Recipes

The 10 Most Popular Soups and Stews of 2021

Slurp's up.
Tomato and Egg Drop Noodle Soup recipe
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones

I'll start with the confession you didn't ask for: I have said in the past that soup is boring. Spoonful after spoonful. Sip after sip. Slurp after slurp. The monotony of it all! And when you reach the bottom of the bowl, have you really even eaten?

But throughout 2021 (side note: seriously, where did this year go?), I have been proven wrong. The people love soup. And stew. I must admit: the most popular soup recipes, the ones that rose to the top of BA's ranks, are anything but boring. These babies have it all—noodles, toppings, proteins, flavorful stocks that come together fast—and there's something for everyone, whether you prefer to dig through a pile of springy ramen, load up on vegetables like squash and mushrooms, or fish for cheese-filled pasta pockets. With an abundance of textures, colors, and ingredients, no bite has to be the same. Our most popular soup recipes are filling. They're flavorful. They're great soups, fine!

But I do stand by my belief that puréed soups are boring. I suspect that's the reason not one made our top 10 list. Salty? Me? Never!

  • Dal Palak recipe
    Photograph by Julian Cousins, Food styling by Adriana Paschen
    1/10

    10. Dal Palak

    This spinach-packed dal is the lifesaving dinner for nights when we’re strapped for time but still crave something deeply cozy.

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  • Ghormeh Sabzi recipe
    Photo by Yudi Ela, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    2/10

    9. Ghormeh Sabzi

    Ghormeh sabzi is one of the most celebrated Iranian stews. Andy Baraghani’s recipe includes lamb shoulder, onions, tons of fresh herbs, dried limes, and dried fenugreek leaves.

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  • Image may contain Bowl Food Dish Meal Stew Curry and Soup Bowl
    Photograph by Yudi Ela, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    5/10

    6. Udon in Buttery Tomato and Soy Broth

    You may be surprised at how quickly this broth builds flavor, with massive depth from golden onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, and just a tiny bit of butter for a silky finish.

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  • Hungarian Mushroom soup recipe
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown
    6/10

    5. Hungarian Mushroom Soup

    Spiced with Hungarian paprika, dill, and thyme, this comforting soup is just what you need when winter seems to go on forever, and ever, and ever…

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  • Salmon Coconut Soup recipe image
    Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown
    7/10

    4. Salmon Coconut Soup

    Adjust the heat in this riff on Thai tom kha gai to your liking—use one chile for mild heat, two for medium, and three if you want sweat beading on your brow.

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  • Tomato and Egg Drop Noodle Soup recipe
    Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    8/10

    3. Tomato and Egg Drop Noodle Soup

    A beloved Hong Kong dish with approximately one billion variations, this soup is meant to be a little sweet and a touch sharp. If you're looking for noodle soup ideas that rely mostly on pantry staples, this recipe is for you.

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Sarah Jampel is a writer, editor, recipe developer, and food stylist based in Vermont. She was a senior staff writer and stylist at Food52 before joining Bon Appétit as senior cooking editor in 2019, which entailed heading up the Basically vertical, editing and developing recipes, and writing about everything from her favorite ... Read More
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