30 easy soup recipes for cold-weather dinners

The short answer: the best soup recipes for winter use pantry staples and stretch into lunches, like chicken noodle, potato, chili, beef stew and minestrone.

• 30 easy soups grouped by type
• Chicken noodle: 45 minutes on the stovetop
• Freezer guide: most freeze well
• How long homemade soup keeps and how to reheat it
• Next step: Plan it with the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99).

The best soup recipes for winter are the ones you can make from pantry staples and stretch into lunches: chicken noodle soup, potato soup, chili, beef stew, ham and bean soup, split pea soup, tomato soup and minestrone. Below are 30 easy soups grouped by type, a quick chart of cook times and which soups freeze well, plus how long homemade soup keeps and how to reheat it safely.

I love cooking, and in fall and winter one soup night a week is what keeps our grocery bill and our weeknights in check. To fit soup night into the week, the Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) gives you a weekly dinner plan and an aisle-sorted grocery list in one printable PDF.

New bowls on the site: matzo ball soup and hamburger soup.

Chicken and turkey soup recipes

1. Chicken noodle soup. The classic, with egg noodles added at the end. See our chicken noodle soup.
2. Turkey soup. Made from the Thanksgiving carcass. See our turkey soup.
3. White chicken chili. Chicken, white beans, green chiles and cumin.
4. Chicken tortilla soup. Chicken, black beans, corn and tomatoes with crispy tortilla strips.
5. Chicken and wild rice soup. Creamy, with carrots and celery.
6. Lemon chicken orzo soup. Bright and light, ready in 30 minutes.
7. Chicken and dumplings. Biscuit dough simmered right in the broth.

More chicken nights are in our chicken dinner ideas.

Beef and pork soup recipes

8. Beef stew. Chuck, potatoes and carrots, simmered for 2 hours. See our beef stew.
9. Chili. Ground beef, beans and tomatoes. See our chili recipe.
10. Ham and bean soup. Navy beans and a leftover ham bone. See ham and bean soup.
11. Split pea soup. Ham, split peas and no soaking. See split pea soup.
12. Stuffed pepper soup. Ground beef, peppers, tomatoes and rice. For a cheesier ground beef pot, make cheeseburger soup.
13. Hamburger vegetable soup. Ground beef with mixed vegetables in tomato broth.
14. Zuppa toscana. Italian sausage, potatoes and kale in a creamy broth.
15. Beef barley soup. Stew beef, pearl barley and mushrooms.
16. Lasagna soup. Sausage, tomatoes and broken noodles with a ricotta topping.

Potato, vegetable and bean soup recipes

17. Potato soup. Creamy, loaded with cheese and bacon. See our potato soup.
18. Tomato soup. Canned tomatoes, onion and broth, blended smooth.
19. Minestrone. Beans, zucchini, carrots and small pasta.
20. Lentil soup. Brown lentils, carrots and celery.
21. Black bean soup. Cumin, garlic and lime, partly blended.
22. Broccoli cheddar soup. Broccoli in a cheddar cream base.
23. Butternut squash soup. Roasted squash blended with broth.
24. French onion soup. Slow-cooked onions under bread and melted cheese.
25. Vegetable soup. Whatever's in the crisper, in tomato broth.
26. Corn chowder. Corn, potatoes and a little bacon.
27. Cabbage soup. Cabbage, tomatoes and carrots, cheap and filling.
28. Mushroom soup. Cremini mushrooms with thyme and a splash of cream.
29. Curried red lentil soup. Red lentils and coconut milk.
30. Wedding soup. Tiny meatballs, greens and small pasta.

Soup cook times and freezer guide

Stovetop times are after the soup comes to a simmer. Slow cooker times vary by model, so check doneness and see our slow cooker recipes for more crockpot tips. USDA says to thaw meat before it goes into a slow cooker and to put the vegetables in first.

Tips for better homemade soup

• Build a base. Cook onion, carrot and celery in a little oil or butter for 5 to 8 minutes before the broth goes in.
• Season at the end. Broth and ham add salt as they reduce, so taste before adding more.
• Add a little acid. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar at the end wakes up bean and lentil soups.
• Cook pasta separately if you plan to freeze the soup or keep it for days, so it doesn't swell.
• Blend part of it. Blending a cup or two of a bean or potato soup thickens it without cream.

Storing, freezing and reheating soup

Cool soup quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. The cold food storage chart gives soups and stews 3 to 4 days in the fridge and 2 to 3 months in the freezer for best quality. When you reheat, USDA's leftovers guide says to bring soups and sauces to a rolling boil, or heat leftovers to 165°F. Freeze soup flat in labeled zip-top bags so it stacks and thaws faster. Our freezer meals and freezer inventory list help you keep track of what's in there.

A four-week soup night rotation

Plan soup night into your week

Budget high-protein dinners: lentil recipes. For one cozy pot, start with our easy lentil soup recipe.

Hearty chicken pot: chicken stew.

Cold-weather list: soups for winter sorts 30 hearty recipes by type.

A pot of soup is one of the cheapest dinners you can make, and it goes even further when the leftovers are planned for lunches before you shop.

• Meal Planner & Grocery List, $3.99. A weekly dinner plan, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer inventories.
• Family Recipe Binder, $6.99. Keep your family's favorite soup recipes in one place, with the tweaks that made them yours.
• Holiday Season Bundle, $15.99 (regularly $25.94 for the six items bought separately). The meal planner plus the Christmas Budget & Gift Planner and more for the holiday weeks.

See everything in the Home shop, or read our guides to meal planning on a budget and easy dinner ideas.

For a heartier bowl on cold nights, our turkey chili recipe feeds about 8 and freezes well for up to 3 months. Want the whole dinner in one vessel? See our one pot dinners list.

Looking for something heartier than soup? Our Irish stew simmers lamb or beef with potatoes and carrots in a rich broth.

Cooking with fall squash? See our butternut squash recipes for soups, stews, pastas and a 5-day squash week.

Want a 30-minute pot? Our tortellini soup simmers sausage, spinach and tomatoes, and our Italian wedding soup pairs tiny meatballs with greens and pasta. For a comforting chicken bowl with Italian flavors, see our Italian penicillin soup recipe.

Want the full recipe for number 18? Our homemade tomato soup recipe turns canned tomatoes into a smooth soup in about 35 minutes, and our taco soup is a dump-and-simmer favorite.

Craving something heartier? Our chicken and sausage gumbo starts with a dark roux and feeds 8 to 10, and our 15-minute egg drop soup is the fastest bowl on the list. More bowls live in our soups and stews hub. For a from-scratch pot of homemade chicken soup, see the step-by-step guide. Keep a basic tomato sauce pot on hand for soup nights and braises.

Many soups start with a pot of sweet, browned onions. See how to caramelize onions for the stovetop method and how long each stage takes.