Food Soups & Stews Simmering Soups and Stews By Midwest Living editors Midwest Living editors Midwest Living's experienced editors create best-in-class travel, lifestyle, food, home and garden content you won't find anywhere else. We're loudly, proudly Midwestern, and we're passionate about helping our audience explore and create through award-winning storytelling. Midwest Living's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 22, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Carson Downing Dish out a steaming bowl of comfort food with some of our favorite recipes for soups, stews, chowders, chilies and bisques. 01 of 41 Calico Chowder Blaine Moats If you have partial bags of dried beans loitering in the pantry, throw them all in the pot to make this anything-goes fall soup. Perfumed with thyme and sage, it's creamy, homey and gratifyingly resourceful. Great Ways to Use Canned or Dried Beans View Recipe 02 of 41 Chicken Pot Pie Soup Broth gives this comforting soup plenty of meaty flavor, but you can stir in chopped cooked chicken for a heartier version. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe that helps feed hungry families in Cincinnati. View Recipe 03 of 41 Corn and Potato Chowder Carson Downing Why mess with a good thing? This hearty classic starts with chopped bacon then uses those flavorful drippings to cook the veggies. Corn kernels do double duty—puree them to thicken the soup and leave some whole to float in the rich broth. View Recipe 04 of 41 Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup Carson Downing A whole jalapeño pepper brings subtle, delicious heat in this soup recipe (remove the seeds for less kick). Add your favorite toppers like tortilla strips, cilantro, avocado or Greek Yogurt, and dig in. Sizzling Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes View Recipe 05 of 41 Thai Coconut Soup with Shrimp Carson Downing Laced with ginger, lime and fish sauce, this weeknight-easy recipe is a version of tom kha goong, a brothy, aromatic coconut soup. To make tom kha gai, swap in 3 cups shredded cooked chicken for the shrimp. View Recipe 06 of 41 White Bean Stew with Marinated Radicchio White Bean Stew with Marinated Radicchio. Shelly Westerhausen Worcel/Courtesy of Chronicle Books Our testers loved this healthful, dill-flecked stew. The recipe comes from the cookbook Every Season is Soup Season by Indiana author Shelly Westerhausen Worcel. Worcel gives a companion recipe for every soup—a totally different food you can make with leftovers. This stew can be turned into White Bean and Dill Dip. Turn Leftover Soup Into Something New With This Creative Cookbook View Recipe 07 of 41 Vietnamese-Style Noodle Soup Carson Downing This comforting, spiced soup will warm you up on chilly evenings. Our recipe echoes pho (pronounced "fuh") but has a shorter simmer time thanks to boxed broth and flank steak. Try Vietnamese Shrimp and Noodle Bowls View Recipe 08 of 41 Asparagus, Morel and Walleye Soup with Rye Croutons Carson Downing Don't skip the addictive miso-butter croutons in this recipe, adapted from one served at Larder, a Jewish deli in Cleveland. (Chef Jeremy Umansky is also an expert in Asian fermentation.) How 3 Midwest Kitchens Are Adapting—And Expanding—Modern Jewish Cuisine View Recipe 09 of 41 Sausage-Sweet Potato Soup Blaine Moats Sweet potatoes contribute their sweet taste to this hearty weeknight soup which is balanced by tart apple cider. Sweet Potato Recipes You'll Love View Recipe 10 of 41 Avgolemono Soup Blaine Moats This traditional Greek chicken soup made with egg, lemon and orzo is rich and velvety, but also bright and refreshing thanks to a healthy dose of lemon juice. View Recipe 11 of 41 Italian Dinner Soup Gail Gladding-Pullara of Oregon, Wisconsin, created this simple, crowd-pleasing soup. "My family loves this recipe," she says. "It's easy and tastes like you've been cooking for hours." Family-Favorite Soups and Stews View Recipe 12 of 41 Spicy Beef, Bean and Vegetable Stew Affordable beef chuck roast, apple, parsnip and sweet potato slow-simmer in broth flavored with dark beer, herbs and spices. Warm corn bread muffins and cold winter night optional. Try Our Sage Corn Muffins View Recipe 13 of 41 Moroccan Chicken Stew Blaine Moats Golden raisins and almonds are classic Moroccan ingredients that are essential to this comforting weeknight stew. The raisins add sweetness and the almonds add texture. View Recipe 14 of 41 Pork and Tomatillo Pozole Pork and Tomatillo Pozole. Brie Passano Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup thickened with hominy. This version, from Karen Bell, chef and owner of Bavette La Boucherie in Milwaukee, only gets better the next day, so keep extra slaw around for round two. View Recipe 15 of 41 White Surprise Chili This high-protein main dish looks like navy bean soup but is actually a mild chicken chili. Warm-You-Up Chili Recipes View Recipe 16 of 41 Maple-Chile Butternut Soup This is a great dairy-free (and cholesterol-free, too) soup in its own right, but a drizzle of Asian-spiced maple syrup adds a wonderfully unexpected kick and dramatic red flourish. The recipe comes from The Birchwood Cafe Cookbook (University of Minnesota Press, $29.95). Butternut Squash Recipes View Recipe 17 of 41 Hearty Vegetarian Chili Many vegetarian chilies eat more like soups, but ours is built to satisfy a meat-lover. Bulgur wheat and mushrooms combine to mimic the texture and flavor of ground beef; chili powder, smoked paprika and chocolate stout lend deep, authentic flavor without a long simmer. Our Top Vegetarian Recipes View Recipe 18 of 41 Chili-Ginger Mung Bean Soup Blaine Moats Mung beans are petite beans with a toothsome texture and earthy flavor. They're sold dry and simmer right in the broth of this deliciously sinus-clearing soup. View Recipe 19 of 41 Chili Verde with Corn Bread Croutons Bulgur wheat lends meaty texture, fiber and protein to soups and stews, where it can cook in the broth. In our sweet and savory chili, we match the grain with salsa verde, peppers and edamame—a weeknight meal that makes it oh-so-easy to be green. View Recipe 20 of 41 Bacon-Rutabaga Bisque Blaine Moats This twist on your classic potato soup uses rutabaga, a humble root veggie that has a deliciously sweet-nutty flavor. View Recipe 21 of 41 Smoky Roasted Tomato Bisque Even so-so winter tomatoes work beautifully in this easy recipe from La Soupe cafe in Cincinnati: Roasting brings out their sweetness. Try Our Ultimate Grilled Ham-and-Cheese Sandwich View Recipe 22 of 41 Shredded Pork Posole Hominy is the signature ingredient in this traditional, chililike Mexican soup. Our Best Pork Recipes View Recipe 23 of 41 Tuscan Bean Soup Flecked with a grab bag of hearty vegetables, this healthy soup hums with garlic and crushed red pepper. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe in Cincinnati. View Recipe 24 of 41 Chicken and Kielbasa Winter Stew Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but this hearty supper soup takes just an hour to make. The secret? Deli-roasted chicken and precooked sausage. Pair with breadsticks or a crusty baguette for a perfect winter meal that will fill your house with good smells. View Recipe 25 of 41 Thai Egg Drop Soup Curry paste and fish sauce (both available at large supermarkets) give a Thai twist to the Chinese take-out staple. Ready in about 20 minutes, this recipe from La Soupe cafe in Cincinnati is a great pantry recipe for frigid winter weeknights. View Recipe 26 of 41 Gingered Chicken Meatball Soup with Brown Rice and Basil This healthy, Asian-style soup is ready in only 45 minutes. Ingredients such as rice vinegar, fresh ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce add tangy and savory accents. View Recipe 27 of 41 Hearty Minestrone Soup Susan Corley of New Albany, Ohio, shared her version of the classic Italian soup in New Albany Cooking with Friends, a cooking club project that took regional honors in the Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards. Susan often slow-cooks a pot of the soup for family meals during the holidays. View Recipe 28 of 41 Soy-Ginger Soup with Chicken Somen are thin Japanese wheat noodles. Find them at Asian groceries or large supermarkets, or substitute vermicilli in this light chicken soup. View Recipe 29 of 41 Bacon and Baked Potato Soup Bacon is versatile and dependable, amping up most dishes. Our cheesy potato soup just seems to call for salty-smoky crumbled bacon. So we stirred some in and sprinkled the rest on top. If you like seasoned bacon, try pepper-rubbed bacon in the soup. View Recipe 30 of 41 Power Green Soup One of the most popular menu items at La Soupe in Cincinnati, this cleansing blend is flavored with garlic, ginger and horseradish, and is loaded with nearly 2 pounds of spinach, collards, kale and mustard greens. Try it with a squeeze of lemon. View Recipe 31 of 41 Pumpkin, Chickpea & Red Lentil Stew This hearty soup boasts a bounty of veggies and seasonings, including pumpkin or squash, fresh ginger, lime juice, cumin and fresh cilantro. View Recipe 32 of 41 Apple Harvest Chili Fresh apple, dried fruit and cashews add color, sweetness and crunch to a ready-in-45 vegetarian chili. For a twist on the traditional toppers (and to hint what's inside), garnish with apple slivers. View Recipe 33 of 41 Chipotle Black-Bean Chili Tuck this chili into your slow cooker in the morning so you can come home to a warm winter dinner. Omit the meat if you'd prefer a hearty meatless main dish. If you like, add chopped avocado or shredded cheese as toppers before serving. View Recipe 34 of 41 Cream of Any-Vegetable Soup Simmering for hours is so Sunday afternoon! On weeknights, whip up this easy and nutritious soup using whatever veggies you have on hand. View Recipe 35 of 41 Matzo Ball Soup Minnesota TV personality and author Andrew Zimmern's version of a Jewish deli staple is the perfect antidote to a cold winter night. Try AZ's Ultimate Chicken Stock View Recipe 36 of 41 Kansas City Steak Soup Mark Thomas Our version of the classic Kansas City steak soup uses lean ground sirloin mixed with veggies and seasoned with a blast of steak sauce and Worcestershire. It cooks in just 25 minutes. Favorite Midwest Hometown Recipes View Recipe 37 of 41 Curried Cauliflower Soup Let your imagination roam to India when it comes to toppers for this mildly spicy soup: toasted unsweetened coconut, coarsely chopped cashews, a dollop of yogurt and warm naan bread for dipping. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe in Cincinnati. View Recipe 38 of 41 Ham Florentine Soup Florentine-style dishes have one thing in common: heart-healthy spinach. In this case, the leafy greens combine with chunks of ham in a chowderlike soup. For best results, remove spinach stems before cooking. View Recipe 39 of 41 Ginger-Carrot Soup Combine caramelized onions, ginger, carrots and a sweet potato for this creamy, pretty soup. Good-For-You Carrot Recipes View Recipe 40 of 41 Pork and Veggie Oven Stew Mark Thomas Thyme, oregano and lemon-pepper seasoning flavor this oven-baked stew, which includes potatoes, pork, corn and green beans. Like even more corn? We love corn muffins with this dish. View Recipe 41 of 41 Knoephla Mark Thomas German-Russians settling the Dakotas put Red River Valley potatoes to good use in this creamy-rich potato-filled base with noodle dough. It's pure comfort food. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit