Soups and Stews

This thick soup, or ash, is chock full of nutrients and fiber. A mix of beans, lentils, barley and vegetables, ash-e jow is slow simmered to make a rich, nourishing, rib-sticking dish. Eliminate the meat and use vegetable stock or water for a great vegetarian meal. Read more »

Asopao is a Puerto Rican word for a stew thickened with rice, and asopaos of many kinds are very popular in Puerto Rican cuisine. Asopao de gandules is a nice vegetarian version. Read more »

This recipe makes a simple meat and vegetable stew with tons of flavor. It's a typically Caribbean concoction using that favorite vegetable import from Africa -- okra. Try using goat instead of beef if you can find it. Read more »

Bográcsgulyás (boh-GRACH goo-YAHSH), or goulash, is one of the classics of Hungarian cuisine. Variations of this basic dish are popular throughout Central Europe. Bogrács is Hungarian for "kettle", and gulyás was originally the word for "cowboy." Today goulash refers to both the herdsmen and the stew they first cooked in their kettles. Read more »

Borshch (борщ) is one of the classic soups of the Russian household. Ukrainians, however, swear that it was invented by them. Regardless, there are countless variations throughout the Slavic region of Europe, both with meat and without. Most, but not all, have a base of beets. Also spelled borsh, borsch, borsht (with the t silent). Called barszcz by the Polish. Read more »

Bouillabaisse is one of the great dishes of French Provençal cuisine. The recipe looks intimidating, doesn't it? Well it shouldn't. Making it is actually fairly simple. The key is using top-notch ingredients. Ideally bouillabaisse is made with rascasse, an ugly fish found only in the Mediterranean. But feel free to make it with any combination of fish and seafood available to you. Try to use as many different types as possible, as it improves the flavor. Read more »

Bredies are simple, traditional South African mutton stews in the Cape Malay tradition. The most popular are green bean bredie, tomato bredie and cabbage bredie. A basic bredie recipe is listed here, with the more common variations below. (Tip: A bredie will always taste better served the day after it is made.) Read more »

Caldereta is a comforting beef stew popular in the Philippines. Every family has its own version. Experiment with the ingredients and try different vegetables. Read more »

Chicken stock, or chicken broth, is a basic of the kitchen in many cuisines. Homemade is always best, but stock from scratch can be reasonably substituted with low-sodium canned broth. Avoid bouillon cubes or granules if at all possible. They are very high in sodium and have only a whisper of the flavor of homemade. The recipe here is for a basic European-style chicken stock. See the variations for different versions from around the world. Read more »

It's a little unclear where chili originated. The combination of powdered chiles and meat is likely an ancient one, familiar to the Aztecs and the Maya. But in its current form, chili seems to have started somewhere along the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexicans generally shun it as American. Most Americans are fine with that and regard it as their own. Read more »

This tomatoey fish stew is perhaps the iconic San Francisco dish. Italian fishmongers in North Beach developed a flavorful broth studded with the best of the day's catch. The name most likely comes from the Italian dialect word ciuppin, for "to chop." But at Fisherman's Wharf, a favorite story you hear is that Italian cooks would ask fishermen to "chip in" to that day's pot. Read more »

Dashi is the basic stock used in Japan for a wide variety of soups, stews and other dishes. Flavored with a combination of dried fish flakes and and seaweed, it has the simple, clean flavor of the ocean. Read more »

Fabada, or fabada asturiana, is a rich, warming stew of beans and sausages that originated in the Asturia region on the northwest coast of Spain. Asturians enjoy it as a hearty midday meal. The essential ingredients are fabas, a type of large white bean, and two types of sausage — Spanish chorizo and morcillo, a blood sausage. Fabada is traditionally served with cornbread and sidra, a local hard apple cider. Read more »

Gazpacho, the famous soup from the Andalusia region of southern Spain, is an amazingly refreshing foil to a hot summer day. This drinkable salad has been around since Roman times and originally consisted of just a mixture of bread, garlic, oil and water seasoned with vinegar or verjus. It was a poor man's food. The discovery of the New World brought the addition of tomatoes and peppers. Read more »

Gumbo, one of the most famous of Cajun-Creole dishes, acquired its name from quingombo, a Congolese word for okra. It came about through a fusion of French, African, Native American and Spanish influences in early Louisiana cuisine. There are two main types of gumbo--those thickened with okra and those thickened with filé powder. This one uses okra. Read more »

Gundi, a wholesome and comforting dish of dumplings made of ground chicken and chickpea flour, originated with the Jewish population of Iran. The recent emigration of Iranian Jews people to Israel has made gundi (sometimes called gondi) more and more familiar to Israelis. Read more »

Harira is a soup from the Maghreb region of North Africa that is especially popular as an iftar meal to break the daily fast during Ramadan. There are innumerable variations of this hearty, healthy soup, but most recipes are for chunks of lamb slow simmered with tomatoes, chickpeas, spices and herbs. Read more »

The marriage of tomatoes and ground peanuts in stews is popular in sub-Saharan African cooking. Hkatenkwan, or nkatenkwan, is a tasty version of the dish enjoyed in Ghana. Chicken, sometimes smoked fish, and vegetables simmer in a tomatoey broth. Towards the end of cooking, the broth is thickened with peanut butter. This rich, filling stew is traditionally served with hard-boiled eggs and various condiments to sprinkle over the top. Peanuts are known as groundnuts in Africa. Read more »

Even though this dish--known as ballymaloe, or stobhach gaelach in the Irish language--is very basic and has its origins in hard times, it is quite simply delicious. In the old days, this hearty stew was made with simple mutton neck bones and meat scraps for flavor. Sometimes mutton or young goat meat was used. In the last few decades it has become much more common to use milder flavored lamb. Read more »

Locro is a nourishing potato-cheese soup that is popular in Ecuador and Peru. A soup with the same name is found in Argentina, but Argentine locro is a vegetable and meat stew. Read more »

Sour cherry soup is enjoyed by Hungarian families as cherries come into season in late spring and early summer. Each family has its own favorite recipe. Also known as meggykeszőce. Read more »

Minestra di ceci is a simple and nourishing soup from the Tuscan region of Italy. It goes together quickly and is great for a rainy day. Serve it with a nice chunk of crusty bread for a full meal. Read more »

Misoshiru is a basic part of the typical Japanese breakfast. This nourishing soup is eaten alone or with eggs, rice, fish and pickles. A simple version of the soup, lightly garnished with tofu and scallions, is most popular for the morning meal. But misoshiru can also be part of a larger midday or evening meal, often with added garnishes. Read more »

Moqueca, sometimes spelled muqueca, is a simple yet tasty Brazilian seafood stew from Bahia state. As with many of the dishes of Bahia, moqueca shows strong African roots. Read more »

Dating from the 18th century, New England clam chowder is a thick milk or cream-based stew originally made with fresh clams dug out of the sand on the shore. The name "chowder" is thought to have originated with the French word chaudière, a kind of large pot it was originally made in. Unlike Manhattan clam chowder, the New England sort has no tomatoes. Read more »

This soup is delicious in its simplicity. Oyster stew is a traditional Christmas Eve dish in some American households, a custom said to have originated with Irish immigrants. Read more »

Pappa al pomodoro comes from the Tuscan region of Italy and is an excellent and easy way to use up tomatoes from your garden in the late summer. Use a crusty, good quality, Italian-style bread for this dish. Read more »

The origins of Chile's porotos granados reach back into pre-Hispanic times. The basic ingredients — pumpkin, beans, corn and tomatoes — are all indigenous to the New World. Cranberry beans are the traditional choice, but you can substitute other beans. Read more »

Pozole is a special occasion dish in Mexico, especially in Guerrero State. Restaurants called pozolerías specialize in it. This dish is a well known cure for hangovers and is often eaten in the wee hours of the morning as a preventive. Pozole is also popular in New Mexico, where it is usually spelled posole. Read more »

Puchero is a meat and chickpea stew from the Andalusia region of Spain. Pork, sausages and often chicken are slow-simmered with hearty vegetables and garbanzo beans. Puchero was originally a wintertime peasant dish eaten over several days, first with rice, then with noodles, then with the remainder incorporated into other dishes. Puchero is also popular in Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Filipinos have their own version, which is sometimes spelled pochero. Read more »

Risi e bisi is favorite springtime dish in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is a thick soup, not a risotto, so you should add enough stock to keep its consistency somewhat loose. And try to use fresh peas if you can. They make a much more flavorful dish and give it a brighter green. Read more »

Sambar is a lentil stew popular in the cooking of southern India. It is generally composed of yellow lentils (toor dal) simmered with tamarind-flavored water and a special blend of spices called sambar powder. It commonly contains a variety of vegetables and is often finished off with more spices and curry leaves sautéed in oil. Sambar is especially popular as a breakfast dish, served with idli and vada. Read more »

Sancocho is a nourishing stew popular throughout the Latin World, especially in the Caribbean and northern South America. It originated in Spain's Canary Islands where is is a simple and spicy fish and potato stew. Most New World versions contain a variety of root vegetables, meats and chicken. Sancocho is special occasion food, and families usually make large batches. Simmered slowly, the vegetables breakdown somewhat to thicken the stew. Read more »

Soon tubu jjigae is popular Korean comfort food and can warm up the coldest night. A simple simmering of broth, kimchi, tofu and clams makes a stew with tons of flavor. Pair it up with steamed rice for a full meal. Read more »

Albóndigas is Spanish for "meatballs," and sopa de albóndigas is Mexican meatballs in a bowlful of hot broth. It's favorite comfort food in Mexico and a great way to warm up a cold day. Read more »

Black bean soup is popular throughout the Caribbean, but it is especially well loved in Cuba. Sometimes spelled sopa de frijol negro. In Brazil it is known as sopa de feijão preto and is often pureed until smooth. Read more »

This simple, nourishing stew of tripe and vegetables is found in innumerable variations throughout Latin America and around the Caribbean. On the islands of Aruba and Curaçao it is known as sopi mondongo. Read more »

Udon noodle soup is a long-standing Japanese favorite, imported originally from China. Udon shops are found all over the country, and each one has its own specialty. The flavor of the broth and choice of garnishes vary widely from region to region. Read more »

Also known as tinola, tinolang manok chicken soup is light and refreshing. A simple broth with chicken, spinach and green papaya, it is a favorite home-style dish in the Philippines. Read more »

Tom yum kung is the simple and popular Thai hot and sour soup, familiar to many from Thai restaurant menus. It is sometimes spelled tom yum koong or tom yum goong. Read more »

Vatapá is one of the classic dishes of Brazilian cuisine. It hails from Bahia state on the northeast coast where many of the dishes have African origins. A thick version is often served as a filling for acarajé patties. Read more »

The American state of Wisconsin is known for its dairies and breweries. Cheese and beer find an apt marriage in this rich and satisfying soup that will ward off even the most numbing winter chill. Read more »

This excellent seafood stew comes from the Catalan coast of northeast Spain. Zarzuela means "operetta," or "variety show," and perfectly describes the sing-song versatility of this dish. The greater the variety of seafood you add to this dish, the better its flavor will be. Read more »

Lentils are an ancient crop, nutritious and full of fiber. Lentil soup is an easy dish to throw together, and is hearty enough to make a full meal. Perfect for vegetarians, zuppa di lenticchie is the Italian version. Germans make Linsensuppe, the French soupe aux lentilles. The Greeks have fakis, and the Turks enjoy mercimek çorbasi. Read more »