Favorite Recipes for Soups and Stews

Italian Wedding Soup
Photo: Brie Goldman

Our recipes for warm-and-comforting soups include creamy butternut squash soup, beef stew, corn chowder, chicken noodle soup and more.

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Mexican Potato Soup

Mexican Potato Soup
Brie Passano

A favorite comfort food gets a bit of a kick with spicy chorizo sausage and chiles. This recipe is quick enough for a weeknight.

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Butternut squash and apple soup in bowls
Carson Downing

This creamy, gingery soup balances savory elements with the sweetness of the squash and apples. The flavors are complex but the preparation isn't.

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Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup
Brie Goldman

Because this soup—which uses Italian turkey sausage as the base for mini meatballs—is so simple, the quality of the broth will show. Choose a more flavorful brand, such as Kitchen Basics. Or if you're lucky enough to have homemade stock in the freezer, this is the time to bust it out.

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Pasta e Ceci (Pasta and Chickpea Soup)

Soup with pasta and chickpeas
Carson Downing

This meat-free meal will nourish your body and satisfy your soul. Vegans can omit the sprinkle of cheese on top and use toasted panko breadcrumbs instead.

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Buffalo Corn-Potato Chowder

Buffalo Corn-Potato Chowder

Inspired by Buffalo chicken wings, this zesty twist on classic cheesy potato soup is perfect for dishing up on game day (or any weeknight). The recipe doesn't call for chicken, but you can add it if you like.

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Shortcut Dumpling Soup

Shortcut Dumpling Soup

You'll be amazed what a quick simmer with fresh ginger and scallions will do for boxed chicken broth. Throw in frozen pot stickers (Chinese dumplings), edamame and red cabbage for a nutritious dinner that's ready in 30 minutes.

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Corn-Sausage Chowder

Corn Sausage Chowder Recipe

Pork sausage, cream-style corn, evaporated milk, potatoes and whole-kernel corn come together quickly for a delicious weeknight dinner,

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Avgolemono Soup

two bowls of Avgolemono Soup with bread
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.

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Italian Soup

Italian Soup

This flavorful soup from Mary Ann Van Wassenhove of Mitchell, South Dakota, is a breeze to make and is heartier than other, similar soups thanks to kidney beans and broccoli.

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Autumn Beef Stew

Autumn Beef Stew

We riffed off Julia Child's legendary boeuf bourguignon, stealing her trick of flavoring a wine-rich beef stew with bacon drippings, but adding generous chunks of carrot, potato and butternut squash.

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Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This 170-calorie slow-cooker version of a classic comfort food takes just 25 minutes of prep and uses reduced-fat cream cheese in its creamy homemade broth.

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Chili-Ginger Mung Bean Soup

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 delicious soup.

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White Surprise Chili

White Surprise Chili

This high-protein main dish looks like navy bean soup but is actually a mild chicken chili.

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Brats and Beer Cheddar Chowder

Brats and Beer Cheddar Chowder
Mark Thomas

Midwest Living created this hearty chowder to salute the Badger State's German beer, bratwurst and cheese heritage. The tang of the beer and smokiness of the brats hold up to the bold cheddar and caraway.

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Three Sisters Corn-and-Chili Chowder

Three Sisters Corn-and-Chili Chowder

This lively chowder uses the three sisters of Native American cooking: corn, beans and squash.

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Miner's Beef Stew

Miner's Beef Stew

In Branson, Missouri, guests dine on this stew at a Silver Dollar City restaurant. The meat slow-cooks for fork-tender results.

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Macaroni and Cheese Chowder with Crispy Ham

Macaroni and Cheese Chowder with Crispy Ham

A splash of hot sauce, a topper of pan-fried ham and a just-right secret ingredient for ultrasmooth creaminess. (Guilty pleasure, thy name is American cheese.)

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Sweet Potato-Corn Chowder

Sweet Potato-Corn Chowder

Cincinnati Chef Paul Dagenbach upgraded the classic Midwest corn chowder. Sweet potatoes and andouille sausage made their way into the mix, along with cumin, chili powder and Cajun spice for a little zing.

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Slow-Cooker Brat and Sauerkraut Soup

Slow-Cooker Brat and Sauerkraut Soup

Potatoes, onion, sauerkraut and brats pack in the German flavor in this homey slow-cooker soup. Try with Whole Wheat Pretzel Rolls; the soft pretzels' chewy, brown exterior comes from being boiled in an alkaline solution—the 1/4 cup baking soda in the water isn't a typo!

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Cheesy Potato Soup

Cheesy Potato Soup

Potato, bacon and cheese—all the flavors you love in a bowl of soup! The American cheese keeps the soup from curdling while it slow cooks. Mashing cooked potatoes a bit gives it some body, while the bacon adds a smoky-salty taste to this soup.

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Souper Spaghetti

Souper Spaghetti

Use classic spaghetti ingredients—sauce, diced tomatoes, ground beef, noodles and Italian seasoning—to create this easy soup. A salad and garlic bread complete the meal.

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Chipotle Black Bean Chili

Chipotle Black Bean Chili

Inspired by traditional Mexican mole, this hearty vegetarian chili includes a touch of chocolate to add depth. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce give a rich smokiness. If you like, you can save half the chili to make Stacked Black Bean Enchilada Pie.

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