Collection
Comfort Food Recipes from Around the World
Every culture has its bowl of warmth. These authentic comfort dishes from around the world are the ones people cook when they want to feel at home.
128 recipes
KoshariCairo, Egypt · easy · 60 minCairo’s carb-on-carb street food: lentils, rice, and pasta under spiced tomato sauce and crispy onions.
Nkatenkwan (Groundnut Soup)Ashanti, Ghana · easy · 70 minA silky, gingery peanut soup simmered with chicken and chilies, eaten with soft rice balls.
BobotieWestern Cape, South Africa · easy · 70 minCurried spiced mince baked under a golden savory custard, sweet with dried fruit and fragrant with bay, South Africa’s national comfort.
Bamia (Sudanese Okra Stew)Khartoum, Sudan · easy · 70 minTender lamb and okra simmered in a garlicky tomato broth spiced with black lime, Sudan’s everyday comfort, scooped with kisra.
MolokhiaCairo, Egypt · easy · 40 minFinely minced jute leaves cooked into a green, garlicky soup finished with a sizzling coriander-garlic ta’leya.
Kefta Mkaouara (Meatball Tagine)Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco · easy · 55 minSpiced meatballs simmered in a cumin-scented tomato sauce with eggs cracked on top, a bubbling tagine eaten with bread.
Sweet Mahangu PorridgeWindhoek, Namibia · easy · 30 minNamibian pearl millet simmered soft in sweet vanilla cream and served with stewed fruit, a homely dessert.
Chorba FrikAlgiers, Algeria · medium · 80 minThe Ramadan soup of Algeria: a spiced tomato broth with lamb, chickpeas and smoky green freekeh, thick enough to eat as a meal.
Dovi (Chicken Peanut Stew)Harare, Zimbabwe · medium · 75 minChicken simmered in a velvety peanut butter and tomato sauce with greens, Zimbabwe's gentle, comforting Sunday stew.
Canja de GalinhaSantiago (Praia), Cape Verde · easy · 75 minA thick, comforting Cape Verdean chicken and rice soup with carrot, potato and a bright squeeze of lime.
CambuuloMogadishu, Somalia · easy · 100 minSlow-cooked adzuki beans finished with butter and a little sugar, a comforting Somali evening dish.
Aïch (Millet Couscous in Chicken and Bean Broth)Nouakchott, Mauritania · medium · 95 minCoarse hand-rolled millet couscous stirred into a paprika-stained chicken and bean broth until the grain drinks it up and thickens to a savoury porridge.
Mukimo (Mashed Greens, Maize and Potatoes)Nairobi, Kenya · easy · 50 minA soft, earthy Kikuyu mash of potatoes, green peas, maize and pumpkin leaves pounded into one bright green mound.
Nhopi (Pumpkin and Peanut Porridge)Harare, Zimbabwe · easy · 50 minMashed pumpkin cooked into mealie-meal and enriched with peanut butter, a lightly sweet Shona comfort porridge.
Vary Amin'anana (Rice with Greens)Analamanga (Antananarivo), Madagascar · easy · 40 minSoft, soupy rice cooked with leafy greens and ginger, the everyday restorative bowl of the Malagasy highlands.
Rishda (Noodles in Onion and Chickpea Sauce)Tripoli, Libya · medium · 70 minFresh hand-cut noodles steamed and dressed with busla, a sweet onion and chickpea sauce warm with cinnamon and cloves.
Osaka-Style OkonomiyakiOsaka (Kansai), Japan · easy · 40 minA crisp-edged cabbage pancake griddled with pork belly, painted with sweet-savory sauce and mayo.
Imeruli Khachapuri (Cheese-Stuffed Bread)Imereti, Georgia · medium · 45 minA golden, pan-baked flatbread sealed around a molten heart of tangy, salty cheese.
Phở Gà (Hanoi Chicken Pho)Hanoi (Red River Delta), Vietnam · medium · 80 minA clear, star-anise-scented chicken broth over rice noodles, finished with herbs and lime at the table.
MujadaraBeirut, Lebanon · easy · 55 minLentils and rice under a deep pile of slow-caramelized onions, the Levant’s humble masterpiece.
Dal Bhat TarkariKathmandu Valley, Nepal · easy · 60 minThe Himalayan daily plate: tempered black lentils, rice, and a turmeric-spiced vegetable curry.
Bhuna KhichuriDhaka, Bangladesh · easy · 55 minToasted rice and moong dal cooked rich with ghee, whole spices, and caramelized onion, monsoon comfort from Dhaka.
Sapporo Miso RamenHokkaido (Sapporo), Japan · medium · 50 minSnow-country ramen: a rich miso broth with wok-seared vegetables, springy noodles, and butter melting on top.
Pav BhajiMaharashtra (Mumbai), India · easy · 50 minMumbai’s beach-stall classic: a buttery mashed vegetable curry with toasted buns, lime, and raw onion.
Hongshao Rou (Red-Braised Pork)Shanghai, China · medium · 105 minPork belly lacquered in caramel, soy, and rice wine until it trembles, Shanghai’s definition of home.
LobioRacha, Georgia · easy · 55 minKidney beans simmered and half-crushed with walnuts, coriander, and Georgian spice, served in clay with cornbread.
OyakodonTokyo (Kanto), Japan · easy · 22 minChicken and softly-set egg simmered in sweet dashi soy, slid over hot rice, the tender "parent-and-child" bowl.
Zhajiangmian (Fried Sauce Noodles)Beijing, China · easy · 40 minThick wheat noodles under a savory fried soybean-paste pork sauce, ringed by crisp raw vegetables you fold in yourself.
MantiKayseri, Turkey · advanced · 90 minTiny hand-pinched meat dumplings under garlic yogurt and paprika-mint butter, Kayseri’s legendary labor of love.
Burmese Chicken CurryYangon, Myanmar · medium · 75 minChicken slow-cooked in an oil-rich onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric masala until deeply savory.
JokBangkok (Central), Thailand · easy · 55 minA silky Thai rice congee topped with ginger, scallion, and a soft egg, the classic Bangkok breakfast.
Hobak-jukSeoul (Gyeonggi), South Korea · easy · 45 minA silky, naturally sweet Korean pumpkin porridge thickened with glutinous rice.
Khao Piak SenLuang Prabang, Laos · medium · 70 minA comforting Lao chicken noodle soup with soft, chewy hand-cut rice-tapioca noodles.
OnbanPyongyang, North Korea · medium · 65 minA Pyongyang bowl of warm rice in chicken broth topped with shredded chicken and a mung-bean pancake.
Sinigang na BaboyCentral Luzon, Philippines · easy · 95 minThe Philippines’ beloved sour soup: pork simmered tender in a clear tamarind broth, unapologetically tart, loaded with vegetables added in stages.
MadroubaDoha, Qatar · easy · 90 minA soft, porridge-like rice and chicken dish beaten smooth with spices and dried lime, comforting Qatari Ramadan fare.
NihariLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · advanced · 270 minA dawn stew of beef shank and marrow slow-cooked in a dozen spices until the gravy turns silky, brightened with ginger, chilli and lemon.
HaleemLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · advanced · 240 minA thick, slow-pounded porridge of shredded beef, wheat, barley and lentils, crowned with crisp fried onions, ginger and lemon.
Aloo Tama Bodi (Potato, Bamboo Shoot and Black-Eyed Bean Curry)Kathmandu Valley, Nepal · easy · 65 minA tangy Newari one-pot curry of potatoes, fermented bamboo shoots, and black-eyed beans, soured by the tama and tempered in mustard oil.
Guriltai Shul (Mutton Noodle Soup)Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · medium · 105 minA hearty Mongolian soup of fatty mutton and thick hand-cut wheat noodles in a peppery broth with onion and root vegetables.
Shurpa (Lamb and Vegetable Soup)Tashkent, Uzbekistan · easy · 140 minA slow-simmered Uzbek soup of bone-in lamb and large chunks of vegetables in a clear golden broth, finished with dill and cilantro.
Shan Noodles (Shan Khauk Swe)Yangon, Myanmar · easy · 45 minSoft rice noodles tossed with a savoury tomato-chicken sauce and topped with crushed peanuts, pickled mustard greens, and herbs, from Myanmar's Shan State.
Ohn No Khauk Swe (Coconut Chicken Noodles)Yangon, Myanmar · medium · 60 minWheat noodles in a pale, gently rich coconut-and-chicken broth thickened with chickpea flour, finished with egg, lime, and crisp fried noodles.
Sini MantiYerevan, Armenia · advanced · 100 minTiny open Armenian dumplings baked crisp, then bathed in a tomato broth and topped with garlic yogurt and sumac.
Kewa DatshiThimphu, Bhutan · easy · 40 minBhutan comfort food: sliced potatoes simmered with green chilies and melted farmer cheese into a creamy stew.
JareeshRiyadh, Saudi Arabia · medium · 165 minA Najdi Saudi comfort dish of crushed wheat slow-cooked with meat and yogurt into a creamy, savoury porridge.
SaleegRiyadh, Saudi Arabia · medium · 95 minA Hijazi Saudi dish of short-grain rice cooked soft in milk and chicken broth to a creamy porridge, topped with roasted chicken.
Kuwaiti MargoogKuwait City, Kuwait · medium · 105 minA hearty Kuwaiti one-pot of lamb and vegetables with sheets of hand-rolled dough torn straight into the spiced broth.
GaboutKuwait City, Kuwait · advanced · 105 minKuwaiti stuffed dough dumplings filled with spiced lamb, simmered in a golden saffron and dried-lime broth with vegetables.
Qatari ThareedDoha, Qatar · medium · 100 minA Qatari lamb and vegetable stew ladled over torn regag bread so the thin flatbread soaks up the spiced broth.
Shish BarakDamascus, Syria · advanced · 105 minLittle Syrian meat dumplings baked then simmered in a warm, garlicky cooked-yogurt sauce, finished with fried garlic and pine nuts.
KuurdakBishkek, Kyrgyzstan · easy · 55 minOne of Central Asia oldest dishes: chunks of meat fried in their own fat with onion and potato until browned and crisp.
Kukulhu RihaMalé, Maldives · easy · 60 minA gently spiced Maldivian chicken curry simmered in coconut milk with curry leaves, pandan and island spices.
Pyongyang MandugukPyongyang, North Korea · advanced · 150 minA clear northern Korean dumpling soup: hand-folded mandu of beef and tofu simmered in a light, restrained beef broth.
Caril de GalinhaDili, Timor-Leste · easy · 65 minA mild Timorese chicken curry built on roasted red capsicum and coconut milk, gently spiced and subtly sweet.
Pierogi Ruskie (Potato & Cheese Dumplings)Lesser Poland, Poland · medium · 70 minTender dumplings stuffed with potato and farmer's cheese, finished in butter with golden onions.
Caldo VerdeMinho, Portugal · easy · 45 minPortugal’s signature green soup: silky potato broth with ribbons of collard greens and smoky sausage.
KäsespätzleSwabia, Germany · medium · 50 minFresh egg noodles scraped into boiling water, layered with alpine cheese and buried in crispy onions.
Varenyky (Potato Dumplings)Poltava, Ukraine · medium · 90 minHalf-moon dumplings of tender dough filled with mashed potato and fried onion, boiled and tossed in butter, served with fried onions and sour cream.
BorschtPoltava, Ukraine · medium · 85 minThe famous beet soup, sweet-sour and garnet-red, ladled over beans and finished with dill and sour cream.
Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)Skåne, Sweden · medium · 55 minSmall allspice-scented meatballs in cream gravy with potatoes and lingonberries, Sweden’s definitive comfort plate.
Stamppot BoerenkoolGelderland, Netherlands · easy · 45 minKale mashed straight into potatoes with a well of gravy and smoked sausage, the Netherlands’ winter engine.
Mămăligă cu Brânză și SmântânăTransylvania, Romania · easy · 40 minGolden polenta layered with salty sheep’s cheese and cool sour cream, Carpathian shepherd food, unchanged for centuries.
PlokkfiskurReykjavík, Iceland · easy · 45 minIceland’s "plucked fish": cod and potatoes folded into a warm, oniony white sauce, served with dark rye and butter.
Pasulj (Serbian Bean Stew)Šumadija (Belgrade), Serbia · easy · 170 minSlow-cooked white beans with smoked pork, onion and paprika, finished with a fried-onion and paprika roux (zaprska) that gives the stew its deep colour and flavour.
Schnitzel (Schweineschnitzel)Swabia, Germany · easy · 25 minThe German pork schnitzel: a thin cutlet pounded flat, breaded in a loose golden crust, and fried until crisp, served with a wedge of lemon.
RinderrouladenRhineland, Germany · medium · 150 minThin beef rolled around mustard, bacon, onion, and pickle, braised into a deep gravy, Sunday dinner across Germany.
Bryndzové HaluškyBratislava, Slovakia · easy · 40 minSoft potato dumplings tossed with sharp sheep’s-milk bryndza cheese and crowned with crispy bacon, Slovakia’s national dish.
Tavë KosiTirana, Albania · medium · 80 minLamb and rice baked under a tangy, set yogurt-and-egg custard, Albania’s national comfort dish.
MarmitakoBasque Country, Spain · easy · 60 minA Basque tuna and potato stew built on choricero pepper pulp, fishermen’s food, cooked on the boat between catches.
Beef StroganoffMoscow, Russia · medium · 45 minSeared strips of beef and mushrooms in a mustard-spiked sour cream sauce over noodles, 19th-century Moscow at its most elegant.
DranikiMinsk, Belarus · easy · 45 minCrisp-edged potato pancakes fried golden and served with a generous spoon of sour cream.
Bacalhau à BrásLisbon, Portugal · medium · 45 minShredded salt cod tangled with straw-thin fried potatoes and softly scrambled egg, dotted with olives.
Irish StewMunster, Ireland · easy · 140 minA gentle, honest stew of lamb, potato, and onion slow-simmered into pure comfort.
Kugelis (Baked Potato Pudding)Vilnius, Lithuania · medium · 110 minA dense baked pudding of finely grated raw potato bound with egg, milk, onion and smoked bacon, browned on top and served with sour cream.
CepelinaiVilnius, Lithuania · advanced · 90 minZeppelin-shaped potato dumplings stuffed with meat, served with bacon-onion sauce and sour cream.
KavarmaSofia, Bulgaria · easy · 95 minA slow-cooked Bulgarian clay-pot stew of meat, peppers, onions, and mushrooms in a savory sauce.
JajecznicaLesser Poland, Poland · easy · 15 minSoft, buttery Polish scrambled eggs with chives, served with fresh bread.
Beans on ToastCornwall, United Kingdom · easy · 10 minSaucy baked beans piled onto hot buttered toast, the humble British comfort breakfast.
Hernekeitto (Finnish Pea Soup)North Karelia, Finland · easy · 165 minA thick, slow-simmered soup of dried peas and smoked pork seasoned with marjoram, Finland's traditional Thursday soup, served with mustard.
PalačinkeDalmatia, Croatia · easy · 30 minThin crepes rolled around jam, walnut, or chocolate, a Croatian breakfast and dessert.
Ajdovi ŽganciLjubljana, Slovenia · medium · 30 minRustic buckwheat "spoonbread" crumbles served with warm milk or cracklings, Slovenian comfort.
Grechnevaya KashaMoscow, Russia · easy · 23 minToasted buckwheat simmered until fluffy and served with butter, the quintessential Russian porridge.
Manna KashaMinsk, Belarus · easy · 15 minSmooth semolina milk porridge, lump-free and lightly sweet, topped with jam or butter.
Kotlet SchabowyMasovia (Warsaw), Poland · easy · 35 minA thin, golden breaded pork cutlet, Poland's Sunday-dinner and everyday-lunch staple, served with potatoes and cabbage.
NalysnykyPoltava, Ukraine · medium · 50 minThin crepes rolled around sweet-savory curd cheese and baked in butter, a comforting Ukrainian home dish.
BoxtyMunster, Ireland · easy · 35 minA soft potato pancake made from both grated raw and mashed potato, griddled golden, an Irish comfort classic.
Smažený SýrBohemia, Czechia · easy · 25 minA thick slab of breaded, deep-fried cheese served with tartar sauce and potatoes, a Czech pub lunch.
FrikadellerZealand (Copenhagen), Denmark · easy · 40 minPan-fried pork-and-veal meatballs, flattened and golden, the everyday staple at the heart of Danish home cooking.
Šúľance s MakomBratislava, Slovakia · medium · 45 minSoft little potato-dough rolls tossed in ground poppy seed, butter, and sugar, a nostalgic Slovak sweet.
PelmeniMoscow, Russia · medium · 75 minSmall dumplings of thin dough around a juicy meat filling, boiled and served with sour cream, a Russian staple.
BouneschluppLuxembourg City, Luxembourg · easy · 50 minA green bean soup with potato and smoked sausage, the national soup of Luxembourg.
Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)Great Hungarian Plain, Hungary · easy · 70 minBone-in chicken simmered with sweet Hungarian paprika and melting onions, finished with a silky sour-cream sauce.
Karjalanpaisti (Karelian Hot Pot)North Karelia, Finland · easy · 200 minFinland's national dish: cubes of beef and pork layered with onion, bay, allspice and peppercorns and slow-braised in the oven until meltingly tender, served with potatoes and lingonberry.
Scotch BrothScotland (Moray Coast), United Kingdom · easy · 140 minA thick Scottish one-pot soup of lamb on the bone, pearl barley, split peas, and winter root vegetables, simmered until a spoon can stand in it.
Cumberland Sausage with Mash and Onion GravyCumbria (Lake District), United Kingdom · medium · 70 minA long peppery coil of coarse-cut pork, browned whole and served over buttery mash with dark onion gravy.
Stegt Flæsk med PersillesovsZealand (Copenhagen), Denmark · easy · 60 minDenmark's voted national dish: crisp fried pork belly with boiled potatoes and a creamy parsley sauce.
Sogan-dolmaSarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina · medium · 110 minA Sarajevo trademark: single onion layers wrapped around spiced minced beef and rice, braised soft and served with sour cream.
KjötsúpaReykjavík, Iceland · easy · 95 minIceland's beloved lamb-and-root-vegetable soup: bony lamb simmered with potato, carrot, swede and cabbage.
Bryndzové PirohyBratislava, Slovakia · medium · 65 minSlovak dumplings filled with tangy bryndza sheep cheese and potato, boiled and showered with fried bacon and sour cream.
ŠtrukljiLjubljana, Slovenia · medium · 60 minOne of Slovenia's most iconic dishes: thin dough rolled around a cottage-cheese filling, boiled in a cloth and sliced.
MulgipuderTartu, Estonia · easy · 60 minA UNESCO-listed Estonian comfort dish: potatoes and barley boiled together and mashed, topped with fried bacon and onion.
Skābu Kāpostu ZupaRiga, Latvia · easy · 110 minA hearty Latvian winter soup of sauerkraut and smoked pork thickened with barley, tangy and warming.
Tochitură MoldoveneascăChișinău, Moldova · medium · 110 minA rich Moldovan pork stew with garlic served over mămăligă, crowned with a fried egg and salty cheese.
RaštanCetinje, Montenegro · easy · 110 minA rustic Montenegrin stew of wild kale (raštan) slow-simmered with smoked meat, potato and onion.
KniddelenLuxembourg City, Luxembourg · medium · 45 minLuxembourg's comforting flour dumplings, spooned into simmering water and tossed with crisp smoked bacon and cream.
Kartaflianaja BabkaMinsk, Belarus · easy · 85 minA Belarusian baked potato pudding: grated raw potato with fried onion and bacon, baked into a golden, creamy-centred casserole.
ShchiMoscow, Russia · easy · 170 minOne of Russia's oldest soups: sauerkraut and cabbage simmered with beef into a tangy, comforting bowl finished with sour cream and dill.
LocroMendoza, Argentina · medium · 210 minThe thick national stew of white hominy, beans, and squash slow simmered with beef, pork, and chorizo, finished with a spicy paprika oil.
PoutineQuébec, Canada · easy · 55 minHot fries, squeaky cheese curds, and glossy pepper gravy, rural Québec’s gift to late nights everywhere.
Green Chile StewNew Mexico, United States · easy · 95 minPork simmered with roasted green chiles and potatoes, the smell of a New Mexico autumn in a pot.
Shrimp & GritsLowcountry (South Carolina), United States · medium · 60 mincreek shrimp over slow-cooked, cheese-enriched stone-ground grits.
EnfrijoladasOaxaca, Mexico · easy · 40 minCorn tortillas bathed in silky black-bean sauce, folded and finished with cheese, crema, and onion.
MangúCibao, Dominican Republic · easy · 40 minSilky mashed green plantains under pickled red onions, the Dominican breakfast that carries the day.
Sancocho de GallinaPanama City, Panama · easy · 95 minA restorative hen soup with yam, yuca, and a mountain of culantro, Panama’s cure for everything from hangovers to heartbreak.
MofongoSan Juan, Puerto Rico · medium · 45 minFried green plantains mashed with garlic and crackling pork, mounded and filled with garlicky shrimp or stew.
Milanesa NapolitanaMendoza, Argentina · medium · 40 minA crisp breaded beef cutlet topped with ham, tomato, and melted cheese, the everyday lunch Argentina made its own.
MetemgeeDemerara (Georgetown), Guyana · medium · 70 minGround provisions and plantain simmered in coconut milk until creamy, with fluffy steamed dumplings (duff) and fried fish on top.
Locro de Papa (Potato and Cheese Soup)Pichincha (Andes), Ecuador · easy · 50 minA thick, golden Andean potato soup enriched with milk and fresh cheese, served with avocado and cilantro.
Fricasé PaceñoLa Paz, Bolivia · medium · 140 minA warming La Paz pork stew in a golden, spicy yellow-chili broth, served with mote (hominy) and chuño.
So'o YosopyAsunción, Paraguay · medium · 50 minA thick Guarani beef soup of finely ground meat and a little rice, stirred constantly into a smooth, savoury broth and served with cassava.
Pindasoep met Tom TomParamaribo, Suriname · medium · 85 minA rich, gently spicy Surinamese peanut soup with chicken and a whole hot pepper, served over tom tom, soft dumplings of mashed green plantain.
Moksi AlesiParamaribo, Suriname · medium · 70 minSuriname's one-pot mixed rice, chicken and salted beef browned with tomato and allspice, then steamed with rice and coconut milk until every grain is savoury.
Boil-Up with DoughboysWaikato, New Zealand · easy · 110 minA one-pot Māori classic: pork, kūmara, potatoes, and watercress simmered together, with dumplings dropped in at the end.
Aussie Meat PieNew South Wales (Sydney), Australia · medium · 90 minA hand-sized pie of rich, gravy-thick minced beef in flaky pastry, the sauce-topped icon of every footy match and servo.
Mince on ToastWaikato, New Zealand · easy · 35 minSavory, gravy-rich beef mince spooned over hot buttered toast, a nostalgic Kiwi breakfast and any-time comfort meal.
Te Taki (Breadfruit in Coconut Cream)Tarawa, Kiribati · easy · 55 minChunks of starchy breadfruit slow-simmered in rich coconut cream until soft and silky, an everyday Kiribati way with the atoll's most reliable crop.
Te Bua Toro ni BaukinTarawa, Kiribati · easy · 75 minA hearty baked cake of grated pumpkin, shredded cabbage and tinned corned beef, a modern Kiribati staple born of the atoll shop shelf.
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