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    Home » Food » Recipes

    September 26, 2021

    The best French Soup Recipes

    The French take soup very seriously. Are you feeling a little under the weather? A bowl of soup is the answer. Looking to shed a few kilos? Allez! Soup for dinner. Feeling a chill from the Minstral*? You can already smell a big pot of soup bubbling on the stove.

    Nutritious and comforting, soups are incredible versatile. I love that they are an important part of children's diets in France but can also be a perfectly appropriate way to start a fancy dinner party (with the right garnish, bien sûr).

    In our family, from late fall to early spring you can find me, on any given weekend, cooking a large cocotte of soup. There is something incredibly homey about a big pot of soup - it is an essential part of any French home cook's repertoire.

    Equipment for making Soups:

    Le chef's wife holding a bowl of Magical Leek soup in her kitchen

    A big stockpot - great for making big batches of soup. I use my Le Creuset Marseille Blue 16QT the most. It is the perfect size for making freezer soups as well.

    My 8QT Le Creuset Caribbean Blue Stockpot is ideal for making Potage aux Légumes or boiling pasta.

    Making French Onion Soup? The heavy bottom of a cast iron cocotte is better for the caramelizing onions without burning them!

    The easiest way to purée soups is with an immersion blender - so much neater than pouring soup into a stand blender! This is the Kitchen Aid Immersion Blender set I have used for almost 10 years now.

    A large cutting board that doesn't slide on your counter - making "la mise en place" much easier. I put rubber rings underneath it to secure it from slipping.

    The Best French Soup Recipes

    Here are some of the best French Soup Recipes I have shared on the blog. Click on the link below each photo for the full recipe:

    French Onion Soup:

    two bowls of french onion Soup on a table with wine
    Le Chef's French Onion Soup Gratinée

    Le Chef perfected his French onion Soup Gratinée recipe while working at a 3 Michelin star restaurant in the French ski station of Courchevel. We worked together to make it simple for home cooks with no professional culinary training (like myself!) to follow. What makes this recipe unique is that it is chicken stock based for a lighter, more fragrant flavor - the slow steaming of the onions also really brings out their taste. Perfect for cooler temperatures!

    Potage aux Légumes:

    Potage aux légumes
    Super Easy Potage aux Légumes - made with leftover vegetables

    Potage aux Légumes is by far, my most popular recipe on Pinterest. This recipe is super easy to make and even easier to customize using whatever vegetables you have leftover at the end of the week. My number one trick for reducing food waste in our kitchen - turning lackluster vegetables into a delicious, nutritious soup.

    Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage

    two bowls butternut squash soup with cream and sage on a table with a fresh baked baguette
    Creamy Butternut squash Soup with Crispy Sage

    Creamy Butternut squash Soup with Crispy Sage is wonderful to eat through the week when you are craving a comforting meal but can also be served as the appetizer course at a fancy dinner party. The trick for making the crispy sage garnish is one that you will want to save!

    Magical Leek Soup

    Magical Leek Soup in a bowl with chopped leeks on top.

    Magical Leek Soup - the French woman's diet secret, as referenced in "Emily in Paris". Le Chef's Wife twist on the recipe is delicious and family friendly. It tastes like comfort food yet is incredibly healthy for you. Vegan and gluten free. Tasty and pretty enough to be served at a dinner party.

    French Lentil Soup

    French Lentil Soup close up
    French Lentil Soup Recipe

    Soupe aux Lentilles , or French Lentil Soup, is made with those dark green Lentilles de Puy. Incredibly healthy for you and also so satisfying. A little bowl is all I need for a full meal. So yummy and freezes great too!

    Pumpkin & Honeynut Squash Soup

    Pumpkin and honeynut squash soup with freshly made baguette
    Pumpkin and Honeynut Squash Soup

    This Pumpkin & Honeynut Squash Soup recipe feels like Fall. All of the fall flavors you love with a surprising hint of rosemary that elevates this recipe to Chef level. Another great recipe to serve when company is coming.

    Provençal Tomato & Basil Soup

    tomato soup with goat cheese tartine
    Simple Provençal Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Tartines

    A Provençal twist on a classic tomato soup. This Tomato & Basil Soup with Goat Cheese Tartine recipe is exactly what you want to cook on a rainy day. Rich and soothing yet with the delicious addition of fresh basil that makes it absolutely unforgettable.

    La Soupe au Pistou

    Soupe au Pistou
    La Soupe au Pistou

    La Soupe au Pistou is a Provençal classic! Best enjoyed in the summer when the vegetables are fresh from the garden, but I like to eat this soup all year long. It is a deliciously healthy meal-in-a-bowl that reminds me of the South of France with every garlicky, basil-y bite!

    homemade French baguettes piled up on a striped cotton towl
    Baking Baguettes for beginners

    Last but not least, if you haven't tried my Baking Baguettes for Beginners Recipe , it is wonderfully easy and will elevate your homemade soup to the complete French Bistro experience.

    Are there any other soup recipes you would like me to share with you? What is your favorite soup?

    Bon Appétit mes amis!

    Anina Belle

    Le-Chefs-Wife-logo-final

    *The Minstral is an icy wind that blows through the South of France in the winter. Surprisingly chilly!

    (This post contains affiliate links - if you purchase from the links I have shared I receive a small commission - at no cost to you! Thank you for supporting my business. )

    « Creamy Butternut squash Soup with Crispy Sage
    Super Simple French Roast Chicken Recipe (Poulet Rôti) »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Raisa says

      November 27, 2022 at 7:38 pm

      I don’t see the link for the fennel soup? I love making all your soup recipes. Thank you. 💕

      Reply
      • lechefswife says

        November 28, 2022 at 3:53 pm

        Hello Raisa, Thank you so much for your kind comment! I am not sure which recipe you are referring to? I don't have a fennel soup recipe on my blog. Perhaps you are looking for the potage aux legumes : https://lechefswife.com/la-soupe-de-mamie-grandmothers-vegetable-soup/ or else the Leek soup? https://lechefswife.com/magical-leek-soup/ Have a wonderful day!

        Reply

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    Bonjour. If you are looking for French Recipes, made simple, you are in the right place! I translate the fancy cooking of my French Chef husband into easy-to-follow recipes that busy people with no culinary training, like me, can cook. From French Baguettes to French Riviera classic recipes, I invite you to learn French cooking with me.

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