8 Noodle Soups Guaranteed to Warm You Up This Fall

There’s no better comfort food than a big bowl of warm, steaming broth with tender noodles. Add a few Asian flavors and some spicy heat (Sriracha!), and you’re well on your way to an ultimately soul-satisfying meal. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite noodle soups, perfect for a chilly day.

Spinach & Vermicelli Soup with Fried Egg

Both kid and adult friendly, this soup uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Substitute chard, kale or other sturdy cooking greens for the spinach.

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 cups (40 fl. oz./1.25 ml.) chicken broth
• 1/2 lb. (250 g.) vermicelli, broken into 2-inch (5-cm.) pieces
• 1 bunch spinach, stemmed
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• Hot sauce, such as Sriracha, for serving (optional)

In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the vermicelli, return to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the spinach and stir through just until it is wilted, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low to keep the soup warm while you prepare the eggs.

In a nonstick frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Fry each egg until it is set but the yolk is still runny, 5-6 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a fried egg. Serve, passing the hot sauce at the table, if using. Serves 4.

Soba Noodles & Seared Salmon in Ginger-Green Onion Broth

Firm-fleshed salmon fillets make a hearty topping for a bowl of tempting buckwheat noodles and broth. Accompany with an Asian-inspired salad, such as cucumbers dressed in sesame.

• 4 green onions
• 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l.) chicken broth
• 2-inch (5-cm.) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 star anise
• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. mirin
• A few drops of Asian sesame oil
• 6 oz. (185 g.) soba noodles, broken in half
• 3/4 lb. (375 g.) center-cut salmon, cut into 4 equal pieces, skin and pinbones removed
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Thinly slice the green onions, reserving the white and pale green parts in one bowl and the dark green parts in a separate bowl.

In a large, heavy pot, combine the broth, ginger, the white and pale green slices of the green onions, the star anise, soy sauce, mirin and sesame oil over medium-high heat. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pan and let steep for 10 minutes.

Strain the soup, discard the solids, and return the broth to the pot. Bring the broth to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook, stirring once or twice, for 4 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

Place a small frying pan over high heat until it is very hot. Brush the salmon with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear the salmon to medium-rare, 4-5 minutes per side.

To serve, use tongs to divide the soba noodles among 4 shallow bowls. Ladle the hot broth into each bowl and top with a piece of seared salmon. Garnish with the sliced dark green onions and serve. Serves 4.

Pork Pho

Pho is comfort food, Southeast Asian style. The light-bodied broth and zesty flavors satisfy without weighing you down. To slice the pork paper-thin, chill it in the freezer for half an hour.

• 3 oz. (90 g.) rice noodles
• 1 star anise
• 1 Tbs. coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves
• 4 cups (32 fl. oz./1 l.) chicken broth
• 2-inch (5-cm.) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 Tbs. Asian fish sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 lb. (125 g.) pork tenderloin, cut into paper-thin slices
• 1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 Tbs. cilantro leaves
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small red chile, seeded and thinly sliced
• Hot sauce, such as Sriracha

In a bowl, combine the noodles with hot water to cover and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a small frying pan, combine the star anise, coriander seeds, cinnamon and cloves. Toast the spices over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2-3 minutes

In a large saucepan, combine the broth, ginger, fish sauce, sugar and toasted spices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer and return to the pan. Return to a boil, add the noodles, and cook for 5 minutes.

Using tongs, remove the noodles from the soup and put in bowls. Top with half of the pork. Ladle the hot soup directly over the pork, adding enough to cover the noodles and cook the meat. Serve, passing the lime wedges, cilantro, red onion, chile and hot sauce at the table. Serves 2.

Try a few more of our favorites:

Udon Noodle Soup with Pork Inspired by the soothing noodle soups that are so popular in Japanese cuisine, this soup is filled with thick, chewy udon noodles and meaty shiitake mushrooms.

Five-Spice Chicken Noodle Soup Give traditional chicken noodle soup a flavor boost with Chinese five-spice powder, combining star anise, spicy Szechuan peppercorns and sweet cinnamon and cloves.

Miso Soup with Udon Noodles Nutritious miso adds its savory character to this vegetarian soup along with tofu, mushroom and carrots.

Pork and Soba Noodle Soup Buckwheat flour gives soba noodles their appealing nuttiness, which lends depth of flavor to this soup.

Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup Here, a marinade gives thinly sliced beef extra umami before it’s combined with bean sprouts and rice noodles.