Simmering Soups and Stews

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

Dish out a steaming bowl of comfort food with 50 of our favorite recipes for soups, stews, chowders, chilis and bisques.

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Chicken Pot Pie Soup

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Broth gives this comforting soup plenty of meaty flavor, but you can stir in chopped cooked chicken for a heartier version. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe that helps feed hungry families in Cincinnati.

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Sausage-Sweet Potato Soup

Blaine Moats
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Sweet potatoes contribute their sweet taste to this hearty weeknight soup which is balanced by tart apple cider.

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Italian Dinner Soup

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Gail Gladding-Pullara of Oregon, Wisconsin, created this simple, crowd-pleasing soup. "My family loves this recipe," she says. "It's easy and tastes like you've been cooking for hours."

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Avgolemono Soup

Blaine Moats
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This traditional Greek chicken soup made with egg, lemon and orzo is rich and velvety, but also bright and refreshing thanks to a healthy dose of lemon juice.

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Spicy Beef, Bean and Vegetable Stew

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Affordable beef chuck roast, apple, parsnip and sweet potato slow-simmer in broth flavored with dark beer, herbs and spices. Warm corn bread muffins and cold winter night optional.

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Moroccan Chicken Stew

Blaine Moats
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Golden raisins and almonds are classic Moroccan ingredients that are essential to this comforting weeknight stew. The raisins add sweetness and the almonds add texture.

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White Surprise Chili

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This high-protein main dish looks like navy bean soup but is actually a mild chicken chili. 

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Maple-Chile Butternut Soup

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This is a great dairy-free (and cholesterol-free, too) soup in its own right, but a drizzle of Asian-spiced maple syrup adds a wonderfully unexpected kick and dramatic red flourish. The recipe comes from The Birchwood Cafe Cookbook (University of Minnesota Press, $29.95). 

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Hearty Vegetarian Chili

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Many vegetarian chilies eat more like soups, but ours is built to satisfy a meat-lover. Bulgur wheat and mushrooms combine to mimic the texture and flavor of ground beef; chili powder, smoked paprika and chocolate stout lend deep, authentic flavor without a long simmer.

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Chili Verde with Corn Bread Croutons

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Bulgur wheat lends meaty texture, fiber and protein to soups and stews, where it can cook in the broth. In our sweet and savory chili, we match the grain with salsa verde, peppers and edamame-a weeknight meal that makes it oh-so-easy to be green.

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Bacon-Rutabaga Bisque

Blaine Moats
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This twist on your classic potato soup uses rutabaga, a humble root veggie that has a deliciously sweet-nutty flavor.

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Smoky Roasted Tomato Bisque

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Even so-so winter tomatoes work beautifully in this easy recipe from La Soupe cafe in Cincinnati: Roasting brings out their sweetness.  

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Shredded Pork Posole

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Hominy is the signature ingredient in this traditional, chililike Mexican soup.

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Tuscan Bean Soup

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Flecked with a grab bag of hearty vegetables, this healthy soup hums with garlic and crushed red pepper. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe in Cincinnati.

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Chicken and Kielbasa Winter Stew

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Shhh! Don't tell anyone, but this hearty supper soup takes just an hour to make. The secret? Deli-roasted chicken and precooked sausage. Pair with breadsticks or a crusty baguette for a perfect winter meal that will fill your house with good smells.

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Chicken Dill Soup

Cathy Schneider of DeKalb, Illinois, shared her family-favorite recipe for a chicken soup that has just enough twists to keep it interesting: sweet potato, green beans, brown rice and fresh-tasting dill. (If you prefer less dill flavor, just reduce the amount. The soup will still be delicious.)Chicken Dill Soup

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Thai Egg Drop Soup

Curry paste and fish sauce (both available at large supermarkets) give a Thai twist to the Chinese take-out staple. Ready in about 20 minutes, this recipe from La Soupe cafe in Cincinnati is a great pantry recipe for frigid winter weeknights.Thai Egg Drop Soup

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Gingered Chicken Meatball Soup with Brown Rice and Basil

This healthy, Asian-style soup is ready in only 45 minutes. Ingredients such as rice vinegar, fresh ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce add tangy and savory accents. Gingered Chicken Meatball Soup with Brown Rice and Basil

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Tuscan Lamb and White Bean Stew

Woodsy rosemary makes this a perfect dish for fall and a lovely change from traditional beef stew. Serve with crusty bread or ladled as a sauce over pappardelle noodles. Tuscan Lamb and White Bean Stew 

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Hearty Minestrone Soup

Susan Corley of New Albany, Ohio, shared her version of the classic Italian soup in New Albany Cooking with Friends, a cooking club project that took regional honors in the 2007 Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards. Susan often slow-cooks a pot of the soup for family meals during the holidays.Hearty Minestrone Soup

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Tortilla Soup

Turn leftover turkey (or chicken) into soup in just 20 minutes by adding pantry-ready ingredients such as salsa, chicken broth, and tortilla chips.Tortilla Soup

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Matzo Ball Soup

Minnesota TV personality and author Andrew Zimmern's version of a Jewish deli staple is the perfect antidote to a cold winter night.Matzo Ball Soup

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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Canned soup and chicken broth speed prep time for this main-dish soup. The recipe comes from a Minnesota cafe.Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

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Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash, chicken broth, coconut milk, brown sugar and seasonings combine for a creamy, rich soup. For added flavor, top with Thai Gremolata, a mix of fresh basil or cilantro, chopped peanuts and finely shredded lemon peel.Thai Butternut Squash Soup

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Kansas City Steak Soup

Our version of the classic Kansas City steak soup uses lean ground sirloin mixed with veggies and seasoned with a blast of steak sauce and Worcestershire. It cooks in just 25 minutes.For more soup and stew recipes created by Midwest Living® in honor of the Midwest states, click on "Midwest Soups State by State" in the Related Links box below.Kansas City Steak Soup

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Soy-Ginger Soup with Chicken

Somen are thin Japanese wheat noodles. Find them at Asian groceries or large supermarkets, or substitute vermicilli in this light chicken soup.Soy-Ginger Soup with Chicken

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Creamy Brie Soup

White wine, cream, white wine vinegar, Brie and fresh herbs create a rich appetizer or main dish. Our recipe also tells you how to adjust the ingredients to make Brie Fondue!Creamy Brie Soup

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Bacon and Baked Potato Soup

Bacon is versatile and dependable, amping up most dishes. Our cheesy potato soup just seems to call for salty-smoky crumbled bacon. So we stirred some in and sprinkled the rest on top. If you like seasoned bacon, try pepper-rubbed bacon in the soup. Bacon and Baked Potato Soup

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Power Green Soup

One of the most popular menu items at La Soupe in Cincinnati, this cleansing blend is flavored with garlic, ginger and horseradish, and is loaded with nearly 2 pounds of spinach, collards, kale and mustard greens. Try it with a squeeze of lemon.Power Green Soup

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Pumpkin, Chickpea & Red Lentil Stew

This hearty soup boasts a bounty of veggies and seasonings, including pumpkin or squash, fresh ginger, lime juice, cumin and fresh cilantro.Pumpkin, Chickpea & Red Lentil Stew

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Apple Harvest Chili

Fresh apple, dried fruit and cashews add color, sweetness and crunch to a ready-in-45 vegetarian chili. For a twist on the traditional toppers (and to hint what's inside), garnish with apple slivers.Apple Harvest Chili

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Chipotle Black-Bean Chili

Tuck this chili into your slow cooker in the morning so you can come home to a warm winter dinner. Omit the meat if you'd prefer a hearty meatless main dish. If you like, add chopped avocado or shredded cheese as toppers before serving.Chipotle Black-Bean Chili

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Red Bean, Chicken, and Sweet Potato Stew

Vitamin-rich sweet potatoes and creamy peanut butter complement spicy Cajun seasoning in this easy chicken slow-cooker stew. Red Bean, Chicken, and Sweet Potato Stew

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Cream of Any-Vegetable Soup

Simmering for hours is so Sunday afternoon! On weeknights, whip up this easy and nutritious soup using whatever veggies you have on hand.Cream of Any-Vegetable Soup

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Picky Eaters Meatball Soup

What do you feed a finicky eater? Midwest Living® Senior Food Editor Diana McMillen puts friends and family in charge of their meal destiny. Each person gets a bowl of meatballs in broth, and chooses from assorted toppers to finish their soup just the way they like it.Picky Eaters Meatball Soup

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Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Soup

Nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and naturally sugary Vidalia onion and sweet potato mingle to evoke pumpkin pie. The soup (which is served at La Soupe in Cincinnati) is dairy-free, but if you like, swirl in some sour cream or crème fraîche.Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Soup

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Ham Florentine Soup

Florentine-style dishes have one thing in common: heart-healthy spinach. In this case, the leafy greens combine with chunks of ham in a chowderlike soup. For best results, remove spinach stems before cooking.Ham Florentine Soup

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It's Italian Sausage Soup

Once a year, Sandy Mafera's women's club gathers for its annual cooking school. The Auburn, Indiana, group comes armed with recipes that fit that year's theme. Italian Sausage Soup was a winner the year their theme was "Elegant and Easy Comfort Food Goes Uptown." The rich and spicy soup is loaded with vegetables and ricelike orzo pasta, plus browned Italian sausage.It's Italian Sausage Soup

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