Thanksgiving Soup Recipes to Start the Feast (2024)

Starting your Thanksgiving dinner with an elegant soup is a bit like dipping your toe into the pool before jumping off the high-dive. It's a slow warm-up, a gentle easing in to what is, for many of us, the biggest meal of the year. Fall ingredients and flavors are a natural for soup, too—think of all those hearty root vegetables, and how wonderfully they transform into silky purées. Or of how nicely fall spices like ginger and cloves blend into a creamy spoonful of soup.

The Thanksgiving soups here run the gamut from traditional to inventive, and incorporate autumn superstars, such as the honeynut squash and parsnip combination shown here, as well as pumpkin, butternut squash, apple, and pear. There are loads of luxurious purées, such as a Leek-and-Parsnip Soup with Caviar and Black-Pepper Cream (and the caviar needn't break the bank); Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup; Harvest Pumpkin Soup; and Butternut Bisque. And wow-worthy garnishes—herbed crostini, caramelized cauliflower florets, thin slices of baked pears—make them feel extra-special.

One word of advice, considering the many dishes to come: Don't overdo it on the portions. You can place the bowls on a larger plate to look more complete and balanced. And now's the time to break out your soup tureen, if you have one. If not, any pretty pot or large serving bowl will work just fine.

Finally, busy cooks, rejoice: Most of these soups (and many of their garnishes) can be prepared far in advance.