Soup season usually starts before the calendar says it should, right around the first evening when a steaming bowl sounds better than another cold-weather shortcut. These 19 recipes cover creamy potato soups, chicken classics, pumpkin and squash bowls, ramen, beans, gnocchi, lasagna, and a lamb stew that eats like a full dinner. Some come together in about half an hour, while others simmer longer or use the slow cooker when the day can handle a slower pace. The range gives you plenty of reasons to put the soup pot back into regular use.
Cheeseburger Soup
Cheesy broth with beef, potatoes, vegetables, and bacon makes Cheeseburger Soup a strong signal that lighter summer dinners are over. Ground beef cooks with onion, garlic, tomato paste, beef broth, milk, Worcestershire, diced potato, mixed vegetables, cheddar, and crisp bacon. The recipe takes 50 minutes and serves 6. Ladle it into deep bowls and add extra cheese, chopped pickles, or green onions when you want the flavors of a burger in a spoonable dinner.
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Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings
Soft homemade dumplings floating with shredded chicken make Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings the kind of bowl that belongs on the first truly cool night. Chicken breasts simmer in broth while flour, baking powder, butter, and milk become rolled dumplings cooked right in the pot. The recipe takes 1 hour and serves 6. Add parsley at the end and serve it as the whole meal, since the dumplings and chicken make each bowl substantial enough on their own.
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Gnocchi Soup
Pillowy potato gnocchi and tender chicken give Gnocchi Soup a creamy texture that makes the soup pot worth bringing back into rotation. Chicken, celery, onion, garlic, carrots, broth, thyme, half-and-half, gnocchi, and spinach cook together in 30 minutes for 8 servings. The gnocchi goes in near the end so it stays tender instead of breaking down. Serve with bread or a simple salad when you want a full dinner from one pot.
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Italian Penicillin Soup
Silky broth with tiny pasta and shredded chicken makes Italian Penicillin Soup a lighter way to ease into soup season without giving up a filling bowl. Chicken broth simmers with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, a Parmesan rind, pastina, and rotisserie chicken. The recipe takes 35 minutes and serves 6. The vegetables are blended into the broth before the pasta and chicken go in, giving the soup body without relying on cream.
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Chicken Noodle Soup
Long egg noodles and shredded chicken in a lemony broth make Chicken Noodle Soup the kind of classic that makes cooler weather official. Onion, carrots, celery, garlic, oregano, thyme, chicken broth, chicken breasts, noodles, parsley, and lemon cook together in one pot. The recipe takes 1 hour and serves 4. Keep the vegetables slightly firm and add the noodles toward the end so each bowl has plenty of texture instead of soft, overcooked pasta.
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Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Velvety potatoes with bacon, cheddar, and sour cream make Loaded Baked Potato Soup a bowl built for evenings when the temperature finally drops. Russet potatoes simmer with bacon, onion, garlic, chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, cheddar, and sour cream before part of the soup is blended smooth. The recipe takes 55 minutes and serves 6. Top each bowl with extra cheese, bacon, and green onions so everyone gets the loaded baked potato effect.
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Chicken Ramen
Spicy broth, caramelized ground chicken, and ramen noodles give Chicken Ramen more heft than a basic packet while keeping dinner quick. Ground chicken cooks with sesame oil, Sriracha, soy sauce, and brown sugar, while the broth gets garlic, ginger, chicken stock, tahini, soy sauce, and more Sriracha. The recipe takes 30 minutes and serves 4. Finish each bowl with chard, green onions, sesame seeds, and a boiled egg for a fuller cold-night meal.
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Ham and Potato Soup
Chunks of ham, tender potatoes, corn, and cheddar make Ham and Potato Soup especially useful once soup season overlaps with leftover-ham season. Diced ham cooks with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, butter, flour, milk, chicken broth, baby gold potatoes, corn, and cheddar. The recipe takes 45 minutes and serves 6. The ham is browned first so its flavor carries through the creamy base. Serve with bread or biscuits when you want a practical use for leftovers.
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Pumpkin Soup
Smooth pumpkin with saffron, orange zest, and a swirl of crème fraîche makes Pumpkin Soup one of the clearest signs that autumn cooking has started. Pumpkin, onion, carrots, vegetable stock, saffron, and orange zest simmer before the mixture is blended smooth. The recipe takes 1 hour and serves 8. Maple-roasted pumpkin seeds add crunch on top, while fresh herbs bring a little color. Serve it with toast when you want a seasonal bowl that stays relatively light.
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Ham and Bean Soup
Smoky ham and tender navy beans give Ham and Bean Soup the slow-simmered character that fits a cool weekend. Dried navy beans cook with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, diced ham, and chicken broth until everything turns tender and the broth takes on the ham flavor. The recipe takes 1 hour 50 minutes and serves 6, not counting the bean soak. Make a large pot when leftover ham needs somewhere useful to go beyond sandwiches.
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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Caramelized squash blended with curry and coconut milk gives Roasted Butternut Squash Soup a deeper flavor than a quick boiled version. Butternut squash roasts first, then cooks with onion, garlic, curry powder, vegetable broth, and coconut milk before being blended smooth. The recipe takes 1 hour and serves 6. A little extra coconut milk, red pepper flakes, or fresh herbs can go on top. Serve with toasted bread for an easy seasonal lunch or dinner.
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Leek and Potato Soup
Soft leeks and thin-sliced potatoes give Leek and Potato Soup a smooth, mellow bowl that works well once cooler evenings settle in. Leeks, onion, potatoes, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, chicken broth, cream, butter, and olive oil cook together for 1 hour 15 minutes, making 8 servings. The long simmer softens the vegetables before the soup is blended. Finish with sliced green onions or extra leek when you want a simple bowl with very little fuss.
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Spicy Lasagna Soup
Broken lasagna noodles, sausage, and melted cheese turn Spicy Lasagna Soup into a one-pot dinner with all the substance of a baked pasta. Spicy Italian sausage cooks with onion, bell peppers, garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, milk, lasagna noodles, mozzarella, and Parmesan. The recipe takes 35 minutes and serves 6. Ladle it into wide bowls while the cheese is still melty, then add parsley or extra Parmesan before serving.
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Vegetable Soup
Colorful vegetables and creamy cannellini beans make Vegetable Soup a lighter bowl that still has enough substance for dinner. Celery, carrots, leeks, garlic, rosemary, cannellini beans, vegetable broth, spinach, and peas simmer together in 55 minutes for 4 servings. The beans give the broth more body while the spinach and peas go in later so they stay bright. Finish with grated Parmesan and serve with bread when soup season needs a break from heavier cream-based bowls.
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Hearty Potato Soup
Baked potatoes blended with bacon and sour cream make Hearty Potato Soup rich enough to carry dinner without much else beside it. Six to eight potatoes are baked first, then combined with bacon, butter, onion, vegetable stock, sour cream, parsley, salt, and pepper. The recipe takes 1 hour 50 minutes and serves 4. Blend the mixture until smooth, then add crisp bacon and herbs on top when you want a thick bowl made for slower, colder evenings.
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Lamb Stew
Deep tomato broth with tender lamb makes Lamb Stew the most substantial bowl in this collection and a natural fit once soup season turns serious. Cubed lamb cooks with onion, garlic, cumin, fire-roasted tomatoes, beef broth, mint, and parsley in a Dutch oven. The recipe takes 1 hour 10 minutes and serves 8. Finish each serving with fresh lemon to cut through the richness, and add bread or couscous if the table needs something alongside.
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Chicken Soup
Clear broth packed with chicken and root vegetables gives Chicken Soup a straightforward bowl for the nights when soup season starts feeling like an everyday habit. Carrots, parsnips, celery, onion, leek, garlic, chicken breasts, thyme, tarragon, bay leaf, and chicken broth simmer together in 40 minutes for 8 servings. The vegetables stay in generous pieces instead of being blended. Serve with bread, crackers, or a small salad when you want something simple and dependable.
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Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Slow-cooked potatoes, bacon, cheddar, and sour cream make Slow Cooker Potato Soup useful when you want the kitchen doing most of the work. Potatoes simmer with chicken broth, bacon, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper before a butter-and-flour mixture, milk, cheddar, and sour cream finish the soup. The recipe takes 3 hours 10 minutes and serves 6. Keep the cooker on warm at the end and set out green onions or extra bacon for topping.
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Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Chunks of chicken, potatoes, mushrooms, and mixed vegetables give Chicken Pot Pie Soup the filling of the classic bake without the pastry work. Chicken stock and milk thicken with flour, then celery, onion, portobello mushrooms, peas, carrots, green beans, corn, potatoes, thyme, and cooked chicken simmer together. The recipe takes 45 minutes and serves 6. Serve with biscuits or crusty bread when you want the pot pie idea in a bowl rather than under a crust.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Soup