It’s never too early for soup season. Whether you’re enjoying some crisp autumn air or you’re just cranking up the air conditioning and wearing a sweater as a form of cosplay, fall is nigh. It officially begins on Sept. 22. If you want to swap out a few of those quick weeknight salads for some brothy goodness but don’t know where to start, the New York Times Food staff is happy to help. Here are 16 of our go-to soups for the days when a bowl of cozy is in order.
Mark Bittman’s ribollita is one of my all-time favorite soups. It’s cheap, easy and warming in just the right way, all tomatoey and herby. But best of all, it has a perfect topping of toasted bread and cheese that recalls French onion soup without any of the caramelizing of onions. All to say, I won’t shut up about it. KRYSTEN CHAMBROT
I love Melissa Clark’s hearty and wholesome chickpea and vegetable soup because you can just dump all of the ingredients into a pot (no sautéing) and let it simmer until it’s done. The topping of rosemary, Parmesan, lemon zest and black pepper cannot be skipped; it’s magic. MARGAUX LASKEY
Recipe: Chickpea Vegetable Soup With Parmesan, Rosemary and Lemon
The illusion of time is alive and well in Sara Bonisteel’s French onion soup, reminding everyone of the lush transformation that onions undergo with some patience and a little bit of stirring. It takes nearly an hour for onions to get to that perfect sticky-sweet moment, but it’s so worth it. Topped generously with Gruyère and bread, this cozy soup is the equivalent of my go-to fall jacket. ELEANORE PARK
This simple, sesame-scented soup from Sue Li may be the best thing you can do with a couple of chicken breasts. They simmer gently with ginger, creating a fragrant broth. The chicken is then shredded, and the silky strands are added back to the pot along with scallions and ramen noodles. It’s a hearty, easy and soul-satisfying brew for when the weather gets chilly. MELISSA CLARK
This is the soup that made me love lentils. It’s light, lemony and fast-cooking, and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like it. EMILY WEINSTEIN
Recipe: Red Lentil Soup With Lemon
Adapted from Freemans Restaurant in New York by Florence Fabricant, this is a great cold-weather soup. It might sound like a lot of bacon in the recipe, but it’s just the right amount, at least for me. Add a salad and good, rustic bread, and you’ve got a meal. And it goes well with a good syrah. ERIC ASIMOV
Recipe: Hearty Split Pea Soup With Bacon
The moment that I feel the tingle of a crisp fall breeze in New York City, I am craving butternut squash soup. I love this soup from Samin Nosrat because first, it is delicious, second, the aromatics make your house smell absolutely amazing and third, you can store it in the freezer for future fall or winter days when you crave soup (but not so much the process of making said soup). Oh, and do not skip on the peanut, chile and basil garnish! GABRIELLA LEWIS
I have a friend from college who happens to be a Melissa Clark superfan. I once asked my friend which of Melissa’s recipes she makes most often, and she recommended this soup. Now it’s one of my go-tos, too. I’m always looking for ways to eat healthy, homemade dinners that contain vegetables without actually cooking anything additional. (That’s reasonable, right?) EMILY FLEISCHAKER
Doenjang jjigae has always been my go-to stew. I love studding it with cubed steak and broken hunks of soft tofu, or occasionally preparing a vegetarian version loaded with Korean squash. Doenjang is a fermented soybean paste, so I figured it could be fun to use it in a stew that featured whole beans as well (in the form of cannellini). I would call this pantry stew a very brothy, soupy bowl of goodness. Rachael Ray might call it a “stoup.” For me, it’s dinner most weeks. ERIC KIM
Recipe: Doenjang Jjigae
I live in southeast Louisiana, at the top edge of the Caribbean, in a region where gumbo is king, and thus am among people who gratefully live the truth that it can never be too hot to eat soup. When collard greens are plentiful, you’ll find me substituting them for Swiss chard in Martha Rose Shulman’s chickpea minestrone, regardless of the temperature outside. BRETT ANDERSON
I was first introduced to New York Times Cooking in college when my vegetarian friend made this soup after she first subscribed. We were working late on a cold night in our office to prepare the student newspaper for the next day, and my friend brought in a big pot of this tomato soup. I remember how great it felt to eat this creamy, cheesy soup — my first homemade dish in a long time, presented in something other than a takeout container. I can’t think of a better introduction. CHRISTINA MORALES
A food writing pet peeve of mine is when people describe a dish as “restaurant quality.” I’ve always found it to be a lazy slight to home cooking. But here I am, at a loss for better words to describe this soup from Alexa Weibel. It’s almost irrationally delicious, masquerading as a simple green purée, but with intensely concentrated potato-leek flavor in every spoonful. BECKY HUGHES
This billi bi has all the trappings of fanciness — a Paris pedigree by way of Craig Claiborne, a spot on the Minetta Tavern menu early on — but it’s actually really simple and fortifying. You basically steam mussels and make a soup from the resulting broth; the stuff you’d usually sop up with bread becomes the broth, with help from some cream and butter. I’ve also found that it’s a nice base for improvisation, including adding some saffron, curry powder, smoked paprika or turmeric, though not all of these at once. BRIAN GALLAGHER
Recipe: Billi Bi
I love this soup from Yasmin Khan by way of Mayukh Sen. It hits all the right notes for me: hearty, textural, flavorful and quick to execute. The roasted cauliflower, used both in the puréed soup and as a topping, adds immense depth to each spoonful. It also tastes better the next day, making for a great desk lunch. Soup’s on, y’all! VAUGHN VREELAND
This makes for a very hearty meal on its own, and everyone has fun with the toppings. We like it served smooth, and I put bowls of the various toppings in the middle of the table so that everyone can customize to their own taste. You might want to have extra cheese and bacon if the kids are around. This one comes together in about half an hour, so it can make for a great weeknight dinner or a perfect warmup on a cold weekend. KIM GOUGENHEIM
Recipe: Baked Potato Soup
Where I live in Brooklyn, the farmers’ market is on that seasonal cusp where late-summer peaches sit next to early pears, and the last of the zucchini are not far from the first of the butternut squash. Until the changeover is complete, I’ll make this corn and clam chowder to draw out summer for as long as I can. CATHY LO
