Fall soup season is really about one thing: getting something warm and filling on the table without much fuss! Almost everything here is one pot, most of it uses ingredients you already keep on hand, and a good number of them cook themselves in the slow cooker while you do something else.
Some of these take a Sunday afternoon and some take thirty minutes on a Tuesday. I have put them in the order I tend to reach for them, so if you are not sure where to begin, just start at the top.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Roasting the squash first is what gives this one its deep, almost caramelized sweetness. It is silky, simple, and the first pot I make once mornings turn cool.
Chicken and Dumpling Soup
All the comfort of chicken and dumplings in a brothier, spoonable form. The dumplings go in soft and pillowy, and the whole pot comes together on the stovetop.
Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
Thick, cheesy, and completely hands-off in the slow cooker. Serve it with crusty bread on a chilly Sunday and nobody asks what else is for dinner. {Dump and Go}
Ham and Bean Soup
Canned beans do the heavy lifting here, so there is no soaking and no long simmer. It still tastes like it cooked all afternoon, which is the whole point! {Reader Favorite}
Autumn Harvest Chicken Noodle Soup
Butternut squash, carrots, and fresh herbs turn familiar chicken noodle into something that tastes like October. A good one for the first real cold snap!
Crock Pot Potato Soup
Creamy, thick, and built for a busy afternoon. Load it up with bacon and cheddar at the table and let everyone finish their own bowl the way they like it. {Dump and Go}
Taco Soup
One of the most-made recipes on my site, and for good reason. Pantry staples, one pot, and about thirty minutes between you and a bowl everybody wants. {Reader Favorite}
Southern Ham Bone Soup
The best reason to save a leftover ham bone. It simmers into a rich, smoky broth with beans and vegetables, and it costs almost nothing to put together.
Easy French Onion Soup
Deeply caramelized onions, good beef broth, and a bubbly cheese-topped crouton. It asks for patience at the stove, but few soups feel this special.
Pumpkin Soup
Velvety and lightly spiced, with far less work than you would guess. It leans savory rather than sweet, so it works as a first course or a light supper.
Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Hamburger
Ground beef and cabbage simmer down into a brothy, filling soup that reheats beautifully. Light on the grocery bill and generous with the leftovers. {Freezer-Friendly}
Crock Pot Chicken Corn Chowder
Sweet corn, tender chicken, and potatoes in a creamy base. This is the chowder I make when I want something hearty without standing over the stove.
The Best Bean Soup
Dried beans, a ham hock, and time. Old-fashioned cooking at its most forgiving, and the flavor pays you back for every hour it spends on the stove.
Beef Barley Soup
Tender beef and chewy barley in a rich, savory broth. It eats like a stew but spoons like a soup, which makes it just right for a cold weeknight.
Southern Tomato Bisque
Smoother and richer than a basic tomato soup, with a little Southern character. Pair it with grilled cheese for the easiest supper of the season.
Meatball Tortellini Soup
Frozen meatballs and cheese tortellini get you a full pot of soup in half an hour. This is my answer to the nights that got away from me. {30 Minutes or Less}
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Thick, smoky, and made from humble ingredients. Give it time to simmer and the peas break down into something creamy without any cream at all.
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Bright, a little spicy, and easy to dress up with avocado and crushed chips. A welcome change of pace when the creamy soups start to blur together.
Creamy Mushroom Soup
Earthy and rich without being heavy. Brown the mushrooms well before anything else goes in the pot and this tastes nothing like the canned version.
Appalachian Soup Beans
Pinto beans simmered slow with a piece of salt pork or ham hock, the way they have been cooked in these mountains for generations. Serve with cornbread, always!
Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Tiny meatballs, greens, and pasta in a light broth. It feels a bit lighter than most fall soups, which is welcome when you have been eating heavy.
Turkey Noodle Soup
The best thing to do with leftover turkey! Add noodles and vegetables, and stretch Thanksgiving one more meal. {Freezer-Friendly}
Save this one somewhere you can find it in January, because soup season runs a lot longer than fall does. If you make one of these and put your own spin on it, come back and tell me about it in the comments!
A Few Tips for a Better Pot of Soup
A handful of things carry across almost every recipe on this list. None of them are complicated, but they are the difference between a good bowl of soup and one you find yourself thinking about the next day.
⇢ Brown before you simmer: A few minutes spent searing the meat or sweating the onions and garlic before the liquid goes in builds a base you can taste in the finished pot.
⇢ Season at the end, not just the start: Soup concentrates as it cooks, so taste right before serving and adjust the salt then. A splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon wakes up anything that tastes flat.
⇢ Make a double batch: Most of these freeze well for up to three months, and soup is one of the few dinners that tastes better the second day. Cooking once for two or three nights is the whole point of soup season.
⇢ Keep bread on hand: Cornbread for the bean soups, biscuits for the Southern pots, a grilled cheese for the tomato bisque. It turns a bowl into a full supper with no extra cooking.
