26 Light Soups that Press the Reset Button

Soups for cold weather and downtime between endless holiday parties and cookies.

December 5, 2016

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Sometime after the fifth consecutive night of holiday cookies and Champagne, we just want to crawl back into bed and wake up in January when resolutions are in full swing and our bodies have recovered. Until then, we power through, slurping on these light soups that keep us going all season long.

Alex Lau
1/26
Kimchi and Vegetable Soup
This soup makes your stomach's dreams come true.
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Hirsheimer & Hamilton
2/26
Chicken and Vegetable Miso Soup
At home, chef Gregory Vernick (Vernick Food & Drink, Philadelphia) always keeps miso on hand for an umami blast in everything from braises and mayo to this Asian-leaning chicken soup. You won’t believe how much depth it adds to canned broth.
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Alex Lau
3/26
Elizabeth Street Café's Chicken & Rice Soup
Sticky rice is worth using for this porridge-y, comforting chicken soup recipe; it releases lots of creamy starches and helps builds nice body as it cooks.
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Peden + Munk
4/26
Spicy & Healthy Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is the ultimate comfort food. This healthy version packs spicy flavor, thanks to jalapeño. The squash and cabbage greens are seasonal and healthy, but you can add whatever veggies you like.
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Alex Lau
5/26
Dashi Stracciatella
Sometimes all your body wants is a vacation from intense eating. That's where this feel-good (but fill-you-up) broth comes in.
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Alex Lau
6/26
Lemongrass Shrimp Soup with Spaghetti Squash
Simply ladle the hot broth over the squash noodles when you are ready to eat.
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Danny Kim
7/26
Quick Miso Soup
No need for powdered packets for this quick soup recipe: Just pack a thermos with veggies, tofu, and miso in the morning. Come snacktime, you’re a cupful of water and a couple of minutes away from a delicious, bone-warming soup.
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8/26
Spring Egg Drop Soup
This is the time of year to try all different kinds of garlic--spring garlic, young garlic with unformed cloves, garlic scapes. Use any of them in this vegetable-packed egg drop soup recipe.
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Nicole Franzen
9/26
Brothy Poached Chicken with Mushrooms and Fresh Chile
Maybe you’re coming down with a cold, or you hit one too many holiday parties. This comforting but complex-tasting soup is just what the doctor ordered.
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10/26
Chilled Cucumber Soup with Soba Noodles
Light and refreshing, this cool soup is perfect on a hot summer’s day. You can serve it as is, or add your choice of protein (such as chicken or tofu) for a more substantial meal.
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11/26
Cleansing Ginger-Chicken Soup
Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can also calm an upset stomach. We love the heat it adds to this chicken soup recipe.
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Christopher Testani
12/26
Kale Minestrone with Pistou
For rave-worthy soups, skip the store-bought stock. You can extract a cleaner, stronger broth from a combination of water and several pantry ingredients. It’s all about layering powerful flavor-enhancers that you probably already have on hand—bacon, tomato paste, herbs, peppercorns, a Parm rind, and, of course, kosher salt.
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Christina Holmes
13/26
Green Minestrone
Adding the veggies in phases, from longest cooking first to fastest last, guarantees the ideal texture for each.
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Gentl & Hyers
14/26
Spicy Kimchi Tofu Stew
Consider this fiery Korean kimchi jjigae-inspired tofu stew recipe a weekend detox. It’s spicy, clean, and capable of reversing any damage the previous night may have caused.
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Associate Web Editor. When she’s not posted up at a café, reading and praying that sipping her cappuccino won’t mean sacrificing a night’s sleep, Elyssa writes about food culture and restaurant trends for bonappetit.com. The team’s unrelenting sweet tooth and beverage nerd, Elyssa can also be found refreshing the Wait-or-Buy ... Read More

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