The best 15 French Soup recipes shared on Le Chef's Wife blog. From French Onion Soup Gratinée to Potage aux Légumes. Perfect for Soup Season.
The French take soup very seriously. Are you feeling a little under the weather? A bowl of soup is the answer. Looking to shed a few kilos? Allez! Soup for dinner. Feeling a chill from the Minstral*? You can already smell a big pot of soup bubbling on the stove.
Nutritious and comforting, soups are incredible versatile. I love that they are an important part of children's diets in France but can also be a perfectly appropriate way to start a fancy dinner party (with the right garnish, bien sûr).
In our family, from the first day of Fall to late into Spring you can find me, on any given weekend, cooking a large cocotte of soup. There is something incredibly homey about a big pot of soup - it is an essential part of any French home cook's repertoire.
This blog post includes some of my favorite soup recipes that I have been making over the years - recipes that are family favorites and that have become a key part of our #soupsundaychallenge community.
Soup Sunday Challenge
#SOUPSUNDAYCHALLENGE
In January of 2021 I began making a pot of soup, live on instagram, every Sunday. A way to create a sense of warmth and community at a time when we were all so distant from each other.
That simple action turned into entire movement and I am so honored that I get to continue sharing recipes that bring comfort and joy.
I like to make several big batches of soup at once – filling up my freezer with healthy, homemade goodness enjoy on busy evenings.
I would love to see what soups you are making so please share photos with the #soupsundaychallenge or on the facebook group, French Riviera Cuisine . I find it so inspiring to see your favorite recipes!
The live challenge will be return in January 2024. You can read all about it here: Soup Sunday Challenge 2024
If you are not already signed up for my newsletter, I highly recommend you do! You will be the first to know of any new recipes published and I also share a PDF of my Le Chef's Wife Soup Recipe book
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Equipment for making Soups:
A big stockpot - great for making big batches of soup. I use my Le Creuset Marseille Blue 16QT the most. It is the perfect size for making freezer soups as well.
My 8QT Le Creuset Caribbean Blue Stockpot is ideal for making Potage aux Légumes or boiling pasta.
Making French Onion Soup? The heavy bottom of a cast iron cocotte is better for the caramelizing onions without burning them!
The easiest way to purée soups is with an immersion blender - so much neater than pouring soup into a stand blender! This is the Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender set I have used for almost 10 years now.
A large cutting board that doesn't slide on your counter - making "la mise en place" much easier. I put rubber rings underneath it to secure it from slipping.
The Best French Soup Recipes
Here are some of the best French Soup Recipes I have shared on the blog. Click on the link below each photo for the full recipe:
French Onion Soup:
Le Chef perfected his French onion Soup Gratinée recipe while working at a 3 Michelin star restaurant in the French ski station of Courchevel. We worked together to make it simple for home cooks with no professional culinary training (like myself!) to follow. What makes this recipe unique is that it is chicken stock based for a lighter, more fragrant flavor - the slow steaming of the onions also really brings out their taste. Perfect for cooler temperatures! You can watch ourTODAY SHOW segment featuring theFrench Onion Soup Gratinéerecipe.
Potage aux Légumes:
Potage aux Légumes is by far, my most popular recipe on Pinterest. This recipe is super easy to make and even easier to customize using whatever vegetables you have leftover at the end of the week. My number one trick for reducing food waste in our kitchen - turning lackluster vegetables into a delicious, nutritious soup.
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage
Creamy Butternut squash Soup with Crispy Sage is wonderful to eat through the week when you are craving a comforting meal but can also be served as the appetizer course at a fancy dinner party. The trick for making the crispy sage garnish is one that you will want to save!
Magical Leek Soup
Magical Leek Soup - the French woman's diet secret, as referenced in "Emily in Paris". Le Chef's Wife twist on the recipe is delicious and family friendly. It tastes like comfort food yet is incredibly healthy for you. Vegan and gluten free. Tasty and pretty enough to be served at a dinner party.
French Lentil Soup
Soupe aux Lentilles , or French Lentil Soup, is made with those dark green Lentilles de Puy. Incredibly healthy for you and also so satisfying. A little bowl is all I need for a full meal. So yummy and freezes great too!
Pumpkin & Honeynut Squash Soup
This recipe feels like Fall. All of the fall flavors you love with a surprising hint of rosemary that elevates this recipe to Chef level. Another great recipe to serve when company is coming.
Provençal Tomato & Basil Soup
A Provençal twist on a classic tomato soup. This recipe is exactly what you want to cook on a rainy day. Rich and soothing yet with the delicious addition of fresh basil that makes it absolutely unforgettable.
La Soupe au Pistou
Soupe au Pistou is a Provençal classic! Best enjoyed in the summer when the vegetables are fresh from the garden, but I like to eat this soup all year long. It is a deliciously healthy meal-in-a-bowl that reminds me of the South of France with every garlicky, basil-y bite!
Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup
This Broccoli and Blue Cheese soup is a creamy, comforting soup with a just a bite of blue cheese that adds a certain "je ne sais quoi" to the dish. Simple enough to be made on a week night, but special enough to serve at a delicious lunch or dinner party.
Fancy Cream of Cauliflower:
Here is a fancy French twist on a classic cream of cauliflower soup that you can make at home today. The roast cauliflower topping, tossed with almond slivers, espelette pepper and flat parsley elevate an everyday dish to a delicious French restaurant-quality experience. The variance of textures are amazing and this dish is satisfying enough to be a meatless meal for your family.
Ratatouille Soup
You have heard of Ratatouille, right? The classic Provençale dish of baked eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini & onions made famous by the Disney movie of the same name? Well, before Disney shined a spotlight on Ratatouille, it has been a favorite dish of South of France Grandmothers. In honor of my French Grandmother-in-law, Pierrette, I was inspired to make a soup version of Ratatouille topped with a spoonful of her homemade pesto. What a discovery!
Ratatouille Soup
La Poule au Pot
La Poule au Pot is a fancy French chicken soup using a whole chicken. Juicy, tender chicken meat that falls off the bone in a delicious, savory broth with big chunks of root vegetables. Delicious and healthy!
This cozy homemade chicken macaroni soup is like a warm hug in a bowl. This easy and delicious recipe uses a whole chicken and we make the chicken stock from scratch, so there is no need to add a bouillon cube or store bought chicken stock. The leeks give it a French Grandmother's touch.
Last but not least, if you haven't tried my Baking Baguettes for Beginners Recipe , it is wonderfully easy and will elevate your homemade soup to the complete French Bistro experience.
Are there any other soup recipes you would like me to share with you? What is your favorite soup?
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband,Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this recentWashington Post Article. We were recently featured on theTODAY SHOWfor our recipes ofFrench Onion Soup GratinéeandMoelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
I share our home cooking onInstagram,pinterestandtiktok. Sign up for mynewsletterto be the first to receive my new recipes and have advance access to cooking classes. I look forward to cooking with you!
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*The Minstral is an icy wind that blows through the South of France in the winter. Surprisingly chilly!
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