Soups, ranked

simmer down

Curried red lentil soup photographed by Alex Lau

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The A/C is off, the windows are open, and hopefully the stovetop is bubbling. Here are six of my favorite soups to kick off the season.

1. Winter Squash Soup

I’m the kind of guy who will happily grab and heat a Panera-branded butternut squash soup cup so I’m very excited that real squash is back in season. Deb from Smitten Kitchen get fancy with acorn squash and gruyere croutons in her version (linked above), but you can’t go wrong with the basics.

2. Curried Red Lentil Soup

There’s a lot going on in this Yotam Ottolenghi recipe in a good way. It’s hearty but not heavy, and the coconut milk brings a slight sweetness that cuts nicely through the spice.

3. Chili, your way

I love that there are so many ways to make chili. During Covid, I made a vegetarian version that had every bean imaginable and sweet potatoes. The toppings are just as important as what goes in the pot so don’t forget avocado, sour cream, and green onions. This truly is a choose your own adventure so throw whatever feels good in a pot and simmer til dinner.

4. Spiced Chickpea Stew

Alison Roman’s viral chickpea stew hasn’t lost its luster after all these years. I prefer kale as the green ingredient, and don’t skimp on the bread basket (that goes for all these recipes).

5. Açorda

Simple preparation, great use of day-old bread, and when else do you get to make your own coriander paste? This Portuguese bread soup is a great lunch for a cold day.

6. Cauliflower soup

This is probably the easiest soup on the list to prepare and unfortunately that hurts it in the judges’ eyes, but if you’re a fan of roasted cauliflower it’s time to try the liquid version. Chop a whole head of cauliflower, simmer with chicken stock, blend, and add parmesan cheese.

What’s on your Mt. Rushmore of soups?