2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - Top 10 Picks!

We ended up making 53 recipes from 53 different countries and territories throughout the world. Our basic plan was to rotate through regions to not overload ourselves in similar flavor profiles. Each of our Top 10 lists have some variations, but we ended up having a lot of crossover. There were some definite wins and definite losses through the year. Overall, I really enjoyed this project! We didn’t reach every country we wanted and even left out some big ones (India and China come to mind), so we are going to informally continue this project into the next few years. I want to scratch off all the countries and flags on my world map. But, let’s see what we loved this year:

My Top 10 Picks!

I ended up with a wide range taste profiles and countries. All of our Top 10 picks are definitely going into regular rotation.

1. Sega Wat from Ethiopia - Hands down the best recipe we made!

2. Gazpacho from Spain - I will be making this one many times during the hot months.

3. Maafe from Senegal - Such a flavorful peanut stew.

4. Mang Cua from Vietnam - Loved this flavor profile!

5. Prawn and Sweet Potato Curry from Jamaica - Spicy jerk blend really elevated this one!

6. Miso from Japan - Super simple but oh so tasty!

7. Fesenjan from Iran - Different flavor profile that I really enjoyed.

8. Cullen Skink from Scotland - Really really good and could be better with proper smoked haddock.

9. Chili Verde from Mexico - Love my Tex-Mex style recipes.

10. Asam Pedas from Malaysia - I really loved the flavor profile and think I can make this even better.

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - November and December

Recipe 40: Ajiaco from Chile

A very standard type of beef stew. Not great, but a good variation of beef stew.

Recipe used from Mi Diario de Cocina

Recipe 41: Farikal (Lamb and Cabbage Soup) from Norway

This was interesting… J liked it, I was less sure. There is a very strong lamb taste to this dish and I wasn’t quite sure that I loved it. The peppercorns really do elevate the dish.

Recipe used from Fusion Craftiness

Recipe 42: Soupe au Pistou (Vegetable Soup) from Monaco

Good vegetable soup. I especially liked the garnish on top; added a nice bit of extra flavor.

Recipe used from International Cuisine

Recipe 43: Carbonada Criolla from Argentina

Decent beef stew. I think I would up the amount of wine, apricots, and prunes and lessen the amount of potatoes if we make it again.

Recipe used from Sugar Loves Spices

Recipe 44: Lamb Soup from Iceland

I liked this so much more than the Norwegian version. A subtler lamb flavor and more vegetables. Pretty good!

Recipe used from Foodie Quine

Recipe 45: Dovi (Peanut Stew) from Zimbabwe

This was so so good! We are definitely adding this into a regular rotation. Our only big change was to add more peri-peri sauce and sub in squash for okra (the store didn’t have any okra).

Recipe used from Arousing Appetites

Recipe 46: Scallop Bisque from Ireland

Ooh.. This was good, but could be amazing. We’re keeping it on our list of things to play around with.

Recipe used from Beyond Mere Sustenance

Recipe 47: Beef Stew from Flanders

I liked the beer flavor in this one, but the rest of it was pretty bland. We want big flavor in this house, and this one didn’t do it.

Recipe used from Ang Sarap

Recipe 48 : Mushroom and Potato Soup from Russia

Decent potato soup. I liked the inclusion of the dill, but otherwise it wasn’t amazing.

Recipe used from Tara’s Multicultural Table

Recipe 49 : Laksa Soup from Singapore

This was decent, but there’s something missing from the recipe. J and I kept debating different ingredients all through dinner. I bet I can figure this out and make the dish really really good. Also, I need less noodles and more broth next time.

Recipe used from Canadian Cooking Adventures

Recipe 50: Onion Soup from France

This was so good! So very rich, but so very good! It might end up on our Top 10 for the year.

Recipe used from The Kitchn

Recipe 51: Creamy Pineapple Soup from Cambodia

This was really good! With a couple of tweaks (more chili, add in some pineapple juice), I think it could be absolutely amazing!

Recipe used from Homemade and Yummy

Recipe 52: Chili Verde from Mexico

Really good! It was mild, but we could easily kick up the spice factor with more peppers. As is, we added some hot sauce on top with a dollop of sour cream and avocado. We ate it with tortilla chips.

Recipe used from Closet Cooking

Recipe 53: Fish Curry from the Seychelles

This was pretty good, but not quite great. The smell was amazing, but the taste didn’t live up to the smell.

Recipe used from The Food Dictator

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - September and October

Week 33: Chorba Frik from Algeria

Pretty decent, although it definitely needed more frik than the recipe called for.

Recipe used from Cuisine Culinaire

Recipe 34: Calulu from Sao Tome and Principe

A good side dish, but definitely not a great main dish.

Recipe used from Tall’s World Food Journey

Recipe 35: Lubee (Green Bean Stew) from Lebanon

Pretty darn good…

Recipe used from Pear Tree Kitchen

Recipe 36: Mtuzi wa Samaki (Swahili Fish with Coconut Rice) from Kenya

Good, but not amazing. I wasn’t super fan of the mix of flavors.

Recipe used from Pika Chakula

Recipe 37: Curried Coconut and Lime Gourd Soup from Solomon Islands

This was good! I will definitely make this again.

Recipe used from Soups of Our Planet

Recipe 38: Kartoffelsuppe from Germany

Good, although we need to add something to this, maybe paprika?

Recipe used from The View from the Great Island

Recipe 39: Zurek (Rye Soup) from Poland

This was very interesting. I actually took the 5 days to prep the sour liquid and it definitely adds an interesting flavor. We will have to make this one again.

Recipe used from The Polish Housewife

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - July and August

Week 25: Kharcho (Beef Stew) from Georgia

Decent but not a punch of flavor like we love.

Recipe used from Natasha’s Kitchen

Week 26: Paplou Soup (Fish Soup) from Oman

I liked this but needed more broth. Possibly simmering it on the stove longer…

Recipe used from International Cuisine

Week 27: Prawn and Sweet Potato Curry from Jamaica

This might be J’s favorite so far. Very spicy (I did add more spice than the recipe called for)!

Recipe used from Olive Magazine

Week 28: Fish Chowder from Australia

I liked this basic fish chowder. More subtle flavors. This would be great in the dead of winter.

Recipe used from Recipe Tin Eats

Week 29: Mang Cua (Crap and Asparagus Soup) from Vietnam

This was oh so yummy! A nice light broth filled with crab, egg, and asparagus. I will definitely make this one again. The quail eggs were a nice touch.

Recipe used from A Taste of Joy and Love

Week 30: Cawl Cennin (Potato Leek Soup) from Wales

A lovely basic leek soup. I enjoy the simple recipes sometimes.

Recipe used from All Recipes

Week 31: Bariis Maraq (Beef Stew) from Somalia

This was okay, but not amazing.

Recipe used from Epicurious

Week 32: Dovga from Azerbaijan

This was pretty good. I think with a little tweaking, this could be really great.

Recipe used from Golubka Kitchen

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - May and June

Week 18: Fesenjan (Pomegranate Walnut Chicken) from Iran

I don’t think I’ve ever had anything quite like this, but it was so so good! We might put this in regular rotation.

Recipe used from Simply Recipes

Week 19: Sancocho from Panama

Pretty decent chicken corn chowder. I did have to substitute sweet potatoes for cassava as I could not find any around here.

Recipe used from 196 Flavors

Week 20: Gazpacho from Spain

Incredibly delicious! This is most definitely a keeper! I will be pulling this out when it’s 90 degrees here.

Recipe used from The Suburban Soapbox

Week 21: Miso from Japan

Simple to make and super tasty. I didn’t know that it was so easy to make miso. We will have to do this again when we get takeout sushi next time.

Recipe used from Eat Plant Based

Week 22: Khao Soi from Laos

A Laotian take on ramen? A pork noodle soup? Either way, this was really really good! I think we will have to make it again.

Recipe used from Food & Wine

Week 23: Coconut Sweet Potato Soup with Spicy Shrimp from Vanuatu

I had some reservations about this recipe, but it tasted amazing! We loved the sweet coconut flavored broth mixed with the spiciness from the shrimp. Next time, I am going to try to thicken the broth a bit, but overall, this was delicious.

Recipe used from Panning the Globe

Week 24: Butha-Buthe (Spinach and Tangerine Soup) from Lesotho

Pretty bland… the broth was tasty, but the starch really overwhelmed it.

Recipe used from 196 Flavors

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - March and April

Week 8: Ajiaco (Chicken and Corn Soup) from Colombia

Pretty darn good. Next time we will up the spice factor, but we really enjoyed the flavors in this soup. The capers and sour cream really bring it together!

Recipe used from Closet Cooking

Week 9: Maafe (Peanut Stew) from Senegal

This was a delightfully spicy stew! I added three whole habanero peppers with seeds and it was the perfect amount of heat for us! I paired the stew with homemade Hungarian Fennel Bread and it was delicious.

Recipe used from Nibble Me This

Week 10: Red Curry Noodle Soup from Thailand

Southeast Asian food is always going to be a hit in our house. I really enjoyed this mild curry noodle soup. We decided that it was Thai comfort food. Perfect for a chilly day!

Recipe used from Damn Delicious

Week 11: Cullen Skink (Fish Stew) from Scotland

Very yummy. Unfortunately we couldn’t get smoked haddock so I had to use regular haddock. We agreed that this would be even better with smoked haddock. Hopefully we can acquire some later this year and remake this dish.

Recipe used from Foodie Quine

Week 12: Gulyas (Goulash) from Hungary

This did not have enough flavor. It was like a bland beef stew. Not really what we want in goulash. We’re hoping to try again with a different goulash recipe soon.

Recipe used from Daring Gourmet

Week 13: Lablabi (Chickpea Soup) from Tunisia

Eh…. it was pretty bland and very starchy. We are constantly having this problem with bean soups. The ratio of starch to liquid never seems to be right even when I’m following the recipe exactly. Maybe something else…

Recipe used from Serious Eats

Week 14: Pasta E Fagioli from Italy

This was pretty good. I really enjoyed the shaved parmesan on top to give it just a little something extra.

Recipe used from kitchn

Week 15: Crab Coconut Curry from Mozambique

This was very yummy. Decent amount of spice. The crab did just completely lost in the mix, so next time I might just sub tofu.

Recipe used from The African Gourmet

Week 16: Kulajda from Czech Republic

Decently good. I did like this but it was a very dilly potato soup.

Recipe used from Culinary Goddess

Week 17: Chicken Coconut Curry from Micronesia

So bland in comparison. The curry from Mozambique was so much more interesting and tasty!

Recipe used from Food.com

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World - January and February

Week 1: Poronkaristys from Finland

Basically this recipe was reindeer stew over homemade mashed potatoes with a side of lingonberry jam (we subbed with cranberry jam as the store was out of lingonberry jam). The combination of salty and sweet was perfect! We really enjoyed this dish! The original used a reindeer roast, but those are incredibly hard to find. We went with reindeer sausage and I think it tasted really good.

Recipe used from The Food Dictator

Week 2: Chorizo and Black Bean Soup from Venezuela

This one was a dud for us. Somehow it managed to be both too dry and wet at the same time. I could probably switch out the chorizo and beans to help it along, but we decided the flavors in the broth weren’t amazing anyway.

Recipe used from Closet Cooking

Week 3: Sega Wat from Ethiopia

This was so incredibly delicious! It’s definitely going into our Top 10 of the year and the regular rotation in Paprika. It might even take the top stop. I added more spice than listed in the recipe and so glad I did! This was so incredibly flavorful and full of spice. Those hard boiled eggs and the injera on the side elevated the dish so much. (Full disclosure: We bought the injera from an Ethiopian restaurant in town.)

Recipe used from The Daring Gourmet

Week 4: Jani Me Fasule from Albania

Another dud. This turned into a pastey mess with little flavor. Definitely didn’t want a second helping.

Recipe used from Cookipedia

Week 5: Meatball and Couscous Soup from Morocco

Decent recipe but not amazing. I might try and make this again, but add more spice mix to the meatballs and kick up the broth a bit.

Recipe used from Little Spice Jar

Week 6: Mince Stew from New Zealand

Ehhh…. not amazing. This was like a lesser version of my sloppy joes.

Recipe used from All Recipes

Week 7: Asam Pedas (Spicy Tamarind Fish Stew) from Malaysia

This was very interesting… I loved the flavors but not the complete execution. I definitely want to try making this one again with some minor tweaks. All the ingredients besides the fish needed to be in smaller chunks and maybe simmered longer on the stove before spooning over rice. But it was good and we enjoyed eating it as is.

Recipe used from Roti and Rice

2020 Soups and Stews from Around the World

Last year we had fun trying lots of different Grilled Cheese recipes, but realized that bread and cheese weekly got a bit old. We started kicking around new ideas back in November and pretty quickly stumbled on the Soups and Stews ideas. But then we took it a step further. So for 2020, we are going to try 52 Soups and Stews Around the World. Prepping for this has been a multi step process.

I created a spreadsheet with a list of all the countries of the world separating by seven regions. Our hope is to cycle through regions so we aren’t duplicating flavors. Once I got my spreadsheet ready, I moved on to searching for relatively authentic recipes. I did not want Americanized versions of the recipes but something that residents of the country would eat for dinner. I checked out a ton of books from the library and started searching Pinterest.

As of January 1st, I have a very long list of recipes to pick from. As we’re going to cycle through world regions, I picked out our first seven weeks’s worth of recipes and countries and pulled the recipes. We’ll be doing wrap up posts with our tried recipes and thoughts on each. Here’s hoping that we’ll find some great dishes to add to our regular rotation!