Soup season · October 2026

The 25 best soup recipes from the food creators we follow

Soup season is here, so I went through the cooks I follow on Instagram and the food blogs I actually cook from, and picked one soup from each. French onion, tonjiru, bún bò Huế, pozole, egusi, avgolemono. Counted down from 25. Save any of them and it lands in your recipes, laid out the way we cook. Then go follow the people who made them.

— B.

1. No.25Photo: 101 Cookbooks

   Roasted tomato soup

   San Francisco · 50 min · serves 4

   Heidi roasts the tomatoes, peppers and onions until they char a little, then blends them with smoked paprika. Tomato soup with some smoke and swagger.

   From Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks · @heidijswanson

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   Tomatoes, red pepper, onions and garlic roasted until they char a little, then blended with hot stock and smoked paprika.

   You need

   • 1 1/2 lb tomatoes, cored and quartered
   • 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
   • 3 medium yellow onions, quartered
   • 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
   • Extra-virgin olive oil
   • 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
   • 2 to 3 cups hot vegetable stock or water
   • 1 tsp smoked paprika
   • 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
   • To top: toasted sesame seeds, more smoked paprika, crumbled goat cheese, chives

   How to make it

   1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread the tomatoes, pepper, onions and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with a good glug of olive oil and the salt.
   2. Roast until everything is soft and starting to char at the edges, 45 minutes to 1 hour, tossing once halfway.
   3. Squeeze the garlic from its skins. Put all the vegetables and their juices in a pot or blender with 2 cups hot stock, the smoked paprika and cayenne.
   4. Blend until smooth, adding more stock until it's as thick as you like.
   5. Taste for salt and warm through. Serve topped with sesame seeds, a pinch of paprika, goat cheese and chives.

   Chef's own write-up of Heidi Swanson's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Roasted tomato soup, 101cookbooks.com

2. No.24Photo: Budget Bytes

   Italian wedding soup

   Italian-American · 1 hr · serves 6

   Little sausage meatballs, greens, tiny pasta. Beth prices out every ingredient, and this whole pot costs about what one bowl costs out.

   From Beth Moncel at Budget Bytes · @budgetbytes

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   Little Parmesan and sausage meatballs simmered in an herby chicken broth with carrots, celery, tiny pasta and spinach.

   You need

   • 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
   • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
   • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (for the meatballs)
   • 1/8 tsp salt
   • 1/8 tsp black pepper
   • 1 lb ground Italian sausage
   • 1 large egg
   • 1 yellow onion, diced
   • 2 garlic cloves, minced
   • 3 carrots, diced
   • 3 celery stalks, diced
   • 2 tbsp olive oil
   • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (for the soup)
   • 6 cups chicken broth
   • 1/2 cup small pasta (pearl couscous, acini di pepe or orzo)
   • 4 cups fresh spinach
   • Chopped parsley, to serve

   How to make it

   1. Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, sausage and egg. Roll into small meatballs, about 1 inch.
   2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and brown the meatballs in batches. They don't need to cook through. Set aside.
   3. In the same pot, cook the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Italian seasoning.
   4. Add the broth, scraping up the brown bits, and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and the pasta and simmer until the pasta is tender and the meatballs cooked through, about 10 minutes.
   5. Stir in the spinach until it wilts. Taste for salt, top with parsley and serve with more Parmesan.

   Chef's own write-up of Beth Moncel's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Italian wedding soup, budgetbytes.com

3. No.23Photo: Green Kitchen Stories

   Beetroot soup with horseradish yogurt

   Sweden · 1 hr 15 min · serves 4

   The color alone. Roasted beets, a swirl of horseradish yogurt, and it tastes like a Scandinavian winter in the best way.

   From David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl at Green Kitchen Stories · @gkstories

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   A deep red Scandinavian beet soup with apple and thyme, blended smooth and topped with a swirl of horseradish yogurt.

   You need

   • 2 lb (900 g) beets, peeled and chopped
   • 1 tbsp olive oil
   • 1 onion, chopped
   • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
   • 1 tart apple, peeled and chopped
   • 2 sprigs thyme
   • 4 cups vegetable stock
   • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
   • Salt and pepper
   • For the horseradish yogurt: 1 cup thick plain yogurt, 1 to 2 tbsp freshly grated horseradish (or prepared), a pinch of salt
   • Dill or chives, to serve

   How to make it

   1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss half the beets with a little oil and salt and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. (Roasting half gives the soup a deeper flavor.)
   2. Meanwhile warm the olive oil in a pot and soften the onion and garlic, 5 minutes. Add the raw beets, apple, thyme and stock and simmer covered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
   3. Add the roasted beets and remove the thyme stems. Blend until very smooth.
   4. Season with the vinegar or lemon, salt and pepper. Add more stock if it's too thick.
   5. Stir the yogurt with the horseradish and salt.
   6. Serve the soup with a big spoonful of horseradish yogurt swirled in and some dill or chives.

   Chef's own write-up of David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Beetroot soup with horseradish yogurt, greenkitchenstories.com

4. No.22Photo: Rasa Malaysia

   Curry laksa

   Malaysia · 30 min · serves 3

   A coconut curry noodle soup loaded with shrimp, tofu puffs, egg and bean sprouts. Bee's shortcut uses a good store-bought paste, so it's on the table in half an hour.

   From Bee Yinn Low at Rasa Malaysia · @rasamalaysia

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   Malaysian curry laksa: a lemongrass and curry paste broth enriched with coconut and evaporated milk, over yellow noodles with shrimp, tofu puffs, egg and sprouts.

   You need

   • 3 tbsp cooking oil
   • 1/2 packet (about 3.5 oz) Malaysian curry laksa paste
   • 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, pounded
   • 2 cups chicken broth
   • 2 cups water
   • 10 tofu puffs, halved
   • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
   • 1/2 cup coconut milk
   • Salt
   • Yellow (Hokkien) noodles or rice vermicelli, 1 portion per bowl
   • Bean sprouts
   • 10 shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
   • 3 hard-boiled eggs, halved
   • Fish cakes, sliced
   • Sambal and lime, to serve

   How to make it

   1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Fry the curry paste and lemongrass, stirring, until the oil turns red and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
   2. Add the broth and water and bring to a boil. Add the tofu puffs and simmer 5 minutes.
   3. Stir in the evaporated milk and coconut milk, bring back to a gentle simmer and season with salt.
   4. Blanch the noodles and bean sprouts in boiling water and divide among bowls.
   5. Top with the shrimp, eggs and fish cakes, then ladle over the hot broth with plenty of tofu puffs.
   6. Serve with sambal and a wedge of lime.

   Chef's own write-up of Bee Yinn Low's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Curry laksa, rasamalaysia.com

5. No.21Photo: My Korean Kitchen

   Miyeok guk (seaweed soup)

   Korea · 20 min · serves 3

   Koreans eat this on their birthday, and new mothers eat it for weeks. Seaweed, beef, sesame oil, garlic. Twenty minutes and very good for you.

   From Sue Pressey at My Korean Kitchen · @mykoreankitchen

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   Korea's birthday soup: seaweed and beef sautéed in sesame oil with garlic and soy, then simmered in water.

   You need

   • 0.5 oz (15 g) dried miyeok (wakame) seaweed
   • 4 oz (120 g) beef chuck or round, thinly sliced
   • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
   • Black pepper
   • 1 tbsp sesame oil
   • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (soup soy sauce if you have it)
   • 1 tsp minced garlic
   • 5 cups water

   How to make it

   1. Soak the seaweed in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. It will swell a lot. Drain, squeeze out the water and cut into bite-size pieces.
   2. Season the beef with the salt and pepper.
   3. Heat the sesame oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the beef until it browns on the outside.
   4. Add the seaweed, soy sauce and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
   5. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes or longer for a deeper broth.
   6. Taste and season with salt. Serve with rice.

   Chef's own write-up of Sue Pressey's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Miyeok guk (seaweed soup), mykoreankitchen.com

6. No.20Photo: Once Upon a Chef

   Butternut squash soup

   USA · 50 min · serves 6

   No peeling (buy the squash cut), a red pepper for sweetness, cream at the end. Jenn tests everything until it's foolproof, and this one is.

   From Jenn Segal at Once Upon a Chef · @onceuponachef

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   Butternut squash simmered with red pepper, onion and garlic, blended smooth with a little cream and thyme.

   You need

   • 2 1/2 lb pre-cut butternut squash (about 8 cups)
   • 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
   • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
   • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
   • 5 cups water
   • 2 1/2 tsp salt
   • 2 tbsp sugar
   • 1 cup heavy cream, plus more to serve
   • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp curry powder)

   How to make it

   1. Put the squash, red pepper, onion, garlic, water, salt and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil.
   2. Cover, lower the heat and simmer until the squash is completely tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
   3. Add the cream and thyme.
   4. Blend until silky with a stick blender (or in batches in a blender, venting the lid).
   5. Taste for salt and sweetness. Serve with a swirl of cream.

   Chef's own write-up of Jenn Segal's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Butternut squash soup, onceuponachef.com

7. No.19Photo: Sip and Feast

   Sausage pasta fagioli

   Italian-American · 45 min · serves 6

   The soup every red-sauce place in New Jersey has on the menu, made better. Sausage, two kinds of beans, a Parmigiano rind, penne.

   From Tara and James Rugnetta at Sip and Feast · @sipandfeast

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   Italian sausage, garlic and onion with cannellini and butter beans, a few crushed plum tomatoes, a Parmigiano rind and penne.

   You need

   • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
   • 1 lb bulk Italian sausage
   • 5 garlic cloves, sliced
   • 1 medium onion, diced
   • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
   • 1 can (16 oz) cannellini beans, drained (not rinsed)
   • 2 cans (16 oz each) butter (lima) beans, drained (not rinsed)
   • 6 cups water, plus more as needed
   • 3 canned plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
   • 8 oz penne
   • 1 Parmigiano rind (optional)
   • Salt and pepper
   • Grated Parmigiano, to serve

   How to make it

   1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up, then lift it out.
   2. Add the rest of the oil, the garlic, onion and pepper flakes and cook until soft, 5 minutes.
   3. Add both beans and mash a few of them against the pot to thicken the soup. Pour in the water, the crushed tomatoes and the Parmigiano rind, and return the sausage.
   4. Simmer 15 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
   5. Add the penne and cook until al dente, stirring and adding water as the pasta soaks it up. It should be thick but still a soup.
   6. Remove the rind and serve with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

   Chef's own write-up of Tara and James Rugnetta's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Sausage pasta fagioli, sipandfeast.com

8. No.18Photo: Tiffy Cooks

   Wonton noodle soup

   Hong Kong and Taiwan · 1 hr (with folding) · serves 4

   Tiffy fills her wontons with pork and shrimp and makes fifty at a time, so the freezer is always ready. The broth comes together in ten minutes.

   From Tiffy Chen at Tiffy Cooks · @tiffy.cooks

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   Pork and shrimp wontons in a quick ginger and soy chicken broth with noodles and bok choy. Freeze the extra wontons.

   You need

   • 1 lb ground pork
   • 1 lb shrimp, minced to a paste
   • 1 inch ginger, grated
   • 2 green onions, chopped
   • 2 garlic cloves, grated
   • 1/2 packet dashi powder
   • 1 tsp white pepper
   • 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
   • 1 tsp cornstarch
   • 1 tsp sugar
   • 1 tbsp soy sauce
   • 50 wonton wrappers
   • For the broth: 4 cups chicken stock, 3 slices ginger, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp fried shallots
   • Egg noodles (1 portion per bowl)
   • Bok choy or other greens

   How to make it

   1. Mix the pork, shrimp, ginger, green onions, garlic, dashi powder, white pepper, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar and soy sauce. Stir hard in one direction for a couple of minutes until the filling is sticky.
   2. Put a teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper, wet the edges, fold into a triangle and bring the two corners together, pressing to seal. Repeat. Freeze any you won't cook today on a tray, then bag them.
   3. Simmer the stock with the ginger slices and soy sauce for 5 minutes.
   4. Boil the wontons in a separate pot of water until they float and the filling is cooked, 3 to 4 minutes (5 to 6 from frozen). Cook the noodles and blanch the bok choy.
   5. Put noodles, greens and wontons in bowls, ladle over the hot broth and top with fried shallots.

   Chef's own write-up of Tiffy Chen's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Wonton noodle soup, tiffycooks.com

9. No.17Photo: CaribbeanPot.com

   Trinidad corn soup

   Trinidad · 1 hr 30 min · serves 6

   Late-night Carnival food in Port of Spain. Split peas, coconut milk, chunks of corn on the cob and little dumplings. Chris grew up on it.

   From Chris De La Rosa at CaribbeanPot.com · @caribbeanpot

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   Trinidad's corn soup: split peas, pumpkin and sweet potato in coconut milk with chunks of corn on the cob, salted pigtails and little flour dumplings.

   You need

   • 1 1/2 to 2 lb salted pigtails, cut in 1-inch pieces (or smoked turkey)
   • 1 1/4 cups yellow split peas, rinsed
   • 5 cups water
   • 2 tbsp coconut oil
   • 1 large onion, diced
   • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
   • 2 celery stalks, diced
   • 6 sprigs thyme
   • 3 scallions, chopped
   • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
   • 3 tbsp chopped culantro (shado beni) or cilantro
   • 3 pimento peppers (seasoning peppers), whole
   • 2 bird's eye or 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole
   • 1/4 tsp black pepper
   • 2 cups diced pumpkin
   • 2 cups diced sweet potato
   • 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
   • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
   • 4 to 6 ears corn, cut in 1-inch rounds
   • 1 can creamed corn
   • For the dumplings: 1 cup all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, about 1/4 cup water

   How to make it

   1. Boil the pigtails in water for 20 minutes, drain, and repeat if they're very salty.
   2. Simmer the split peas in the 5 cups water until soft and falling apart, about 40 minutes.
   3. In a large pot, heat the coconut oil and cook the onion, garlic, celery, thyme, scallions and herbs for 5 minutes. Add the pigtails, the cooked split peas with their water, the pimento peppers, hot peppers (whole, so they don't burst) and black pepper.
   4. Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, stock and coconut milk. Simmer until the pumpkin melts into the soup, about 20 minutes.
   5. Mix the flour, salt and water into a stiff dough, roll into small fingers and drop them into the soup with the corn rounds and creamed corn. Simmer 15 minutes until the dumplings are cooked and the corn tender.
   6. Fish out the whole hot peppers, taste for salt and serve.

   Chef's own write-up of Chris De La Rosa's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

   Recipe: Trinidad corn soup, caribbeanpot.com

10. No.16Photo: Hebbar's Kitchen

    Tomato rasam

    South India · 30 min · serves 3

    Thin, tangy, peppery, made with tamarind and tomato and a sizzle of mustard seeds and curry leaves. South Indians drink it from a cup or pour it over rice. Thirty minutes.

    From Archana Hebbar at Hebbar's Kitchen · @hebbars.kitchen

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    South Indian tomato rasam: a thin, tangy tamarind and tomato broth with freshly ground spices and dal, finished with a mustard seed and curry leaf tempering.

    You need

    • 1 tsp oil
    • 1 tsp coriander seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 10 fenugreek seeds
    • 3 dried Kashmiri red chiles
    • 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
    • Curry leaves, a few sprigs (divided)
    • 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
    • 2 green chiles, slit
    • 1 cup tamarind extract (from a lime-size ball of tamarind soaked in hot water)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp jaggery
    • Salt
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 cup cooked toor dal, mashed
    • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
    • For the tempering: 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp urad dal, 2 dried red chiles, a few curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida

    How to make it

    1. Heat 1 tsp oil and toast the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, Kashmiri chiles, peppercorns and a few curry leaves on low heat until fragrant. Cool and grind to a coarse powder.
    2. In a pot, combine the tomato, green chiles, more curry leaves, tamarind extract, turmeric, jaggery and salt. Simmer until the tomato is soft and the raw tamarind smell is gone, about 8 minutes.
    3. Add the water, the mashed dal and the ground spice powder. Stir well.
    4. Bring it just to a froth and turn off the heat. Don't let rasam boil hard or it turns bitter. Stir in the cilantro.
    5. For the tempering, heat 1 tsp oil, add the mustard seeds and let them pop, then the urad dal, red chiles, curry leaves and asafoetida. Pour it over the rasam.
    6. Serve hot with rice, or in a cup to sip.

    Chef's own write-up of Archana Hebbar's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Tomato rasam, hebbarskitchen.com

11. No.15Photo: Red House Spice

    Hot and sour soup

    China · 1 hr 20 min (mostly soaking) · serves 6

    Forget the takeout version. Wei's has shiitake, wood ear, lily buds and black vinegar, and the egg goes in in ribbons. Sour first, then the white pepper hits you.

    From Wei Guo at Red House Spice · @red.house.spice

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    Sichuan-style hot and sour soup with shiitake, wood ear, lily buds, pork, bamboo and tofu, black vinegar and white pepper, with egg ribbons.

    You need

    • 5 dried shiitake mushrooms
    • 5 g dried wood ear mushrooms
    • 20 dried lily buds
    • 3 oz (80 g) lean pork, in thin strips
    • 1/2 tsp cornstarch plus 1 tsp water (for the pork)
    • 1/2 tsp neutral oil
    • 1.5 oz (40 g) carrot, julienned
    • 2 oz (50 g) bamboo shoots, julienned
    • 3.5 oz (100 g) soft tofu, julienned
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 4 1/4 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock, or water
    • 4 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp water
    • 3 tbsp Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar
    • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
    • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    • Chopped cilantro or scallions

    How to make it

    1. Soak the shiitake, wood ear and lily buds in separate bowls of warm water for 1 hour. Slice the shiitake and wood ear thinly, knot or halve the lily buds.
    2. Toss the pork with the cornstarch-water and oil.
    3. Bring the stock to a boil. Add the mushrooms, lily buds, carrot and bamboo and simmer 3 minutes. Add the pork, stirring so the strips separate, then the tofu.
    4. Season with soy sauce. Stir the cornstarch slurry and pour it in slowly while stirring, until the soup thickens enough to coat a spoon.
    5. Turn the heat down. Pour the beaten egg in a thin stream while stirring gently in one direction so it forms ribbons.
    6. Off the heat, stir in the black vinegar, white pepper and sesame oil. Taste: add more vinegar for sour, pepper for heat. Top with cilantro or scallions.

    Chef's own write-up of Wei Guo's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Hot and sour soup, redhousespice.com

12. No.14Photo: Feasting at Home

    Harira

    Morocco · 1 hr · serves 6

    The soup Morocco breaks the Ramadan fast with. Lentils, chickpeas, tomato, a little cinnamon and a pile of cilantro. Sylvia's is vegetarian and takes an hour.

    From Sylvia Fountaine at Feasting at Home · @feastingathome

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    Moroccan harira: red and green lentils, chickpeas and tomato with ginger, cumin and cinnamon, broken pasta, and a big handful of herbs.

    You need

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 2 celery stalks, chopped small
    • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 2 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
    • 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
    • 1 can (28 oz) whole or crushed tomatoes
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • Pinch of saffron (optional)
    • 1 to 2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup red lentils
    • 1/2 cup brown or green lentils
    • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (one 15-oz can)
    • 2 tsp honey, if needed
    • 1/4 lb capellini, broken into 1-inch pieces
    • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
    • 1/2 cup chopped parsley
    • Lemon wedges, to serve

    How to make it

    1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and celery until soft, 5 to 6 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
    2. Stir in the ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, paprika and cayenne and toast for 1 minute.
    3. Add the broth, tomatoes (crushing whole ones with your hands), cinnamon stick, saffron, salt and both lentils. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 25 minutes, until the green lentils are tender.
    4. Add the chickpeas and the broken pasta and simmer until the pasta is cooked, about 6 minutes. Taste; if the tomatoes are sharp, add the honey.
    5. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in most of the cilantro and parsley.
    6. Serve with the rest of the herbs on top and lemon to squeeze over.

    Chef's own write-up of Sylvia Fountaine's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Harira, feastingathome.com

13. No.13Photo: Chef Lola's Kitchen

    Egusi soup

    Nigeria · 1 hr · serves 8

    Ground melon seeds, palm oil, peppers and greens, thick enough to scoop up with fufu. If you've never had West African soup, Lola is the one to start with.

    From Lola Osinkolu at Chef Lola's Kitchen · @cheflolaskitchen

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    Ground melon seeds cooked in palm oil with blended peppers, crayfish and locust beans, with beef and spinach. Scoop it up with fufu.

    You need

    • 2 cups ground egusi (melon seeds)
    • 1 cup palm oil, or to taste
    • 1 red bell pepper
    • 1 habanero (scotch bonnet) pepper
    • 1 Fresno chile
    • 2 onions
    • 1 lb beef (or a mix with tripe, dried fish, cow foot)
    • 3 cups beef or chicken stock
    • 4 tbsp ground crayfish
    • 3 tbsp locust beans (iru)
    • 1 stock cube (optional)
    • 24 oz chopped spinach
    • Salt

    How to make it

    1. Season the beef with salt, one chopped onion and the stock cube and simmer in the stock until tender, about 40 minutes. Keep the stock.
    2. Blend the bell pepper, habanero, Fresno and the second onion with a little water until fairly smooth.
    3. Mix the ground egusi with a few tablespoons of water into a thick paste.
    4. Heat the palm oil in a pot over medium heat (don't let it smoke). Add the pepper purée and fry for 10 minutes, stirring, until it thickens.
    5. Drop the egusi paste into the pot in spoonfuls and let it fry undisturbed for a few minutes so it forms curds, then stir gently. Add the beef, its stock, the crayfish and locust beans. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
    6. Stir in the spinach and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for salt and serve hot with pounded yam, fufu or rice.

    Chef's own write-up of Lola Osinkolu's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Egusi soup, cheflolaskitchen.com

14. No.12Photo: Emiko Davies

    Ribollita

    Florence, Italy · 3 hr, plus overnight soaking · serves 6

    Emiko lives in Florence and went looking for the real thing. Cavolo nero, beans, yesterday's bread, and it's better the second day. That's the point: ribollita means reboiled.

    From Emiko Davies · @emikodavies

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    Florence's bread soup: cannellini beans, cavolo nero and vegetables cooked down with stale Tuscan bread, best reheated the next day.

    You need

    • 1 1/2 cups dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight (or 3 cans, drained)
    • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
    • 1 red onion, chopped
    • 2 carrots, chopped
    • 2 celery stalks, chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 leek, sliced
    • 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
    • 1/4 savoy cabbage, shredded
    • 2 bunches cavolo nero (lacinato kale), stems removed, sliced
    • 2 tbsp tomato paste (or 2 peeled tomatoes)
    • A sprig of thyme
    • Salt and black pepper
    • 7 oz stale crusty Tuscan bread, sliced

    How to make it

    1. Cook the soaked beans in plenty of unsalted water with a splash of olive oil until tender, about 1 hour. Salt at the end. Purée about half with some of their liquid; keep the rest whole.
    2. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Cook the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and leek slowly until soft and sweet, 15 minutes.
    3. Add the potatoes, cabbage, cavolo nero, tomato paste and thyme and stir until the greens wilt.
    4. Pour in the bean purée and enough bean water or plain water to cover. Simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, stirring now and then, then add the whole beans and season well.
    5. Layer the bread slices in the pot, push them under, and cook until the bread falls apart and the soup is thick, 10 minutes.
    6. It's best the next day: reheat ('ribollire') until it bubbles, and serve with a thread of raw olive oil and black pepper.

    Chef's own write-up of Emiko Davies's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Ribollita, emikodavies.com

15. No.11Photo: Seonkyoung Longest

    Taiwanese beef noodle soup

    Taiwan · 2 hr · serves 8

    Taipei's national dish. Beef shank braised for hours with star anise, Sichuan pepper and chili bean paste, then noodles and bok choy. Worth the whole Sunday.

    From Seonkyoung Longest · @seonkyounglongest

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    Beef shank braised with chili bean paste, soy, star anise and Sichuan pepper into a rich broth, served over wheat noodles with bok choy.

    You need

    • 2 black cardamom pods
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 star anise
    • 2 slices dried licorice root (optional)
    • 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
    • 1 tsp fennel seeds
    • 1 tbsp goji berries
    • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lb beef shank, in large chunks
    • 6 tbsp cooking oil
    • 15 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
    • 2 oz sliced ginger
    • 1/2 large onion, sliced
    • 5 green onions, chopped
    • 3 tbsp toban djan (chili bean paste)
    • 2 tbsp sugar (or a piece of rock sugar)
    • 1/2 cup soy sauce
    • 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
    • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 large tomatoes, in chunks
    • 2 tsp beef bouillon
    • 14 cups cold water
    • Baby bok choy, halved (1 per bowl)
    • Wheat noodles (1 portion per bowl)
    • Chopped green onions and cilantro

    How to make it

    1. Tie the cardamom, bay, star anise, licorice, Sichuan pepper, fennel and goji in a spice bag or cheesecloth.
    2. Put the beef in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse.
    3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and fry the garlic, ginger, onion and green onions until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the toban djan and cook 1 minute.
    4. Add the beef, sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, dark soy and salt and stir to coat. Add the tomatoes, bouillon, spice bag and the cold water.
    5. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently until the beef is very tender, 1 1/2 hours. Discard the spice bag and skim off some of the fat.
    6. Cook the noodles and blanch the bok choy. Put them in bowls, add beef and ladle over the broth. Top with green onions and cilantro.

    Chef's own write-up of Seonkyoung Longest's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Taiwanese beef noodle soup, seonkyounglongest.com

16. The top ten.

    Ten soups worth a whole Sunday.
17. No.10Photo: Oh She Glows

    Glowing spiced lentil soup

    Canada · 35 min · serves 4

    Red lentils, coconut milk, turmeric and cumin, spinach and lime at the end. It's vegan, it's cheap, and you will not miss a thing.

    From Angela Liddon at Oh She Glows · @ohsheglows

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    Red lentils simmered with turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and cardamom in tomato and coconut milk, finished with spinach and lime.

    You need

    • 1 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 cups diced onion
    • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tsp ground turmeric
    • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
    • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
    • 1 can (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk
    • 3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed
    • 3 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
    • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
    • Black pepper
    • Red pepper flakes or cayenne, to taste
    • 5 oz baby spinach
    • 2 tsp lime juice, or more

    How to make it

    1. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
    2. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and cardamom and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
    3. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, broth, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until the lentils are soft and fluffy, about 20 minutes.
    4. Stir in the spinach until it wilts.
    5. Add the lime juice, taste and adjust the salt and heat. Serve with bread or over rice.

    Chef's own write-up of Angela Liddon's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Glowing spiced lentil soup, ohsheglows.com

18. No.9Photo: Ambitious Kitchen

    "The best chicken soup you'll ever eat"

    USA · 55 min · serves 6

    A big claim, and a lot of people say she's right. Ginger, turmeric, fresh herbs and pearl couscous make a plain chicken soup into something you crave.

    From Monique Volz at Ambitious Kitchen · @ambitiouskitchen

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    Chicken soup with ginger, turmeric, rosemary and thyme, made hearty with pearl couscous and peas.

    You need

    • 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 yellow onion, diced
    • 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
    • 2 celery stalks, chopped
    • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
    • 1 tbsp grated fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp ground)
    • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
    • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
    • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • Black pepper
    • 1 cup pearl couscous
    • 2/3 cup frozen peas

    How to make it

    1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook 2 minutes, then add the carrots and celery and cook until the onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
    2. Stir in the ginger and turmeric for 30 seconds.
    3. Add the broth, chicken, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes.
    4. Lift out the chicken and shred it with two forks.
    5. Bring the soup back to a boil, add the couscous and cook uncovered until tender, about 8 minutes.
    6. Return the chicken, add the peas and cook 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

    Chef's own write-up of Monique Volz's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: "The best chicken soup you'll ever eat", ambitiouskitchen.com

19. No.8Photo: The Mediterranean Dish

    Avgolemono (Greek lemon chicken soup)

    Greece · 35 min · serves 6

    Lemon and egg whisked into hot broth until it goes silky. Chicken and rice. Greek grandmothers have been curing colds with this forever.

    From Suzy Karadsheh at The Mediterranean Dish · @themediterraneandish

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    Chicken and rice soup finished with eggs and lemon whisked in until it turns creamy and bright.

    You need

    • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
    • 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
    • 3/4 cup finely chopped green onions
    • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 cup rice
    • Salt and pepper
    • 2 cooked chicken breasts (6 to 8 oz), shredded
    • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 large eggs
    • Parsley, to finish

    How to make it

    1. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the carrots, celery and green onions until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
    2. Add the broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chicken. Discard the bay leaves.
    3. Whisk the lemon juice and eggs together in a bowl. Whisking constantly, add 2 ladlefuls of hot broth, a little at a time, to warm the eggs without scrambling them.
    4. Take the pot off the heat and stir the egg mixture back in. The soup will thicken and turn silky.
    5. Taste for salt and lemon, scatter parsley and serve. Reheat gently, never boiling, or the eggs will curdle.

    Chef's own write-up of Suzy Karadsheh's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Avgolemono (Greek lemon chicken soup), themediterraneandish.com

20. No.7Photo: Mexico in My Kitchen

    Pozole rojo

    Mexico · 2 hr 45 min · serves 8

    A party in a pot. Pork, hominy, a red chile broth, and then everyone piles on their own cabbage, radish, oregano and lime. Mely cooks the way her family did.

    From Mely Martínez at Mexico in My Kitchen · @mexicoinmykitchen

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    Pork shoulder and ribs simmered with hominy in a guajillo and ancho chile broth, piled high with crunchy garnishes.

    You need

    • 4 quarts water
    • 2 lb pork shoulder, cubed
    • 1 lb pork spare ribs
    • 1 white onion, quartered
    • 8 garlic cloves
    • Salt
    • 3 cans (15 oz each) white hominy, drained and rinsed
    • 5 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
    • 5 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
    • 6 garlic cloves (for the sauce)
    • 1 medium white onion, chopped (for the sauce)
    • 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano
    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • To serve: shredded lettuce or cabbage, chopped onion, sliced radishes, oregano, ground chile piquin, lime wedges, tostadas, avocado

    How to make it

    1. Put the pork shoulder, ribs, quartered onion, 8 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp salt in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer partly covered until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Discard the onion and garlic.
    2. While the meat cooks, toast the chiles in a dry skillet for a few seconds a side, just until fragrant. Soak them in hot water for 15 minutes.
    3. Blend the chiles with the 6 garlic cloves, chopped onion, oregano and 1 cup of the pork broth until very smooth. Strain.
    4. Heat the oil in a skillet and fry the chile sauce, stirring, for 5 minutes until it darkens a little.
    5. Stir the sauce and the hominy into the pot. Simmer 30 minutes so the flavors come together. Season with salt.
    6. Serve in deep bowls and let everyone add lettuce, onion, radish, oregano, chile and lime, with tostadas on the side.

    Chef's own write-up of Mely Martínez's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Pozole rojo, mexicoinmykitchen.com

21. No.6Photo: Marion's Kitchen

    Tom kha gai

    Thailand · 20 min · serves 2

    Twenty minutes, one pot. Coconut milk, galangal, lemongrass, lime leaves, chicken. Sour, salty, a little sweet, a little hot. Marion makes Thai food feel doable.

    From Marion Grasby at Marion's Kitchen · @marionskitchen

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    Chicken poached in coconut milk with galangal, lemongrass and lime leaves, sharpened with lime and fish sauce.

    You need

    • 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) coconut milk
    • 1 stalk lemongrass, sliced
    • 2-inch piece galangal, sliced
    • 3 makrut lime leaves, torn, stems removed
    • 3 bird's eye chiles, roughly chopped
    • 10.5 oz (300 g) chicken thigh, bite-size pieces
    • 3.5 oz (100 g) mushrooms, sliced or torn
    • 3 tbsp lime juice
    • 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 3 stalks cilantro, leaves and stems chopped

    How to make it

    1. Put the coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and chiles in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
    2. Add the chicken and simmer until just cooked through, about 6 minutes.
    3. Add the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes more.
    4. Take it off the heat and stir in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. Taste: it should be sour, salty and a little sweet. Adjust.
    5. Ladle into bowls and top with the cilantro. (The galangal and lemongrass are for flavor, not for eating.)

    Chef's own write-up of Marion Grasby's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Tom kha gai, marionskitchen.com

22. No.5Photo: Korean Bapsang

    Kimchi jjigae

    Korea · 30 min · serves 2

    The stew Korea eats on a Tuesday. Old, sour kimchi, a little pork belly, tofu, done in half an hour. Hyosun's recipe is the classic.

    From Hyosun Ro at Korean Bapsang · @koreanbapsang

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    Well-fermented kimchi cooked with pork belly and gochugaru, then simmered with tofu and scallions.

    You need

    • 2 cups packed fully fermented (sour) kimchi, bite-size
    • 4 oz pork belly, sliced
    • 1 to 3 tsp gochugaru, to taste
    • 1 tsp minced garlic
    • 1 tbsp cooking oil
    • 1/2 cup kimchi juice
    • 1 1/2 cups water or anchovy stock
    • 6 oz tofu, sliced
    • 2 scallions, cut in pieces
    • Salt or soup soy sauce and pepper, to taste

    How to make it

    1. Heat the oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Cook the pork until it starts to brown.
    2. Add the kimchi and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until it softens and smells toasty. Stir in the gochugaru and garlic.
    3. Pour in the kimchi juice and the water or stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes so the kimchi turns tender.
    4. Lay in the tofu and simmer 5 minutes more. Add the scallions.
    5. Taste and season with salt or a splash of soup soy sauce and pepper. Serve bubbling, with rice.

    Chef's own write-up of Hyosun Ro's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Kimchi jjigae, koreanbapsang.com

23. No.4Photo: Hungry Huy

    Bún bò Huế

    Hue, Vietnam · 3 hr 30 min · serves 8

    Pho gets the press. This is the one people from Vietnam talk about. Lemongrass, shrimp paste, a red chili oil on top, and a broth that takes all afternoon. Huy walks you through every bit of it.

    From Huy Vu at Hungry Huy · @hungryhuy

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    Hue's spicy beef and pork noodle soup: a lemongrass and shrimp-paste broth, rice noodles and a red chili oil on top.

    You need

    • 2 lb beef shank
    • 2 lb oxtail
    • 2 lb pork hocks
    • 1 lb cha Hue (Hue-style pork sausage), sliced
    • 1 lb pork blood cake, cubed (optional)
    • 24 oz chicken broth
    • 12 stalks lemongrass, tops removed, bruised
    • 2 large yellow onions, halved
    • 3 tbsp salt
    • 2 tbsp sugar
    • 2 tbsp fine shrimp paste
    • 3 to 4 tbsp fish sauce
    • 1 to 2 tsp MSG (optional)
    • 14 oz dried thick round rice noodles
    • For the chili oil: 1/2 cup neutral oil, 3 oz minced shallot, 1.5 oz minced garlic, 1 oz minced lemongrass, 2 tbsp gochugaru, 3/4 oz crushed dried Thai chiles, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar
    • To serve: mint, Thai basil, bean sprouts, shredded banana blossom, lime wedges, sliced chiles

    How to make it

    1. Put the shank, oxtail and hocks in a large pot, cover with water, boil 5 minutes, then drain and rinse the meat and the pot. This keeps the broth clear.
    2. Return the meat to the pot with the chicken broth and enough water to cover (about 6 quarts). Add the lemongrass, onions, salt and sugar. Simmer gently, skimming, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Lift the shank out after about 1 1/2 hours, when tender, and slice it.
    3. Meanwhile make the chili oil: warm the oil and gently fry the shallot, garlic and lemongrass until fragrant and pale gold. Off the heat stir in the gochugaru, crushed chiles, fish sauce and sugar.
    4. Dissolve the shrimp paste in a cup of hot broth, let it settle, and pour the liquid into the pot (leave the grit). Season with fish sauce and MSG. Remove the lemongrass and onions. Add the blood cake for the last 10 minutes if using.
    5. Cook the noodles according to the package, drain and rinse.
    6. Divide noodles among big bowls, add sliced shank, oxtail, hock and cha Hue, ladle over boiling broth and spoon chili oil on top. Serve with the herbs, sprouts, banana blossom and lime.

    Chef's own write-up of Huy Vu's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Bún bò Huế, hungryhuy.com

24. No.3Photo: Pinch of Yum

    Pastina soup ("Italian penicillin")

    Italy, by way of Minneapolis · 45 min · serves 6

    The internet calls it Italian penicillin. Tiny star pasta in a blended vegetable broth, Parmesan on top. It's what you make when someone in the house is sick, or sad, or both.

    From Lindsay Ostrom at Pinch of Yum · @pinchofyum

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    Vegetables simmered in broth and blended smooth, then tiny star pasta cooked right in it. Parmesan on top.

    You need

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 3 large carrots, in big chunks
    • 2 celery stalks, in big chunks
    • 1/2 yellow onion, in big chunks
    • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
    • 10 cups chicken or vegetable broth
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 cups pastina (stelline or other tiny pasta)
    • Freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

    How to make it

    1. Warm the olive oil in a big pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
    2. Add the broth and salt, bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are completely soft, about 20 minutes.
    3. Blend the soup until smooth with a stick blender (or in batches in a blender, venting the lid).
    4. Bring the soup back to a simmer, add the pastina and cook, stirring often so it doesn't stick, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
    5. Taste for salt. Ladle into bowls with lots of Parmesan. The pasta keeps drinking broth, so thin leftovers with a little more broth.

    Chef's own write-up of Lindsay Ostrom's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Pastina soup ("Italian penicillin"), pinchofyum.com

25. No.2Photo: Just One Cookbook

    Tonjiru (pork and vegetable miso soup)

    Japan · 40 min · serves 8

    Miso soup for when you're actually hungry. Pork belly, burdock, daikon, taro and tofu in dashi. Namiko's version is the one to learn from.

    From Namiko Chen at Just One Cookbook · @justonecookbook

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    Japan's hearty miso soup: pork belly, burdock, daikon, taro, carrot, konnyaku and tofu simmered in dashi.

    You need

    • 10 oz thinly sliced pork belly, cut in 1-inch pieces
    • 1/2 burdock root (gobo), about 3.5 oz
    • 3 small taro (satoimo), about 8 oz
    • 1 yellow onion
    • 2 1/2-inch piece daikon, about 9 oz
    • 4-inch piece carrot
    • 1/2 block konnyaku, torn into small pieces and rubbed with a pinch of salt
    • 1 Tokyo negi (long green onion)
    • 1 piece aburaage (fried tofu pouch)
    • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
    • 7 oz medium-firm tofu, cubed
    • 6 cups dashi
    • 6 tbsp miso
    • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
    • 1 scallion, sliced
    • Shichimi togarashi, to serve (optional)

    How to make it

    1. Scrub the burdock and shave it into thin slivers into a bowl of water. Peel the taro and cut into bite-size pieces. Cut the onion into wedges, the daikon and carrot into thin quarter-moons, and the negi into diagonal slices. Pour boiling water over the aburaage to rinse off oil and slice it.
    2. Rinse the salted konnyaku and boil it for 2 minutes to remove the smell. Drain.
    3. Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir-fry the pork until it changes color, then add the burdock, carrot, daikon, onion, taro and konnyaku and cook 2 minutes more.
    4. Pour in the dashi and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum, add the aburaage, lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
    5. Add the tofu and negi and warm through. Turn off the heat and dissolve the miso into the soup a little at a time through a strainer or ladle. Don't let it boil again.
    6. Stir in the ginger, top with scallion and serve with shichimi if you like heat.

    Chef's own write-up of Namiko Chen's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: Tonjiru (pork and vegetable miso soup), justonecookbook.com

26. No.1Photo: RecipeTin Eats

    French onion soup

    France · 1 hr 50 min · serves 4

    Nagi cooks the onions low and slow until they go deep brown and jammy, and she tells you exactly how long that takes, so you don't rush it. Bread, Gruyère, broiler. Nothing better on a cold night.

    From Nagi Maehashi at RecipeTin Eats · @recipe_tin

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    Onions cooked low for over an hour until deep brown, a beef broth, then toasted bread and Gruyère under the broiler.

    You need

    • 7 tbsp (100 g) unsalted butter
    • 2 1/2 lb (1.25 kg) yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
    • 3/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
    • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
    • 6 cups low-sodium beef broth (or chicken)
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 sprigs thyme
    • Salt and black pepper
    • 6 to 8 slices baguette
    • 3.5 oz (100 g) Gruyère, grated
    • Parsley or thyme leaves, to finish

    How to make it

    1. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and stir to coat.
    2. Cook the onions, stirring every few minutes, until soft and golden, about 30 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low and keep going until they are deep brown and jammy, another 40 to 60 minutes. If they catch, add a splash of water and scrape.
    3. Pour in the wine and let it bubble away almost completely. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
    4. Add the broth, bay leaves and thyme. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, then fish out the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
    5. Toast the baguette slices. Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls, float the toast on top and cover with the Gruyère.
    6. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Scatter with herbs and serve.

    Chef's own write-up of Nagi Maehashi's recipe, in our words. Save it and it opens in Chef Amazing with a timeline, mise en place and what you already have.

    Recipe: French onion soup, recipetineats.com

How I picked

One soup per cook, all from the creators on our Hot 100, so you get 25 different kitchens instead of five chicken noodles. I looked for the soup each of them is best at, the ones their readers keep making. Every recipe page was checked on October 28, 2026. The photos are theirs and say so. Who did I miss? Tell me at hello@chefamazing.com.

More soup

Every photo is the creator's own, from the recipe it goes with, and every recipe is theirs; what you save is Chef's own write-up in our words, credited and linked to the original. Chef Amazing isn't paid by anyone on this list.