100 Best Soup Recipes

Updated January 17, 2017
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Sometimes, a comforting bowl of soup is all you need. These incredible soup recipes are our absolute favorites, and they venture into all different kinds of flavor territories. From a simple chicken noodle bowl, to a more complex beef stew, these soup recipes are sure to warm you up from head to toe.

Start Slideshow

1 of 99

Bacon and Beef Stew

Credit: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Bacon and Beef Stew Recipe

 Savory, rich bacon and beef pair perfectly with beer, mustard, and red wine vinegar creating a well-rounded, complex flavor profile. The recipe comes together quickly and makes 16 cups--enough for 12 generous servings. Make sure to use low sodium beef broth to keep a balanced salt level. Serve with crusty bread, cornbread, or butter rolls. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 99

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp

Credit: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp Recipe

Serve this hearty chowder as either a light first course for six, or a filling main course for four. 

3 of 99

Cheesy Potato Soup

Credit: Johnny Autry and Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe

Serve a rich and hearty cheese soup with Mini Ham Sandwiches for a comforting cool-weather dinner. 

Advertisement

4 of 99

Slow Cooker Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Slow Cooker Chicken, Bacon, and Potato Soup Recipe

This chicken potato soup is perfect for ushering in fall: It's hearty enough for the beginning of soup season, yet brothy and veggie-packed so it doesn't feel too heavy. This recipe is ideal for a weekend, when you can check on the slow cooker after just a few hours. Although you can’t leave it unattended all day, this chicken potato soup still offers the benefit of hands-free, fuss-free cooking. Baby red, Yukon Gold, or fingerling potatoes will all work well here, as they'll maintain their shape nicely during cooking. Pair this easy chicken and potato soup with a slaw or kale side salad and crusty whole-grain bread for a healthy, satisfying dinner.

5 of 99

Onion, Kale, Chickpea, and Chicken Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Onion, Kale, Chickpea, and Chicken Soup Recipe

Few things beat a steaming bowl of veggie-packed chicken soup on a crisp autumn evening, and this one happens to be a perfect potion for the seasonal chills. You can leave the thyme sprigs in the broth (just ladle around them) so they'll keep releasing herbaceous goodness into any leftovers.

6 of 99

Soulful Chicken Soup

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Victor Protazio

Soulful Chicken Soup Recipe

No dish is quite as soothing as a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup. Slow cookers couldn't have made the road to comfort any easier: Simply toss in the ingredients, switch on, and then walk away. We love old-fashioned, wide egg noodles for this recipe. To make sure they aren't mushy and overcooked, don't leave them in the slow cooker any longer than 10 minutes.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 99

Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings Recipe

Make a classic chicken and dumplings recipe even more Southern by topping the vegetable-and-chicken-packed stew with cornbread dumplings.

8 of 99

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Recipe

9 of 99

Creamy Leek and Parsnip Soup

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Creamy Leek and Parsnip Soup Recipe

This delicious Creamy Leek and Parsnip Soup is perfect for serving on a chilly fall evening. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 99

Smoky Ham and Split Pea Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Smoky Ham and Split Pea Soup Recipe

This split pea and ham soup turns out creamy and delicious every time, all thanks to your slow cooker. Salty ham balances out the peas' light, earthy flavor, while the potatoes slowly release their starches to create the perfect silky texture. After 8 hours of hands-off, crockpot cooking, this split pea and ham soup is ready to devour (although leftovers fare well in the freezer, too). An easy, excellent recipe to add to your fall/winter rotation, this filling and flavorful split pea and ham soup is sure to become a new favorite in your house. Top with freshly cracked pepper and serve with a side of crusty bread. 

11 of 99

Black Garlic and Lentil Soup

Credit: Eric Wolfinger

Black Garlic and Lentil Soup Recipe

For Bar Tartine in San Francisco, chef Nick Balla created this smoky, earthy soup as a tribute to his Hungarian-America father. Dried chiles, paprika sausage, hot paprika, and black garlic--regular garlic roasted for days until it turns sweet and jet black, with a licorice-like flavor--give the soup a rounded spiciness.

12 of 99

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

Credit: Christopher Testani; Styling: Alistair Turnbull

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup Recipe

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 99

Potato Soup

Credit: Oxmoor House

Potato Soup Recipe

Classic, comforting, and so delicious, this easy potato soup is the ultimate bowl of comfort food. Because more cheese is always better, this classic soup gets a double hit of cheese—both stirred into the soup and sprinkled over the top. Bacon bits lend a baked potato flavor and feel to this creamy, crowd-pleasing soup. Plus, it’s super easy. Simply place the ingredients into a slow cooker and let it do all of the work for you.

14 of 99

Smoked Sausage Cassoulet

Credit: Oxmoor House

Smoked Sausage Cassoulet Recipe

This hearty soup is exploding with flavors. Meat lovers will crave this bacon-packed and sausage-enriched delight. For a thicker consistency, let the cassoulet stand 30 minutes before serving.

15 of 99

Loaded Faux-Tato Soup

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Loaded Faux-Tato Soup Recipe

This super easy soup is just like a loaded baked potato, but has half the carbs thanks to a secret ingredient - cauliflower. It's silky, thick, hearty, and filling, and doesn't contain any grainy cauliflower bits. The toppings - bacon, cheese, sour cream, and fresh scallions - cut the soup's richness by adding crunch, tang, and savory flavors. Go ahead and make it for the family on a chilly night. Nobody will know you're faking it. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 99

Slow Cooker Cioppino

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow Cooker Cioppino Recipe

Simmering the base of this rich stew in the slow cooker allows for ultimate flavor concentration. When you're almost ready to serve, add raw fish to poach quickly. A signature dish of the West Coast, cioppino can be made with a wide variety of fish and shellfish, so feel free to ­experiment with your favorites.

17 of 99

Tomato-and-Red Pepper Soup

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Tomato-and-Red Pepper Soup Recipe

Red pepper adds a tangy zest to this classic crowd-pleaser.

18 of 99

Italian Wedding Soup

Credit: Jason Varney; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 99

Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Shredded Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Use Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff ingredients to prepare this tortilla soup topped with homemade tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro, and lime wedges. 

20 of 99

Sugar Baby Butternut Soup

Sugar Baby Butternut Soup Recipe

This great autumnal soup gets a dose of added warmth, sweetness, depth from Sugar Babies, a classic candy that is comprised of caramelized sugar and buttery flavor notes. If you find yourself with leftover Halloween candy, put it to good use as a surprising ingredient in this fantastic soup. While most would probably opt to use leftover candy in a dessert, this soup takes creativity to the next level by incorprating it into a savory dish. Grab a spoonful and dig right in! 

21 of 99

Creamy White Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Cindy Barr

Creamy White Bean Soup with Smoked Ham Hocks Recipe

Creamy, starchy, and filling, this hearty, rustic soup is the epitome of comfort. And convenient: Beans go in dry--no need to soak.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 99

Soup a Sundale

Credit: Greg DuPree

Soup a Sundale Recipe

This recipe comes courtesy best-selling author Ann Hood, whose book of stories and recipes, Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food, is out soon. For convenience, Hood sometimes makes the meatballs ahead of time, freezes them, and thaws them before adding to the soup. She likes to make her own chicken stock for even richer flavor: She puts the picked carcass bones of a roast chicken (or a picked rotisserie chicken) in a Dutch oven, covers it with water, then adds three carrots before simmering.

23 of 99

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup Recipe

Traditional Vietnamese phở recipes require hours of hands-on cooking; this slow cooker version lets you off the hook in 40 minutes. Toast the spices and sear the short ribs first to add layers of flavor to this beautifully brothy soup.

24 of 99

Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Ham, Kale, and White Bean Soup Recipe

The water used to cook a pot of beans is really liquid gold, infused with aromatics and thickened with starch from the beans. It makes perfect sense to give the cooking liquid a second life as the broth for the soup (and save the trouble of rinsing and draining). The ham hock will season the broth and the beans as they cook; you won’t need additional salt once they are done. Instead of cooking the kale and carrots in the soup, give them a quick sauté and stir them in at the end so they retain their vibrancy. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 99

Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup

Credit: Kelsey Hansen

Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup Recipe

Avocado and coconut milk give this vegetarian soup a decadent, buttery texture; fiber-rich lentils and beans make it surprisingly filling. Keep your pantry stocked with these staples to help you throw this soup together in no time.

26 of 99

Slow Cooker Lazy Lasagna Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Slow Cooker Lazy Lasagna Soup Recipe

Your family will love this fun departure from the Italian classic—and you’ll love its ease and simplicity. Want to make it in an Instant Pot? Get the recipe here.

27 of 99

Tortilla Soup

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell

Tortilla Soup Recipe

Soup and the slow cooker are natural combos, and this recipe for Tortilla Soup doesn't disappoint.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 99

Best Ever Seafood Gumbo

Credit: Cedric Angeles; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Best Ever Seafood Gumbo Recipe

The genius of this menu is that most of the work can be done ahead of time

29 of 99

Tomato-Red Pepper Gazpacho with Fresh Vegetable Medley

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Tomato-Red Pepper Gazpacho with Fresh Vegetable Medley Recipe

Topping tomato and red pepper-flavored gazpacho with fresh veggies makes a refreshing summer soup. 

30 of 99

Turkey and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Turkey and Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe

This gumbo is a great use for leftover roasted turkey, though cooked chicken will also work. We skip the long-stirred roux here in favor of filé powder, a thickener made from the sassafras plant; look for it on the spice aisle. For the best results, stir in the filé powder off the heat.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 99

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup Recipe

Look for andouille near the smoked sausages in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Click here for the recipe. 

32 of 99

Lemony Greek Chicken Soup

Credit: Kelsey Hansen

Lemony Greek Chicken Soup Recipe

This 20-minute dish provides 32g of protein and is just 261 calories per serving. To ensure this comforting soup’s velvety texture, whisk a little of the hot broth into the eggs before adding them to the pot; it cooks them gently and prevents curdling.

33 of 99

Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Instant Pot Chicken Soup Recipe

This chicken noodle soup may be simple, but nothing's wrong with that. Your Instant Pot or pressure cooker of choice makes this comforting and savory classic in just an hour. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

34 of 99

Instant Pot Turkey and Sage Dumpling Soup

Credit: Greg DuPree

Instant Pot Turkey and Sage Dumpling Soup Recipe

Can’t find turkey cutlets? Use chicken cutlets or breasts. Serve the soup with a crunchy salad and citrus vinaigrette. Gina Homolka is the founder of skinnytaste.com and @skinnytaste.

35 of 99