3 Soups That Will Take the Chill Off—and Be Ready in 30 Minutes or Less

These three soup recipes deliver comfort without the wait, and come with three lessons in making weeknight cooking easier and more delicious.

When the temperature dips and dinner needs to happen fast—or a bowl of comfort is in order—a pot of soup can feel like a small miracle. Ozgur Coskun/Dreamstime/TNS

When the temperature dips and dinner needs to happen fast—or a bowl of comfort is in order—a pot of soup can feel like a small miracle.

But just 30 minutes on the stove is all it takes to coax big flavors out of humble ingredients, especially when you lean on smart techniques and strategic shortcuts. These three soup recipes deliver comfort without the wait, and come with three lessons in making weeknight cooking easier and more delicious.

1. Make it Creamy Without the Cream

A velvety smooth white bean soup can achieve a luxurious creaminess without the cream, and the secret lies in the blending. Turning a hot liquid into a pureed soup requires a little know-how. In a blender, steam from a hot liquid can rapidly expand, causing the blender lid to fly off and the fiery contents to splatter all over the cook and the kitchen. Luckily, the fix is easy: Fill your blender halfway, remove the plastic insert from the lid to allow steam to escape, and drape a clean kitchen towel over the opening to prevent splatter.