Need some comfort food this winter? Here are 20+ hearty and delicious winter soup recipes that are perfect for cold weather. Chunky, creamy, or smooth – all are comforting!

What more do you want on a cold winter’s day but a nourishing, warming soup? Whether it’s smooth and creamy, or chunky, or thick, a vegetarian soup, vegetable soup, or chicken broth, a warm bowl of comforting soup is the best remedy for the winter weather.

Below is my list of the best winter soup recipes – choose your favorites from:
Smooth Creamy Soups | Chunky Soups | Clear and Noodle Soups |
Thick Soups and Stews (Potage) | Broth
And of course, you’ll need some bread to go with your soup!

Why Make A Winter Soup?

Winter is coming? Then soup season is here! With all the other cold-weather staples like warming baked goods (like these stuffed baked apples) and hot drinks (like chai latte or fresh mint tea), a hearty soup is the next best thing. Filled with veggies, any winter soup recipe would provide you with nourishing and immune-boosting benefits.

Furthermore, soups are so easy to make. You can just add a few ingredients to your saucepan, let them simmer for a bit, and voila! Of course, you can also use an Instant Pot or a Crock-Pot to make the process even simpler. Switch up your veggies, add some cream, broth, or some sautéed mushrooms or homemade croutons, and you can always have a quick pipping hot soup at hand.

On the other hand, you could also make something more special and complicated that needs a bit more planning and making sure you have the right spices or herbs, or the right veggies like sweet potatoes or kale or white beans. Whatever winter soup recipe you choose – a creamy tomato soup, the classic minestrone, or Japanese-inspired ramen – I’m sure you can never get bored. In short, these healthy soups will always fill you up and satisfy your cravings on any day.

Plus, soups are easy to make in big batches and can be meal-prepped for the week. You can also freeze most of them and keep them for months, ready to defrost in minutes when you need them. I love portioning them and then freezing them in reusable Ziplock bags. And you can switch up your topping every time you serve it – grate some cheese, or finely chop some red peppers or celery, add some sweet corn, mince some fresh ginger, add a swirl of sour cream, or a drizzle of lemon juice. It all just tastes delicious! And without further ado, here’s my list!

Smooth Creamy Soups

Creamy soups might be my favorite – the silky mouthfeel and rich flavor make them so comforting. I often play around with the creamy element using heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk depending on how I feel.

• Easy Creamy Tomato Soup – this simple, fresh tomato soup packs a flavor punch and can be made keto, paleo, low sodium, and/or dairy-free with just a few tweaks!
• Cream Of Mushroom Soup – it’s super creamy, rich, and delicious. And it’s so easy to adapt to make it gluten-free or vegan.
• Ginger Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk – this creamy, cozy, and warming soup is nourishing, flavorful, and immune-boosting! Ginger and turmeric are one of my favorite combinations!
• One-Pot Turmeric Ginger Pumpkin Soup – here’s another comforting, warming, and packed with immune-boosting health benefits soup. Furthermore, you can make it on the stovetop, crockpot or Instant Pot!
• Creamy Roasted Garlic Potato Soup – this soup combines roasted caramelized garlic with potatoes and mushrooms that are blended till smooth, velvety, and creamy.
• Thai-Inspired Green Pea Soup – this soup is fresh, light but also a lovely winter warming option that’s rich in flavor and nutrients.
• Creamy Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup – this creamy carrot soup is a delicious vegetarian soup worthy of being a table centrepiece. Can be made vegan too!
• Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup – this delicious coconut curry pumpkin soup is an easy recipe that is 100% vegan – a winter warming recipe!
• Carrot Ginger Soup – this carrot ginger soup is creamy, comforting, delicately spiced, and ready in 30 minutes. Even better, it’s gluten-free, budget-friendly, and can be made with dairy or with coconut milk!
• Roasted Cauliflower Soup – this soup is creamy, comforting, and impressively flavor-packed for just 8 ingredients! Plus, it’s gluten-free, easily adapted to vegan, and wonderfully creamy without any cream or nuts!
• Vegetarian Broccoli Cheddar Soup – it’s rich, creamy, cheesy, and super comforting. You can enjoy it smooth or chunky, similar to Panera cheddar broccoli soup!

Chunky Soups

Love a bit of a bite? These chunky soups are perfect for you. And if you love the flavor but want it creamy, no worries – you can easily blend most of these into a smooth creamy texture.

• Creamy Tom Yum Soup – this is a Thai hot and sour soup that is aromatic, rich, spicy, and satisfying! Plus, this recipe is customizable, meat-free, and can be made vegan!
• Easy Potato Leek Soup – this soup combines the flavors of creamy potatoes with delicate leek and thyme for a naturally vegan soup. Enjoy it chunky or smooth!
• Vegetarian Minestrone Soup – a hearty, budget-friendly, flexible, veggie-packed vegetarian minestrone soup (aka vegetable pasta soup).
• Simple Lentil Soup – for this Lebanese lentil soup recipe (Shortbet Adas), simplicity is key. Plus, this recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
• Red Lentil Dal (Tarka Dal | Indian Lentil Dish) – this is a quick and easy meal for busy weeknights. It involves minimal hands-on prep and is ready in under 30 minutes!
• Lentil Soup with Rainbow Chard – this lentil & rainbow chard soup is not only pretty and nutritious but also a deliciously healthy, vegan soup.
• Instant Pot Vegetable Soup – hearty, healthy, packed with vegetables, full of flavor, super adaptable, and ready in under 30 minutes!

Clear and Noodle Soups

These delicate soups are full of amazing flavors and great nutritional benefits. If you are feeling a bit under the weather, a hot bowl of one of these will be great to warm you up and give you a health boost.

• Chicken and Rice Soup (in 30 Minutes) – this chicken soup is not only quick and easy but it’s packed with rice and veggies for a nourishing fuss-free meal.
• Japanese-inspired Ramen Noodle Soup – this simple and delicious Japanese-inspired soup is packed with vegetables and plenty of flavor.
• Vegan Healthy Vegetable Chickpea Soup/Stew – this healthy vegetable chickpea stew (chickpea soup) is the ultimate winter-warming comfort food recipe. It’s jam-packed with a rainbow of vegetables to keep your body healthy!

Thick Soups and Stews (Potage)

Although some would argue that stews are not soup since they contain just a bit of cooking liquid, I like to include them in my soup list as they are delicious and nourishing.

• Vegetarian French Onion Soup – this vegetarian French onion soup is rich, decadent, super savory, and comforting. Plus, you can choose to make it vegan, and I’ve included differnet cooking methods.
• Carrot and Pea Stew (Bazella w Riz) – Bazella is a hearty, comforting Middle Eastern stew with meat. It’s perfect for serving up as a warming dish.
• Butter Bean Stew (Fasolia) – this is a traditional Lebanese stew made with beef/lamb (fasolia bi lahme). But you can easily make it as a vegan/vegetarian white bean soup.
• Okra Stew (Bamya/Bamia) – this tomato and okra stew is hearty and healthy. It traditionally contains lamb (or beef) but I’ve included a vegan okra stew method, too.
• Green Bean Stew (Braised Green Beans) – this dish combines just a few simple, fresh ingredients for a delicious but also super easy green bean stew.

Broth

Broths and stocks are the perfect addition to soups, stews, gravies, and sauces. Or you can just sip on them when you need a bit of a health boost.

• 1-Pot Homemade Vegetable Stock – this is my favorite recipe for a delicious vegetable broth that is vegan, gluten-free, salt-free, dairy-free etc.
• Chicken Stock (Chicken Bone Broth) – this “liquid gold” homemade chicken stock is packed with flavor and healthy nutrients. Add to soups, stews, gravies, etc!
• Beef Broth + Stock (Beef Bone Broth) – this 2-in-1 recipe focuses on how to make a fragrant, savory, meaty beef broth and a hearty bone broth (aka beef stock). Perfect for making beef stew.

Bread for Your Soup

To elevate any soup to the next level you need a delicious bread addition. Here are some of my favorites that are great for mopping up, dipping in, and crunching on.

• Crusty Bread – homemade or not, a crusty bread is the ultimate accompaniment to any soup. You can serve it soft, toasted, rubbed with garlic, sliced or cut into cubes to go into the soup.
• Garlic Croutons – these are perfect for adding a bit of texture to your favorite cream soup (or any soup, really). And they are the perfecct way to use up stale bread. You can make them in the oven or the air-frier.
• Garlic Naan (Indian Flatbread) – another delicous bread to serve with your soup or stew. It’s very easy to prepare on the stovetop.
• No-knead Focaccia – this turmeric rosemary focaccia not only looks impressive but it is perfect for dunking and sopping up soups and stews.
• Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread – this wonderfully light, moist, and flavorful cornbread is perfect for serving with soups and stews.
• You can also accompany your soup with a Cheesy Garlic Bread or Roasted Garlic Bread – either will bring so much flavor with the caramelized roasted garlic, you will want to have a second (and third!) serving.

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• Guide to Healthy Smoothie Recipes
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If you try any of these winter soup recipes, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!