9 Soups to Keep You Warm When It’s Cold Outside

P.S. Soup is not a seasonal thing in our test kitchen, and neither should it be in your home. In other words, don't wait until you're sick or the weather is dreary to enjoy one of our delicious soup recipes. 

When you’re wrapped in blankets on the couch, feeling lousy, nothing makes you feel cared for like a comforting bowl of steaming, deeply flavored chicken noodle soup. Unfortunately, many of the salty, mystery meat–filled canned versions fall short of the mark. With our homemade version, you get chicken-infused noodles, hearty vegetables, and shreds of tender meat, all simmering in a golden, comforting broth (in an hour or less) to help you weather any cold.

TIP: Customize our soup with dark meat, white meat, or both. [GET THE RECIPE]

Boldly seasoned soups are a mainstay of Mexican cuisine; one of our favorites in the test kitchen is meatball soup. Our version features canned chipotle chile in adobo, which helps reinforce the flavor of chili powder and adds a twist of heat. You’ll also find carrots, tomatoes, and zucchini in this soup to give it a strong vegetable presence. This dish has everything we normally seek in a meal to help us beat a cold.

TIP: Moistening your hands with water will make shaping the meatballs easier. [GET THE RECIPE]

Butternut squash soup is a cool-weather staple in most New England households. In fact, one of our test cooks enjoys it so much that she serves it every year on Thanksgiving. While it’s a great winter dish—thanks to its silky texture and deep flavor—it’s also an easy one to mess up.

Many recipes for squash soup that you’ll find online produce bland or overly sweet soups. To ensure that home cooks wouldn’t run into either of these issues, we found that a pinch of nutmeg and a small splash of maple syrup helped boost the squash’s earthy tones while a bit of acidity from apple cider vinegar balanced out the sweetness.

TIP: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version of this soup. [GET THE RECIPE]

There's a likely chance that you don't have a lot of energy to cook yourself a homemade dish when you're feeling under the weather. Our 30-minute recipe cards are made for circumstances such as this. They require only three steps and use a good amount of pantry items so that you don’t have to make any long or unwanted trips to the grocery store. 

TIP: Smash the ginger called for in this recipe with the flat side of a chef’s knife. [GET THE RECIPE]

This meal is normally made during the holidays in Mexico. While it’s clearly more of a traditional dish for family gatherings, we wanted to create a version of this soup that home cooks could enjoy any time they were craving its delicious flavors. Our recipe does just that—in only 30 minutes.

TIP: If you have some lime wedges on hand, serve them alongside this soup. [GET THE RECIPE]

This isn’t just a great dish for when it’s cold outside; it’s also an ideal dish for when there’s a cold lingering inside of you. Our supersmooth soup is made by simmering chestnuts, leeks, celery, and pear. Leeks are a good source of vitamins and antioxidants that can help you combat a cold’s unwanted symptoms.

TIP: If the soup seems too thick, add extra half-and-half to reach the desired consistency. [GET THE RECIPE]

In this chowder recipe, we opted for a flavor base of leeks, carrots, celery, and thyme (which is perfect for your immune system since vegetables are a great source of many nutrients). We also added a few other notable ingredients: Yukon Gold potatoes to give the chowder a satisfying bulk, bacon for smoky depth, and chicken broth for savory flavor.

TIP: If your blender lid has a vent, open it (and cover it with a towel) when processing the soup so the steam can escape. [GET THE RECIPE]

Traditional booyah recipes call for simmering whole chicken(s) in water to make a broth. In our Green Bay Booyah recipe, we replace the water with store-bought chicken broth to build a flavorful broth more quickly. And instead of waiting for a whole chicken to cook, we call for chicken thighs, which stand up to simmering and contribute better flavor. Our version of this warm, filling, and flavorful booyah can hold its own anywhere in the country, Green Bay included.

TIP: To defat the broth, lay a paper towel over its surface, quickly lift it up by a corner (the fat will adhere), and discard. [GET THE RECIPE]

Almost all recipes for creamy asparagus soup use the same basic technique. Despite this, most of these recipes fall into one of two categories: overachievers or underperformers. The former, typically developed by restaurant chefs, rely on precious ingredients such as crème fraîche, truffle oil, and chervil to do the heavy lifting. The latter are so minimalist (asparagus, onion, vegetable stock) that the resulting soups underwhelm, lacking depth and refinement.

Our recipe uses smart supermarket ingredients that help it end up right in the middle. The soup is neither too thick nor too thin and, more important, lets the sweet, nutty asparagus shine.

TIP: If the spears are thicker than ½ inch, peel them with a vegetable peeler. [GET THE RECIPE]

Browse all our 30-minute recipes for quick and easy dinner ideas.