5 Global Soups That Warm the Soul

4/5/2025

Soup is the universal language of comfort. From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the cozy kitchens of Kraków, every culture has a bowl that brings people home. Here are five must-try soups from around the world that feed more than just your stomach.

1. Tom Yum (Thailand)
   A hot and sour miracle with lemongrass, lime, and chili. Clears sinuses, awakens the soul.

2. Ash Reshteh (Iran)
   A hearty blend of herbs, legumes, and noodles. Check out our Ash Reshteh recipe and let the Persian comfort begin.

3. Minestrone (Italy)
   The original fridge-cleanout soup — rustic, rich, and always satisfying.

4. Borscht (Ukraine)
   Beet-forward and unapologetic. Sweet, sour, and vibrant red — like a hug from grandma.

5. Avgolemono (Greece)
   Lemon, egg, chicken, rice — bright and silky. The Mediterranean cure-all.

Every spoonful is a portal. Which passport-stamp-in-a-bowl will you try first?

Related Recipes

Ash Reshteh

Ash Reshteh is a thick, hearty soup that's a staple dish in Iranian cuisine. This recipe celebrates a nourishing mix of herbs, pulses, and Persian noodles. The dish sends your taste buds on an adventure with complex, savory flavors balanced by hints of tangy whey and crispy onions.

Bean Soup

Our traditional Bean Soup is a hearty and comforting dish, perfect for cold winter days. It is packed with flavorful beans and vegetables, giving it a thick consistency and a rich, savory taste. The soup benefits from slow simmering, allowing the flavors to meld together in harmony.

Borscht

Borscht is a traditional Eastern European soup known for its distinctive deep red color, coming from its main ingredient: beets. With a complex interplay of savory, sweet, and tangy notes, it's a substantial, comforting dish perfect for cold weather.

Bread Soup

Our Bread Soup is a rustic bowl of hearty goodness. It captures the essence of simple homemade cuisine, utilizing humble ingredients combined in a way that bursts with robust flavors. This traditional recipe is a great method to use up leftover bread and transform it into a comforting and nourishing meal.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A hearty, creamy delight that makes an ideal winter dinner - this Broccoli Cheddar Soup is a blend of nutrients and rich flavors. Employing traditional, homemade cooking techniques, this soup is balanced, flavorful, and bound to become a favorite!

Caldo Verde

Caldo Verde is a classic Portuguese soup made primarily with potatoes, collard greens, and chorizo. This hearty soup is often served as a comforting home-cooked meal that warms you from within, perfectly suited for cold winter months.

Cassava Soup

Traditional, homemade Cassava Soup taps the roots right from the earthy richness of the Cassava plant and turns it into a creamy and delectable temptation. It emits the aroma of basic ingredient, with a hint of engaging spiciness involved. Taste the Cassava in its truest essence and discover a recipe that is a hug in a bowl.

Chicken Corn Soup

Soothing and hearty, this chicken corn soup is a beautifully balanced combination of shredded chicken, sweet corn and aromatic seasonings. It's a wholesome meal in a bowl that warms you from the inside out.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a hearty and comforting chicken noodle soup, brimming with tender chicken, delicate noodles, and a flavorful broth enriched with a variety of vegetables. It's easy to make using traditional, homemade techniques, and perfect for a cozy dinner on a chilly night, or when you're just in need of a little extra comfort.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is a hearty, comforting bowl of traditional Mexican cuisine. Filled with wholesome ingredients, a flavorful chicken broth, and garnished with crispy tortillas, it's perfect to sate your hunger on a chilly day.

Chowder

A traditional homemade chowder laden with chunks of potato, onions, and clams nestled in a thick, creamy, flavorful broth. A Pinch of thyme and bay leaves give a subtle earthy tone, which balances the richness of the creamy base.

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder is a sumptuous, velvety soup brimming with fresh corn kernels, diced potatoes, and chopped onions. Cooked in a savory broth and finished with a dash of cream, it's comfort food at its best. Every spoonful bursts with the sweetness of corn, the earthy heartiness of potatoes, and the slight crunch of onions.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Uncover the earthy essence of mushrooms in this traditional Cream of Mushroom Soup. This homemade recipe will help you reinvent this classic staple by showcasing the blend of creamy textures and savory notes of fresh mushrooms. Enjoy the hearty warmth of this soup as an appetizer or a light meal.

Doenjang Jjigae

A stalwart of Korean kitchens, Doenjang Jjigae is a robust, savory soup that harmoniously fuses the complex flavors of fermented soybean paste (doenjang), tofu, and vegetables. A classic comfort food, this soup is known for its richness, depth of flavor and nutritional content.

French Onion Soup

A classic from the French culinary repertoire, the French Onion soup is characterized by its intensely rich and savoury broth, studded with soft, caramelized onions. Served bubbling hot with a cap of crunchy golden cheese, this soup effortlessly bridges the gap between simple comfort food and refined gastronomy. Perfect for a cosy evening at home, or to impress your dinner guests with some home cooked gourmet.

Green Pea Soup

This Green Pea Soup is a classic homemade dish. A pared-down recipe showcasing the essence of the pea, heightened with subtle seasoning and creamy texture. This soup offers a comforting warmth, perfect for winter months.

Gumbo

Gumbo is a hearty, flavorful stew that is a staple in Louisiana's Creole and Cajun cuisine. It's packed with vegetables, meats, and seafood, served over a bowl of steaming rice. Highlighted by a deeply roasty, delectably rich roux, this soup's flavor profile improves each day you let it sit, becoming more complex and layered.

Hodge Podge Soup

Hodge Podge Soup is a hearty, deviously simple, yet flavorsome soup that will simultaneously warm you up and fill your tummy. A comprehensive blend of fresh vegetables, tender chicken, and soothing broth, this traditional homemade soup radiates comfort, perfect for a cozy dinner.

Laksa

Laksa, a comforting, fragrant, and exotic noodle soup hailing from Southeast Asia – specifically, Malaysia. This recipe calls upon traditional methods to deliver an authentic coconut milk and curry-based broth teeming with seafood and served over rice noodles. The interplay of spicy, sweet, sour, and savory elements makes Laksa a testament to the complex flavor profiles signature to Southeast Asian cuisine.

Lohikeitto

Lohikeitto, a traditional Finnish salmon soup packed with harmonious flavors and whispering a Nordic culinary tradition. Gentle titan of the cuisine world, it combines primary elements of salmon, potato and leek, and punctuates them with fresh dill, a veritable melody of comfort food.

Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo Ball Soup is traditional Jewish comfort food at its best. This clear, rich broth is garnished with light, fluffy matzo balls and is a staple dish of Passover holiday meals.

Paya

Paya is a traditional slow-cooked soup from the South Asian region, particularly in India and Pakistan. It's made from the trotters of a cow or goat, making it a rich source of collagen, thickening the broth and providing a silky texture. It's warm, hearty, and nurturing - comfort food at its best.

Peanut Soup

This peanut soup recipe represents traditional, authentic comfort food at its best. The primary ingredient is peanut (also known as groundnut in some cultures), paired with vegetables, for a creamy, hearty, nutritious, and flavorful result.

Pork and Seaweed Soup

A fragrant and hearty soup, Pork and Seaweed Soup combines succulent pork belly, nutritive seaweed, and a rich broth. This traditional homemade soup is a staple in East Asian cuisines, lauded for its comforting taste and beneficial properties.

Potato Leek Soup

Warm your soul with this comforting, savory classic: Potato Leek Soup. The perfect balance of hearty potatoes, sweet leeks, and simple seasoning leads to a fulfilling meal. It's traditional, homemade comfort in a bowl.

Pumpkin Soup

A creamy and warmly-spiced Pumpkin Soup. This hearty soup is built from the earthy notes of pumpkin, brought to life with the depth of homemade vegetable broth, and elevated with a hint of spice.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

A hearty and refreshing soup, the Roasted Red Pepper Soup boasts the smokiness of roasted peppers layered with the subtle tang of cream. It's a crowd-pleaser, sure to woo your tastebuds and fill your kitchen with a rich and cozy aroma.

Saimin

Saimin is a comforting, traditional Hawaiian soup with Japanese, Filipino, and Chinese origins. It has a densely flavored broth, chewy wheat noodles, and a host of savory toppings. This recipe is for a homemade, old-style saimin that stays true to its roots.

Satsivi

Satsivi is a hearty, rich soup originating from Georgia. It's a traditional dish served mainly during the cold months, predominantly among the holidays. Made from walnuts, chicken and aromatic spices, it's as delectable as it is unique, ideal for anyone seeking a cozy, warming dish that bursts with flavor.

Sopa de Lima

Sopa de Lima is a traditional Mexican soup from the Yucatan region. Packed full of chicken, tangy with citrus from limes, and fragrant with exotic spices, it's sure to satisfy both the adventurous and the comfort-seeking palates.

Sweet Corn Soup

Sweet Corn Soup is a hearty, delectable soup that fuses the sweetness of corn with delightful veggies, creating a symphony of wholesome flavors. This classic soup recipe, rooted in traditional homemade cooking, promises not only warmth and comfort but also a wallop of nutrient goodness.

Tom Kha Gai

Tom Kha Gai, traditionally known as Thai coconut soup, is a warm and rich dish featuring a tart, aromatic broth and hearty chunks of chicken. This luxurious soup entices the palate with its blend of creamy coconut milk, tangy lime, and a medley of spices. The final touch of cilantro adds freshness to balance out the richness, making this a balanced, full-bodied, and unforgettable soup.

Tomato Basil Soup

A comforting classic, Tomato Basil Soup draws on the fresh flavors of vine-ripened tomatoes and fragrant basil. This traditional recipe is homemade, replete with wholesome ingredients and simple techniques to warm your soul.

White Bean Soup

White Bean Soup is a hearty, comforting soup that is perfect for a chilly evening. It is packed with flavors of fresh vegetables and aromatic herbs, with a lovely texture from cannellini beans, making it a filling and nutritious dish.

Wonton Soup

A quintessential component of Chinese cuisine, Wonton Soup is a flavorful, comforting soup featuring small, delicate dumplings filled with a savory pork mixture, steeped in a clean, aromatic chicken and pork broth.

Yukgaejang

Yukgaejang is a hearty, spicy Korean soup known for its healing and comforting properties. It's full of tenderly braised beef shreds and a colorful medley of vegetables, all melded together in a rich chili-tainted beef broth. The vibrant heat and deep flavors make it a perfect winter dish.

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana, a traditional Italian soup from Tuscany, hits every note of comfort and robust flavor. The basic version showcases Italian sausage, robust potatoes, and hearty kale swirled together in a creamy flavorful broth.

Zurek

Zurek is a robust traditional Polish soup served predominantly at Easter but enjoyable all year round. It features a sour base made from rye flour and water, flavored with garlic and marjoram, then completed with hearty sausage, boiled potatoes, and often garnished with a hard-boiled egg. Prepare yourself for an exciting ride of flavors and fillings with roots steeped in history.