If you could choose the best soup recipe ever, what would it be? We’re giving you the chance to crown a winner in our first-ever Souper Bowl contest. Why soup? I would argue that soup is the most popular food in the world. Practically every culture has a favorite—from ribollita in Italy to Vietnamese pho. Soup can be super fancy or dead simple. Heavy with meat or vegetarian. Thick and creamy, or light and brothy. You can easily cook one up in 20 minutes—or let one simmer all day long. Perhaps the best part? You can follow a recipe or just use up scraps in your fridge, freezer and pantry—either way you’ll have something super delicious and satisfying to nourish your soul.
And, it turns out, people have strong feelings about soup—some fast-food and casual restaurants have even developed a soup following (looking at you, Panera and Olive Garden!). Based on how popular soups are on EatingWell.com, you agree! Soup recipes always seem to make our top 10 list (in 2022, that includedCreamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie ChickenandWeight-Loss Cabbage Soup). And one of our most popular recipe collections last year wasSoup Recipes to Make Forever. And who can blame y’all—soup rules. It’s great for serving a crowd, eating some and freezing some, or doing weekly meal prep—I myself try to cook a big pot of soup on Sundays when it’s cold outside (my creative name for it isSoup Sunday), making enough for a few lunches over the next week. And soup is almost always made in one pot, making dinner cleanup a breeze.
Soup can be super fancy or dead simple. Heavy with meat or vegetarian. Thick and creamy, or light and brothy. You can easily cook one up in 20 minutes—or let one simmer all day long.
So we felt the best way to honor everything that’s good about soup was to celebrate it with a contest—The Souper Bowl!
Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Here’s How the Souper Bowl Voting Works
Voting begins for Round One on January 3, and we’re kicking off with Chicken Soups. The remaining three categories will have their Round One matchups over the next three days. Then we’ll give the soups the weekend to rest up before voting for Round Two on January 9, with Rounds 3 and 4 taking place over the following two weeks, culminating with the Souper Bowl Championship on January 24. So mark your calendars!
If you’re more of the voyeuristic type, you can come back here to see results as they roll in. We’ll be updating this page with results throughout the contest.
The Contenders
Chicken Soups
Is chicken soup one of the most iconic comfort foods? We think so. It’s commonly cooked up as a medicinal meal to help alleviate cold symptoms—and there’s actuallyscienceto prove why. Plus, chicken soup’santi-inflammatory propertiesmay keep symptoms from developing into an upper respiratory infection. But a pot of chicken soup is simply warming and delicious—sick or not. Minestra Maritata beat out Green Chicken Chile Pozole handily. Head over toour Instagram storieson January 23, when it faces off against the creamy soup champ, Chicken Enchilada, in the semi-finals.
Chicken Tikka Masala SoupGreen Chile Chicken PozoleCurried Chicken & Cabbage SoupChicken Soup with Recaito & Potatoes
Chicken Tikka Masala Soup
Green Chile Chicken Pozole
Curried Chicken & Cabbage Soup
Chicken Soup with Recaito & Potatoes
Chicken & Root Vegetable Soup with Wild RiceItalian Wedding SoupSpicy Chicken Egg Drop SoupCreamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken
Chicken & Root Vegetable Soup with Wild Rice
Italian Wedding Soup
Spicy Chicken Egg Drop Soup
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken
Creamy Soups
Thick and rich and utterly satisfying, creamy soups like chowders are so hearty. While these types of soups may get a bad rap for being packed with saturated fat, we have some tricks up our sleeves for making them healthier. Who made it through Round 3? Sorry, Slow-Cooker Thai Chile & Corn Chowder—Chicken Enchilada Soup is the creamy soup champ! Mosey on over toour Instagram storieson January 23 to vote in the semi-finals, when it competes against Minestra Maritata.
Copycat Panera’s Tomato-Basil SoupCreamy Cauliflower & Zucchini SoupCarrot SoupCopycat Panera’s Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
Copycat Panera’s Tomato-Basil Soup
Creamy Cauliflower & Zucchini Soup
Carrot Soup
Copycat Panera’s Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
Creamy Garden Tomato & Quinoa SoupChicken Enchilada SoupSweet Potato Soup with Orange-Walnut GremolataSlow-Cooker Thai Chile & Corn Chowder
Creamy Garden Tomato & Quinoa Soup
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Sweet Potato Soup with Orange-Walnut Gremolata
Slow-Cooker Thai Chile & Corn Chowder
Veggie Soups
Let’s face it, very few of us eat enough vegetables. But when we do, there are aplethora of potential health benefits—including a reduced risk of heart disease, improved brain health and better weight management. And soup can be a really delicious way to get your five-a-day! We’re not that surprised that Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry won this category, it’s been popular with our fans since we first published it. Cruise on over toour Instagram storieson January 23 to vote in the semi-finals, when it goes up against Spinach-Tortellini Soup.
Weight-Loss Cabbage SoupMushroom & Lentil SoupRoasted Cauliflower & Potato Curry SoupTuscan White Bean Soup
Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup
Mushroom & Lentil Soup
Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Curry Soup
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Kimchi-Tofu Soup with Sesame & EggBeet & Red Cabbage Borscht with Dill & Mint Yogurt CreamSlow-Cooker Bean, Kale & Barley SoupSlow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry
Kimchi-Tofu Soup with Sesame & Egg
Beet & Red Cabbage Borscht with Dill & Mint Yogurt Cream
Slow-Cooker Bean, Kale & Barley Soup
Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry
Noodle Soups
From chicken noodle and minestrone to pho and ramen, there are so many popular noodle soups around the world. And noodle soups are an easy way to get a few more grams of fiber each day when you choose a whole-grain pasta like those made from whole wheat, brown rice or buckwheat. This was the closest match-up, with Spinach-Tortellini Soup just beating out Creamy Mushroom & Orzo Soup with Lemon & Parmesan. Slurp your way over toour Instagram storieson January 23 to vote in the semi-finals—can it beat Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry to advance to the final round?
Bok Choy Soup with Shrimp & NoodlesCopycat Olive Garden’s Chicken & Gnocchi SoupSpinach-Tortellini SoupLemon Chicken Orzo Soup with Kale
Bok Choy Soup with Shrimp & Noodles
Copycat Olive Garden’s Chicken & Gnocchi Soup
Spinach-Tortellini Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup with Kale
Creamy Mushroom & Orzo Soup with Lemon & ParmesanVegetarian Lasagna SoupWhite Bean Soup with PastaRavioli & Vegetable Soup
Creamy Mushroom & Orzo Soup with Lemon & Parmesan
Vegetarian Lasagna Soup
White Bean Soup with Pasta
Ravioli & Vegetable Soup
The Finals
Well, folks, here we are, it’s time for the final round of voting! The last round hadMinestra Maritatafacing off againstChicken Enchilada—the former was no match for the creamy deliciousness of enchiladas in soup form. AndSpinach-Tortellini Soupbarely edged outSlow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherryfor the win. Head over to ourInstagramstories January 25 to vote for your favorite. Only one can win the title of Souper Bowl favorite!
The Winner
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