20+ Best Soup Recipes
If a warm, cozy bowl of soup sounds like your idea of the perfect meal, you’re in the right place! These Easy Soup recipes include everything from hearty chicken soups and chili to vegetable-packed soups, creamy soups and chowders. They’re made with simple, wholesome ingredients and plenty of flavor for satisfying lunches and dinners all season long.
I’m a huge fan of soup, and I eat it year round no matter what the temperature is outside. It’s one of my favorite ways to turn seasonal vegetables, protein and pantry staples into a comforting, satisfying meal with minimal effort.
Soup is also incredibly versatile. It can be light and vegetable-packed or hearty enough to be a complete meal, and it’s easy to customize with whatever you have on hand. Many of these homemade soup recipes come together in one pot and are meal prep and freezer-friendly, which makes them perfect for busy weeknights.
As a culinary school graduate and lifelong soup lover, I’ve learned that the best homemade soups don’t require complicated techniques or endless ingredients. Building flavor with aromatics, using a flavorful broth, seasoning as you go and finishing with fresh herbs or a splash of acid are simple ways to make an incredible pot of soup.
You’ll find 21 of the best soup and chili recipes below, along with my best tips for making flavorful homemade soup every time.
Why You’ll Love These Soup Recipes
- Easy and approachable. These homemade soup recipes use simple ingredients and straightforward cooking methods without unnecessary steps.
- Packed with seasonal ingredients. These recipes make the most of seasonal produce like butternut squash, pumpkin, corn, tomatoes, mushrooms, kale and cabbage, so there are delicious options for every time of year.
- Great for meal prep. Many of these soups taste even better the next day and are freezer-friendly, making them ideal for make-ahead lunches and dinners.
- Plenty of variety. This collection includes broth-based soups, creamy soups and chowders, vegetarian soups, chicken soups and hearty chili recipes.
My Best Tips for Making Homemade Soup
After years of making soup both at home and in culinary school, I’ve found that a few simple techniques make the biggest difference. Whether you’re making a hearty chicken soup, vegetable soup, creamy blended soup or chili, these tips will help you build layers of flavor without adding unnecessary ingredients or steps.
1. Start with aromatics
Onion, carrot and celery — known as mirepoix in classic French cooking — form the flavor base for countless soup recipes. Sauté the vegetables in a little olive oil or butter until they begin to soften and develop color before adding the broth. Browning the vegetables also creates flavorful caramelization and fond on the bottom of the pot, which add savory depth to the finished soup.
2. Use a flavorful broth or stock
Stock is the foundation of every soup recipe, so make it the best! Use a good-quality chicken, beef or vegetable broth, or homemade stock if you have it on hand.
I especially love making chicken stock and turkey stock because the collagen from the bones gives broth-based soups extra body and a silky mouthfeel that makes a huge difference. My vegetable stock also has a fresher flavor that elevates any vegetarian or vegan soup.
3. Season in layers
Don’t wait until the end to season your soup. Season the vegetables and protein lightly as they cook to build flavor throughout the entire dish. Keep in mind that broth, canned tomatoes, beans and other ingredients may already contain sodium, so taste and adjust the final seasoning before serving.
4. Don’t add too much liquid
Add enough broth to generously cover the ingredients, but don’t overdo it. You can always thin a soup with more broth later, but fixing a watery soup is much harder.
If your soup is ever too thin, you may thicken it by pureeing some of the ingredients with a blender or immersion blender, adding mashed beans or pureed vegetables, or by adding cream, yogurt, sour cream or coconut milk.
5. Build savory flavor
A small amount of an umami-rich ingredient can give homemade soup incredible depth. Tomato paste, parmesan rind, soy sauce or miso paste are a few easy options. Browning meat and vegetables also creates flavorful caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot that can be incorporated into the broth.
6. Use herbs, preferably fresh
Herbs are a great way to add another dimension of flavor to your soups. I highly recommend using fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, basil and rosemary as they add a ton of flavor, but if you don’t have any on hand, dried herbs are a great substitute. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried.
See my fresh herbs produce guide for flavor profiles for the most common herbs and more!
7. Add some spice
Using a variety of warm spices such as cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes or hot sauce is a great way to add savory flavor or spiciness to your soup.
See my spice guide for the complete list of common spices to keep in your pantry.
8. Finish with something fresh
If your soup tastes flat even though it’s properly salted, it may simply need some acidity. A squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice or a splash of vinegar can brighten the entire pot.
Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, cilantro, dill or thyme are also best added toward the end of cooking so their flavor stays fresh and vibrant.
Hearty Soup Recipes
When soup is dinner, it needs to be satisfying! These hearty soup recipes are packed with chicken, sausage, pork, vegetables, grains and other filling ingredients for a cozy meal that doesn’t need much on the side besides some crusty bread.
Marry Me Chicken Soup
Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
Chicken Wild Rice Soup (No Cream)
Italian Sausage Kale Soup
Moroccan Chicken Soup with Chickpeas
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Artichoke Soup
Crock Pot Green Enchilada Chicken Soup
Ground Pork Ramen
Vegetable & Bean Soup Recipes
These hearty vegetable and bean soup recipes turn seasonal produce, beans and whole grains into satisfying meals. From autumn vegetable soup and mushroom barley soup to vegetarian tortilla soup, these wholesome recipes make vegetables the star.
Autumn Vegetable Soup
Mushroom Barley Soup
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Cabbage Soup Recipe
Creamy Soups & Chowders
These creamy soup recipes and chowders are all about rich, velvety texture and big flavor. From creamy corn chowder and roasted tomato soup to seasonal favorites made with pumpkin, butternut squash and summer squash, there’s a cozy bowl for every craving.
Zucchini Corn Chowder with Bacon
Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup
Creamy Summer Squash Soup
Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
Chili Recipes
A hearty bowl of chili is one of my favorite cold-weather meals. These easy chili recipes are packed with protein, vegetables, beans and plenty of bold flavor, and they’re perfect for game day, meal prep or an easy weeknight dinner.
White Bean Turkey Chili
Guinness Chili
Spicy Chorizo Chili
2 Comments on “20+ Best Soup Recipes”
Yay for soup season!! My kids are slowly getting on board with soups so we’ve been making them a lot more this year. So many good options in your round-up Marcie!
It’s so nice when the kids like it — one of mine does at least! lol. Thanks Katherine!