It doesn't take long to feel completely over the cold temperatures and dark days of winter, but you can banish the blahs with the perfect winter soup. Throw one of these in the slow cooker or on the stove and savor the delicious taste of cozy comfort in a bowl. These winter soup recipes will warm you up and give you the energy to go out sledding with the kids (or just shovel the sidewalk...again). Winter is soup season, and these are just a few ways you can totally savor it.
Hearty Vegetarian Lentil Soup
Proving that vegetarian soups can be super hearty and delicious, this winter soup recipe is about as easy and hands-off as it can get. It takes about an hour to make and serves six.
Ingredients
- 2 cups lentils (rinsed)
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 carrots, sliced in coins
- 3-4 potatoes, cut in one-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt, more if desired
Instructions
- Combine everything in a large stock pot.
- Cook over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat when the lentils begin to split.
- Serve with cornbread for a tasty meat-free meal.
Super Simple Vegetable Soup
Veggies somehow taste even better in winter, especially when you combine them in a crowd-pleasing soup. What's great about this winter vegetable soup recipe is that it combines veggies you might not always see in soup - think creative choices like Brussels sprouts, romanesco, and chervil. It's a wonderful treat when your garden is still buried under snow.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
You know that feeling when you take the first bit out of a baked potato loaded with all your favorite toppings? It's basically a combination of comfort and celebration, and you can totally capture that combo with a loaded baked potato soup. This recipe from The Cozy Cook is pretty much perfect with plenty of crispy bacon, tender potatoes, smooth cream, and cheesy cheese. It will become your new winter soup go-to.
Winter Minestrone
Minestrone is a classic for a reason. This hearty vegetable soup is basically an entire meal in a bowl, and everyone loves it. Our easy minestrone recipe really only cooks for about 15 minutes, so if you're quick with the chopping, dinner can be done and on the table in less than half an hour.
Creamy Chicken Corn Soup
Up your regular chicken game with this creamy chicken corn soup. Complex flavors of fennel and thyme combine with the ultra-comforting classics of chicken, corn, and heavy cream. You'll love how this soup fills everyone up and warms away that winter chill.
Super Easy Tortilla Soup
Tortilla soup is a tasty (and slightly spicy) treat when you need a burst of flavor to break up the winter blahs. This recipe takes about 20 minutes and makes six servings.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 4 small tomatillos, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (14-ounce) can of corn, drained
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 6 cups of chicken broth
- 1 (20-ounce) can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can of black beans, drained
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice
- Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, and crispy tortilla strips for garnish
Instructions
- In a stockpot set on medium, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onions, jalapeño, and tomatillos and cook, stirring occasionally, for about two minutes.
- Add all the cumin, salt, cilantro, chili powder, garlic powder, and corn. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn starts to blacken slightly, and the onion becomes translucent, about five minutes.
- Add the chicken and stir to coat.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, black beans, and lime juice and stir well. Cook until it's warm and bubbling.
- Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped avocado, and crispy tortilla strips.
Midwestern Beer and Cheese Soup
Nothing says "Wisconsin" like beer and cheese, but this hearty and delicious soup is perfect anywhere in the country. Our slow cooker beer and cheese soup recipe is wonderfully customizable too - make it vegetarian or gluten-free by making a few simple substitutions. The recipe calls for a crouton garnish, but you can shake things up and use the Midwestern classic garnish of a handful of popcorn.
Slow Cooker Chili
There's just something about cooking dinner while you do other things that's really appealing, and it's even better when dinner is a winter chili. This recipe from Cooking Classy warms in the slow cooker for about six hours, giving your whole house a delicious aroma and the promise of a satisfying meal. Serve it with cornbread and a salad.
Quick Tip
While a lot of chili recipes call for ground beef, you can substitute ground turkey or even veggie crumbles if you want an alternative. If you're using veggie crumbles, put them in at the end so they don't lose their texture.
White Chicken Chili
While classic chili is a proven winner, white chicken chili is a crowd-pleasing and tasty alternative. Our recipe is hearty and full of flavor with cubed chicken, green chilis, white beans, and smooth cream. It's easy to make and is a great option for a make-ahead meal to have ready on a busy winter weeknight.
Satisfying Vegetarian Chili
Rounding out the chili options, vegetarian chili is an easy and wonderfully comforting winter meal. There are tons of great variations too. Make it in the slow cooker to cook dinner while you're out and about in the cold or cook it on the top of the stove for a cozy and meat-free main dish.
Tangy Avgolemono
For an incredibly comforting and tangy soup that will chase away the cold, try the Greek classic of avgolemono. You can't go wrong combining chicken, eggs, lemon, and rice. The wonderful recipe from The Mediterranean Dish has great tips like tempering the eggs so they don't cook too quickly.
Beef and Potato Stew
While if we're getting technical, we'll have to admit that it's a stew and not a soup, beef and potato stew gets bonus points as a comfort food classic. Our recipe uses delicate pearl onions and tender new potatoes for an approachable take on the hearty main dish that beats the winter chill every time.
Zesty French Onion Soup
There's just something about breaking through the melted cheese and croutons of a bowl of French onion soup and revealing the fragrant and rich broth and caramelized onions beneath. This soup is a favorite for sure, and the wonderful recipe from Gimme Some Oven makes it easy to get that aroma and flavor yourself.
Quick Tip
Make this soup even richer and more flavorful by taking extra time to caramelize the onions and choosing a cheese with the perfect flavor profile. Gruyère is the classic choice, but you can use Provolone for a milder kid-friendly version.
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
If you want comfort in a bowl, whip up some creamy chicken gnocchi soup. The recipe over at Half-Baked Harvest is super flavorful and rich with cream, chicken breasts, plump gnocchi, and the tangy addition of sun-dried tomatoes. Even your kids will love it.
Tomato Basil Soup
Blended soups are smooth and comforting, and tomato basil is one of the most delicious. Love & Lemons has a wonderful recipe that uses Roma tomatoes you roast yourself (way easier than you think), plus fresh basil and vegetable broth. You blend everything for the perfect texture.
Quick Tip
You can always serve tomato soup with a traditional grilled cheese, but it's also fun to serve it in a bread bowl. Pick up some bowl-sized loaves at your local bakery and slice off the tops. Hollow them out and serve the soup inside.
Comforting Ham and Bean Soup
If you've had ham for dinner recently, you can use the ham bone to create a super comforting ham and bean soup that's hearty enough to ward off any winter chill. Even if you don't have a ham bone handy (and it's totally okay not to), you can use cubed ham to bring in that rich and salty goodness. Beans, spices, and veggies complete the flavors you crave.
Classic Chicken Noodle
Winter comes with colds (both the chilly kind and the sneezy kind), and you can fight them with a classic chicken noodle soup. You might have your grandma's recipe on hand, but if not, this easy winter soup recipe from Budget Bytes is just what the doctor ordered. It calls for all the classics like egg noodles, chicken, carrots, and onion, and the whole family will be slurping it up in no time.
Minnesota Wild Rice Soup
If you've spent time in the Midwest, you know they have a pretty good handle on comfort foods. Minnesota wild rice soup is one of the most comforting comfort foods there is, filled with chicken, veggies, and tender wild rice floating in a creamy broth. I Heart Vegetables has an easy and satisfying take on this winning bowl of yum.
Super Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Delicate broccoli, rich cheddar, creamy broth.... Is your mouth watering yet? Broccoli cheese soup is a wonderful winter meal because it feels like an indulgence but also a healthy choice (because veggies). You can make a really quick and easy (and tasty) version with a simple recipe from Averie Cooks. Top it with extra cheese because that is never the wrong choice.
Warm Pumpkin Soup
Although you might think of it as a fall flavor, pumpkin works beautifully for winter soups too. It's a tasty and light soup to bring into your winter meal rotation because it goes well with almost everything. Served with a salad and some hearty bread, pumpkin soup is the perfect warm-up on a chilly winter night.
Winter Soups Are as Warming as a Roaring Fire
We all need a little extra comfort when the winter winds blow, and good winter soups are as warming as a roaring fire on the hearth. Get creative and try a different soup every week for a little extra fun. Even though it's cold and blustery outside, it can be comfy and cozy at home.
