Type of dish

Soups

From clear broths to thick stews eaten with a spoon – in many cuisines soup is the first course, and in some it is the whole meal. Here are the soups people associate with each country.

41 dishes · 49 countries

soup Harira Morocco A thick tomato soup with lentils, chickpeas, meat and herbs, used in Morocco to break the Ramadan fast.
soup Molokhia Egypt A thick green soup of chopped jute leaves in broth with garlic fried with coriander, served with rice and bread.
soup Egusi soup Nigeria A thick soup of ground melon seeds, palm oil and leafy greens with meat and fish, eaten with fufu or pounded yam.
soup Pepesup Equatorial Guinea A hot, fragrant fish soup with chilli, tomato and herbs – especially popular on Bioko island.
soup Ajiaco Colombia A thick soup of chicken and three kinds of potato with corn and guascas herb, served with cream and capers.
soup Chilean cazuela Chile A warming soup with a big piece of chicken or beef, a potato, squash and corn on the cob in every bowl.
soup Encebollado Ecuador A fish soup of tuna and cassava topped with pickled red onion and coriander, served with plantain chips and popcorn.
soup Gumbo United States A thick Louisiana stew built on a dark roux, with andouille sausage, chicken or seafood, served over rice.
soup New England clam chowder United States A creamy soup of clams, potatoes, bacon and onion served with crackers – a classic of the New England coast.
soup Pozole Mexico A hearty soup of big hominy kernels and pork in a chilli broth, served with cabbage, radish, onion and lime.
soup Soup joumou Haiti A thick pumpkin soup with beef, vegetables and pasta that Haitians eat on 1 January to celebrate their independence.
soup Sancocho Panama, Dominican Republic A thick, hearty broth with meat and starchy roots – yam, cassava, plantain and corn – fragrant with culantro.
soup · vegan Callaloo Dominica, Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago A thick, velvety soup of dasheen leaves, okra and coconut milk with pumpkin, herbs and chilli – a classic of the eastern Caribbean.
soup Goat water St. Kitts & Nevis A thick, spicy goat stew-soup with tomato, cloves, thyme and hot pepper, served with bread.
soup Taiwanese beef noodle soup Taiwan A dark, fragrant broth of slow-braised beef with star anise and bean paste, served with thick wheat noodles and pak choi.
soup Garudhiya Maldives A clear tuna broth cooked with just water and salt, eaten with rice, lime, chilli and onion.
soup Ramen Japan Wheat noodles in a rich broth seasoned with soy sauce, miso or salt, topped with chashu pork, egg and spring onion.
soup Miso soup Japan A light dashi broth with miso paste, tofu, wakame seaweed and spring onion – an everyday part of a Japanese meal.
soup Kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) South Korea A warming, sour and spicy stew of well-aged kimchi with pork and tofu, served bubbling with rice.
soup Tom yum goong Thailand A hot and sour prawn soup fragrant with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chilli.
soup Pho Vietnam A clear, spiced beef broth with flat rice noodles, thin slices of beef and a heap of fresh herbs.
soup Mohinga Myanmar A thick fish soup with lemongrass and banana stem, served over thin rice noodles – Myanmar’s favourite breakfast.
soup Laksa Malaysia, Singapore A spicy noodle soup made with coconut milk and a spice paste, with prawns, chicken, tofu puffs and bean sprouts.
soup Soto ayam Indonesia A turmeric-gold chicken soup with lemongrass and galangal, served with noodles, bean sprouts, egg and fried shallots.
soup Sinigang Philippines A sour tamarind soup with pork or fish and vegetables such as radish, long beans, aubergine and water spinach.
soup · vegetarian Mercimek çorbası (red lentil soup) Türkiye A velvety puréed red lentil soup drizzled with paprika butter and served with lemon – an everyday Turkish classic.
soup · vegetarian Minestrone Italy A thick soup of seasonal vegetables, beans and small pasta, finished with olive oil and Parmesan.
soup · vegan Gazpacho Spain A chilled soup of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, bread and olive oil, served ice-cold.
soup Caldo verde (Portuguese kale soup) Portugal A creamy potato soup with finely shredded kale, slices of chouriço and a swirl of olive oil.
soup Jota (sauerkraut and bean soup) Slovenia A thick soup of sauerkraut or sour turnip, beans and potatoes with smoked pork ribs and garlic.
soup · vegetarian Tarator (cold yoghurt and cucumber soup) Bulgaria, Albania, North Macedonia An ice-cold soup of yoghurt and cucumber with garlic, dill and walnuts – a Bulgarian summer in a bowl.
soup Borscht Ukraine, Belarus, Russia … A hearty ruby-red soup of beetroot, cabbage and potatoes in meat broth, served with soured cream and dill.
soup Żurek (sour rye soup) Poland A sour soup made with fermented rye starter, with white sausage, egg and marjoram – an Easter must.
soup Goulash Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia … A thick soup of beef, potatoes and vegetables, coloured deep red with sweet paprika and seasoned with caraway.
soup · vegetarian Šaltibarščiai (cold beetroot soup) Lithuania A bright pink cold kefir soup with beetroot, cucumber and dill, served with hot boiled potatoes.
soup Bouillabaisse France Marseille’s saffron-scented soup of several Mediterranean fish, served with toasted bread and rouille.
soup French onion soup France Soup of slowly caramelised onions in stock, baked under a slice of bread and melted cheese in an earthenware bowl.
soup Cawl United Kingdom A hearty Welsh broth of lamb, leeks and root vegetables, eaten with bread and cheese.
soup Dutch pea soup Netherlands A green split pea soup with pork and smoked sausage, so thick that a spoon should stand up in it.
soup Icelandic lamb soup Iceland A warming soup of lamb on the bone, swede, potatoes and carrots, thickened with a little rice or oats.
soup Finnish salmon soup Finland A creamy soup with chunks of salmon, potatoes, leek and plenty of dill.