28 Healthy Soup Recipes to Make on a Cold Winter Day
Falling leaves and snow mark one of the best seasons of the year, soup season. There is nothing like a warm bowl of soup to warm you up on a cold winter day. So with the help of our friends over at SAVEUR, we have taken the time to find some of the best winter soups for this holiday season.
Healthy Holiday Soups
Italian Bean and Vegetable Soup
In this traditional Lucchese soup, vegetables and beans are slow-cooked until little to no bite remains, making it a rustic, comforting dish. Be sure to give any tougher vegetables all the time they need to scompare, or disappear. The quantities are flexible, so use whatever you have on hand. Get the recipe for Italian Bean and Vegetable Soup.
Ryan Liebe
Onion Fennel and Mushroom Soup
A variety of mushrooms gives nuance to this hearty vegetarian soup. Any assortment of fresh mushrooms will work and you can change those flavorful notes by switching up the combination each time you make it. Get the recipe for Onion Fennel and Mushroom Soup.
Farideh Sadeghin
Swiss Cheese Soup
A traditional dish enjoyed year-round in the Alps of southern Switzerland, this homey soup takes its name from the mountain huts where it's commonly made. Typically incorporating cheeses from the region, this version is fortified with L'Etivaz (which can be found at specialty cheese shops) and heavy cream. If you can't find L'Etivaz, substitute Gruyère instead. Get the recipe for Swiss Cheese Soup.
Christopher Bagley
Seafood Soup with Ginger and Yuzu Kosho
Flavored with wine and aromatics, this broth is similar to a nage or poaching liquid—you only need a shallow pool of it in each bowl. The broth features red yuzu kosho, a Japanese condiment made from citrus, yuzu, and chiles, which adds a round, tart flavor that is hard to replace. In a pinch, add a little more chile and lime zest. If head-on shrimp are hard to find—or you'd rather not fight with fish heads on New Year's Eve—nix them for more shelled shrimp. Get the recipe for Seafood Soup with Ginger and Yuzu Kosho.
Christina Holmes
Creamy Langoustine Soup (Humarsúpa)
Similar to an American lobster bisque, the broth for this warming Icelandic soup is reinforced with langoustine shells and reduced before being bolstered with cream and curry powder. Get the recipe for Creamy Langoustine Soup (Humarsúpa).
Ingalls Photography
Fermented Soybean Stew (Doenjang Jjigae)
It took chef Hooni Kim one year to perfect his recipe for dashi, which he uses as the base of this everyday Korean stew. Gochujang adds a subtle layer of heat to the broth, and doenjang boosts its richness and silkiness. Get the recipe for Fermented Soybean Stew (Doenjang Jjigae).
Jason Lang
Almond and Garlic Soup (Ajo Blanco)
Pungent raw garlic shines in this no-cook soup adapted from Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain (Ecco, 2011). Get the recipe for Almond and Garlic Soup (Ajo Blanco).
Romulo Yanes
Fiskekrogen's Fish Soup
Fiskesuppe, as it's called in Norwegian, can be found at nearly every restaurant on the Lofoten Islands of northern Norway. Local cooks sometimes swap out cod for other seasonal fish, such as salmon, or add accents like red pepper, chunks of bacon, or chive oil. Get the recipe for Fiskekrogen's Fish Soup.
Michelle Heimerman
Masa Ball and Tomato Soup
What do you make with a lot of leftover tortillas? Not just tortilla soup, but how about tortilla dumplings? These dumplings, from Mexican cooking sage Josefina Velázquez de León, get pan-seared, then simmered in a rich cream of tomato soup. Get the recipe for Masa Ball and Tomato Soup.
Matt Taylor-Gross
Nicaraguan "Rundown" Seafood Soup
Meant to be a catchall for the day's available seafood, rundown showcases whatever's freshest at the fish market along with tubers in a slightly sweet coconut milk broth. Get the recipe for Nicaraguan "Rundown" Seafood Soup.
Justin Walker
Skate and Romanesco Soup
Broken pieces of spaghetti add body to this Roman soup, thickening the broth as it cooks. It's a great use for the dregs of a box of dried pasta. Get the recipe for Skate and Romanesco Soup.
Andrea Wyner
Roasted Chicken, Corn, and Saffron Soup
A hefty dose of saffron perfumes this corn-studded chicken noodle soup. Get the recipe for Roasted Chicken, Corn, and Saffron Soup.
Matt Taylor-Gross
Cream of Fennel Soup
This rich, smooth soup balances the gentle flavor of fennel with spices and a bracing addition of Pernod. Get the recipe for Cream of Fennel Soup.
Vanessa Rees
Smoked Tomato Soup
Smoked tomatoes add additional depth of flavor to a thick, tangy soup. Get the recipe for Smoked Tomato Soup.
James Roper
White Bean Soup with Fennel Seeds and Broccoli Rabe
This kind of luscious puréed bean soup is made all over Italy with either white or fava beans. Prepare the soup several days in advance, but sauté the broccoli rabe just before serving. Get the recipe for White Bean Soup with Fennel Seeds and Broccoli Rabe.
Ryan Liebe
Pumpkin Soup with Orange and Parmigiano-Reggiano
Caramelized roasted pumpkin gets an unorthodox hit of flavor from orange zest and juice, stirred in just before serving to brighten this wintry soup. Get the recipe for Pumpkin Soup with Orange and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Anders Schonnemann
Pelmeni Dumplings in Chicken Broth
Ground pork-and-garlic-filled dumplings add soul-comforting richness to a simple chicken broth in this Siberian soup. Get the recipe for Pelmeni Dumplings in Chicken Broth.
Justin Walker
Frikadelki in Broth with Fermented Herbs
A simple onion–potato broth acts as the poaching liquid for tender turkey meatballs, the whole thing punched up with pungent, fermented dill, basil, and parsley. Get the recipe for Frikadelki in Broth with Fermented Herbs.
Justin Walker
Pearl Barley Soup with Moscato d'Asti
A splash of Italian dessert wine brightens up this warming ham and grain soup. Get the recipe for Pearl Barley Soup with Moscato d'Asti.
Tom Parker
Duck and Andouille Gumbo
This stew uses rendered duck fat in the roux instead of butter and quartered ducks in lieu of the classic chicken. Get the recipe for Duck and Andouille Gumbo.
Christina Holmes
White Bean and Lacinato Kale Soup with Smoked Ham Hock
After flavoring the beans for this creamy winter soup, smoked ham hock is shredded and pan-fried, rendering it crisp and intensifying its flavor. Get the recipe for White Bean and Lacinato Kale Soup with Smoked Ham Hock.
Bill Phelps
Winter Squash and Apple Soup
A garnish of fried mushrooms and a drizzle of spiced mint butter adds elegance to a simple pureed vegetable soup. Get the recipe for Winter Squash and Apple Soup.
Todd Coleman
Consommé
As an apprentice in France, the first thing you learn to make is the beautifully translucent soup called consommé. It is the highest sophistication of stock, a pillar of French cuisine. Get the recipe for Consommé.
Ingalls Photography
Borscht
Eaten hot or cold, vegetarian or with shreds of beef, enriched with a dollop of sour cream and wisps of dill, the beet-based soup is the quintessence of good Eastern European cooking. Hearty yet fine-tuned, dramatic in color yet humble in its ingredients, borscht, remains unapologetically Russian. Get the recipe for Borscht.
Todd Coleman
Senate Bean Soup
This simple bean soup is studded with ham. Get the recipe for Senate Bean Soup.
Todd Coleman
Mushroom-Barley Soup
A hearty beef stock serves as the base for mushroom and barley soup, a more elegant (but no less satisfying) version of the New York deli staple, elevated with fresh thyme and a squeeze of lemon juice. Get the recipe for Mushroom-Barley Soup.
Landon Nordeman
Creamy Garlic Soup
A rich soup heavy with garlic and shallots makes a hearty first course or light main dish. Serve it with plenty of crusty bread. Get the recipe for Creamy Garlic Soup.
Vanessa Rees
Normandy-Style French Onion Soup
Michel Roux, the French-born chef of England's Le Gavroche, takes a Normandy spin on this classic soup with a splash of cider and a whole lot of subtlety. But the best part? It only takes an hour to make. Get the recipe for Normandy-Style French Onion Soup.
Matt Taylor-Gross
Conclusion
Regardless of what you have in your refrigerator at this very moment, I am sure that you have the ingredients to make one of these healthy holiday soups. Next time you hear your stomach growl, scroll through the list that has been provided here. I promise that you will not be disappointed with your choice.