by Carly Cerniglia
Keep warm this winter with these six nourishing and flavorful soup recipes. From ham and pea to Hungarian mushroom, these one-pot wonders make mealtime easy and delicious.
Whether you’re craving something creamy, hearty, or packed with flavor, this collection brings simple, soul-warming dishes you can count on all season long.
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Mushroom lovers, rejoice! This soup is to die for. Packed with mushrooms, this soup is rich and bursting with umami flavor. The sweet paprika adds a delicious depth that is complemented by the sour cream and dill garnish.
Serves four to six
Ingredients:
38 ounces mushrooms, washed, de-stemmed, and sliced
Four small shallots, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
One medium carrot, minced
One rib celery, minced
1/4 cup Marsala or sherry cooking wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 bay leaves
4 cups beef stock
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
For garnish:
Sour cream
Fresh dill
Directions:
In a large stockpot, heat oil. Once hot, sauté the shallots, carrot, and celery until tender. Add the sliced mushrooms and the kosher salt and sauté until the mushrooms are about halfway cooked. Stir in the Marsala cooking wine, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and parsley flakes. Cook mixture for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in beef stock and add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the heavy cream. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch and water. Slowly pour into the soup while stirring quickly. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh dill, sour cream, and a hunk of crusty bread.
Thai Red Curry Soup
This zippy soup is made with an amazing ingredient: Thai red curry paste. The paste creates a flavorful broth with notes of garlic, shallot, and lemongrass. And let’s not forget its gorgeous red color! This soup is simple to make, and perfect for a weeknight meal.
Serves four to six
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound shrimp
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
Four small shallots, sliced
One jar red curry paste
1-inch piece ginger root, grated or minced well
Three cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 ounces vermicelli noodles
1 pound silken tofu, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish:
Lime slices
Jalapeño slices
Fresh cilantro and basil leaves
Directions:
In a large stockpot, add the oil and heat until hot. Sauté the shrimp until cooked through and pink, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pot and add the shallots and red pepper. Sauté until tender. Add the curry paste, garlic, and ginger root, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the vermicelli noodles and cook until translucent and chewy, but not crunchy. Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce, silken tofu, cilantro, and basil. Simmer for 10 minutes until everything is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot with extra cilantro, basil, sliced limes, and sliced jalapeños. Enjoy!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sometimes we can’t be bothered with sitting over a pot all day, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t make soup. This chicken tortilla soup is made in the slow cooker to make our lives easier. Simply dump, shred, and enjoy!
Serves six to eight
Ingredients:
1 cup diced onion
One bell pepper, any color, diced
One jalapeño, seeded and diced
4 cups chicken stock
2 pounds chicken breast
One 26.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 10-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes and green chiles
One 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
One 4-ounce can chopped Hatch green chiles, mild
One 11-ounce can white shoepeg corn, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon six-chili powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 cup heavy cream
To garnish:
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Cilantro
Jalapeño slices
Avocado slices
Tortilla strips
Lime wedges
Directions:
Add all the soup ingredients except the cornmeal and heavy cream to a large slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the chicken and shred it. Return it to the slow cooker. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cornmeal and add salt and pepper to taste. Add heavy cream and cook on high for another hour, until the soup is hot. To serve, garnish with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, jalapeño slices, avocado slices, tortilla strips, and lime wedges.
Italian White Bean and Potato Soup
This deliciously cozy soup is packed with flavor. The broth is creamy with a hint of spice from red pepper flakes that will have you going back for more! Tender white beans add a nice creamy bite along with russet potatoes and hearty kale. This soup is perfect for cold winter days.
Serves six to eight
Ingredients:
1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
4 ounces diced pancetta
One large rib celery, small diced, about 1/2 cup
One large carrot, small diced, about 1/2 cup
Two small onions, small diced, about 1 cup
Four small cloves garlic, minced
7 cups chicken stock
3 cups sliced russet potatoes, skin on
Two bay leaves
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
4 cups shredded kale
1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large stock pot, sauté Italian sausage until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside. Sauté the pancetta in the pot until crispy. Remove pancetta and set aside. In the fat from the pancetta, saute the onions, celery, and carrot until tender. Add minced garlic and sauté 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaves and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender.
Add the seasonings and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale and the cannellini beans with their liquid, and cook until the kale is tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cook until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot with a nice toasty baguette.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This bright lemon orzo soup is flavorful and satisfying. Don’t let the lemon scare you; it acts more like a flavor enhancer, needing less salt while brightening it up. Cooking the orzo in the soup makes it creamy without the fat. Serve with a crusty piece of bread and enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
One medium onion, diced
Three carrots, sliced
Two ribs celery, diced
Two cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken broth
One lemon, juiced
3/4 cup orzo
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Two cooked chicken breasts, cut in bite size pieces
1/4 cup parsley, to garnish
DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook until softened, about five minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the orzo, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the orzo is tender, approximately 10 minutes.
Add chicken and lemon juice. Cook until heated through, adjusting seasoning to taste.
Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley.
Ham and Pea Soup
In my opinion, ham and pea soup should be hearty and packed with salty ham. The broth should be nice and thick, which we accomplish by blending peas and potatoes. If you’re making this soup after you’ve cooked a whole ham, save some of the cooking juices from the ham and replace 2 cups of the chicken stock with the ham juices. It will be amazing!
Serves six to eight
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced onion, about two small
1 1/2 cups diced carrot, about one large
1 cup diced celery, about two large ribs
Three cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
7 cups chicken stock
2 cups peeled russet potatoes, diced
5 cups frozen peas, divided
1/2 pound cooked ham, cubed, about 1 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Two bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
In a large pot, heat oil. Add celery, onions, carrot, and salt. Sauté until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are almost fork-tender. Add 4 cups of frozen peas and boil until potatoes are cooked through.
Remove from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the remaining peas, diced ham, honey, Dijon mustard, and spices. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the 1/2 cup heavy cream. Serve hot in a bread bowl or with a baguette on the side.
This article was originally published in the February 2026 issue of Appleton Monthly Magazine.
