When the temperature drops and you’re craving something warm to fill your belly, there’s nothing like a bowl of soup, stew, or chowder to get the job done. Whether it’s a hearty shepherd’s stew, creamy tomato and rice soup, or flavorful chowder, we think these 12 cozy and comforting recipes for the best winter soups, stews, and chowders are just the thing for these cold New England winter days — and nights!

Best Winter Soups, Stews & Chowders

Shaker Tomato and Rice Soup

Creamy, nourishing, and easy to make, this Shaker Tomato and Rice Soup is the perfect winter warmer. If you prefer a slightly thinner consistency, stir a little milk into the pot just before serving.

Shepherd’s Stew

This hearty recipe for Shepherd’s Stew is quick and easy to prepare — and very good, too. For a thicker texture, add more meat.

Corn and Cod Chowder

This milk-based chowder combines the sweet taste of corn with fresh fish (feel free to swap out the cod with another sustainable firm white fish if you like) for a meal that will warm you up all winter long.

Spinach and Pasta Soup

The wonderful aroma of this soup is just the thing to come home to on a cold winter’s day. Not only does it taste great (even spinach-haters have gobbled it up!), but it’s quick and easy to make. It keeps for up to four days in the refrigerator.

Portuguese Kale and Sausage Soup

What makes this recipe distinctly Portuguese (aka “Portuguese Penicillin”) is the linguica — a spicy sausage available in markets on Cape Cod, on the South Shore, and around Boston, but sometimes hard to find elsewhere. If linguica isn’t available in your area, use hot sausage or kielbasa. Our readers love this recipe so much we’d never dream of running a “best winter soups” collection without it.

New England Baked Bean Soup

Baked Beans — a classic New England dish if there ever was one. But why stop at eating them as a side dish? Thinned out with a little broth or water, and flavored with tomatoes, celery, onion, and extra spices, baked beans also make a delicious soup!

Slovak Mushroom Soup

Easy and delicious, this hearty mushroom soup is a winner. Omit the bacon and add a little butter for a tasty vegetarian version.

Irish Beef Stew

Sometimes even the best winter soups can be lacking in kind of hearty heft we need to get us through the winter. This Irish Beef Stew goes from ordinary to outstanding with the addition of a cup of Guinness stout. Adding root vegetables like turnips or parsnips will make it extra hearty.

Dick Bridges’ Lobster Chowder

Proving that the best winters soups in New England are often chowders, we love this comforting, yet undeniably decadent recipe for lobster chowder. The flavor intensifies nicely if it sits overnight, so if you can, make it a day ahead of time; then reheat before serving the next day.

German Potato Soup

A reader favorite, this warming soup is made with potatoes, bacon, aromatics, milk, and homemade egg noodles. Try it yourself and see if you agree that it’s something special.

Mother’s Old-Fashioned Homemade Chicken and Dumplings

In this all-star chicken and dumplings recipe, the whole bird goes into the pot to make the broth, and then the meat is added back in at the end with the dumplings. It’s one of the most satisfying and comforting foods you can make during the cold winter months.

Granny’s Best Chicken Soup

From the freshly made chicken stock to the mashed mix of vegetables, this soup is a pot of traditional flavors that have survived the passage of time. Feed your next group with Granny’s Best Chicken Soup, and they’ll be talking about it for generations to come.

What are your picks for the best winter soups?

This post was first published in 2015 and has been updated. 

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Aimee Tucker

Aimee Tucker is Yankee’s senior digital editor. A lifelong New Englander and Yankee contributor since 2010, Aimee has written columns devoted to history, foliage, retro food, and architecture, and regularly shares her experiences in New England travel, home, and gardening. Her most memorable Yankee experiences to date include meeting Stephen King, singing along to a James Taylor Fourth of July concert at Tanglewood, and taking to the skies in the Hood blimp for an open-air tour of the Massachusetts coastline.

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