I made 6 Ina Garten soup recipes and ranked them by deliciousness I love making Ina Garten's soup recipes, especially during the winter season. Jeff Neira/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Ina Garten has published many soup recipes, and I've made half a dozen from her repertoire so far. Her tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons is super easy to make and perfect for all ages. Garten's chicken pot pie soup, inspired by the classic comfort dish, takes my top spot. After cooking my way through Ina Garten's comforting pastas, energizing breakfasts, and delectable desserts, it was time for a new challenge. As George Costanza would say, I was ready to "shift into soup mode." Garten has dozens of soup recipes, and I've been slowly making my way through her repertoire. Each soup in this ranking is delicious — what else would you expect from the Barefoot Contessa? — but I definitely have some clear favorites. Here's how they all stack up. In sixth place is Ina Garten's winter minestrone soup. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten's minestrone soup appears in her 2012 cookbook "Foolproof." In the recipe's description, she calls it an "incredibly hearty winter soup" that "falls somewhere between a soup and a stew." The soup is packed with tons of vegetables — baby spinach, butternut squash, celery, carrots, garlic, and onion — plus cannellini beans, pancetta, pesto, Parmesan, and fresh thyme. It requires a lot of chopping and prep, but all those veggies provide plenty of heft. Garten's winter minestrone soup is packed with color and texture. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Full transparency, if I had to rank my favorite soups in the world, minestrone would always be at the bottom of the list. Most minestrone soups I've tried have been lackluster and forgettable, but Garten's version is a commendable effort. The chopped tomatoes and pancetta bring some richness to the broth, while the rainbow of veggies provides plenty of color and texture. I loved the pops of freshness from the spinach and thyme, and the salty kick from the Parmesan on top. While it's not my favorite Barefoot Contessa recipe, Garten's winter minestrone soup is healthy and hearty. How to make Ina Garten's winter minestrone soup. Rounding out the top five is Garten's Italian wedding soup. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten loves putting a new twist on classic recipes, and her Italian wedding soup is no different. Featured in Garten's 2008 cookbook "Back to Basics," the recipe features meatballs made with a mixture of ground chicken and chicken sausage instead of the traditional beef or pork. The recipe also includes small pasta — Garten recommends tubettini or stars — carrots, celery, fresh dill, baby spinach, and her homemade chicken stock. The chicken meatballs are a delicious twist in Garten's Italian wedding soup. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten says using homemade chicken stock "makes all the difference in the world" for this recipe, and I definitely agree. Her delicious stock infuses this dish with depth, giving the broth richness without making it heavy. This allows the soup to taste light and fresh, especially with the added burst of dill. The chicken meatballs were full of great flavor. I just wish I had made them a tad smaller! Garten's Italian wedding soup isn't as memorable as other recipes on this list, but it's a great dish for rainy nights. How to make Ina Garten's Italian wedding soup. Garten's chicken chili takes the fourth spot. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten made traditional chili for 20 years at the famous specialty food store that launched her cooking career (and gave her the iconic "Barefoot Contessa" nickname). But she decided to update the chili with chicken to make it lighter, which became even more popular than the original dish. The soup — which is featured in Garten's 2001 cookbook "Barefoot Contessa Parties!" — features chicken breasts, red and yellow bell peppers, onion, garlic, fresh basil, plus toppings including green onions, sour cream, and grated cheddar cheese. Garten's chicken chili is super hearty and comforting. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider When I'm craving chili, I usually whip up this recipe with ground beef that my fiancé and I have been making for years. But if you're looking for something a little lighter, Garten's recipe is a great substitute. The tender and juicy roasted chicken pairs deliciously with the rich tomato flavor of the broth, and I enjoyed the crunchy texture from the bell peppers and the green onions on top. The sour cream also adds a nice hit of creaminess and acidity. "This chili is reminiscent of a chicken tortilla soup, but it's so much heartier!" my friend Kayla said after I made her a bowl. "It makes you feel so warm and cozy." How to make Ina Garten's chicken chili. In third place is Garten's tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten elevates her version of tomato soup — which also appears in "Foolproof" — with the addition of orzo, saffron threads, and grilled cheese croutons. This is one of the quickest Barefoot Contessa soup recipes. There's very minimal prep, and the entire dish is ready in just 50 minutes! Garten's tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons is a dinner the whole family will love. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Tomato and grilled cheese are a pairing as classic as peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese, and turning the sandwich into bite-sized croutons is an inspired choice. I loved how they injected each sip of soup with a salty and satisfying blast of gooey cheesiness. I used Garten's homemade chicken stock for this recipe, which helps imbue the broth with so much flavor despite being on the stove for less than an hour. It's light and rich, with a silky texture I couldn't get enough of. This is the only tomato soup that I crave now. How to make Ina Garten's tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons. Taking the second spot is Garten's ravioli en brodo. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider As you can see, Garten clearly loves to whip up Italian soup recipes. The Barefoot Contessa version of ravioli en brodo appears in "Go-To Dinners," Garten's most recent cookbook. The rustic recipe features homemade chicken stock, fresh or frozen cheese ravioli, carrots, celery, fennel, dill, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Garten's ravioli en brodo looks simple, but it's exploding with flavor. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten's ravioli en brodo turned me into a true homemade chicken stock convert. With its help, the broth in this soup truly tastes like liquid gold. It's light but silky, rich and savory. The dill and lemon add an extra burst of brightness, while the ravioli brings in that comforting cheesiness. I dream about this soup so much, I think it's safe to say I prefer it over chicken noodle. And now I make a huge pot of homemade chicken stock every winter. How to make Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo. Garten's chicken pot pie soup is one of my all-time favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Garten was inspired to make a chicken pot pie soup after she spotted one on an airport menu. "It was actually harder to make than it sounded — my first few attempts just tasted like chicken pot pie filling, not soup," she wrote in her 2020 cookbook "Modern Comfort Food." "This one, though, hit all the right comforting notes, with good chicken stock, roasted chicken, and puff pastry croutons," Garten added. The soup also features carrots, leeks, fennel, garlic, pearl onions, peas, fresh tarragon and parsley, plus some cream sherry. I love Garten's chicken pot pie soup so much, I make it every winter. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I wish I knew which airport restaurant had the chicken pot pie soup on its menu so I could personally thank them for inspiring Garten's version, which has become one of my favorite comfort meals. This recipe keeps the spirit of pot pie alive with deliciously juicy and tender chicken surrounded by fresh and flavorful veggies with every sip. The puff pastry croutons were an easy and quick addition, and they tasted incredible after soaking up the delicious broth. When one of my loved ones is sick, this is always the dish that I make for them. It's truly soup for the soul. Here's how to make Ina Garten's chicken pot pie soup. Read the original article on Business Insider
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