19 Noodle Soup Recipes for All Occasions

From piping hot to perfectly chilled, here's a noodle soup for every season.

Updated March 08, 2019

Noodle soup is one of those foods I never get tired of. Perhaps that's because there are just so many variations. Just about every culture has at least one defining noodle soup, and I have yet to meet one I don't love. In the winter, I go for heartier, heavier soups with beans and tomatoes, finished with a handful of thick wheat noodles. But in the summer, I'm drawn to light, brothy soups with thin, almost-translucent, rice noodles. Whatever the weather, no matter your mood, one of these 19 soups is sure to do the trick.

Rich and Creamy Tonkotsu Ramen Broth
Made with an intensely porky, opaque pale broth with a sticky-lipped intensity and the rich, buttery texture of light cream, there's no smell more warming on a cold day than a big hot bowl of tonkotsu ramen set before you. Get the recipe! » [Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Okay, we admit, this is only part of a noodle soup—the non-noodle part. But this rich, comforting, and creamy pork bone-broth is the perfect base for ramen noodles and all of your favorite ramen toppings. To top it off, we opted for preserved bamboo shoots, thick slices of braised pork, and a soft-boiled egg, but really, whatever you've got in the fridge will make for a mean bowl of soup.
Get the recipe for Rich and Creamy Tonkotsu Ramen Broth
The Best Minestrone Soup
J. Kenji López-Alt
It's almost too easy to push a few cans or cartons of soup into your shopping cart as you head to the checkout lane. But minestrone is one of those soups you should really take the time to make yourself. Our recipe acts as a guide, so you can add all your favorite vegetables at just the right time, so nothing gets too mushy. Consider this a blueprint for the best possible minestrone soup.
Get the recipe for The Best Minestrone Soup
The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
Vicky Wasik
Chicken soup is one of those dishes that gets very personal very quickly. So we won't say this is the best chicken noodle soup. But by initially roasting chicken wings and charring onions for the broth and finishing with chopped dill and a squeeze of lemon, we create a deeply flavorful, gold-hued soup that might just be the ultimate chicken noodle soup. We think it is.
Get the recipe for The Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Cathy Erway
This Taiwanese beef noodle soup is incredibly rich and satisfying. The dark broth—which balances between acidic, sweet, and slightly spicy—is a vessel for thick chewy noodles, fall-apart beef shank, and wilted greens.
Get the recipe for Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
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Taiwanese Danzai Noodle Soup
Cathy Erway
While we're talking Taiwanese noodle soups, you should probably try your hand at this danzai soup. The pork-and-shrimp broth is paired with Chinese wheat noodles, one lone shrimp, and a traditional Taiwanese meat sauce.
Get the recipe for Taiwanese Danzai Noodle Soup
Miso Ramen With Crispy Pork and Burnt Garlic-Sesame Oil
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
The best soups are the ones that act as an entire meal in a single bowl. This miso ramen is exactly that. The rich and creamy miso-flavored pork stock is topped with crispy braised pork, a soft-boiled egg, and any other toppings you have on hand.
Get the recipe for Miso Ramen With Crispy Pork and Burnt Garlic-Sesame Oil
Wonton Noodle Soup With Chicken and Shiitakes
Shao Z.
This wonton noodle soup is equal parts easy and satisfying. Dried shiitake mushrooms are combined with thin wonton noodles, slivers of chicken, and scallions in a light chicken and mushroom broth. By using dried shiitake mushrooms and store-bought chicken broth, we achieve maximum flavor without the hours of work a soup like this would otherwise demand.
Get the recipe for Wonton Noodle Soup With Chicken and Shiitakes
Homemade Wonton Soup
I like adding tons of vegetables to my soup. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
This isn't quite a noodle soup, but it feels wrong not to include a great wonton soup on this list. Chicken, pork trotters, and ham enrich the broth, and homemade shrimp wontons add tons of texture and a bit of needed richness.
Get the recipe for Homemade Wonton Soup
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Pressure Cooker Chintan Shoyu Ramen
Vicky Wasik
This recipe provides all the building blocks of a perfectly balanced chintan shoyu ramen. Plus, it all comes together in your pressure cooker. The soy sauce–flavored, clear-broth ramen is an ideal base for rich pork belly and homemade, or store-bought, ramen noodles.
Get the recipe for Pressure Cooker Chintan Shoyu Ramen
Miso Tori Paitan Ramen (Creamy Chicken Broth Ramen)
Vicky Wasik
This ramen features a creamy, rich chicken paitan broth flavored with a tare, or seasoning, made from a mixture of red miso, soy sauce, sake, dried fish, kelp, and optional fresh red chilies. To round out an already-great bowl of ramen, we add sliced braised pork belly, finely diced white onion, and thin slices of scallion.
Get the recipe for Miso Tori Paitan Ramen (Creamy Chicken Broth Ramen)
30-Minute Pressure Cooker Pho Ga
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Making pho from scratch might sound intimidating, but this pressure cooker version makes it quite easy—and extremely fast. In 30 minutes, you'll have a flavor-packed bowl of pho, complete with tender chicken legs, thin rice noodles, and bright herbs.
Get the recipe for 30-Minute Pressure Cooker Pho Ga
Make Your Own Just-Add-Hot-Water Instant Noodles
4:29
How to Make Your Own Instant Noodle Cups
There's no reason you should ever have to eat a sad desk lunch again. We believe that so strongly that we created four recipes for DIY instant noodles you can heat up and eat at work. All you need to do is combine parcooked noodles, a vegetable base, sliced vegetables, and a combination of seasonings. You could go with the mellow, sweet flavors of Thai coconut curry with shrimp, an umami-packed jar of noodles with vegetables and miso-sesame broth, spicy kimchi beef noodles, or, perhaps, these light and flavorful chicken and dill noodles. As a matter of fact, we think your best bet is to make them all.
Make Your Own Just-Add-Hot-Water Instant Noodles
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Real-Deal Khao Soi Gai (Northern Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup With Chicken)
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
This Northern Thai khao soi gai perfectly blends rich coconut curry with tender braised chicken and crisp fried noodles. Toasting aromatics for the soup's curry paste will up their flavor and make them easier to pound. Makrut lime zest and fresh turmeric round out this full-bodied, creamy soup.
Get the recipe for Real-Deal Khao Soi Gai (Northern Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup With Chicken)
Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean and Pasta Soup)
Daniel Gritzer
This classic Italian soup is best kept simple. So instead of embellishing and improving upon an already-great recipe, we focus on using the best ingredients to take this soup to the next level. The secret is using the highest quality dried beans, and letting them go low and slow.
Get the recipe for Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Bean and Pasta Soup)
The Ultimate Rich and Creamy Vegan Ramen With Roasted Vegetables and Miso Broth
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Making a great bowl of vegan ramen is hard; we admit it. Usually, pork and chicken meat and bones are responsible for giving ramen broth its rich flavor. But this vegan ramen will rival your favorite meat-based ones, relying on the umami of charred vegetables, soy sauce, and sweet potatoes.
Get the recipe for The Ultimate Rich and Creamy Vegan Ramen With Roasted Vegetables and Miso Broth
Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth)
Vicky Wasik
This is one of those soups I start calling on in the heat of summer, but it's a satisfying and light meal perfect nearly any time of year. Chilled Japanese udon noodles are served with a cold soy-based broth. The bowl of noodles is topped with your choice of condiments, like grated fresh ginger, a soft-cooked egg, or scallions.
Get the recipe for Bukkake Udon (Japanese Cold Noodles With Broth)
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Quick Kimchi Ramen With Shiitake Mushrooms and Soft-Cooked Egg
Real deal ramen is a big project, but this quick and easy version can be on your table in 30 minutes. Umami bombs like kimchi, miso, shiitake mushrooms, and soy sauce don't need long-cooking, and cooking regular angel hair pasta in water that has baking soda added gives the noodles a ramen-like texture. Get the recipe » [Photograph: Daniel Gritzer]. Daniel Gritzer
This super-quick Korean kimchi ramen relies on intensely flavorful ingredients to pack a big punch in a short amount of time. In addition to kimchi, this bowl of ramen gets its flavor from miso, shiitake mushrooms, and soy sauce. The addition of baking soda to a pot of boiling water turns angel hair pasta into springy ramen-like noodles, so you don't even have to go in search of ingredients.
Get the recipe for Quick Kimchi Ramen With Shiitake Mushrooms and Soft-Cooked Egg
Homemade Shin Cup–Style Spicy Korean Ramyun Beef Noodle Soup
This is an upgraded version of the instant-noodle Shin Cup, with a beefed up short rib broth and toppings including mushrooms, scallions, kimchi, and a soft boiled egg. We promise, it's worth the extra effort. Get the recipe » [Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
This Korean beef noodle soup is our nod to a much-loved spicy beef instant noodle. The rich bowl of soup gets its depth from short ribs, sea kelp, Korean chili paste, and kimchi. This isn't a quick soup, but when you have a slow and leisurely evening, it's more than worth your time.
Get the recipe for Homemade Shin Cup–Style Spicy Korean Ramyun Beef Noodle Soup
Cold Korean Noodle Soup With Asian Pear and Cucumber (Mul Naengmyun)
Daniel Gritzer
Cold soups don't get enough love. And to be fair, I didn't love them when I was a kid. But now that I've seen the light, I get exactly what's so great about this Korean cold noodle soup with Asian pear and cucumber. A sweet-tart broth meets slick, chewy noodles and a crisp topping of sliced cucumber and pickled radish.
Get the recipe for Cold Korean Noodle Soup With Asian Pear and Cucumber (Mul Naengmyun)

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