Our Most Popular Soup Recipes Ever
You'll find all the classics—chicken noodle, tomato, split pea with ham, and more—here.
No matter the season, soup is guaranteed to please. Whether you're looking for a simple starter, light lunch, or hearty dinner, we have soup recipes that will satisfy you and your family. While this collection is certainly filled with recipes our editors love, they're ultimately your picks! We combed through the archives and rounded up the 30 soup recipes that have been most popular with our readers.
It all starts with the French Onion Soup you see right here. The rich, savory base for this recipe is made with three pounds of sweet onions that cook low and slow in extra-virgin olive oil under they're super tender and caramelized. They then continue to cook in beef stock (homemade is preferable), plus fresh earthy herbs and a little bit of vermouth. The soup is ladled into individual ramekins and topped with thick slices of rustic bread and nutty grated Gruyère cheese; the soup ramekins are broiled in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly on top. Even if you're not dining along the Seine, this ultra-indulgent soup is sure to warm your soul even on the coldest of days.
Other classic soup recipes that are consistently among our readers' favorites include our basic chicken soup, tomato soup (which we love to serve with a grilled cheese sandwich), minestrone, vegetable soup, and split pea soup.
The beauty of many of our soup recipes is that you can customize them based on what vegetables are in season. Add squash and zucchini during the summertime or root vegetables during winter, or adjust the recipes slightly based on what you already have on. Whatever you decide, just make sure these all-star soup recipes are on your radar the next time a craving for something incredibly comforting strikes.
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Everyday Vegetable Soup
Consider this soup recipe a choose your own adventure—use any fresh, seasonal produce or frozen vegetables that you please. A combination of tomato paste and diced tomatoes creates a flavorful base.
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Basic Chicken Soup
If you're feeling under the weather, our all-time favorite chicken soup—which is made with an entire chicken—is just what the doctor ordered.
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Split Pea Soup with Ham
Just like Grandma used to make! Two cups of pre-cooked ham and a bag of split peas work in tandem to create a satisfying bowl of this old-fashioned soup.
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Cannellini Bean Soup
This meat-free soup gets plenty of protein from cannellini beans and a bit more might from vegetables such as carrots and celery. Leave the Parmesan cheese off to make this recipe vegan.
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15-Minute Lentil Soup
One of our most popular soup recipes of all time is also one of our speediest! This dish comes together in just 15 minutes thanks to the use of pre-cooked lentils.
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Matzo Ball Soup
This classic Jewish soup recipe instantly soothes the soul, thanks to our comforting homemade chicken broth and super light matzo balls. Garnish with sliced carrots and fresh chopped dill.
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Cream of Broccoli Soup
An entire pound of broccoli is used to make this vegetarian soup. In addition to the crucifer this soup is named after, the only other ingredients you need are unsalted butter, yellow onion, flour, chicken broth, and heavy cream.
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Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Come autumn, we're all about this cozy soup recipe made with sugar pumpkin (or butternut squash) and shiitake mushrooms. The best part is that it's totally vegan because it gets its creaminess from the orange root vegetable.
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Creamy Tomato Soup
Tomato soup isn't truly complete without its partner-in-crime: a golden brown, ooey-gooey grilled cheese sandwich. This recipe gets an extra dose of creaminess from one half-cup of heavy cream.
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Sausage and Kale Soup
Hearty and better-for-you, this popular soup recipe comes together in under one hour and doesn't skimp on flavor, thanks to the use of smoked chicken sausage.
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Classic Chicken-Vegetable Soup
The base for this soup begins with a flavorful chicken broth and shredded chicken, then a combination of vegetables—carrots, celery, and Yukon gold potatoes—are added.
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Lentil Soup
Bacon brings uber-savory, salty flavor to this all-time favorite soup recipe that also includes fresh thyme leaves, chicken broth, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, and garlic.
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Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Instead of the usual egg noodles, we use thin pasta to create a delicious twist on the usual chicken soup recipe. The rest of what you'll find here—diced vegetables, chicken broth and shredded chicken, and fresh dill—are classic ingredients you know and love.
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Hearty Winter-Vegetable Soup
Just right for a chilly day, this hearty soup is made with a rustic combination of butternut squash, Yukon gold potatoes, leeks, escarole, and chickpeas. Feel free to swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth to create a totally vegan recipe.
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Chicken and Rice Soup
Using a whole chicken for this popular soup recipe is actually more economical than buying individual cuts—plus, you're guaranteed to get even more flavor. We've also added parsnips (an underutilized root vegetable) for a more robust spoonful.
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Vegetable-Bean Soup
Looking for a quick vegan soup recipe? This crowd-pleaser is the answer. Cannellini beans and diced tomatoes work in tandem to create a delicious bowl of soup that everyone can enjoy.
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Apple-Butternut Squash Soup
When the leaves are changing colors and there's a chill in the air, it's time to make this beloved autumnal soup recipe.
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Tortilla Soup with Black Beans
If you're short on time, make this 15-minute soup recipe that our readers love. All you need to do is simmer diced tomatoes, black beans, and frozen corn in chicken broth, then ladle into individual ramekins and serve with tortilla chips.
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Turmeric-Ginger Chicken Soup
This is the ultimate restorative chicken soup; ground turmeric brings a natural yellow hue to this comforting broth, while fresh grated ginger will ease your stomach and help clear your sinuses.
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Vegetarian Split-Pea Soup
Dried split peas and green bell peppers bring shades of green and deep flavor to this hearty and healthy soup. It's not wonder that this is one of our most popular recipes of all time!
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Potato Leek Soup
Our take on the classic French vichyssoise gets some creaminess from Yukon gold potatoes, as well as a combination of heavy cream and milk. Bay leaves, fresh rosemary, and flat-leaf parsley bring earthy, vibrant flavor to every spoonful.
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Chicken Barley Soup
Use quick-cooking barley to speed up the cooking process for this very popular soup recipe.
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Beef Barley Soup
A combination of stew beef and barley adds plenty of might to this simple bowl of soup that our readers love.
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Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu
Soy sauce, grated fresh ginger, scallions, and rice vinegar bring bold, savory flavor to this soup; swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian.
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Creamy Celery Soup
Instead of being one of several vegetables floating in broth, celery finally gets its time to shine in this soup recipe. It's sautéed along with potatoes until both are tender; they're then puréed until smooth and creamy.
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Cabbage-Vegetable Soup
Half a head of green cabbage is used in this vegetable-forward soup recipe. Bay leaves and fresh thyme leaves bring an earthy, piney flavor.
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Butternut Squash Soup
This classic fall soup recipe is made with two-and-a-half pounds of butternut squash and six slices of bacon. It comes together in exactly one hour and is cream-free, which means you can easily freeze batches to save for months to come.
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Kale and White Bean Soup
Thick slices of country bread are placed on top of this nutritious, robust soup that features an entire pound of kale and two cans of cannellini beans for four people.
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Vegetarian French Onion Soup with Mushrooms
Although French onion soup is usually made with beef broth, this meat-free version uses cremini mushrooms for heft and flavor and water as the liquid base.