune-supporting ingredients like turmeric and delivers nearly 200% of the Daily Value of vitamin A, an antioxidant that helps fight inflammation.
Chicken Potpie Soup with Tater Tot Topping
This soup is inspired by one of my favorite meals: chicken potpie. But since I don’t usually take the time to make chicken potpie, I love this soupified version. The tater tots on top are fun, but sometimes I skip them and just serve it with warm crusty bread for dunking.
Split Pea Soup with Chorizo
This is a recipe I developed because I wanted a slow-cooker lentil soup with a little more oomph. I find that the flavor of sausage leaches into soups and stews during long stints in the slow cooker. While that does season the soup, the bits of meat are basically devoid of flavor once you go to eat it. That’s why here I cook the chorizo at the end and sprinkle it over the top of each bowl before serving. If we want a meatless meal, we have skipped the chorizo. I’ve also used chorizo pumfu, a tofu-like product that’s made from pumpkin seeds.
Tilapia Corn Chowder
I used to make this all the time and I just had a cup of corn chowder at lunch the other day so I’m itching to make it again. It’s very forgiving to substitutions, and I often have a lot of the ingredients on hand so I can make it on a whim. I usually have cod or mahi in my freezer, so I’ll often swap that in and have used onions and shallots instead of leeks. The lemon juice adds a bright finish at the end!
Spicy Black Bean Soup
A bowl of black bean soup is rib-sticking delicious, and this version features kale for extra nutrients. I like to puree some or all of the soup sometimes to make it thicker, and I always put out toppings like crushed tortilla chips, salsa and hot sauce and strained yogurt for topping. This is another one that holds well for few days and freezes well, so it’s great for having on hand.
Butternut Squash, Tomato, Chard & Chickpea Soup
What I love most about this soup (aside from the fact that it’s on the table in 20 minutes) is that the bones—beans, greens, root veggies—lend themselves to swaps based on what I have on hand. I’ve used other varieties of squash and root veggies (I particularly like turnips and rutabaga here, or even potatoes) and white beans are great instead of chickpeas. And any sturdy green can be used in place of the chard. Regardless of what you include, it’ll be hearty and delicious!
Ginger-Chicken Stew with Greens
I developed this recipe all the way back in 2009 and it’s been a favorite ever since (in fact, I’m adding it to my dinner plan for next week!). It’s loosely based on a dish I had in Hawaii of braised chicken with lots and lots of ginger. I thought the idea lent itself well to a soup. We eat lots of dark leafy greens at home, so I included them as well. The peppery flavor of mustard greens plays nicely with the other ingredients, but you could choose your favorite dark leafy green instead.
