15 Jewish Recipes for a Soup-er Cozy Winter

Kate Bigam Kaput

When the weather gets chilly, survive the cold temperatures with these recipes for tasty, Jewish-inspired soups. Spring, we're ready for you! 

Traditional Ashkenazi Soups

  • Basic Chicken Soup: Chicken soup has been an iconic Jewish dinner since early medieval times. It defines the Shabbat table and begins a traditional Jewish wedding feast. 
  • Vegan Seven-Vegetable Soup with Matzah Balls: Vegan chef Lisa Dawn Angerame shares her recipe for this easy, flavorful, veggie-laden soup – and seven is a lucky number in Judaism! 
  • Russian Cabbage Borscht: Wasserman writes, "This soup is a perfect representation of 'less is more' and the love affair Eastern European cooks had with all things sweet and sour.”
  • Vegan Borscht: This vegan version of the Eastern European classic cooks into a colorful soup for a festive addition to holiday meals.

Veggie-Laden Soups

  • Chicken Soup with Chicken Meatballs and Zucchini SpaghettiChef Paula Shoyer subs in chicken meatballs for matzah balls and veggie "noodles" for the real thing. 
  • Vegan Cream of Broccoli Super-Soup: This healthy, dairy-free, gluten-free soup from vegan Chef Katie Simmons is perfect for Sukkot guests - or during any time of the year. 
  • Vegetarian Mushroom Barley SoupHow long have Jewish people been eating mushrooms? A long time! Mushrooms were mentioned in the Babylonian TalmudBabylonian Talmudתַּלְמוּד בָּבְלִיCompendium of Jewish law and lore developed by the Rabbis from the first centuries of the Common Era (C.E.). Codified circa 500 C.E. (N’darim 55B), and in ancient Israel, wild mushrooms were in such abundance that discussions arose about putting a tax on them. 
  • Coconut Carrot SoupCreated as a Passover recipe, cookbook author Megan Wolf writes, “My coconut carrot soup is a creamy soup at its finest. The combination of carrots, ginger and coconut is so warming and really delicious.”
  • Roasted Pumpkin Parsnip Soup: Sweet parsnips and a touch of nutmeg round out the collection of seasonal flavors in this gluten-free, vegan soup, all roasted together for richness. 

Globally Inspired Soups

  • Pink Lentil Soup with Lamb Kofte: James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov created this recipe in preparation for his first opportunity to have his cooking professionally reviewed. Restaurant critic Craig LaBan called it "Jerusalem in a bowl."
  • Chinese Hot and Sour Soup: Using chicken soup as the base, hot and sour soup is not only iconic for Chinese cuisine, but also represents China’s contribution to chicken soup.
  • Indian Mulligatawny Soup: This soup hails from the Tamil region of southern India, the first Indian region inhabited by Jews. The name means “fire water,” but the soup isn't that spicy.
  • Greek Avgolemono SoupWasserman, who created this recipe, explains that using eggs instead of butter or cream as a binding agent in sauces was a hallmark of Jewish cooks in Greece. 
  • Vietnamese Chicken Noodle SoupTurn a classic Ashkenazi favorite into a beloved Asian dish! Paula Shoyer’s kosher version of Vietnamese pho soup is tasty with rice or udon noodles.
  • Italian Wedding Soup with Israeli CouscousThis one-pot meal tastes like a giant, cozy bowl of comfort, loaded with veggies. Make it before Shabbat so that it (might) last throughout the weekend.