When temperatures drop, nothing is more comforting than a bowl of steaming soup. Rich in vegetables, easy to prepare, and budget-friendly, soups and potages are staples of family cooking. They are a great way to use seasonal vegetables, reduce food waste, and prepare complete meals in just a few steps. Type Texture Ideal for Velouté (Cream soup) Smooth and creamy Elegant starter Potage Homogeneous Evening meal Rustic soup Chunky Complete meal Global soup Variable Culinary escape 🥕 The best winter vegetables for soups Squash Red Kuri squash (Potimarron) — sweet and slightly sugary Butternut squash — creamy and versatile Pumpkin — generous and fragrant Musk squash — melting and flavorful Root vegetables Carrots, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, beets, Jerusalem artichokes, rutabagas Cabbage Green cabbage, kale, cauliflower, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts Other essentials Leeks, onions, shallots, mushrooms, potatoes See our complete guide to autumn and winter vegetables and our vegetable cooking guide. 👨🍳 CuisinerTelUnChef Chef's Tip Sauté the onions and shallots before adding the vegetables to develop their flavors. Use homemade broth whenever possible. Cut vegetables into even pieces with a chef's knife for uniform cooking. 🥣 The 20 best winter soups 🎃 Veloutés (Cream soups) Pumpkin soup with chestnuts Butternut soup with curry — see our spice guide Leek and potato soup (Potage Parmentier) Celeriac soup Wild mushroom soup Carrot ginger soup Parsnip soup Cauliflower soup with parmesan 🍲 Traditional soups Potage Saint-Germain (split pea soup) French onion soup — a great French classic Garbure béarnaise — cabbage, white beans, vegetables, and meat Peasant soup Potage Parmentier — leeks and potatoes Garden vegetable soup Cabbage soup Winter minestrone 🌍 Global soups Vietnamese Pho Japanese Ramen Algerian Chorba Moroccan Harira — tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas Ukrainian Borscht — beets and cabbage Thai Tom Yum Portuguese Caldo Verde Spanish Sopa Castellana 🥣 10 must-try recipes 1. Pumpkin soup with chestnuts A sweet and slightly sugary soup, ideal for autumn and winter evenings. 2. French onion soup A great classic of French cuisine with slow-caramelized onions, beef broth, croutons, and melted cheese. See our guide to French cuisine. 3. Butternut soup with curry A perfect alliance between the sweetness of squash and the spicy notes of curry. See our herb and spice guide. 4. Potage Parmentier The simple and delicious marriage of potatoes and leeks. See our vegetable cooking guide. 5. Garbure béarnaise A generous rustic soup made with cabbage, white beans, vegetables, and meat. A complete and nourishing dish. 6. Mushroom soup Creamy and fragrant, enhanced with a little parsley and cream. See our complete mushroom guide. 7. Split pea soup Rich in fiber and plant-based protein, perfect for a complete meal. 8. Moroccan Harira A Moroccan soup made of tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, meat, and spices. See our spice guide. 9. Winter minestrone A generous Italian soup with vegetables, beans, and small pasta. See our winter vegetable guide. 10. Cauliflower soup with parmesan An elegant, smooth, and very fragrant recipe. 🧄 Herbs and spices that enhance your soups Herb / Spice Ideal with Parsley, chives, chervil All soups Thyme, bay leaf, rosemary Rustic soups, potages Curry, turmeric Squash, carrots Nutmeg Potatoes, cauliflower Ginger Carrots, pumpkin Cinnamon Squash Smoked paprika Global soups See our complete guide to aromatic herbs and spices. 🧀 The best accompaniments A soup becomes a complete meal when accompanied by: Homemade croutons — see recipe below Grilled sourdough bread Cheese-topped toast Grated cheese (Comté, Beaufort, Gruyère) — grate with our grater Crushed walnuts Roasted pumpkin seeds Crème fraîche or plant-based cream Drizzle of hazelnut or olive oil 🍞 Homemade croutons Cut stale bread into cubes with a chef's knife Mix with olive oil and Herbes de Provence Toast in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 15 minutes Store in an airtight container 👨🍳 Chef's secrets Sauté onions and shallots before adding vegetables to develop their flavors Use homemade broth whenever possible Blend for a long time to get a perfectly smooth texture Add cream at the end of cooking to maintain its creaminess A pinch of nutmeg delicately enhances potato and cauliflower soups — see our spice guide Prepare in large quantities and freeze Use a mandoline to finely slice onions and leeks ❌ Mistakes to avoid ❌ Adding too much water — the soup becomes bland. Use a good broth. ❌ Overcooking the vegetables — this alters their texture and taste. ❌ Forgetting to season — taste and adjust at the end of cooking. ❌ Blending boiling soup in an unsuitable blender — use an immersion blender. ❌ Neglecting the garnish — croutons, seeds, or fresh herbs add texture and flavor. 🥶 Storage and freezing Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container Freezer: up to 3 months — add cream after thawing See our anti-waste guide for making the most of vegetable leftovers. 🧠 Average nutritional values (250 ml) Nutrient Quantity Calories 120 to 220 kcal Protein 3 to 8 g Carbohydrates 12 to 20 g Fat 3 to 9 g Fiber 4 to 7 g Values vary depending on ingredients and the addition of cream, cheese, or meat. ❓ Frequently asked questions What is the difference between a soup, a potage, and a velouté? A soup often contains chunks of vegetables. A potage is more homogeneous. A velouté is blended very finely and enriched with cream or butter for a smooth texture. Can you freeze homemade soup? Yes, most soups freeze very well for 3 months. Add the crème fraîche after thawing. Which vegetables should be used for a winter soup? Squash, leeks, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, turnips, cabbage, and mushrooms. How to make a soup creamier? Add a potato, a little cream, coconut milk, or blend for a longer time. Which soup is the most nourishing? Soups based on lentils, split peas, white beans, or potatoes. 🔗 Associated recipes and guides 🥕 Garden Vegetable Soup — the traditional recipe 🍂 Autumn and Winter Vegetables — pumpkin, parsnip, celeriac 🔥 Vegetable Cooking Guide — steamed, stewed, pan-fried 🌿 Herb and Spice Guide — thyme, curry, nutmeg 🍄 Mushroom Guide — forest mushroom soup ♻️ Anti-Waste Guide — how to keep vegetables fresh longer 🇫🇷 French Cuisine Guide — onion soup and classic potages 🛒 CuisinerTelUnChef tools for perfect soups Our chef's knives — for quick vegetable cutting Our cutting boards — large, stable surface Our mandolines — for finely slicing onions and leeks Our graters — for grating cheese over your soups Our zesters — for a touch of originality