50 Soups and Stews From Around the World

Written by Carly Hallman

It’s time to keep warm and fed with these 50 soup recipes from around the world! We’ve collected delicious recipes for international favorites like pho, minestrone, and miso as well as a handful you may not have heard of.

The World’s Best Soups

Simply combining water or broth with different vegetables and meats, soups around the world can be cold, hot, sweet, salty, vegetarian, full of meat, fattening, or healthy. What is the best soup in the world? A lot of travelers favor pho, but you’ll have to try some of these 50 different soups and make your own judgment. You never know; you might favor the sweet, pumpkin-based ghapama from Armenia or the hearty, meaty Irish stew. Experiment with our list of continental soups, and you might come across a life-changing flavor combination that will make the kitchen table feel like a vacation!

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50 Soups and Stews From Around the World

Soup and Country Basic ingredients
Groundnut stew Africa
  • Peanut paste
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Hot palm oil
  • Fufu (mashed flour and cassava)
Ghapama Armenia (Sweet) (Vegetarian)
  • Pumpkin shell
  • Boiled rice
  • Dried fruits
  • Chopped nuts
  • Honey
  • Cinnamon, sugar
Carbonnade Flamande Belgium
  • Sweet-sour beef
  • Onion
  • Beer (Oud bruin)
  • Thyme, bay leaves, mustard
Waterzooi Belgium
  • Fish or chicken
  • Egg yolk
  • Cream
  • Thickened veggie broth
  • Carrots, onions, potatoes
Bosnian Pot Bosnia
  • Beef, lamb
  • Cabbage
  • Potatoes
  • Tomatoes, carrots
  • Garlic, parsley, peppercorns
Canja de Galinha Brazil
  • Chicken
  • Rice
  • Olive oil
  • Mint
  • Salt and pepper
Sopa de Fubà Brazil
  • Sausage
  • Cornmeal
  • Eggs
  • Collard greens
Tarator Bulgaria (Cold)
  • Yogurt
  • Cucumber
  • Garlic
  • Walnut
  • Dill
Mohinga Burma
  • Chickpea flour
  • Toasted rice
  • Garlic, onion, lemongrass
  • Banana tree stem
  • Ginger
  • Fish paste and sauce
  • Catfish
Ndolé Cameroon
  • Stewed nuts
  • Ndoleh (Bitter leaves)
  • Fish or beef
Fricot Canada
  • Chicken
  • Dumplings
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
Callaloo Caribbean and West Africa (Vegetarian)
  • Amaranth, taro, and xanthosoma
  • Onions, scallions
  • Coconut milk
Caldillo de congrio Chile
  • Conger eel heads and meat
  • Garlic, coriander
  • Onion, carrots, pepper
  • Tomatoes
  • Cream
  • Boiled potatoes
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall China
  • Shark fin
  • Quail eggs
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Scallops, abalone
  • Pork, chicken
  • Mushrooms
  • Sweet potatoes
Hot and sour soup China
  • Meats (pork or beef)
  • Day lily buds
  • Wood ear fungus
  • Bamboo shoots
  • Tofu
  • Pork blood
  • Red pepper
  • Vinegar
Istrian stew Croatia
  • Beans
  • Sauerkraut
  • Potatoes
  • Bacon
  • Spare ribs
  • Garlic
Chapea Dominican Republic
  • Red beans
  • Dominican sausage
  • Rice
  • Mashed plantain and squash
Borscht Eastern Europe
  • Beetroot
  • Cabbage, carrots, onions
  • Potatoes
  • Sour cream
Fanesca Ecuador
  • Figleaf gourd
  • Pumpkin
  • Beans
  • Grains
  • Salt cod
  • Milk
Lohikeitto Finland
  • Salmon fillets
  • Boiled potatoes
  • Leeks
  • Dill
Rössypottu Finland
  • Potatoes
  • Pork
  • Blood pudding (blood, beer, rye flour and spices)
Crème Ninon France
  • Green pea purée
  • Dry champagne
  • Lemon
  • Dry sherry
French onion soup France
  • Meat stock (or vegetable)
  • Onions
  • Croutons
  • Cheese
Hirshon Kharcho Georgia
  • Beef
  • Rice
  • Cherry tomato purée
  • Chopped English walnuts
  • Coriander
Avgolemono Greece
  • Eggs
  • Lemon juice
  • Broth
  • Rice
Guyana Pepperpot Guyana
  • Stewed meat
  • Cinnamon
  • Hot chili peppers
  • Cassareep (cassava root sauce)
Joumou Haiti
  • Winter squash
  • Beef
  • Potatoes
  • Plantains
  • Thin pasta
Fisherman’s soup Hungary
  • Fish
  • Paprika
  • Red onions, green peppers, tomatoes
Sour cherry soup Hungary (Sweet)(Cold)
  • Sour cherries
  • Sour cream
  • Sugar
Sambar India (Vegetarian)
  • Tamarind broth
  • Lentils
  • Okra, moringa, radish, pumpkin
Bakso Indonesia
  • Ground beef and tapioca meatballs
  • Rice vermicelli
  • Beef broth
  • Celery, fried shallots
Soto ayam Indonesia
  • Shredded chicken
  • Spicy turmeric broth
  • Rice noodles
Fesenjān Indonesia
  • Pomegranate juice
  • Walnuts
  • Poultry
Tharid Iraq
  • Bread chunks
  • Lamb
  • Chickpeas
  • Peppers
Irish stew Ireland
  • Lamb
  • Potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Parsley
Matzah ball soup Israel
  • Matzah dumplings
  • Chicken
Minestrone Italy
  • Beans, onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes
  • Pasta or rice
Miso soup Japan
  • Dashi stock (dried sardines, kelp, bonito, shiitake)
  • Miso paste
  • Tofu
Ramen Japan
  • Chinese wheat noodles
  • Meat or fish broth
  • Soy sauce
  • Dried seaweed
  • Green onions
Tortilla soup Mexico
  • Fried corn pieces
  • Tomato broth
  • Chili pepper
  • Epazote (herb)
  • Avocado
  • Cheese
Binignit Philippines (Sweet)(Vegetarian)
  • Coconut milk
  • Sabá bananas
  • Taro
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Pearl sago (Palm starch)
Tinola Philippines
  • Chicken
  • Green papaya
  • Siling labuyo leaves
  • Ginger
  • Onion
  • Fish sauce
Okróshka Russia (Cold)
  • Raw vegetables (cucumbers, spring onions)
  • Radishes
  • Boiled potatoes
  • Eggs
  • Kvass
  • Sour cream
Cullen skink Scotland
  • Smoked haddock
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
Yukgaejang South Korea
  • Spicy shredded beef
  • Scallions
  • Bean sprouts
  • Bracken fern
  • Taro stems
  • Sweet potato noodles
  • Chili powder
  • Sesame seeds
Khao soi Thailand
  • Hand-cut rice or egg noodles
  • Coconut milk
  • Curry spices
  • Chopped meat
  • Fermented soybeans
Ribollita Tuscany
  • Leftover bread
  • Cannellini beans
  • Kale, cabbage
  • Vegetables
New England Chowder United States
  • Clams
  • Broth
  • Butter
  • Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Celery
Saimin United States (Hawaii)
  • Wheat egg noodles
  • Dashi broth
  • Green onions
  • Sliced spam
  • Pork sausage
  • Fisk cake
Phở Vietnam
  • Rice noodles
  • Beef or chicken
  • Bone broth
  • Star anise, ginger, cardamom, coriander, fennel, clove

There’s almost nothing as diverse in the culinary world as soup. Not only is it found pretty much everywhere, but this type of food dates back about 20,000 years, to ancient China. Other historians say soup became more common about 9,000 years ago with the invention of heatproof containers. Either way, that’s nearly 10,000 years of soup recipes, with an explosion of soup consumption once bronze was commonplace. There have been a lot of soups around the world since then, including several lost recipes, like those that included hippo meat. Our ancient ancestors drank and slurped up different kinds of soup almost as often as we do!

The Heritage of Soups Around the World

Ever since there’s been water, foodstuffs, and a safe way to heat them, there’s been soup. And there’s a reason why cultures that blend other cultures are called melting pots; cultural traditions, flavors, and culinary knowledge all get cooked down together, like soup. What we have now is a wide range of different soups from around the world that each has a rich cultural history. Some are delicacies for the rich, like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, which has led to environmental concerns for including shark fin. Usually, however, cheap stews and soups were made and consumed by the poor to help stave off hunger when food was in short supply, like French onion soup, which has its roots in Roman times. Matzoh ball soup is entangled with religious history and heritage for Jewish people, and borshch got many families to sit down in the Soviet Union. Each international soup has a story behind it worth learning while you’re cooking!

The Flavors of Diversity

Whether you’re trying your hand at a fairly local meal like New England clam chowder or trying out treats with difficult-to-pronounce soup names, list each success as an affordable culinary treat for your family. Consider each dinner an adventure when sampling the most interesting of our 50 different soups: List any that you haven’t tried and get cooking, knowing that there are plenty more out there to discover, from tom yum to chili! Whether you’re looking for the best pho soup recipe or completely new-to-you continental soup names, our list of global soups will bring flavor to your at-home meals.

Click any of the international soups listed below to go directly to a recipe:

  1. Groundnut Stew (Africa)
  2. Ghapama (Armenia)
  3. Carbonnade Flamande (Belgium)
  4. Waterzooi (Belgium)
  5. Bosnian Pot (Bosnia)
  6. Canja de Galinha (Brazil)
  7. Sopa de Fubà (Brazil)
  8. Tarator (Bulgaria)
  9. Mohinga (Burma)
  10. Ndolé (Cameroon)
  11. Fricot (Canada)
  12. Callaloo (the Caribbean and West Africa)
  13. Caldillo de Congrio (Chile)
  14. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (China)
  15. Hot and Sour Soup (China)
  16. Istrian Stew (Croatia)
  17. Chapea (Dominican Republic)
  18. Borscht (Eastern Europe)
  19. Fanesca (Ecuador)
  20. Lohikeitto (Finland)
  21. Rössypottu (Finland)
  22. Crème Ninon (France)
  23. French Onion Soup (France)
  24. Hirshon Kharcho (Georgia)
  25. Avgolemono (Greece)
  26. Guyana Pepperpot (Guyana)
  27. Joumou (Haiti)
  28. Fisherman’s Soup (Hungary)
  29. Sour Cherry Soup (Hungary)
  30. Sambar (India)
  31. Bakso (Indonesia)
  32. Soto Ayam (Indonesia)
  33. Fesenjān (Iranian)
  34. Tharid (Iraq)
  35. Irish Stew (Ireland)
  36. Matzah Ball Soup (Israel)
  37. Minestrone (Italy)
  38. Miso Soup (Japan)
  39. Ramen (Japan)
  40. Tortilla Soup (Mexico)
  41. Binignit (Philippines)
  42. Tinola (Philippines)
  43. Okróshka (Russia)
  44. Cullen Skink (Scotland)
  45. Yukgaejang (South Korea)
  46. Khao Soi (Thailand)
  47. Ribollita (Tuscany)
  48. New England Chowder (United States)
  49. Saimin (United States)
  50. Phở (Vietnam)

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