21 Winter Soups That Feel Like a Hug in a Bowl

Hey, friend. It’s mid-November, the wind’s howling like it’s auditioning for a horror movie, and all I want is something steaming hot that doesn’t make me slave over the stove for hours. Sound familiar? These 21 winter soups are exactly that—big, bold flavors that hit the table fast, warm you from the inside out, and basically give your soul a squeeze. Grab your favorite mug (or bowl, no judgment), because we’re about to make winter edible.

1. Table of Contents

   Toggle

   Creamy Tomato Basil That Tastes Like Pizza’s Hug

This one’s for when you crave grilled cheese’s best friend but want zero effort. Ten minutes of simmering and you’re done.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream (or coconut milk for dairy-free)
• 1 handful fresh basil, torn
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium. Toss in onion and garlic; cook until soft and fragrant (3 mins).
2. Dump in crushed tomatoes. Simmer 10 mins.
3. Stir in cream and basil. Blend with an immersion blender until silky.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve with crusty bread.

Why You’ll Love It

It’s basically marinara’s glow-up. I once added a Parmesan rind—game changer. Freezes like a dream, too.

2. Loaded Baked Potato Soup (Because Adulting is Hard)

All the joy of a baked potato bar, zero foil packets.

Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon, chopped
• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cheddar, shredded
• Green onions for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Crisp bacon in your pot. Remove, leave the fat.
2. Sauté onion in bacon grease until golden.
3. Add potatoes and broth. Boil, then simmer until tender (15 mins).
4. Mash half the potatoes in the pot for thickness. Stir in sour cream and half the cheddar.
5. Top bowls with remaining cheddar, bacon, and green onions.

Why You’ll Love It

It’s comfort food that doesn’t ask questions. Pro tip: blend a third of it for extra creaminess.

3. Spicy Thai Coconut Curry Soup (Your Takeout Called, It’s Jealous)

Sweet, spicy, creamy—basically a vacation in a bowl.

Ingredients

• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 lb shrimp or chicken, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Lime, cilantro for finishing

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sizzle curry paste in a pot for 30 seconds.
2. Pour in coconut milk and broth. Bring to a simmer.
3. Add protein and veggies. Cook 8–10 mins.
4. Squeeze in lime. Garnish with cilantro.

Why You’ll Love It

Restaurant quality in 20 minutes. I keep extra curry paste in the fridge for emergencies.

4. Classic Chicken Noodle That Heals Everything

Grandma’s recipe, but make it quick.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 8 oz egg noodles
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• Fresh thyme

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Simmer chicken in broth with onion, carrots, celery, and thyme for 20 mins.
2. Shred chicken with two forks. Return to pot.
3. Add noodles. Cook until al dente.
4. Season and serve.

Why You’ll Love It

It’s the original hug in a bowl. Freeze the broth for sick days.

5. Butternut Squash & Apple Bisque (Fall Called, It Wants Its Flavor Back)

Sweet, velvety, and stupidly easy.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, cubed
• 2 apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup cream (optional)
• Nutmeg, pinch

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté onion until soft.
2. Add squash, apples, and broth. Simmer 25 mins.
3. Blend until smooth. Stir in cream and nutmeg.

Why You’ll Love It

Tastes like autumn had a baby with dessert. Roast the squash seeds for crunch.

6. Lentil & Spinach Stew (Healthy Never Tasted This Good)

Budget-friendly, protein-packed, and green.

Ingredients

• 1 cup green lentils
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups spinach
• 1 tsp cumin
• Lemon juice

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté onion and garlic with cumin.
2. Add lentils and broth. Simmer 25 mins.
3. Stir in spinach until wilted. Finish with lemon.

Why You’ll Love It

One pot, under 30 mins, and you’ll feel smugly virtuous.

7. Beef & Barley Soup That Sticks to Your Ribs

Hearty enough to power through a blizzard.

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
• ¾ cup pearl barley
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 cups beef broth
• Worcestershire, dash

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown beef in the pot.
2. Add onion, carrots, barley, and broth. Simmer 45 mins.
3. Splash in Worcestershire. Done.

Why You’ll Love It

Leftovers taste better day two. Slow cooker friendly, FYI.

8. Miso Mushroom Ramen (Your New 15-Minute Obsession)

Umami bomb, zero packets required.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp white miso
• 4 oz ramen noodles
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 soft-boiled egg
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Green onions, sesame seeds

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté mushrooms until golden.
2. Whisk miso into warm broth. Add mushrooms.
3. Cook noodles separately. Combine.
4. Top with egg, onions, seeds.

Why You’ll Love It

Faster than delivery. Keep miso in the fridge forever.

9. White Bean & Kale Minestrone (Green and Mean)

Veggie-loaded and proudly boring in the best way.

Ingredients

• 2 cans white beans, drained
• 4 cups kale, chopped
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• Parmesan rind (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté onion and zucchini.
2. Add beans, broth, and rind. Simmer 15 mins.
3. Stir in kale until wilted.

Why You’ll Love It

Freezer hero. The rind adds secret depth—thank me later.

10. Smoky Black Bean Soup (Chipotle Called, It’s Impressed)

Spicy, smoky, and stupid cheap.

Ingredients

• 2 cans black beans
• 1 chipotle in adobo, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Lime, avocado for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté onion and pepper.
2. Add beans, chipotle, and broth. Simmer 15 mins.
3. Blend half for thickness. Serve with lime and avocado.

Why You’ll Love It

One chipotle goes a long way. Freeze extras in ice cube trays.

11. French Onion Soup (Caramelized Magic)

Yes, it takes time. No, you won’t care.

Ingredients

• 6 onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 cup Gruyère, shredded
• Baguette slices
• Thyme, butter

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Caramelize onions in butter low and slow (45 mins—patience!).
2. Deglaze with a splash of wine (optional). Add broth and thyme.
3. Top toasted baguette with cheese, broil until bubbly.

Why You’ll Love It

Worth every tear. Make double onions; they keep.

12. Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew (West African Vibes)

Creamy, nutty, and mildly addictive.

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1 can tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 onion, diced
• Spinach, peanuts for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté onion. Add sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
2. Stir in peanut butter and broth. Simmer 20 mins.
3. Wilt in spinach. Top with peanuts.

Why You’ll Love It

Like satay had a baby with soup. Kids inhale it.

13. Clam Chowder (New England in a Bowl)

Creamy, briny, and better than canned.

Ingredients

• 2 cans clams, juice reserved
• 4 potatoes, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 strips bacon
• 2 cups clam juice + water

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Crisp bacon. Sauté onion in fat.
2. Add potatoes and clam juice. Simmer until tender.
3. Stir in clams and cream. Heat through.

Why You’ll Love It

Tastes like the coast. Oyster crackers mandatory.

14. Roasted Garlic & Cauliflower Soup (Low-Carb Luxury)

Velvety without the carbs.

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, florets
• 1 bulb garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup Parmesan
• Olive oil, thyme

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Roast cauliflower and garlic (wrapped in foil) at 400°F for 30 mins.
2. Blend with broth and Parmesan.
3. Season with thyme.

Why You’ll Love It

Keto-friendly and tastes like indulgence. Roast extra garlic always.

15. Moroccan Chickpea Harira (Spiced and Nice)

Cinnamon in soup? Trust me.

Ingredients

• 2 cans chickpeas
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tsp each cinnamon, cumin, paprika
• 1 can tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Lemon, parsley

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté onion with spices.
2. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, broth. Simmer 20 mins.
3. Finish with lemon and parsley.

Why You’ll Love It

Warm spices make winter bearable. Double the batch.

16. Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Panera Who?)

Thick, cheesy, and green.

Ingredients

• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 2 cups cheddar, shredded
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup cream

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Simmer broccoli and carrot in broth until soft.
2. Blend half. Stir in cheese and cream.
3. Season aggressively.

Why You’ll Love It

Bread bowl optional, happiness mandatory.

17. Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

Fragrant, light, and life-changing.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, whole or parts
• 1 onion, charred
• Ginger, 3-inch piece, charred
• Star anise, cinnamon, cloves
• Rice noodles, herbs, lime

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Simmer chicken with charred onion, ginger, and spices for 1 hour.
2. Shred chicken. Strain broth.
3. Serve over noodles with herbs and lime.

Why You’ll Love It

Broth you’ll sip straight. Freeze extras.

18. Sausage & Tortellini Soup (One Pot Wonder)

Cheesy pasta pillows in brothy heaven.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 9 oz cheese tortellini
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups spinach
• Parmesan

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown sausage. Add onion.
2. Pour in broth. Simmer 10 mins.
3. Add tortellini and spinach. Cook 5 mins.

Why You’ll Love It

Dinner in 20. Kids fight over tortellini.

19. Carrot Ginger Soup (Sunshine in February)

Bright, zingy, and secretly healthy.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-inch ginger, grated
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• Coconut milk drizzle

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté onion and ginger.
2. Add carrots and broth. Simmer 20 mins.
3. Blend. Drizzle with coconut milk.

Why You’ll Love It

Tastes like spa water grew up. Vit C boost.

20. Split Pea with Ham (Old-School Classic)

Thick, smoky, and uses that ham bone.

Ingredients

• 1 lb split peas
• 1 ham bone or 2 cups diced ham
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 8 cups water or broth

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Simmer everything together for 1.5 hours.
2. Remove bone, shred meat, return.
3. Season and devour.

Why You’ll Love It

Freezes for months. Croutons on top = chef’s kiss.

21. Hot & Sour Soup (Takeout Fakeout)

Funky, spicy, and under 30 mins.

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup bamboo shoots
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• Tofu, cubed
• Cornstarch slurry
• 1 egg, beaten

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Simmer broth with mushrooms, bamboo, seasonings.
2. Add tofu. Thicken with slurry.
3. Drizzle in egg for ribbons.

Why You’ll Love It

Better than delivery. Adjust heat to your spice tolerance.