18 Classic Soup Recipes Everyone Should Know How To Make

If you don't already know these recipes by heart, we'll help you learn.

While Grandma's biscuits, a skillet of cornbread, fried chicken, and pot of greens are staples that every Southerner should know how to make, so is a good pot of soup. It comforts the soul and many recipes require little prep and hands on work. With a simple soup recipe, you can turn almost any handful of seemingly random ingredients into a delicious meal, whether it’s a weeknight dinner or you’re heading to a potluck. While there are some staple soup ingredients like broth or stock, the protein and accoutrements can vary widely. Soup is easy and versatile, from chicken noodle soup for a sick day to chili for game days. There are a few Southern staple soup recipes that incorporate simple and regional ingredients that every home cook should know how to whip up.

Shrimp and Okra Gumbo

Whether it’s a summer potluck or a cozy winter evening, nothing says creole and cajun like gumbo. While there are many versions of the dish from chicken and sausage to full on seafood, this is one of our all-time favorite gumbo recipes.

Soup Beans

This non-fussy Appalachian staple is rarely accompanied by a written recipe. Rather you simply bring all your ingredients—beans (typically pinto), a chunk of ham or a few slices of bacon, salt, pepper, and any other flavorings of your choosing like onion, garlic, or spices—in water to a boil then simmer until the beans are tender and starting to burst. Then remove a cup or two of the beans to mash and return to the pot to serve with cornbread.

One-Hour Brunswick Stew

The history behind this hearty dish is a bit of a complicated one. Whether you claim its origin is Brunswick, Georgia, or Brunswick County, Virginia—it is undeniably Southern.

Old-Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings

While fried chicken might be the most iconic Southern chicken dish, Chicken and Dumplings doesn’t fall far behind. Regardless of how you approach the dumplings, blobs of pastry dropped into the simmering pot or soft biscuits on top, this dish is for the soul.

Classic Beef Chili

Every Southerner should have an arsenal of chili recipes for every occasion from game days to cold winter nights. There are endless iterations of a beef-and-bean chili, but this classic recipe is hard to beat.

Loaded Potato Soup

If we’re being honest, potato soup is all about the toppings. Garnish your creamy bowl with bacon bits, green onions, and grated cheese.

She-Crab Soup

You’ll find this rich, creamy soup served up and down the coast of the Carolinas, but legend has it the dish originated in Charleston, South Carolina.

Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Fall in the South means taking advantage of the bounty of fresh produce which, of course, includes butternut squash. This delicious twist on a classic dish brings in rich curry flavors that represent the influences of a diverse Southern culture.

Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

The dish notorious for curing a cold is a recipe that every home cook should keep in their back pocket for sick days and cozy nights alike. It’s an easy recipe made even easier by using a rotisserie chicken.

Tomato Soup

A warm bowl of tomato soup, on its own or accompanying a grilled cheese, likely takes you back to your childhood days, yet it never seems to get old. From basil tomato to chipotle tomato soup, you can't go wrong.

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

A pot of white chicken chili is an instant crowd pleaser from church potlucks to a table of kids. Best of all this recipe only requires 10 minutes of active work and is ready in under 1 hour.

Turnip Green Soup

Think a pot of greens, but more soupy. Turnip greens are a traditional root vegetable found in the South and this dish uses the whole plant, roots and leaves, to create a delicious and nurturing dish ideal for fighting off those winter colds.

Tortilla Soup

Whether you prefer a thick, stew-like tortilla soup or creamy rendition, any version of the dish is hard to beat especially when garnished with crispy strips of tortilla, cilantro, and fresh squeeze of lime.

Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Mushrooms

This easy weeknight meal is loaded with flavor and a great way to use up those back of the fridge and pantry ingredients. You can also change it up by substituting turkey for chicken.

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

Another nostalgic dish that takes us back to the time when we insisted our vegetables were masked by cheesy-goodness. While we might opt for healthier dishes when it comes to vegetables these days, this beloved soup still makes for an excellent weeknight dinner.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup With Ham Hocks

Black-eyed peas are not just for New Year’s Day—though we’re fully behind this tradition. This comforting dish, showcasing a Southern grown legume, is just as delicious on a chilly fall day as on a summer night.

Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder

Fresh, sweet corn is just one of the many produce items Southerners are so fond of in the summer, and this recipe highlights its flavor.

Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup

This Southwestern classic is a go-to, hearty alternative to traditional meat-filled stews and chilis. Serve it up with a topping bar including a variety of cheeses, green onions, avocado, limes, and tortilla chips.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.