As one article below proclaims, soup could be the "keynote" of dinner. Rare was the Victorian dinner or supper that didn't begin with soup. Soups were also common for luncheons - and in warm weather one might serve a chilled soup or even a fruit soup. Soups were considered nourishing fare for invalids and important for one's health in cold weather.

Soups (Godey's, 1863)

How to Make Real Turtle Soup, by A.G. Payne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1875)

Home Made Mock Turtle (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

Soup, by A.G. Payne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

Soups for Spring (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1878)

Economical and Wholesome Dishes Made Without Meat, by Phillis Browne (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

Soups made with peas, beans, and lentils; macaroni and pasta dishes; rice dishes; things one can do with cheese.

Winter Soups: How to Make Them, by A.G. Payne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

"How often, thanks to the cheritable of all and of no denomination, has some poor shivering wretch been brought back almost from death to life by the timely aid of a basin of soup..."

A Lesson in Artisan Cookery, by Letitia McClintock (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1881)

Recipes for a variety of vegetable soups.

Soups, and How to Make Them, by Phillis Browne (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

Thick Soups and Purees, by Phillis Browne (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

Soups for Hot Weather (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1882)

Delicious soups for the summer season.

The Art of Soup-Making, by Lizzie Heritage (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1884)

The Secret of Making Clear Soups, by Lizzie Heritage (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1885)

Something More About Soups, by Phillis Browne (Girl's Own Paper, 1885)

Clear Soup, Milk Soup, Ox-Tail Soup, Kidney Soup, and Palestine Soup (made with Jerusalem artichokes).

How to Make Soup, by Laura Lathrop (Ingalls' Home Magazine, 1889)

The Key-Note of Dinner, by A.G. Payne (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1891)

Soups for Two (Girl's Own Paper, 1894)

Good Soups (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Spring Soups, Salads and Vegetable Dishes (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Soups (Girl's Own Paper, 1898)

Tomato, Green Pea and Scotch Broth are familiar, but "Tapioca Soup" definitely sounds intriguing!

Three Soups (Girl's Own Paper, 1899)

Oxtail, Kidney, and Mulligatawny.

Farinaceous Foods, and Some Recipes (Girl's Own Paper, 1901)

Soups, puddings and pastas from grains and potatoes.