According to my cellphone, Los Angeles is in for a bit of a cold spell: Temperatures will not rise above 66 degrees for a good 10 days. In Connecticut, where I grew up, 66 degrees is considered downright balmy. But 20-plus years living in Southern California has taught me that 4 degrees below the annual average of 70 degrees qualifies as soup weather, especially since temperatures here can drop 15 to 20 degrees once the sun goes down (even in Connecticut, 46 qualifies as soup weather!).
A wintertime essential and a year-round staple in most cultures, soup is said to have been consumed by humans as long as 20,000 years ago. The variety that has resulted from peoples around the globe boiling similar ingredients in hot water is extensive. There are brothy soups like pho and tom kha gai; puree soups like creamy mushroom, butternut squash and winter vegetable soup and chunky almost-stews like pasta e fagioli, kibbeh bi’kizabrath, black bean tortilla soup and winter greens and chickpea soup.
Whether you’re looking for an old favorite or something new, any of these 30 soups will provide tasty sustenance and comfort regardless of the outdoor temperature.
Garlic Soup
Pho Gà Nhanh (Quick Chicken Pho)
Big Sky Cafe vegetarian pozole
Creamy butternut squash soup with ginger
Bún Cá Kiên Giang Fish and Shrimp Rice Noodle Soup
Mexican Chicken Soup
Soupe a l'oignon gratinee
Winter vegetable soup
Ginger Chicken Soup With Shiitake Mushrooms
Chickpea and noodle soup with Persian herbs
Beef Vermicelli Soup (Bun Bo Hue)
Spiced Lamb Meatball and Escarole Soup
Black bean tortilla soup
French leek and potato soup
Lentil Soup
Lucque's soup au pistou with Parmesan croutons
Kibbeh bi'kizabrath (cilantro-tomato soup with Syrian meatballs)
Dak Yukgaejang (Korean Spicy Hot Chicken Soup)
Chunky vegetable chicken soup
White Bean and Fennel Soup
Grub's Spinach-Mushroom-Ginger Soup
Winter Greens and Chickpea Soup
Dominick's Italian wedding soup
Taix's split pea soup
Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)
Red lentil soup with berbere
Curried Coconut Butternut Squash Soup
Giant White Bean Soup
Italian Pasta and Bean Soup With Arugula (Pasta e Fagioli)
