Soups are a great way to counter the dropping temperatures and soothe your soul throughout the year. French Ovens and Dutch Ovens are ideal for tackling one-pot soup recipes and are extremely easy to clean up long after dinner is served. Our favourite soup recipes span from across the globe, from Vietnam and Italy to France and Japan, featuring miso soups, minestrones, and the ever-popular pho soup.
The French Oven is commonly referred to as the Dutch Oven, however, separates itself from its counterpart, featuring enamelled cast iron rather than pure cast iron. This ensures the French Oven exposes ingredients to a consistent heat source and offers superior heat retention.
These recipes are easy to master, requiring ingredients commonly found in any pantry, and can all be made in a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, French Oven, or Cocotte – making cleanup a total cinch. Here are 10 of our favourite soup recipes you can simmer to perfection in a Dutch Oven.
Our Recipes
Le Creuset has developed a number of soup recipes over the years that can be made in a Dutch Oven, French Oven or Cocotte. These meals incorporate some of our customers’ favourite meals, including minestrone, French onion soup and miso soup. Here are eight soup recipes from us to you.
French Onion Soup
What better piece of cookware to make French Onion Soup than in an French Oven? This recipe dates all the way back to the 18th century in Paris, France. French onion soup was initially made from beef broth and caramelized onions, but has since been transformed in recent years.
This recipe elevates the traditional recipe, featuring six slices of freshly-baked baguette atop the soup as well as shredded Gruyère cheese. The onions should be thinly sliced and stirred frequently in butter, thyme, bay leaves, and salt until they are very soft. Serve this recipe straight out of a French Onion Soup Bowl for an extra touch of colour at the dinner table.
Pumpkin Apple Soup
The Pumpkin Apple Soup is the perfect recipe to welcome in the Fall and is a hearty meal for the sweet tooth in your life. While the pumpkin is the dish’s signature ingredient, it can easily be swapped out for butternut squash depending on your preferences. The Granny Smith apple and apple cider contrast the chopped onions exceptionally well, adding an element of sweetness to this creamy soup. Add 1ML of ground cinnamon for an extra kick!
While this recipe is done in a saucepan, the French or Dutch Oven offers an ideal environment for this soup’s ingredients to simmer slowly, and offers you flexibility as it cooks to mix and match different flavours. Just add more vegetable stock and apple cider for a thinner consistency.
Chunky Roasted Tomato and Butternut Squash Soup
The Chunky Roasted Tomato and Butternut Squash Soup has quickly become a classic recipe for those colder days. Once the tomatoes and butternut squash are roasted and mashed, the French or Dutch Oven will take care of the rest. This timeless piece of cookware will gently boil the vegetables until the soup is ready.
The fresh garlic cloves and thyme offer the recipe a great balance between spice and texture. Garnish this soup with roasted pumpkin seeds prior to serving for added flavour. This recipe can serve up to 4 to 6 people, making it a favourite across busier households.
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
This list would not be complete without the Classic Chicken Noodle Soup. Prepare this nutritious delight when you’re feeling slightly under the weather in less than 30 minutes. Start by adding in the onion, thyme, carrots and celery into the Dutch Oven before cooking the noodles. Typically, this recipe can be done in just about any stockpot.
However, the French or Dutch Oven will ensure the vegetables are softened without browning them and will maintain its heat to a boil for the noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, add in the chicken and let it simmer to perfection for another few minutes. Sprinkle
Pea Soup
Making Pea Soup has never been easier thanks to the French and Dutch Oven. This traditional soup originates from 500 to 400 BC and has since become a staple in the kitchen. This recipe requires very little pre-meal preparation and is among the healthiest meals one can serve. Featuring peas – as the name would suggest – and spinach, this recipe is ideal for green eaters.
This recipe can be prepared in a saucepan or in a French or Dutch Oven. This soup will simmer slowly in a Dutch Oven, absorbing all the flavours of the green onions, fresh herbs, mint, and parsley. Croutons and pea shoots can be added to the soup right before serving for a thoughtful finishing touch.
Creamy Chicken Soup
This Creamy Chicken Soup recipe is a great way to feed the whole family in no time. This recipe combines simple ingredients to deliver a truly delicious end product. The chicken should be cut into cubes and added almost immediately after the butter has melted, allowing it to mix well with it and absorb its flavour.
Introduce the fresh cream, water and milk once the spices have been integrated into the chicken. The key is to let the ingredients simmer slowly in the French or Dutch Oven as the pasta is being boiled. This will ensure the cream maintains its consistency up until it reaches the table.
Miso Soup
Miso Soup is a traditional Japanese that has grown incredibly popular over the years. While this recipe allows for easy improvisation, Miso Soup typically features dashi stock that is then softened into miso paste. This recipe uses the freshest of ingredients, including bonito flakes, Wakame seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, and dried kombu kelp.
This recipe takes over two hours to complete, but once you start, you will not regret it and can also serve up to six people. The French or Dutch Oven accommodates for the changes in temperatures needed to prepare Miso Soup, going from a boil to a simmer with ease.
Minestrone Soup
Our next recipe takes us to Italy, featuring the traditional Minestrone Soup. Historically, ingredients such as beans, onions, celery, carrots, and tomatoes among others have been used, but in reality, there is not one set recipe to make minestrone. Home cooks and seasoned chefs tend to improvise their minestrone recipes on the fly depending on what is in season or simply, what is in the fridge.
This recipe incorporates all the classic ingredients, however, offers a slight twist, introducing zucchinis, squash, bay leaves, and fresh oregano. Minestrone may originate in Italy, but the French or Dutch Oven is the ideal piece of cookware for this recipe, allowing all the vegetables to baste in their own juices as they cook slowly.
From the kitchens of bloggers
Here are two soup recipes you can prepare in your French or Dutch Oven from some of our favourite bloggers.
Vietnamese Pho (Martha Stewart)
Pho is a Vietnamese soup with origins spanning to the early 1900s. In fact, today it is considered Vietnam’s national dish. This age-old soup has since made its way across the globe and has become a go-to for soup lovers everywhere.
Traditionally, pho consists of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat – typically beef, but chicken can also be used. The Dutch Oven is great for preparing this recipe as it allows the broth to absorb all the rich flavours from the herbs and meat as it cooks slowly. Sprinkle bean sprouts and squeeze fresh lime juice into the Pho before serving
Tortellini Soup with Sausage (Scrambled Chefs)
The Tortellini Soup with Sausage can serve as great comfort food, combining tender tortellini, a creamy sauce, and Italian sausage. The Dutch Oven is recommended for this recipe due to its superior heat retention and its thick walls, ensuring the sauce does not burn.
This piece of cookware suits this recipe wonderfully as the sauce must simmer slowly to bring about all the flavours. The Italian sausage is designed to compliment the herbs and the tortellini, while adding some much-needed texture to this recipe.
There are hundreds and even thousands of soup recipes out there, but ultimately, everyone has their own way of preparing their favourite soups. Whether you are looking for that extra kick, or perhaps something sweeter, it is only ever a few ingredients away. The beauty of soup recipes is that they can be easily adapted, allowing cooks and chefs alike complete freedom when preparing them.
These were just 10 of our favourite soup recipes that can be easily prepared in a Dutch Oven, French Oven or Cocotte to feed the whole family. For more inspiration, visit our featured recipes and step up your cooking game with some of our favourite meals.
