Brisk fall and winter days ahead call for cozy homemade comfort food and soups are the perfect hearty dish to warm up anytime.
Whether it's a big batch of brothy soup, silky roasted vegetables pureed into a creamy consistency or a thick seasonal chili, these eight soups and stews have all the texture and flavor to satisfy any sippable, spoonable cravings.
Feast your eyes on the delicious soups shared by chefs, recipe developers, food TV personalities and more below and get the full recipe for each at the bottom of this page.
TV host, Food Network contributor and E is for Eat food blogger Jaymee Sire has no shortage of delicious recipes, and her soups like this upgraded classic with smokey bacon and fresh herbs is made even better by pairing it with an Instagram-worthy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Grilled Cheese sandwich.
Chef, food stylist and culinary producer Michele Figliuolo shared a family soup recipe passed down from her Italian grandmother.
Figliuolo told "Good Morning America" she loves this soup for fall because "it comes together so fast, it's filling, delicious and freezes well for nights you are not in the mood to cook."
This soup is a marriage of broth and greens with mini meatballs, and Sire's spin on the Italian classic is also gluten-free, paleo and Whole30 friendly.
"Help Yourself: A Guide to Gut Health for People Who Love Delicious Food" cookbook author Lindsay Maitland Hunt shared her recipe that turns the humblest of kitchen ingredients -- carrots, onions and celery -- into a spicy, delicious soup that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Hunt told "GMA" that the coconut milk compliments the sweetness of the carrots and the ginger adds a fiery kick to ground the flavors."
This eye-catching vibrant green soup from "Instant Family Meals" cookbook author Sarah Copeland is a bright, healthy dish to put a spring in your step during the colder fall and winter months.
Umma by Noodlelove chef Tabitha Yeh and owner Natalie Camerino worked to reinvent a menu with their favorite childhood classics with a Korean-inspired twist at their newly reopened New York City restaurant. The nostalgic menu is meant to bring diners back to a time and place in their lives with dishes inspired by umma, or "mom," in Korean.
Chef Yeh's playful update to the traditional matzo ball soup by using chicken mandu, Korean dumplings, as the "matzo balls" with kimchi, scallion, carrots and matzo meal, deliver a new belly-warming version and favorite of the classic soup.
Chili is the perfect fall dish to curl up with on a cold day and Jaymee Sire spiced up the recipe with a seasonal, vegetarian twist.
This hearty vegetable and beef stew is an authentic Mexican stick-to-your-bones meal and this recipe from Cantina Rooftop will fill your fall with all the flavor and rich warmth you could want.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
2-3 slices thick cut bacon
1 yellow onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1-2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28- ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
2-3 cups chicken or veggie broth (or can use water if you don’t have any)
1-2 pinches sugar
1/4 cup cream (optional, for garnish)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or could use basil or oregano), plus more for garnish
Salt & pepper
For the Grilled Cheese:
8 slices thick-cut bacon
2 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup Frank’s Wing Sauce
8 slices rustic bread
Butter
2 cups freshly shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup Gorgonzola dolce (or regular blue cheese is fine too)
Directions
Fry whole bacon slices in a large, heavy bottom pot (such as a dutch oven) until crispy. Remove to paper towels to drain. (If making grilled cheese, reserve for the sandwiches. Otherwise, eat or use for something else. Could even crumble them over the top of soup if desired.)
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Sauté onions and garlic in the 2 tablespoons of bacon fat until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add smoked paprika and red pepper flakes and cook 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Pour in tomatoes (with any sauce from the can) and broth. Add sugar. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Add whatever fresh herbs you are using and purée using an immersion blender. Cook for another 5 minutes or until soup has thickened to desired consistency.
Season to taste with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. Serve with a swirl of cream (optional) and topped with additional herbs alongside Buffalo Grilled Cheese sandwiches.
For the grilled cheese: Fry additional bacon slices and remove to paper towels to drain. (If you are also making the soup, you should already have 3 cooked.)
While bacon is frying, combine shredded chicken and hot sauce in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until warmed through.
Butter bread. Put 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack (or more if you desire) on one side of the bread. Top with warm buffalo chicken. Spread Gorgonzola on the other side of the bread and top with 2 bacon slices. Combine into a sandwich and fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted.
Reprinted from E is for Eat, courtesy of Jaymee Sire.
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups crusty Italian bread, torn into bite-size pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 small onions, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 bunches Swiss chard, chopped
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans (optional)
6-8 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup basil
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium size bowl, toss the torn bread with 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out on a sheet tray and bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden.
In a large stockpot over medium heat, add the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Once onions are translucent, add the tomatoes, Swiss chard, cannellini beans and vegetable stock.
Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 35-40 minutes.
Add the baked crusty bread and cook for another 5 minutes. Check for seasoning, and top with freshly torn basil and cheese.
Recipe reprinted with permission courtesy of Michele Figliuolo.
Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 6
Ingredients
For the meatballs
1/2 pound ground dark chicken meat
1/2 pound hot Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons chopped, fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for forming meatballs
For the soup
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, small dice
2 medium carrots, small dice
2 stalks celery, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped, fresh Italian parsley
8 cups chicken broth
1 head of escarole (or other bitter green), trimmed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes or grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and lightly mix with your hands, making sure not to overmix. If the mixture still seems very soft, add another teaspoon of chia seeds. Refrigerate until ready to form meatballs.
Coating your fingers in olive oil, form meatball mixture into tiny balls, 1 inch in diameter. Place on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate one hour or overnight if making a day ahead. (If mixture still seems too wet/soft, keep in mind the chia seeds will absorb some of the liquid while setting up in the fridge.)
Set broiler to high, with rack on the highest slot. Broil meatballs for 5-6 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Remove and set aside.
While meatballs are cooking, heat olive oil on medium high in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Sauté onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add garlic and parsley and cook a minute more. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook another 10 minutes or until vegetables are done to your liking.
Add meatballs to the broth, along with the chopped escarole. Cook until meatballs are warmed through and escarole is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Ladle into bowls, and serve sprinkled with red pepper flakes and/or Parmesan cheese.
Reprinted courtesy of Jaymee Sire from E is for Eat.
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 pounds carrots, scrubbed and sliced (you can use a food processor to slice them)
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
¼ cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger (2 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
6 cups high-quality store-bought broth
1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 to 1/3 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons canned coconut cream
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Directions
In a large pot, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, celery, ginger, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally with a flexible spatula and scraping the bottom, until the vegetables are soft, 12 to 14 minutes.
You should hear gentle sizzling; if you don’t, the heat is too low.
Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, coconut milk and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
Cook until the carrots are very soft, about 20 minutes. Working in batches, transfer to a blender and puree, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot.
Stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with salt.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the pumpkin seeds, coconut cream and a few grinds of pepper. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if you want, and serve.
Chef's Tip: If you want, you can toast the pumpkin seeds in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown and nutty-smelling, 3 to 5 minutes.
Excerpted from "Help Yourself" © 2020 by Lindsay Maitland Hunt. Photography © 2020 by Linda Pugliese. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Sarah Copeland's healthy and speedy soup from her latest cookbook, "Instant Family Meals," is an easy recipe to set and forget until you're ready to serve and enjoy the vibrant green soup.
Ingredients
3½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium head of broccoli, cut into florets (about 4 cups) or 4 cups frozen florets
8 ounces fresh shelled or frozen peas
1 small head of fennel, trimmed and quartered
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For serving
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or homemade yogurt or cashew cream
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Crispy bread croutons, optional (For gluten-free, omit croutons)
Directions
Combine the broth, broccoli peas, and fennel in the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Lock on the lid and Pressure Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Release the steam manually.
Open the lid and remove the inner pot from the cooker. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth (or transfer to an upright blender and puree in batches), about 3 minutes.
Season with fine sea salt and some pepper. Return the inner pot to the pressure cooker with the lid off (to maintain the bright green color) and leave on the Keep Warm setting until you are ready to serve.
Spoon the soup into bowls and serve warm, topped with the Parmesan, yogurt, or cashew cream. Drizzle with some olive oil and finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and more pepper, if desired. Serve with croutons, if you like.
Cook’s Note: For the broccoli and peas here, note that either fresh or frozen will work, making this another great all-weather standby.
Frozen vegetables not only save a bit of prep time, but they also keep the color a bright, punchy green.
For a hearty, eye-popping finish, top this soup with roasted chickpeas or Parmesan gremolata.
Reprinted with permission from "Instant Family Meals" by Sarah Copeland, copyright © 2020. Photographs by Christopher Testani. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Total prep and cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
3 quarts high-quality chicken stock/bone broth
1 cup shoyu
1 cup daikon, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup scallions, thinly sliced
Matzo Ball Mixture ¾ cups kimchi
6 ounces ground chicken
⅓ cup scallions, finely sliced
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon ginger, finely minced
¼ cup carrots, finely minced
¾ cup matzo meal
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Shoyu
2 pieces dried kombu 4”x 4”
½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
13 each whole garlic, smashed
½ piece ginger, sliced
Directions
Prep daikon and carrots by slicing thinly. Bring a big pot of salted water to a rolling boil, plop in produce for maybe a minute, then use a slotted spoon to transfer and give them a nice shock in an ice bath. The result will provide the vegetables with some bite before cooking in soup broth. Set aside.
Place all ingredients for the shoyu into a small pot. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes and reserve. You can leave the ginger and garlic in the shoyu for a week. The longer the mixture sits, the more complex it gets.
Before using, strain off the ingredients.
Preparation for matzo ball: Rinse kimchi and remove as much water as possible. Finely mince garlic and ginger. Prep vegetables by shredding carrots and chopping scallions. Set aside extra scallions for garnish.
In a medium bowl, place all ingredients for the matzo ball and mix well to combine.
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Once ingredients are combined, pinch off a piece of matzo ball mixture and gently roll between your hands to form 1 ½ -inch balls (about 3 tablespoons each). Continue shaping until all mixture is used, placing the matzo balls on a baking sheet (you want about 8). Make sure they’re not touching. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
In a separate medium-sized pot, add chicken stock, shoyu, matzo balls, thinly sliced daikon and carrots. Bring to a boil. Lower temperature and let it simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Add scallions for garnish just before serving.
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced + 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
4 hatch chile peppers (roasted/seeded/chopped) or 4-ounce can diced green chiles
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (optional step: roasted)
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular is OK)
1 pinch brown sugar
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons cumin (freshly ground is best)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bottle pumpkin beer (or regular ale)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cinnamon stick
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Sauté the onion in a little olive oil until soft and beginning to turn translucent (3-4 minutes). Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add in the peppers, spices and tomato paste, and cook a couple minutes longer.
Dump in a bottle of the pumpkin beer and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the beans, tomatoes and pumpkin. Add one cinnamon stick. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and cook an additional 30-40 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream (try adding a little adobo sauce to make it chipotle flavored). To keep it vegan, simply omit the sour cream and cheese (or use a vegan substitute).
Chef Saul Montiel of Cantina Rooftop in New York City told "GMA" that this hearty beef and vegetable soup is great for the fall.
"It’s a warm and comforting meal for cold days. We call it a 'soup,' but most people would describe it more as a stew," he said. "My fellow Hispanics and Caribbean people would call it ‘sanchoco,’ a very similar stew made meats and vegetables. There are a few differences though. We use three types of chilis (guajillo, pasilla and arbol), oxtail and chayote squash in a vegetable broth. We consider it a home remedy. It works for all that ails you, from the common cold to the common hangover."
Serves: 6
Directions
4 pounds of 1-inch-cut oxtail
1/2 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
2 bay leaves
4 fresh epazote sprigs, rinsed
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
1 Roma tomato, rinsed
2 dried guajillo chilis, seeds and veins removed
2 dried pasilla chilis, seeds and veins removed
2 dried arbol chilis, seeds and veins removed
2 cloves
1/8 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cumin
3 large Mexican squash (calabacitas), sliced in rounds
3 ears of corn, cut in 3 pieces each
1 large chayote cut in 6 pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
Toppings: Chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, 6 limes, juiced
Directions
In a 6-quart stockpot over low-medium flame, heat meats, onion, garlic, epazote and bay leaves in enough water to cover ingredients; approximately 6-8 cups for 30 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, boil dried chilis for 10 minutes until soft and tender.
In an ungreased skillet or on a comal over medium-high heat, roast tomato, turning with tongs until all sides are evenly roasted and skin has begun to burst.
In a blender, combine roasted tomato, tender chilis, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, oregano, cumin and 1 1/2 cups of the water chilis were soaked in. Blend until smooth; approximately 30 seconds.
Strain chile mixture over stockpot with cooked meats. Add corn flour, stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the first boil.
Add corn, chayote, Mexican squash and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.
Serve and garnish with chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Reprinted courtesy of Cantina Rooftop’s executive chef, Saul Montiel.