"What is the best soup in the world?"

"Vietnam's phở and Japan's ramen usually lead world soup rankings, alongside Ukraine's borscht (now UNESCO-protected), Thailand's tom yum and Mexico's pozole. This list ranks the 25 best soups in the world with authentic recipes for each."

World Food Rankings By Food Enthusiasts

The 25 Best Soups in the World

Steaming bowls of famous soups from around the world

Every culture puts something essential in a pot and calls it soup. Some are breakfast, some are medicine, and one of them marks a country’s independence. These are the 25 best soups in the world, each with an authentic recipe from home.

Phở Bò
Vietnam
Beef bones simmered for hours with charred onion and star anise. Never boiled, or it clouds.
Discover Pho Bo, the soul of Vietnamese cooking and the country's celebrated national dish. This fragrant soup brings together silky rice noodles, tender slices of beef and a deeply aromatic broth that wraps around the senses. The …
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Ramen
Japan
Four parts: broth, tare, noodle, topping. Each regional style argues about all four.
Few dishes say comfort quite like a steaming bowl of Ramen. This beloved Japanese noodle soup brings together springy noodles, a deeply savoury broth and a colourful array of toppings, all in one inviting bowl. From the rich …
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Borscht
Ukraine
Beetroot with cabbage and soured cream. UNESCO listed it as endangered in 2022.
Borscht is beetroot soup, and in 2022 UNESCO added Ukrainian borscht to its list of intangible heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, citing the war. That is an unusual reason for a soup to be listed.
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Tom Yum
Thailand
Lemongrass, galangal, lime leaf, chilli. Sour and hot at the same time, with no compromise.
Discover Tom Yum Kai, one of Thailand's most celebrated soups and a masterclass in balancing bold flavours. Tender chicken simmers in a fragrant broth scented with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal, delivering that …
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Pozole Rojo
Mexico
Hominy and pork in a guajillo broth, buried under raw cabbage, radish and lime.
Meet Pozole Rojo, one of Mexico's most cherished celebration dishes. This hearty soup brings together tender, slow-simmered pork and plump kernels of hominy in a deeply flavoured broth that glows a vivid red thanks to a blend of …
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Soup Joumou
Haiti
Pumpkin soup Haitians drink on 1 January, the day they marked independence in 1804.
Discover Joumou Soup, the soul-warming pride of the Haitian table. This traditional pumpkin soup brings together tender pieces of beef, hearty vegetables and a fragrant blend of herbs and spices for a bowl that is as comforting as …
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Harira
Morocco
Lentils, chickpeas and tomato thickened with flour. Morocco breaks the Ramadan fast with it.
Step into the heart of Moroccan cooking with Harira, a soul-warming soup brimming with flavour. This much-loved national dish brings together ripe tomatoes, tender lentils and a fragrant blend of exotic spices for a bowl that …
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Gulyás
Hungary
In Hungary it is a soup, thin and paprika-red. What the rest of Europe calls goulash is pörkölt.
Discover Goulash, the dish that more than any other stands for Hungary at the table. Simple, generous and deeply savoury, it brings together tender beef, sweet onions and a bold spoonful of paprika into something far greater than …
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Gumbo
USA
Roux cooked to the colour of chocolate, then okra or filé. West African, French and Choctaw at once.
Get to know Gumbo, the soulful pride of America's Deep South. This hearty Louisiana stew brings together vegetables, meat and seafood in a deeply spiced broth that fills the kitchen with warmth. Born of African, French and Spanish …
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Kharcho
Georgia
Beef with rice, walnuts and sour tklapi plum leather. Georgia's most complicated soup.
Discover Kharcho, the deeply savoury beef soup that sits at the heart of the Georgian table. Tender chunks of meat, plump rice and a fragrant tangle of herbs simmer together with khmeli suneli, the country's signature spice blend, …
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Avgolemono
Greece
Egg and lemon whisked into hot stock without curdling. That is the entire skill.
Discover Avgolemono, the silky egg-and-lemon soup that sits at the heart of the Greek table. This comforting bowl brings together rich chicken broth, beaten egg and a generous squeeze of lemon to create a velvety texture and a …
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Soto Ayam
Indonesia
Turmeric chicken soup with noodles, egg and fried shallots, poured over rice.
Discover Soto Ayam, one of Indonesia's most beloved comfort dishes. This fragrant chicken soup simmers tender meat in a golden, turmeric-rich broth, then finishes with crunchy bean sprouts, fresh spring onions and a bright squeeze …
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Mohinga
Myanmar
Catfish and banana stem in a chickpea-thickened broth. Myanmar eats it for breakfast.
Mohinga is fish noodle soup and it is breakfast. Vendors sell it from the pavement from six in the morning, and the broth is thickened with toasted chickpea flour and, traditionally, the tender core of a banana stem.
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Caldo Verde
Portugal
Potato purée with shredded kale and a slice of chouriço. Four ingredients, done well.
Discover Caldo Verde, the national dish of Portugal. This simple yet deeply comforting kale soup carries the soul of the Portuguese north in every spoonful, blending a smooth potato base with finely shredded greens and smoky …
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Żurek
Poland
Soured rye starter fermented for days, with sausage and egg. Sharp and cloudy.
Discover Żurek, the tangy sour rye soup that stands proudly among Poland's best-loved dishes. Built on a fermented sourdough starter, potatoes and hearty sausage, it delivers a deeply savoury, gently sour warmth that is hard to …
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Gazpacho
Spain
Raw tomato, cucumber and bread blended cold. Andalusian survival in 40°C heat.
Meet Gazpacho, the refreshingly cool tomato soup that captures the spirit of a Spanish summer in a single bowl. Blended from ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber, sweet peppers and a splash of good olive oil, this chilled classic is the …
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Hot and Sour Soup
China
Black vinegar for the sour, white pepper for the hot. Not chilli.
Few dishes capture the spirit of Chinese cooking quite like Hot and Sour Soup. This warming bowl strikes a remarkable balance between fiery heat and bright, tangy acidity, all carried by a deeply savoury broth. Tender mushrooms, …
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Minestrone
Italy
Whatever vegetables the season gives, with beans and pasta. There is no fixed recipe.
Say hello to minestrone, one of the most cherished soups in all of Italian cooking. This hearty bowl brings together a generous medley of seasonal vegetables, tender white beans and a handful of small pasta to create something …
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Kjötsúpa
Iceland
Lamb, root vegetables and herbs. Iceland's soup has changed very little in a thousand years.
Kjötsúpa is lamb soup, and Icelandic lamb is genuinely different: the sheep roam free all summer on mountain pasture eating wild herbs, and the meat tastes of it. The soup is plain on purpose because the lamb does not need help.
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Shchi
Russia
Cabbage soup, fresh in summer and from sauerkraut in winter. Russia's oldest dish.
Warm up with Shchi, the hearty cabbage soup that has been gracing Russian tables for centuries. Brimming with fresh vegetables and gentle, aromatic seasoning, it is the kind of nourishing bowl that comes into its own on a cold …
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Cock-a-Leekie
Scotland
Chicken and leeks, with prunes that Scots either insist on or refuse.
Warm yourself through a cold evening with Cock-a-Leekie Soup, one of Scotland's most cherished classics. This hearty broth brings together tender chicken, sweet leeks and a scattering of soft prunes for a bowl that soothes both …
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Chupe
Peru
Andean broad bean chowder with cheese, egg and potato, thickened with milk.
Discover Chupe de Habas, a hearty bean soup that warms hearts across Peru's chilly highland days. This comforting dish brings together tender green beans and a fragrant mix of aromatic spices with fresh, local produce. Every …
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Egusi Soup
Nigeria
Ground melon seeds cooked with palm oil and greens until thick and grainy.
Discover Egusi Soup, one of Nigeria's most treasured dishes. This rich, hearty stew is built around ground melon seeds that thicken the pot and lend it a wonderfully nutty depth. Simmered with meat, tomatoes and dark leafy greens …
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Kimchi Jjigae
South Korea
Old kimchi, pork and tofu. The more sour the kimchi, the better the stew.
Few dishes capture the soul of Korean home cooking quite like Kimchi Jjigae, a bold, bubbling stew built around tangy fermented cabbage and a fiery hit of chilli. Simmered with pork or tofu until the flavours turn deep and …
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Fasolada
Greece
White beans, tomato and olive oil. Greeks have called it the national dish for a long time.
Say hello to Fasolada, the humble bean soup that many Greeks proudly call their true national dish. This wholesome, vegan bowl brings together creamy white beans, ripe tomatoes and a medley of fresh vegetables for a meal that is …
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