5 Super Sexy Soups to Cook This Winter

Ready to ignite the flames of passion?

Let’s not coat this with sugar: Soups never really inspire the grumblings of gastronomic delight. Served up alongside stuffy noses and dry throats, they’re often egregiously conflated with mountains of tissues and head-thumping midday TV. But toss aside the Continental Cup-A-Soup and replace the Codral with candles – it’s time to dip our ladles into something a little sexier.

These five seductive soups are not only easy to prepare, but are destined to satisfy your belly this winter.

Vegan Ramen
It’s notoriously difficult to nail down a good ramen recipe. Nothing ever quite lives up to the steaming ramen served up in Tokyo, but there’s plenty of inspired recipes circulating the Internet if you go digging. This one by BBC is a great vegan take on the Japanese noodle dish, and can be ready in about half an hour. Utilising miso paste (if this is not a pantry staple for you, it needs to be!) to drive home the classic umami flavour, plus chunky slices of firm tofu, this one is best enjoyed sans culinary elitists, who will tell you that ramen must invariably involve meat.

Acchi e ike!

@juliaostro

Upgrade Your Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup has been a favourite for those with sniffling noses since time immemorial. But it’s 2022, so it’s time to take things to an entirely new level. We recommend starting with Julia Nishimura’s luxurious chicken broth with wheat and spring vegetables. The broad beans add an earthy, buttery element, while the nutty wheat grain replaces the tired old noodles.

The true star of the dish, however, is the incredibly simple yet effective herb oil, which slices through the soup with a burst of lemon, mint and garlic.

*chefs kiss*

@ms.vegan.leah

Matzo Ball Soup
What’s sexier than matzo meal, beaten eggs, and fat? For the neighbourhood bubbeh, most likely nothing, but for the rest of us, the Jewish soup dumpling may not immediately create visions of gastronomic grandeur. But cool your ovens – the humble matzo ball continues to stoically plough forward, with kitchens around the world finding new ways to present the classic Passover dish. You can get the (matzo) ball rolling with The New York Times! Joan Nathan’s recipe provides a contemporary touch by infusing the matzo balls with fresh ginger and nutmeg. Allow plenty of time for this one, as the recipe calls for overnight refrigeration (or at least three hours).

L'chaim!

@themodernproper

Tortellini Soup
Suffering from pasta withdrawals? Loosen the belt, tortellini soup is a hearty way to add some carbs and flavour to your midweek warmer. There’s plenty of tasty tortellini recipes that can be served up in 30 minutes or less, but why not start with this creamy number loaded with sausages and kale! Just make sure to get quality tortellini – skimping here will tank the dish. P.S. Don’t plan anything post creamy tortellini soup: This one will have you full to the brim.

The Pumpkin(g) Soup
It’s time to add some zing to the classic pumpkin soup! This spiced squash and lentil soup by Gordon Ramsay packs plenty of punch. Chillies, garlic, ginger and coconut cream give the classic dish an east Asian re-up, while the seductive garnish provides heat and flamboyant flourish for your main squeeze.