35 Summertime Soups That Prove It's Not Just For Winter Anymore
Because sometimes you need comfort food vibes even when it's hot out.
There's maybe nothing better than a hearty bowl of hot, steaming soup to comfort you when it's cold out. But what do you do come summertime? We’re no strangers to a pesky warm weather cold or a blasting too-cold AC you can’t turn down at work—a bowl of soup is just the trick to ward off any summer bummers. Check out our list of 35 summer soups–trust us, they’re not just for winter anymore.
One of the best ways to make sure your soups are extra seasonal is to rely on some of summer’s best fruits and veggies. Gazpacho, a cold soup originating in Spain, is the perfect example: For one, it’s made from just perfectly ripe tomatoes, a little vinegar, and salt, and for two, it’s served chilled, making it extra refreshing when it’s hot out. We’ve got a classic gazpacho, a watermelon gazpacho, and a gazpacho with burrata to inspire you, but feel free to get creative with it.
If cold soup sounds too strange for you, don’t fret. We’re highlighting summer produce like summer squash, sweet corn, and bell peppers in warm soups too—check out our zucchini soup, our roasted red pepper soup with gouda, or our elote corn soup for ideas. You could also try dusting off your favorite winter soup recipes, and replacing ingredients with summer-y veggies too—keep the proportions the same, and you might just create a new favorite.
Another reason we love soup in the summer? Eating hot (both in temperature and level of spice) foods can actually make you feel cooler when it’s hot out. The science behind it is that it makes you sweat more and raises your body temperature a bit, which lowers the temperature difference between you and the weather outside. Check out the spicy soups on this list, like our salmon chowder, our Thai peanut noodle soup, our cowboy stew, or our Thai chicken coconut soup to see if it works for you!
You know what goes great with soup? Salad! Check out our top healthy dinner salads, our favorite summer green salads, and our best pasta salads too.
Cream Of Broccoli Soup
Bye bye canned soup, healthy-ish homemade cream of broccoli soup is here to save dinnertime. This steaming bowl of deep green goodness is thickened with a starchy russet potato and made extra silky with a glug of heavy cream (try coconut cream or almond milk to keep it dairy-free!).
Get the Cream Of Broccoli Soup recipe.
Elote Corn Soup
Chili-spiced and lime-spiked, these sweet and creamy bowls take elote (or Mexican street corn) and turn it into the perfect summer starter or main. Most of the creaminess in this soup actually comes from blending the corn, but we find that a touch of extra creaminess from heavy cream makes it extra luxurious (feel free to omit if you want it dairy-free!).
Get the Elote Corn Soup recipe.
Gazpacho
When late summer rolls around and the tomatoes turn juicy and sweet, we can't get enough of them. When we're not busy scarfing them down in Caprese salad form, we love them in this classic summer soup. Our version also uses red bell peppers and cucumbers to really up that summer cornucopia flavor too.
Get the Gazpacho recipe.
Red Curry Shrimp & Noodle Soup
Here, marinated shrimp and glass noodles are served in a red curry, coconut milk, and mushroom broth topped with bean sprouts, avocado, scallions, and cilantro. No boring, bland flavors here—this recipe is sure to satisfy each of the 5 taste sensations.
Vichyssoise
The main difference between vichyssoise and potato-leek soup is the temperature at which each is served. Potato-leek soup is usually served hot, while vichyssoise is served cold, making the latter a nice, chilled offering during the summer months.
Get the Vichyssoise recipe.
Tomato Soup
Where other soups go heavy with the basil or Parm, we chose to focus on the star of the show in our recipe—three types of tomatoes blended with a generous splash of heavy cream creates a soup that’s rich and robust, with big flavor and a super-creamy finish.
Get the Tomato Soup recipe.
Clam Chowder
Classic clam chowder brings to mind cozy nights spent by the sea, and that’s exactly what we were going for with our best-ever recipe. It's ready to serve in 30 minutes, is simple to make, and makes for a filling side or a main dish depending on what you’re craving.
Get the Clam Chowder recipe.
Caprese Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Caprese salad is one of those timeless summer flavor combos that we can’t get enough of. Juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and sweet, earthy basil also happen to make a great match for a warm and satisfying soup. Gno’ kidding, this soup is wildly good.
Get the Caprese Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe.
Zucchini Soup
Traditionally zucchini soup has been made one of two ways: either cooked to death or pureed raw. This recipe combines the best of both approaches, starting with sautéed and garlic, then adding in raw zucchini, which blends into a velvety soup. A topper of garlicky chive yogurt adds tang and a hint of onion-flavor (and looks great too!).
Get the Zucchini Soup recipe.
Zuppa Di Pesce
Want to feel like you’re feasting on the Adriatic coast? You’ve got to make this zuppa di pesce recipe. If you’re looking for a shellfish extravaganza to impress family traveling from afar this summer, then boil up a pot of linguine and toast some crostini for one of the best-ever seafood-driven dinners.
Get the Zuppa Di Pesce recipe.
Taco Soup
When you’re craving tacos but looking for something with a little more oomph and comfort, taco soup is the dinner for you. It’s hearty and filling, super-flavorful, and comes together FAST (we’re talking 30 minutes!)
Get the Taco Soup recipe.
Classic Chili
Chili dogs, anyone? This beef chili is a CLASSIC, but if you want alternatives, try topping your hot dogs or burgers with sloppy Joes, vegetarian chili, Crockpot white chicken chili this summer... get creative!
Get the Classic Chili recipe.
Gazpacho With Burrata
Creamy burrata on top of a tomato and basil gazpacho is the most refreshing no-cook summer meal we can imagine. Some gazpacho has bread in it for added texture, but for this version, we liked the idea of serving toasted bread alongside to dip into the soup and spread the burrata on.
Get the Gazpacho With Burrata recipe.
Thai Peanut Noodle Soup
Here, we’re using red Thai curry paste—one of our favorite pantry staples—to create a fast, flavorful peanut noodle soup in no time flat. With a creamy coconut peanut broth, crisp vegetables, and a shower of fresh herbs, this Thai-inspired noodle soup will become one of your new favorite summer dinners.
Get the Thai Peanut Noodle Soup recipe.
Roasted Red Pepper Soup With Gouda
Packed with roasted bell pepper flavor, this simple soup has quickly become one of our new weeknight go-tos. It’s creamy, it’s comforting, and did we mention it’s topped with TONS of smoked gouda? 😍
Corn Chowder
This Northeastern classic chowder is one of our go-to comfort food dinners, and it's extra special in the summer with fresh sweet corn. If you'd like to make it vegetarian, fry up some sliced mushrooms in oil or butter instead of bacon, and swap in vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Get the Corn Chowder recipe.
Green Goddess Soup
While most green goddess salad dressings rely on mayonnaise and one to two herbs for their creaminess and pale green color, we achieve the same flavor profile by using kale, cauliflower, 4 different herbs, and just a touch of Greek yogurt. The result? A vibrant green soup that’s pretty much a garden in a bowl.
Get the Green Goddess Soup recipe.
She-Crab Soup
Similar to a crab bisque, this creamy soup comes to us from the South Carolina low-country. Thick, rich, and loaded with seafood flavor, it promises to take you to Charleston in less time than it takes you to clean your bowl.
Get the She-Crab Soup recipe.
Bacon Jalapeño Corn Chowder
We already know that corn chowder is delicious, but what if we told you it could get even better with the addition of bacon + jalapeño? The salty, porky flavors of the bacon and the spiciness from the jalapeño pair beautifully with sweet corn, and the resulting soup will change your view of corn chowder forever!
Get the Bacon Jalapeño Corn Chowder recipe.
Salmon Chowder
This chowder is packed with tender, flaky fish, fresh sweet corn kernels, and rings of spicy jalapeño. Though a nontraditional addition, jalapeño adds a tasty touch of spice to offset the rich broth without making the chowder too hot.
Get the Salmon Chowder recipe.
