This is something you should make if you like comforting broths, tender meats, and savory vegetables. These American soups are just… the best.
Think: lightly spiced chilies, soft and textured chowders with a bite of corn, and glorious vegetable soups that are good for the soul. There is no denying. That right there is capital L-O-V-E.
It is the food manifestation of cozy, with a delicious foot forward. It is ready for sweater weather.
1. Homemade Tomato Soup
Here is the secret to the best tomato soup of your life: roast those veggies first.
I am talking about taking a variety of tomatoes, onions, and garlic, and roasting them on a tray until they are blistered, juicy, and flavor-packed.
Since tomatoes bring that acidity, I like to swirl in some cream at the very end to mellow the whole thing out.
Also, tossing in some roasted red peppers and carrots? It just makes for a more rounded, delicious dish.
2. Cream of Mushroom Soup
Listen, once you realize how incredibly easy this is, you are going to break up with the canned stuff forever.
The beauty here is that you can keep it totally low-key with affordable fresh brown mushrooms, or you can get a little fancy with a variety.
Maitake mushrooms bring such big flavor, so you don’t even need that many.
Another solid move is grabbing a bag of mixed dried mushrooms to add serious character and texture to the pot.
3. Authentic New Orleans Gumbo
I spent my very first week in New Orleans just eating my way through the city.
I’m pretty sure I inhaled gumbo in one form or another every single day, and honestly? It never got old.
It all begins with a dark roux, which might sound intimidating, but it is really just flour and oil cooked down until it gets deep and rich.
You can absolutely make this vegetarian, or stick to just chicken or seafood. But if you want the real-deal authentic experience? You need the veggies, the chicken, the sausage, and the shrimp!
4. Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is basically a hug in a bowl for those dark, wet days when you need a lift.
If you grab a leftover rotisserie chicken, you can have this beauty on the table in under 30 minutes. You can make it happen even faster if you lean on frozen veggies.
Don’t have a rotisserie bird on hand? No problem! Just drop some chicken breasts into the pot and let them cook right there in the broth.
5. Vegan Corn Chowder
I am a major fan of corn chowder, and I usually make it with a lot of heavy cream.
But lately, I’ve been trying to get more vegan meals into the rotation, so this one was a must-try. Basically, everything stays the same here except the dairy.
It calls for light coconut milk, which had me feeling a little skeptical for two reasons.
First: I didn’t want my savory soup tasting like a coconut dessert (good news: it didn’t!). Second: I worried it wouldn’t be thick enough (it totally was!).
With the potatoes, corn, and spices, you don’t even taste the coconut. And if you blend about a third of it before serving? Creamy perfection.
6. Kansas City Steak Soup
This thick and hearty bowl was made famous by the Plaza 3 restaurant in Kansas City, and to be honest, it is more of a stew than a soup.
It is packed with the holy trinity—onion, celery, and carrot—but it also leans on a package of frozen veggies for extra texture and color.
To make sure that meat gets fork-tender, you need to turn that heat down and let it simmer for a couple of hours.
7. Saimin – Hawaii’s Noodle Soup
Just like ramen, this is a broth-based soup that is loaded with noodles.
You definitely noticed that bright pink swirl sitting on top, right? That is kamaboko, a Japanese fish cake that you can grab at your local Asian market.
You will also see this recipe uses Spam, which is huge in Hawaii.
If that’s not your jam, just swap it out for some shredded chicken or pork.
8. Great Northern Bean Soup
Great Northern beans are a white bean that looks a lot like navy or cannellini beans.
They likely got their name from North Dakota, and you can easily sub them into most bean recipes. They are super mild and give this soup such a lovely, nutty undertone.
This recipe is totally vegan-friendly and packed with veggies, so it is incredibly filling even without the meat. But, hey, if you want to add meat, you do you!
9. Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Even though this soup is vegan, it is ridiculously tasty and impossibly smoky. I promise you will think there is smoked ham in there after just one spoonful!
I had a hard time finding canned black-eyed peas, so I grabbed the dried kind. You just have to rinse them and let them sit in cold water overnight.
Or, if you need a shortcut, bring them to a boil and let them sit covered for an hour.
10. Traditional Brunswick Stew With Pork and Chicken
If you look online, you will see that Brunswick County, Virginia, and Brunswick, Georgia, both claim to be the origin of this delicious soup.
I can’t solve that debate, but I can tell you this soup has serious southern roots! It is kind of like chili, with tomatoes, corn, and BBQ sauce.
But instead of beans and ground meat, this bowl is packed with shredded chicken and pork.
Since BBQ sauce is involved, I love adding sweet potatoes to the mix for that extra color and sweetness.
