101 Greatest Soups on the Planet: Every Savory Soup, Stew, Chili and Chowder You Could Ever Crave

By Erin Mylroie

The Only Soup Cookbook You Will Ever Need

Best-selling author Erin Renouf Mylroie is here to provide you with an incredible collection of over 100 recipes (and 80+ photos!) of delicious soups for any occasion. Whatever you are looking for, this book has it—including vegetarian and vegan options and extra instructions for using your slow cooker or Instant Pot®. Now you can save time on meal prep and have your delicious soup, stew, chili or chowder ready in no time. Get ready to indulge in the following:

Happy Place Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Creamy Italian Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Fall Kickoff Pumpkin Vegetable Chili
Special Occasion Lobster Bisque
Jalapeño and Acorn Squash Soup with Candied Bacon
Seattle Salmon and Corn Chowder
Busy Night Wonton Soup Classic French Onion Soup with Cheese Toasts

Go beyond the basics with these wholesome and hearty soups, perfect for every home chef.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Dec 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781645676584

Book preview

THE Broths

Broths are arguably the most important building block in any soup. They are generally easy to make, fairly hands-off in the process and freeze beautifully. While homemade broths are undeniably tastier than purchased broths, the canned and boxed varieties are there for you when you need them too. Look for brands that are lower in sodium for the best results.

RICH CHICKEN BROTH

While this is certainly good enough to eat on its own, it’s also delicious in any of the recipes in this book that call for chicken broth. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s a pleasant, mostly hands-off process. Once you make homemade broth, you may just find yourself ditching the cans and cartons for life. One of the greatest advantages of homemade broth is the ability to control the level of sodium. This recipe has no salt, so it’s versatile in case you want to reduce the broth for any recipe. By the way, I still buy canned broth in a pinch, but homemade is far superior.

Yield: 8 cups (2 L) • Freezer Friendly

3 lb (1.5 kg) bony chicken pieces (wings, legs, neck, etc.)

4 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 onions, coarsely chopped

2 celery ribs

1 head garlic, halved

4 rosemary sprigs

2 bay leaves

10 whole peppercorns

⅛ tsp turmeric

10 cups (2.4 L) water

In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients. Simmer over low heat for 3 hours, stirring the broth and skimming off the foam from time to time. Remove the chicken from the pot. (You can collect the chicken meat from the bones to use for other recipes.) Strain the broth through a sieve lined with a cheesecloth. Store in glass jars. The broth is ready to eat plain, but don’t forget that there is no salt, so you’ll definitely need to add some.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Don’t lift the lid during the cooking process, but skim off all the foam at the end of the cooking time. Strain the broth as directed above.

AFTER THANKSGIVING BROTH

First of all, this should really be called Turkey Carcass Broth. Carcass! I wish there was a nicer word for it. In any case, here’s how to make a flavorful broth with your leftover turkey … um … remnants? Is that better? Yes. Yes, it is!

Yield: 6 cups (1.4 L) • Freezer Friendly

1 turkey carcass, broken or cut into 4 or 5 pieces

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 onions, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp poultry seasoning

2 bay leaves

10 whole peppercorns

10 cups (2.4 L) water

In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours, skimming and discarding the foam occasionally. Strain the broth through a sieve lined with a cheesecloth, and pour into jars. Note that there is no salt in this recipe, so if you want to eat it plain, you will want to add some.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours. Follow the same procedures, but skim off the foam only at the end of the cook time. Strain the broth as directed above.

HEARTY BEEF BROTH

Beef broth requires more effort and hands-on attention than any of the other broth variations. Enjoy it plain with cooked brown rice stirred in, or use the broth in soups that allow the beef flavor to shine through, such as the Classic French Onion Soup with Cheese Toasts.

Yield: 10 cups (2.4 L) • Freezer Friendly

5 lb (2.3 kg) beef soup bones

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 carrots, coarsely chopped

10 cups (2.4 L) water, divided

3 cloves garlic

2 potatoes, coarsely chopped

10 whole peppercorns

2 bay leaves

4 parsley sprigs

Salt, for seasoning after cooking, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Place the soup bones, onion and carrots on a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the bones are nicely browned. Working quickly, place the bones, onion and carrots into a large pot. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of the water into the hot roasting pan. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour this liquid into the pot with the bones. Add the garlic, potatoes, peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley to the pot along with the remaining water. Bring the pot to a boil, cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 6 hours, stirring every hour or so. Discard the solids and strain the broth. There is no salt in the broth, so you will need to add it to your liking.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Proceed with the oven preparation as directed. Use the slow cooker instead of the large pot. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Strain the broth as directed above.

LIGHT VEGETABLE BROTH

If you have vegetables that are getting a little past their prime, it’s a good time to make some vegetable broth. The flavor is light, and not as rich or deep as meaty broths, but very delicious. It makes a great base for vegetarian and vegan soups. Vegetable broth only needs to simmer for 1 hour, so it’s ready comparatively quickly, too. You can add a potato for flavor if you like, but it can make the broth a little cloudy.

Yield: 8 cups (2 L) • Freezer Friendly • Vegetarian/Vegan

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive or other vegetable oil

1 onion, quartered and peeled

4 carrots, scrubbed and chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 bay leaves

10 whole peppercorns

Pinch of turmeric

10 cups (2.4 L) of water

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery, and cook for 10 minutes, or until browned in places. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, or until the tomato paste turns a deep red color. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Stir in the bay leaves, peppercorns, turmeric and water. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the broth through a strainer lined with a cheesecloth. Keep in mind that there is no salt in this recipe, so be sure to add it later.

Slow Cooker Instructions: The sauté at the beginning of the stovetop version lends a richness and fullness of flavor, but if you want to make the soup in the slow cooker, you will just want to omit the oil and add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours. Strain the broth as directed above.

THE Soups

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Leave a pot of this Southwest-inspired soup on the stove or in the slow cooker, almost finished, before you do any outdoor wintertime activities. It will hit the spot! Okay, it’s even delicious if your winter activity is just trudging through a snowy parking lot to go to the mall. That counts, too!

Yield: 4 servings • Freezer Friendly • Vegetarian Option

1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (4-oz [113-g]) can diced green chiles

Salt and pepper, as desired

2 cups (480 ml) tomatillo salsa (Herdez® is my favorite) or green enchilada sauce

6 cups (1.4 L) chicken broth, plus more if needed

2 cups (473 g) shredded fully cooked chicken

1½ cups (170 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for serving

½ cup (120 ml) sour cream, plus more for serving

¼ cup (12 g) chopped scallions, plus more for serving

¼ cup (4 g) chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Chopped tomatoes, for serving

Tortilla chips, for serving (preferably made from flour tortillas)

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onion, garlic and green chiles. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatillo salsa and broth. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the onion is tender. Add the chicken and heat through. (You can make the soup ahead of time to this point. Cover and refrigerate if it’s going to be sitting out for longer than 2 hours.)

Reduce the heat to very low and stir in the cheese and sour cream, adding more broth if the soup seems too thick. Stir in the scallions and cilantro and season the soup to taste with more salt and pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into four bowls. Top each bowl with additional cheese and sour cream, scallions and cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges, chopped tomatoes and tortilla chips.

Vegetarian Option: Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Omit the chicken. Add 2 (15-oz [425-g]) cans of drained cannellini beans with the broth.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Follow the instructions in the recipe through adding the broth. Transfer the soup to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in the chicken, cheese and sour cream. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. Proceed with the recipe as