Soup season is here! There’s a lot to love about fall – beautiful weather, changing leaves, cozy baked goods, and hot drinks – but the soup recipes are hands down my favorite part. I adore soup. I love making it, I love eating it, and I love packing up the leftovers so that I can enjoy it again the next day. When I’m stressed, I turn to soup because I find it meditative to cook. When I’m snowed in, I turn to it because I keep a stash stored away in my freezer. And when I’m in need of a healthy reset, I turn to it because it just makes me feel good inside.
To celebrate the start of soup season, I’m sharing my best tips for making soup recipes, as well as 35 of my favorite soups. In addition to classics like French Onion and Butternut Squash Soup, you’ll find a host of inventive, veggie-forward soup recipes like Golden Turmeric Noodle Miso Soup and a creamy White Bean Chili. I love them all, and I hope that you do too.
1. Season to taste. Raw vegetable ingredients need seasoning, and vegetable broths vary in salt level. If your soup is bland, don’t hesitate to add generous pinches of salt and lots of fresh black pepper. Taste as you go!
2. Drizzle with olive oil. I always finish soups with a generous drizzle of olive oil. It adds richness and makes the flavors sing.
3. Save some for lunch! Soup often tastes better on the second day, so be sure to make enough to have leftovers. Most soup recipes also freeze well for up to a few months. Check out this post for my best freezing tips!
4. Spice to your level. Customizing your soup is the fun, creative part of cooking soup recipes. If you’re making a recipe that calls for lots of spice but you prefer milder flavors, start with less. If you like things spicy, add more! Taste as you cook, and adjust the flavors to make something you really love.
In Chicago, soup season lasts from September to…well, way later than it should. I make soup recipes the whole way through, but I especially crave them now, in the heart of autumn. These 5 easy soup recipes are my favorites at this time of year. They’re cozy, comforting, and/or filled with aromatic flavor from herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme.
Ginger, rosemary, and sage fill this soup with cozy autumn flavor. Lightly creamy, warming, and nourishing, it’s my go-to recipe for a cool fall night.
It might not look like it, but this soup’s base isn’t made with dairy. Instead, it gets its creamy texture from blended white beans, cashews, and savory miso paste.
Don’t even think about adding this cream of mushroom soup to your next green bean casserole! Brimming with rich, savory flavor, it’s meant to be enjoyed all on its own.
If you see a bunch of beautiful fall leeks at the farmers market or store, snatch them up to make this recipe. It’s a lighter version of the classic soup, made with blended white beans instead of heavy cream.
You can whip up this rich, cheesy soup in right around 30 minutes, which makes it one of the quickest recipes on this list. Top it off with homemade croutons for an easy, comforting cold weather meal.
Bring on the heat! Seasonings like smoked paprika, canned chipotles in adobo sauce, and fresh and dried chiles fill these hearty soup recipes with bold flavor.
Do we count chili as a soup? I’m on the fence, but I still had to include this recipe here. It’s super quick and easy to make, and on a cold night, its smoky/spicy flavor will warm you up in no time.
Yellow split peas mingle with the fresh corn kernels in this vegan riff on corn chowder, making it extra-hearty and super fun to eat. It’s delicious on its own, but I like it even more with crispy, smoky coconut bacon on top!
This white bean soup is my spin on creamy chicken chili (minus the chicken, of course). Green chiles and fresh lime juice fill it with addictive zingy flavor. Pile your bowl with avocado, cilantro, and jalapeños, and serve with tortilla chips!
Can comfort food be…healthy? This recipe answers with a resounding, “YES!” It’s thick, creamy, and packed with smoky flavor, but it’s entirely plant-based. Instead of heavy cream, blended white beans and potatoes create its luscious texture.
Potentially one of my all-time favorite soup recipes! A blended corn tortilla thickens its rich, flavorful tomato and chile broth. Don’t skip the toppings here – crispy tortilla strips, avocado, sliced radishes, and Cotija cheese take this soup to a whole new level.
This black bean soup is creamy, spicy, and satisfying, but best of all, it’s really darn easy to make. It has a permanent spot in my regular recipe rotation, and I think it will in yours, too!
Traditional puréed soup recipes commonly call for butter, heavy cream, or whole milk, but you won’t find any of those ingredients in the creamy soups below. Instead, blended vegetables give each one its smooth, velvety texture. Yum!
Butternut isn’t the only squash that can blend into a delicious soup! Roasted acorn squash gives this one its sublimely creamy texture and rich flavor.
This rich, savory soup stars roasted fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. I love to make it in late summer to preserve the last tomatoes of the season. It freezes perfectly!
Two bowls for me, please! Given that I’m a massive sweet potato fan, it’s probably not surprising that I adore this soup. It’s tangy, sweet, and smoky, and the blended sweet potato gives it a mouthwatering velvety texture.
Tasting this soup, you’d never guess that it’s totally dairy-free. It’s creamy, tangy, rich, and satisfying—everything cheesy broccoli soup should be!
This classic tomato soup calls for basic pantry ingredients, so it’s a staple in my kitchen all soup season long. It’s the perfect partner for a gooey grilled cheese sandwich.
You only need 7 ingredients to make this energizing, refreshing carrot ginger soup! If you can get your hands on a bunch of carrots with good greens, make sure to blend up the carrot top pesto to drizzle on top.
A fan favorite from our first cookbook, this bright red soup is super easy to make! Serve it with homemade focaccia or a big hunk of crusty bread for a quick, healthy, and comforting dinner.
Roasted garlic, shallots, and miso fill this creamy veggie soup with nutty, savory flavor.
If you have a jar of red curry paste or a jumble of curry spices in your pantry, you’re well on your way to making a flavorful pot of soup!
If you open your pantry, you’ll likely find all the ingredients to this bright, warming, and weeknight-friendly lentil soup inside. It’s one of our favorites and a fan favorite, too!
This fall, Jack and I have eaten this ultra-creamy pumpkin soup more times than we can count. Still, we’re nowhere near tired of it. Spices like turmeric, ginger, cumin, and cardamom pack it with warm curry flavor.
1 soup, 3 ways! Make this Thai-inspired recipe as written for a light, brothy vegetable soup, bulk it up with baked tofu, or add coconut milk for a creamy broth. Whichever option you pick, serve it with a scoop of freshly cooked rice.
The beauty of this soup isn’t just its creamy texture, golden color, and bright curry flavor. It’s also a breeze to make! On a busy weeknight, you can get it on the table in 30 minutes flat.
I think of this recipe as a “gazpacho” because it comes together easily in the blender. Chill it if you want to eat it gazpacho-style, but if you’re craving something warm, it’s equally good after a few minutes on the stove.
You’ll find onions in almost every recipe in this post, but most often, they’re playing a supporting role. In the recipes below, they’re finally front and center, filling each soup with rich flavor.
This easy French onion soup recipe will rival any you’ve had at a restaurant. Topped with crispy, cheesy baguette, it’s rich, comforting, and packed with umami flavor.
This brothy soup is light and nourishing, but that doesn’t mean it’s bland. A whole lotta leeks create its savory, umami base, and miso, lemongrass, celery, ginger, tamari, and rice vinegar amp up its flavor even more.
This hearty soup is like a plant-based cross between potato leek soup and clam chowder. Blended potatoes and cashews give it its rich, creamy texture, while leeks, artichokes, and capers pack it with briny, savory flavor.
You won’t find any chicken in these noodle soup recipes, but trust me, you won’t miss it. Each one is wholesome, energizing, and fun—the perfect pick-me-up for a cold, cloudy day, or anytime you’re under the weather.
Chewy, cheesy tortellini make this brothy soup a satisfying meal on its own. Serve it with dollops of kale pesto to take it over the top.
Homemade mushroom broth creates a flavorful base for this savory, slurp-able vegan ramen.
In Austin, we lived just down the street from a Vietnamese restaurant that made the most amazing vegetarian pho. After ordering it on repeat for years, I finally developed my own version at home. Made with an aromatic broth, it’s light, nourishing, and delicious.
Filled with veggies, beans, and pasta, this classic Italian soup is a meal in a bowl! Tip: Toss a Parmesan rind into the simmering pot to add rich, umami flavor.
This invigorating recipe will brighten up the darkest days! Sunny turmeric and tangy citrus juices give the broth its vibrant color and flavor.
To me, classic minestrone soup is pure comfort. The herb-flecked tomato broth is so flavorful, and I love the way the chewy noodles play off the creamy beans and tender veggies. Serve it with crusty bread and a shower of Parmesan cheese for a soul-warming winter meal.
Craving a classic miso soup? This recipe is for you. With ginger, soba, mushrooms, and tofu, it’s a simple, wholesome lunch or dinner.
Soup recipes don’t get more fun than this vegan lasagna soup! I love eating through the big, curly, sloppy noodles. Tasty and nutritious, it’s the perfect easy way to satisfy a weeknight lasagna craving.
When I’m craving a light, fresh meal in the dead of winter, I make these brothy soup recipes. On a cold night, they’re the perfect way to eat your veggies, as they’re warming and comforting, but still packed with produce.
If you’ve had a head of cabbage hanging out in your fridge for a few days (erm…weeks), this easy soup is the perfect way to use it up. It’s bright and flavorful, and it uses an entire head of cabbage in one go.
On the fence about kale? This recipe will make you a convert. The greens wilt down into a lightly creamy, rosemary-scented broth. Take one bite, and your bowl will be empty before you know it!
Don’t let your day- (or days-) old bread go to waste! Instead, toss it into this hearty Tuscan white bean soup made with kale, carrots, or whatever veggies you like best.
The Instant Pot makes this lentil soup gloriously simple to prepare. Once you sauté the veggies, the cooking process is entirely hands-off!
What veggies do you have in your fridge? No matter your answer, you can make this easy, flexible, many-veggie soup.
If you love these easy soup recipes, try these cozy recipes next:
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