January is National Soup month, so we at Matthew’s Kitchen, asked our fellow bloggers for help to come up with the best soup recipes they had to share. They certainly came through. However, while we were sorting through the recipes, we noticed that many of these bloggers (nothing but love to them) are confused on what is defined as Soup. They also gave us stew and chili recipes, which, firstly thank you to all of them for helping out, but secondly, we realize that we should clarify the differences between the 3 as it can be confusing.

Soup is a liquid-based dish where ingredients like vegetables, meats or legumes (or any combination of the three) are boiled in water, stock or broth to meld and enhance the dish’s favors. There are many types of soups, from creamy chowder to pureed butternut squash, but the main characteristic of soup is that there’s a lot of liquid.

Stew is a dish where larger pieces of meat and vegetables are partially covered, but not floating, in a cooking liquid and then simmered until the ingredients are tender and the liquid has thickened. The cooking liquid can be broth or stock, like a soup, or something richer like wine, beer or tomato juice. And, while most stews include chunks of meat, it can be vegetarian, too. Moststews are served with a starchy side like mashed potatoes, noodles, polenta or rice, but you can certainly eat it on its own.

Chili is a type of spicy stew that typically contains ground meat and chili powder, plus beans and tomato. There’s a multitude of Chili types, but you can tell it apart from other stews by its heavy use of fresh chilis and/or chili powder. When we say chili has a lot of variation, we mean it. Chili can be made with pretty much any meat (or made vegetarian), with or without beans, be tomato- or broth-based, stuffed with veggies or made with pretty much just meat, which is how we make ours here at Matthew’s Kitchen.

With that being clarified now, lets see all those amazing recipes.

Soups

Broccoli Cheddar Soup – As For Me and My Homestead

Quick Mexican Chicken Soup – Coffee With Us 3

EASY SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH SAUSAGE – Recipe Pockets

Crockpot Creamy Tortellini Soup – Coffee With Us 3

EASY POTATO BACON SOUP – Fresh Simple Home

THE CREAMIEST SWEET POTATO SOUP – The Daring Kitchen

Hong Kong Noodle Soup – Global Kitchen Travels

Mom’s GlutenFree Homemade Chicken Soup – The Winged Fork

THAI CURRY ZUCCHINI AND PEA SOUP – Blue World Dreams

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup – Fannetastic Food

SUPER EASY CROCKPOT POTATO SOUP RECIPE – SLOW COOKER COMFORT FOOD – Kim and Kalee

INSTANT POT CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP – Blue World Dreams

Hot and Sour Soup – Swirls of Flavor

Chicken, Carrot & Coconut Curry Soup – Creative Living

Easy Roasted Red Pepper Soup – Creative Living

Easy French Onion Soup with Sausage in the Slow Cooker – Fluxing Well

Sopa de Albondigas – Healthy Meatball Soup – A Taste for Travel

Easy, Healthy, Low Carb & Gluten Free Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup – Coupons for Your Family

Romanian Vegetarian Sour Soup – Refresh My Health

Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup – Urban Farmie

INSTANT POT CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP (VEGAN) – That Girl Cooks Healthy

VEGAN INSTANT POT CAULIFLOWER SOUP – That Girl Cooks Healthy

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup – Friday Night Cocktails

Roasted Butternut Squash and Leek Soup – Friday Night Cocktails

Ham & Potato Soup – Friday Night Coctails

Chestnut and Barley Soup – My Pinch of Italy

Cauliflower’s Outer Leaves Vegetable Soup – My Pinch of Italy

Minestrone – Italian Vegetable Soup – My Pinch of Italy

Tom Yum Soup – Intact – Spice Cravings

LEMON CHICKEN ORZO SOUP – Eating on a Dime

CROCK POT MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE – Eating on a Dime

SLOW COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP – About A Mom

COLD BUSTING GREEN TEA CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP – About A Mom

EASY PEA SOUP – Veggie Desserts

EASY TOMATO SOUP RECIPE – Veggie Desserts

Healthy Miso Soup Recipe – Healthy Kitchen 101

Healthy Chicken And Rice Soup Recipe – Healthy Kitchen 101

IMMUNE BOOSTING SOUP – Food, Fun & Faraway

HEARTY POTATO SOUP – Moms Who Save

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP (VEGAN) – Moms Who Save

Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup – Tasty Oven

Spinach Tortellini Soup with Parmesan – Tasty Oven

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan Soup – Tasty Oven

SWEET POTATO PEANUT SOUP (VEGAN + GF)- Rhian’s Recipes

Instant Pot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup – Piping Pot Company

MIE BAKSO INDONESIAN MEATBALL SOUP WITH NOODLES – Recipe Pocket

Easy Vegan Wild Rice Soup – Wow, It’s Veggie

15-Minute Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup – Wow, It’s Veggie

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP – By the Forkful

CURRY LAKSA NOODLES WITH CRISPY TOFU – By the Forkful

How to Make The Best Homemade Chicken Soup – Creative Living

Black Bean Soup with Baby Greens – Simple Fresh n Yum

Chicken Vegetable Soup – Simple Living Creative Learning

Slowcooker Sweet Potato Soup – Simple Living Creative Learning

Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup – Simple Living Creative Learning

Instant Pot Coconut Curry Soup – The Inspiration Edit

Vegetable Soup | Healthy Veg Clear Soup (2 Ways) – Dassana’s Veg Recipes

Carrot Ginger Soup – The Gourmet RD

Vegan Potato Soup (Easy & Oil-Free) – No Sweat Vegan

Hearty Gluten-Free Vegetable Stew: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Plant-Based – The Helpful GF

Easy Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup – The Helpful GF

SOUPE À L’OIGNON GRATINÉE (PARISIAN FRENCH ONION SOUP) – Mission Food Adventure

TOM YUM GAI (THAI HOT AND SOUR CHICKEN SOUP) – Mission Food Adventure

RED LENTIL POTATO SOUP – Mission Food Adventure

Chicken Gnocchi Soup – Pink When

Vegan Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup – Piping Pot Company

Turkey Coconut Curry Soup – Coffee Fit Kitchen

HOKKAIDO PUMPKIN AND APPLE SOUP – Paleo Low Carb Kate

Chickpea Soup Recipe with Lemon and Rice – Debra Klein