Classic soup recipes for a nourishing meal

Sensational soups

Inexpensive, versatile, filling and utterly delicious – there’s a reason why soups are so popular around the world. From classic French onion and soothing chicken to fragrant spicy broths and creamy chowders, our collection has a soup recipe for every taste. What’s more, many of them are simple to whip up and are ideal for batch cooking and freezing.

Curried cauliflower soup

Cauli soup but not quite as you know it. Rich and silky thanks to coconut and cream cheese and with a hint of heat from the green chillies, as well as plenty of warmth courtesy of some curry powder, this soup feels properly indulgent but is actually surprisingly low in carbs. Served topped with dried onion flakes, coriander, chilli and lime zest, it’s also a bit of a taste sensation.

Chicken soup with dumplings

One of the most comforting, filling and satisfying soups there ever was. This recipe uses a whole bird, which gives the broth an incredibly rich flavour. The fluffy, tender dumplings meanwhile are just spongy enough to absorb the savoury soup and plump up accordingly. 

Roast pumpkin soup with blue cheese

This fragrant, Spanish-inspired roast pumpkin soup combines the autumn vegetable with aromatic garlic and rosemary. The addition of extra virgin olive oil gives it a silky-smooth texture, while a sprinkling of blue cheese provides a salty tangy that works brilliantly with the sweetness of the pumpkin. Serve with hunks of bread on the side for a filling meal.

Vegetable soup with dumplings

This nutritious soup packs in a rainbow array of vegetables, from carrots and parsnips to beetroot and leeks. The dumplings are lovely and light and perfect for soaking up the flavourful broth. They can also easily be made vegan – just swap the butter for vegan suet.

Roasted carrot and sage soup with garlic pittas

Almost effortless to make, affordable and absolutely delicious – this really is what soups are all about. Perfect for busy families, especially if people are eating at different times, you can simply leave this roasted carrot and sage soup bubbling away quietly on the stove and encourage everyone to help themselves. Swap the carrots for parsnips, sweet potatoes or butternut squash, if you like.

Thai red pepper soup

An instant classic, this soothing soup is great when you want something light, quick and low effort. While it might use handy shortcuts in the form of roasted red peppers from a jar and shop-bought Thai red curry paste, the end result is still seriously tasty. Serve drizzled with olive oil and garnished with spicy toasted seeds.

Quick ramen

Everyone love ramen and while the complex tasting broth is famously time-consuming to make, this cheat’s version makes clever use of packet noodles. You can add any vegetables or protein you have to hand – jammy boiled eggs, chopped spring onions, crunchy bean sprouts, pickles, soft herbs and mushrooms all work particularly well.

Dan dan noodle soup

A 15-minute wonder if there ever was one. This is a tongue-tinglingly tasty soup that packs a proper flavour punch thanks to the Sichuan peppercorns and chilli bean paste. Spicy, salty and slightly sour, it’s not for the faint-hearted, but for those who like their soups with a bit of heat, it’s an absolute winner (and rather addictive).

Cauliflower soup with cheese twirls

Creamy cauliflower soup becomes even more comforting when served with homemade cheese twirls on the side. Perfect for dipping and dunking, you can make the twirls using either pizza dough or puff pastry. They’re also lovely served warm, as a pre-dinner nibble.

Carrot and paprika soup

There’s something to be said for keeping things simple when it comes to soup, and this flavoursome number is a case in point. It’s cheap to make, full of fresh flavours and healthy, too. Carrots and potatoes are cooked in stock, seasoned with paprika, then blended until smooth. A generous dot of butter, squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan takes it to the next level.

Slow-cooked short rib pho

Pho, the classic Vietnamese noodle soup, is laden with fragrant spices – star anise, five-spice, black peppercorns, cinnamon, coriander – fresh ingredients and punchy flavours (fish sauce included). Meat, rice noodles, spring onions, coriander, mint and lime juice all work in harmony to create what has to be one of the tastiest and most wholesome meals around.

Miso cod ramen©wagamama Feed Your Soul/Kyl

Inspired by the classic miso black cod, in this recipe the firm white fish is left to marinate in mirin, miso paste, soy sauce and ginger before being seared over a high heat. It’s then added to a flavoursome broth along with noodles and green vegetables – a drizzle of chilli oil provides a tasty final touch.  

Chicken soup with tarragon garlic bread

How do you make chicken soup even more appealing? Why, whip up some easy tarragon garlic bread slices for dunking into the tasty broth, of course. To do so, cut deep grooves into a baguette, spread each slice with garlicky, herby butter, then bake for 15 minutes.

Beef noodle soup

Here, a spice-packed soup is combined with rice noodles and slivers of beef, then finished with tangy lime and aromatic coriander to cut through the richness of the broth base. Perfect for a speedy yet really very tasty lunch or dinner, the whole thing can be ready in less than half an hour.

Creamy mushroom soup

This take on cream of mushroom soup uses both fresh and dried mushrooms for an especially intense, hugely satisfying umami flavour kick. Drizzle with a little extra cream and serve with slices of freshly griddled sourdough that’s been rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. You could swap the parsley for fresh tarragon if you like – its aniseed flavour goes really well with both the mushrooms and the cream.

Chicken wonton soup with wilted watercress

This wonderfully restorative chicken wonton soup comprises a soothing chicken stock infused with the fragrant flavours of ginger, soy sauce and spring onions. The homemade wonton skins do take a bit of time and effort to make, so it’s well worth preparing a big batch and freezing half for another day.

Turmeric and lime mussel broth

Perfect for when you’re craving an aromatic, spicy dish, this mussel broth has a beautiful golden colour thanks to the turmeric root, while ginger adds a zesty, warming note. To cut down the cooking time, you could swap the Ethiopian spiced butter for ghee (clarified butter), if you like. 

Spiced corn chowder

Full of vibrant Caribbean flavours, this colourful corn chowder only requires 10 minutes prep. The sweetness of the corn and squash is complemented perfectly by the warmth from the spice blend.

Thai aubergine tom yum

Combining the hot, sweet and sour flavours of traditional tom yum with the quick prep time of a stir-fry, this creative take on the traditional Thai soup is a brilliant midweek dinner. It’s versatile, too; you could easily turn it into a meat or a seafood dish or use oyster mushrooms, if you can’t find Thai aubergines.

Tomato soup with kale pesto

A comfort food classic, tomato soup is quick, delicious and requires minimal ingredients to make. It also acts as something of a blank canvas, allowing you to get creative with toppings. In this recipe, a ripple of kale pesto adds an extra dose of flavour and texture.

Roasted squash, coconut and chilli soup

A combination of sweet squash, creamy coconut and fiery chilli makes this smooth soup one to remember. That said, if you prefer to swap the coconut milk for vegetable stock, that’s fine too. It hardly takes any effort at all to make and can be cooked in bulk and frozen in individual portions, ready for when you need a tasty pick-me-up.

Clam chowder

Clam chowder may seem like rather an intimidating dish to attempt at home, but give this recipe a go and it’ll quickly become part of your repertoire. Channelling all those classic New England chowder flavours, this soup is creamy, hearty and rich with salty lardons and clams.

Tom kha gai

Silky, creamy tom kha gai is infused with aromatic galangal (a ginger-like root), lemongrass, chilli and kaffir lime leaves. In this recipe, chopped chicken and shiitake mushrooms are gently poached in the coconut milk-based Thai soup until tender and cooked through. It’s then served with a sprinkling of coriander and a dash of lime juice.

Turkey and squash laksa

A traditional Malaysian dish, laksa is a sweet-and-sour coconut noodle soup that’s ideal when your tastebuds are calling out for something spicy and invigorating. This recipe uses cooked turkey meat, but you swap in leftover roast chicken instead, or omit the meat element entirely.

Butternut squash soup with Parmesan

Should you find yourself with an excess of butternut squash, transforming it into a tasty soup that freezes well is the best course of action. Adding Parmesan rind to the soup base is a brilliantly thrifty trick for imparting salty, umami-rich flavour (just remember to remove it before blending).

Soup with lentils and pasta

This chunky soup is guaranteed to fill you up. It’s great for meal prepping; cook the soup ahead of time (omitting the pasta), then reheat as and when you need it, adding the pasta at the end.

Italian kale and cannellini soup

This meal in a bowl is a simple riff on classic minestrone. It’s quick to make, low in fat and packed with good-for-you greens and beans. The recipe is fully flexible – feel free to swap the cannellini for a different type of bean and use whatever green veg you have to hand. A silky poached egg and slice of toasted ciabatta on the side just adds to the appeal.

Saffron fish soup

A simple take on classic bouillabaisse, this version of the famous fish dish combines convenient frozen seafood and fresh cod with a heady, tomatoey, saffron-infused broth. Best of all, it’s ready in just 15 minutes.

Tangy seafood stew

Somewhere between a soup and a stew, this recipe is a take on canh chua, a traditional Vietnamese dish from the Mekong Delta region. Packed with seafood, vegetables and herbs served in a refreshing broth, this is a great dish for when you fancy something filling but still light. It’s lovely served as is, or with warm flour tortillas or rice on the side. 

French onion soup

A much-loved bistro favourite, there aren’t many soups as decadent as French onion. Red onions caramelised in sugar and balsamic vinegar give this soup a dark, rich, sweet yet savoury base, while the crusty bread and gloriously gooey cheese add an utterly indulgent element.

Lamb meatballs in yogurt, pea and herb broth

This light broth brings together sweet sugar snap peas, crunchy mangetout and juicy, minted lamb meatballs. The recipe suggests serving it topped with dollops of natural yogurt and the cooked grains or pasta of your choice – quinoa or orzo would both work really well.

Pearl barley and kale broth

When you’re craving something wholesome, nutritious and entirely satisfying, this soothing pearl barley and kale soup is exactly what you need. You could swap the kale for cavolo nero or replace the pancetta with chorizo, to add a Spanish note to the dish. Serve scattered with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Seafood silken tofu soup

One for the seafood lovers, this hearty bowl of soup works best when made with a generous array of flavoursome shellfish – think whole prawns, clams and mussels. Perfect when you’re in the mood for a slightly special meal, cracking an egg into the soupy stew towards the end of the cooking time is a genius move. Serve finished with fresh chives and a trickle of sesame oil.

Source: Classic soup recipes for a nourishing meal (msn.com)