Thanksgiving Soup Recipes to Start the Feast

This lovely soup is a breeze to make: Simply cook the vegetables (and apple) and blend. A smattering of zippy, warm spices—ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves—give it wonderful depth of flavor.

This creative recipe is a play on the classic French onion soup, swapping in shallots for the onions, and topping the bowls with melted Gruyère. Sautéed chestnuts add a little crunch.

Definitely not your everyday soup, this leek and parsnip purée is topped with creme fraîche spiked with black pepper and a small dollop of caviar.

You can use any winter squash—butternut, acorn, or sugar pumpkin—to make this balanced, flavorful soup. Parmesan-dusted croutons are a savory garnish.

A lovely soup that starts with cauliflower simmered with thyme; it's then puréed with plenty of roasted garlic cloves and sautéed onions. The pièce de résistance: caramelized cauliflower florets scattered on top.

The combination of puréed pumpkin, potato, and turnip result in a soup that's a perfect mix of sweet and savory. There's a hint of thyme, too, which adds lovely flavor.

This creamy butternut squash bisque is seasoned with cinnamon and a bit of cayenne powder, though you can certainly play with the spices. Try ground nutmeg or cloves instead of cinnamon, or add a Southwestern touch with a pinch of chili powder.

Here's another bowl that's definitely a notch about your usual Thursday evening soup. It features sophisticated roasted chestnuts and cremini and shiitake mushrooms—but it's surprisingly straightforward to make.

This puréed winter squash and potato soup is delicious on its own, but for the holiday, a crostini garnish brushed with cream that has been infused with chopped rosemary, parsley, and thyme, then broiled until crisp feels just right.

Bartlett pears, butternut squash or pumpkin, and turnips bring sweetness and earthiness to this creamy fall soup. Thin slices of baked pears make an elegant garnish that looks as lovely as it tastes.

Amid the beige canvas of Thanksgiving, a bright green soup made from puréed broccoli and handfuls of baby spinach is a refreshing and bracing start. Another bonus: This velvety-textured soup doesn't contain any cream.

Fresh wild mushrooms combined with dried porcini and morels make for an elegant starter with rich flavor. This creamy soup gets extra depth from Madeira wine or cognac.

Whole peeled chestnuts and Yukon Gold potatoes add structure to this festive pumpkin soup, enhancing its texture. An optional toasted pumpkin seed garnish delivers a welcome bit of crunch.