Polish autumn has two faces: one, celebrated in poetry, enchants us with the vibrant colors of falling leaves; the other, less romantic, is marked by a grey sky, mist turning into rain, and general dreariness. For those moments when the weather shows its less charming side, there’s no better cure than a hearty, warming soup. The cozy heat that fills you with each spoonful is a well-earned reward for cold hands, soaked shoes, and layer upon layer of clothing. Delicious, comforting soups help us face autumn gloom with a smile and a full stomach.
If you’re looking for inspiration for the perfect fall soup, you’ve come to the right place. This guide brings you warming recipes from around the world, so you’re sure to find the perfect one for dinner. So grab something tasty to snack on, and enjoy the read!
Warming soups – what must they include?
When the weather outside is far from those cozy catalog cover shots or cheery TV ads, the first thing we often crave is warmth. Many of us reach for a sweater and curl up under a blanket with a book and hot cocoa. But there isn’t always time for that—especially when we come home cold and hungry and want something warm and tasty right away.
In such moments, a good autumn soup is simply irreplaceable. So how do you make one that’s both flavorful and warming? Our formula for the perfect autumn soup is simple: fresh beef + lots of vegetables + aromatic spices with a touch of heat = the ultimate “anti-gloom delight”! Following this recipe will give you the energy and warmth you need to keep going. Whether it’s broth, bogracz, or Kansas soup—don’t skimp on ingredients. Go all in!
Which autumn soups do we recommend most? The choice isn’t easy, but our top picks include:
- broth,
- bogracz,
- Kansas soup,
- pho bo,
- charczo soup.
Also worth mentioning are flavorful cucumber and mushroom soups made with beef broth—perfect for warming you up on a rainy day.
Rich beef broth – the perfect warming soup for colds (and more!)
Broth is a paradox—it’s a beloved classic in Poland, yet sometimes underestimated due to its simplicity. But all it takes are three simple stories to show its true power.
A grey autumn day. The weather is rough—cold wind and rain. You’re a student heading home after a long absence. Your train is delayed, and you’re chilled to the bone. Hours later, you finally arrive, dreaming of something warm. As soon as you step through the door, you smell that familiar aroma. You walk into the kitchen and there it is: a bowl of rich, homemade beef broth. One spoonful and the world outside no longer matters—you’re home.
Uh-oh, here come the cold’s horsemen: runny nose and cough. You feel like you’re coming down with something. Thankfully, you know that broth is a tried-and-true remedy. You remember the formula: fresh beef + lots of veggies + spices with a kick… plus lovage, of course! A few hours later, you’re enjoying a steaming bowl and grinning to yourself, thinking, “Nice try, cold—you’re not winning today.”
Is it that late already? You squint at the window—only to realize that this gloomy morning is as sunny as today’s going to get. You grab your phone and check the weather: cold all day. How to warm up without gallons of coffee? Easy—you pour your hot broth into a thermos, and you’re ready to face whatever the office throws your way.
As you can see, broth works in just about any situation. And thanks to how easy it is to digest, for many people, it’s the first dish they eat after food poisoning or coming off a fasting period.
How do you make a broth that warms the soul and begs for seconds? One key ingredient is high-quality fresh beef. We recommend our Beef Broth Set, which includes shank, brisket, and flank in perfect proportions. A hefty 4 kg of premium beef makes an excellent base. Just add a big bunch of soup vegetables, plenty of lovage, and classic spices. Start with cold water, bring to a boil, skim the foam, salt it, and simmer for hours. You won’t regret it!
Bogracz – a warming soup straight from Hungary
Hungarian cuisine has long influenced Polish cooking—so much so that we don’t always realize it. That’s the case with the hearty goulash soup known here as bogracz. Interestingly, as Jolanta Tambor notes in her article “Polish Culinary-Lexical Transformations,” in Hungarian, bogracz refers to a cooking cauldron—not the dish itself. But in Poland, we’ve adopted the term to mean the dish, and that’s how we’ll use it here.
So what is bogracz, aka goulash soup? It’s a hearty meal full of meat and vegetables. Beef shank is the best base, though you can also use our beef broth set for extra variety. Fans of meaty richness often add flavorful sausage, too. No bogracz would be complete without tomatoes and peppers—traditionally roasted or sautéed first. Add soup vegetables and diced potatoes. For extra heat, throw in chopped chili and a few more peppercorns.
One bowl of this Hungarian-style goulash soup, and you’ll forget all about the cold outside!
Kansas soup – a warm breeze from the USA
Next stop: America! That’s where Kansas soup—a U.S. take on goulash soup—comes from. Like bogracz, it gets its warmth from plenty of meat and veggies. In the U.S., Kansas soup is usually made with beef brisket, cubed and browned before going into the pot. Alongside the beef, you’ll find onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, celery stalk, and lots of crushed tomatoes. Add diced green beans and a cup of corn for a true American twist. A dash of Tabasco gives it just the right kick—but go easy if you're not into spicy!
Pho bo – a Vietnamese remedy for Polish autumn
Asia has long captured the hearts (and stomachs) of many Poles. Among the most beloved dishes is Vietnamese pho bo—a flavorful and warming beef soup. What makes it special? The deeply savory broth, thanks to a generous amount of beef. You can use our broth set or a large piece of bone-in brisket. The vegetable mix is simpler than in other soups—mainly onion, garlic, chili, and ginger—but the spice blend is where the magic happens. Cinnamon, cloves, star anise, chili, lime juice, brown sugar, coriander, salt, and pepper—a dream come true for fans of bold, exotic flavors. Fish sauce and rice noodles give it that authentic Asian finish. A few sips, and the chill is gone!
Charczo – a spicy, warming soup from Georgia
When it’s grey and gloomy outside, your mind might drift to warmer places—like Georgia. This cuisine isn’t known for soups, but the few that exist are well worth it. Take traditional charczo: the perfect autumn soup, full of beef and aromatic herbs and spices. It’s thickened with rice and packed with meat—shank, brisket, and flank are perfect for this due to their collagen content. That makes our beef broth set ideal again! For a more stew-like version, try our beef for goulash.
Of course, Georgian charczo is more than just meat and rice. It also features juicy tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spicy chili peppers. Important spices include coriander, fenugreek, savory, saffron, dried chili, marjoram, fennel, bay leaves, and parsley. To bring your charczo even closer to the Georgian original, add crushed walnuts—a staple of both sweet and savory Georgian dishes.
Summary
Knowing how to make a warming soup is pure gold in the autumn. These meals not only warm you up quickly but also give you the energy to keep going. Whether you choose a rich broth, Kansas soup, or Georgian charczo, remember today’s golden formula: fresh beef + lots of veggies + aromatic spices with a kick = the ultimate anti-gloom delight. You’ll find the first ingredient in our store—carefully selected fresh beef from the Polish producer CHOBOT MEAT Jan Ludwiniak.
Our range also includes a variety of offal and beef cuts, plus exceptional dry-aged steaks. We offer three product lines: Standard, Premium, and Extra Marble, including:
We invite you to explore our full range and place your order!
