It’s *Officially* Peak Soup Season—Here Are Food52’s Must-Have Essentials

In case you haven’t heard, it’s soup season. Some might argue that any season can be soup-centric—and I can’t necessarily disagree; gazpacho is a delicious warm-weather treat, after all, but everyone knows once the temperatures dip below 40 degrees, we’ve officially settled in.

Kitchens start smelling like creamy buttered potatoes and leeks, spiced lentils, or buttered grilled cheeses that will soon be dipped into a rich tomato bisque. Weeknight dinner planning begins to revolve around anything that can simmer in your favorite cocotte throughout the day. You might even find yourself diving deep into the age-old debate: What are the fine lines dividing a soup, from a stew, from a chowder?

As we lean into this winter-menu staple, we at Food52 started thinking about the essential soup products we never want to be without. We discussed our favorite soup bowls, ladles, and spoons, as well as the Dutch ovens and cookware we rely on, plus the kitchen accessories that carry us through these months. Interested to know our picks? Keep reading for five of our staffers’ soup season essentials from the Food52 Shop—along with all the soup recipes they can’t stop making.

Emily Ziemski, Food Editor

“I love the Twist Trivets; when I’m having soup, there’s a super high probability that I’m going back for seconds. Instead of schlepping back to the stove, I take the whole pot with me to the table (also great for dispersing aromas while I eat). These trivets aren’t only cute as heck—I can store them by hanging them up, saving drawer and cabinet space.”

Molly Fitzsimons, Art Director

“We use our Sawyer Ceramics Butter Keeper every single day for breakfast toast (my son is enraged by hard, cold butter in the morning, lol) and it’s amazing for buttered crusty bread with soup too! We made the 15-Minute Creamy (Vegan) Tomato Soup over the holiday break and it is wonderful (especially with buttered bread).”

Emily Kochman, Digital Merchant

“I’ve had the Food52 x Staub Round Cocette in Cherry for years. When my mom and sister saw it, they loved it as much as I did—and I wound up gifting them cocottes, too! We share a major love of soup, so recipes and soup pics are always circulating between us. Next on my list is Nkrakra (Light Soup With Chicken) From Zoe Adjonyoh.”

Madison Trapkin, Assistant Editor

“I love my 2-quart Food52 x Dansk Købenstyle Saucepan for reheating soup on the stovetop because it’s the perfect size for single-serve (or two-person) portions.”

Maurine Hainsworth, Senior Copywriter

“I always have my Five Two Silicone Pot Holders nearby when making soup—they’re small enough to grab a hot lid with ease, but big enough to lug a heavy pot to the table. I’ve also had an immersion blender for ages and don’t know what I’d do without it. My one wish? That it were cordless like this Kitchenaid one.

Right now I’m hooked on Urvashi Pitre’s Instant Pot Tomato Coconut Soup because it’s dead simple (like, pull-two-cans-out-of-the-pantry simple). And wow, is it delicious.”