As temperatures drop, Americans double down on soup

Stirring the pot

Soups go as far back as human history. The earliest discovered soup bowl dates to 20,000 B.C., in Jiangxi Province, China. Archeologists believe the use of hot rocks to boil rice, grains and vegetables in liquid before eating pre-dates baking and roasting.

The term soup actually comes from the root word “suppa” in Latin. It’s the same word family as sop and supper. Strictly speaking, that’s bread dipped in liquid, but it has become synonymous with everything from basic beef or chicken broth to chunky chili.

Steam rises as mercury falls

It makes sense that as temperatures get cooler, people want to eat something that warms them up quickly. “I generally see soup demand start to significantly rise within a week of the first cold snap,” points out Jessica Randhawa, head chef at The Forked Spoon. And then after Thanksgiving, the big soup surge really kicks off.” It helps that soups are generally easy to prepare or reheat and even the smell takes you back to often pleasant memories.

“I start craving soup as soon as the temperatures begin to cool, because it warms me from the inside,” shares Karen Kelly, founder of Seasonal Cravings. “I don’t have as many fresh vegetables available, so it’s also an easy way to get plenty of nourishment from frozen and canned vegetables mixed into soups. During the frantic holiday seasons, it’s great to make a big batch so I can have leftovers for busy nights.”

“When the weather cools down, people naturally gravitate toward soups because they offer warmth, energy and comfort,” adds Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, FAND, registered dietitian nutritionist, plant-based and diabetes expert. “As a dietitian, I love that a simple pot of soup can pack in vegetables, protein and fiber while still being budget friendly. It is also one of the easiest ways to cut down on waste in the kitchen since you can turn leftover produce into something flavorful and satisfying. When the temperature drops, soup gives people a nourishing meal that feels good and makes sense.”

“Those of us who have grown up in the colder climates have great memories of hot soup on a cold day,” adds Izzy Kharasch, president at Hospitality Works. “Soup is that special dish that can do two things at once: warm you up and bring back very special memories.”

Comfort on many levels

Soup also gains popularity in winter months, not just as a comfort food, but for its healing properties. “I think soup is ingrained into a cold climate culture,” shares Matthew Higgason, executive catering chef at South Dakota State University Dining. “There is something so nice about being with friends and family while eating soup. It has a certain heartiness that we all crave when the weather is cold. I feel it makes people feel more at home.”

Chef Maricel Gentile is the owner of Maricel’s Kitchen in New Jersey. “December, January and February are true soup months,” she explains. “You will always find soups like arroz caldo on our menu, and we build whole cooking classes around soup, from Filipino comfort bowls to classic French soups. Soup slows people down. It warms the body and the room. When guests cook soup with us, they are learning how to care for others with time, patience and a single good bowl.”

“At Butcher’s Bone Broth, we find it really interesting that most cultures use bone broth as a healing food for cold and flu symptoms, from Italian ‘Penicillin’ to Filipino tinola to matzo ball soup,” says Chef Thomas Odermatt, a third-generation Swiss butcher. “Each of these dishes has one thing in common: home remedies or a kind of home apothecary. Around the globe, bone broth serves as a cultural medicine, whether enjoyed on its own or as an essential ingredient to create a comforting, and curing, soup.”

“Every country and culture has its own comforting winter soup traditions,” adds James Beard 2024 Emerging Chef winner, Masako Morishita, from Perry’s restaurant in Washington. “For me, as a Japanese chef, hot pot (nabe) is the dish closest to my heart. It’s something we enjoy at home during the colder months, and it brings a warm, nostalgic feeling.”

Packed with nutrients

Soup on the shelf may get more expensive, but a home-prepped meal can be anything from the simplest broth on the stove to the thickest ham and bean soup simmering in the slow cooker.

In winter, soup just works. “I often use the slow cooker because it takes the pressure off dinner, and one pot of hearty soup usually lasts for a couple of nights,” adds Cheerful Cook ‘s Maike Corbett. “It’s warm, filling and the kind of comfort food I want on cold days.”

“Soup is very forgiving. You don’t need perfect-looking vegetables or perfected recipes. You can use just about any ingredient in soup,” shares Avery Zenker, MAN, RD at MyCrohnsandColitisTeam. “Soup is a great opportunity for fiber-rich foods. Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc., are some of the highest fiber foods, and are cheap and easy to add to soups. Soup is a great way to increase vegetable intake, which most Americans aren’t getting enough of. You can easily fit a few servings of vegetables into a bowl of soup.”

“Soup is the kitchen sink. With a little creativity and planning, you can virtually eliminate kitchen waste at home and in commercial kitchens,” adds Chef Blackwell Smith, owner of Lucky Cajun Hand Made Seasoning. “The chefs who taught me always said, ‘The best soups are the ones that cost nothing to make.’”

Priced to please

Got leftovers? Just about anything can be dropped into the stew for a hearty, flavorful dinner. “Soup is the kitchen’s catch-all. It’s where the Parmesan rinds, mushroom stems and chicken bones go to find a second life,” shares Chef Kyle Taylor, founder of HE COOKS. “Soup is a superpower to decreasing waste in the kitchen.”

“My general rule of thumb is don’t put anything in the stock pot that you don’t want to eat. But it is a great way to use odds and ends of vegetables that would otherwise be thrown out,” says Rich Landau, founder of Vedge, a fine-dining vegan restaurant with his wife Kate Jacoby. “We take it a step further because we have an organic microfarm at our home. So after we make our stock, we compost those vegetables to turn into soil to grow more vegetables to eat to make stock of and start the whole process again.”

“Usually soups are some of the more reasonably priced offerings on a menu,” explains Rick Camac, teacher and executive director of industry relations at the Institute of Culinary Education. “There are great soups that can be made with beans, vegetables, spices and herbs that are quite economical and delicious.”

And with the proper preparation, you can skip the menu entirely. Instead of paying for a seat at your local eatery or coughing up some digital cash for delivery, make a replica chicken enchilada soup for half the price.

“With food costs constantly shifting, soup is one of the smartest winter dishes a chef can offer,” says Oliver Ridgeway, chef proprietor of Camden Spit and Larder in Sacramento, Calif. “You can showcase beautiful, seasonal produce, use ingredients fully and responsibly, and still create something rich, satisfying and elegant without relying on pricey proteins.”

Ladle it out

Soup is just about the perfect winter comfort food. You can grab a few cans of Campbell ‘s chicken noodle or tomato soup off the shelf, or take the time to prepare your own hearty baked feta and tomato soup. Either way, you’ll reap the benefits of eating healthy and keeping warm, inside and out, as the temperatures dip.