Soup Recipes: 50+ Cozy Soups, Stews and Chili for Fall and Winter

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Soup recipes spread with bowls of chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, beef stew and chili on a wooden table

Soup recipes are the easiest way to make a cold night feel warm. This guide collects more than 50 soups, stews and chili recipes from ZEST & YUM, sorted by style, so you can pick the right pot for your week: a slow cooker soup that cooks while you work, a creamy chowder, a hearty beef stew or a quick chicken noodle soup.

Fall and winter are when we all cook the most soup, so bookmark this page and use it as your master list. Each recipe below links to the full post with ingredients, steps and tips.

Soup recipes at a glance

  • Slow cooker: soups, stews and chili are the best foods for a slow cooker, because high-moisture recipes cook gently and evenly.
  • Quick: our Easy Crack Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe in 30 Minutes is the fast option.
  • Creamy: broccoli cheese, potato, corn chowder, pumpkin and sweet potato soup recipes are all in the creamy section.
  • Safety: thaw meat before it goes into a slow cooker, and refrigerate leftover soup within 2 hours.
  • Leftovers: soup keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.

How to Choose Your Soup Recipes

Start with the time you have. If you are home all day, a stovetop soup is fine. If you are out until dinner, a slow cooker soup does the work for you. If you want comfort, pick something creamy. If you want a meal in a bowl, pick a stew or chili.

Here is a simple way to match a soup recipe to your evening:

If you want Try this soup recipe Why it works
A fast dinner Easy Crack Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe in 30 Minutes Ready in about 30 minutes
A set-it-and-forget-it meal Best Slow Cooker Beef Stew Cooks in the slow cooker
Creamy comfort Copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup A restaurant favorite at home
A crowd-pleaser Slow Cooker Chili Easy to scale for a party
Something fall-flavored Pumpkin Soup Recipe: Creamy, Cozy, and Perfect for Fall Seasonal and cozy
An Italian-style bowl Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup Hearty with pasta
Carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, garlic and herbs on a counter ready for soup recipes this RECIPE
Start with simple vegetables and herbs for your soup.

Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Soup Recipes

Slow cooker soup recipes are the easiest on a busy day. Add the ingredients in the morning and come home to dinner. Instant Pot soups are a good choice when you want a pressure cooker shortcut.

Slow cooker full of homemade soup with a ladle on a kitchen counter, an easy way to make soup recipes
A slow cooker does the work while you are away.

Chicken Soup Recipes

Chicken soup is the soup most people crave when they are cold or tired. These chicken soup recipes cover noodles, gnocchi and a lemony Greek classic.

Bowl of chicken noodle soup with carrots, celery and parsley, a comforting soup recipe
Chicken noodle soup is the ultimate comfort bowl.

Creamy Soup Recipes and Chowders

Creamy soups are the ultimate comfort food. These soup recipes range from cheesy broccoli soup to fall pumpkin and seafood bisques.

Beef Soups and Stews

When you want a soup that eats like a meal, reach for beef. These beef soup recipes and stews are slow, simmering comfort food.

Italian-Style Soup Recipes

Italian soups combine pasta, sausage and tomatoes in one bowl, which makes them a satisfying dinner with a little bread on the side.

Chili Recipes

Chili is the bolder cousin of soup. Make a big pot for game day, a weeknight or a crowd.

Bowl of beef and bean chili topped with sour cream, cheddar and green onions, one of many easy chili recipes
Top chili with sour cream, cheese and green onions.

Global Soup Recipes

Try something different with a soup from another kitchen. The Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup brings red curry flavor, and the Greek Lemon Chicken Soup (Avgolemono) and German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe) show how different two comforting bowls can be.

What to Serve with Soup Recipes

Every bowl is better with something to dip. These breads, biscuits and sandwiches pair well with any soup recipe on this page.

Grilled cheese sandwich cut in half and garlic bread served with a bowl of soup on a wooden table
Bread, biscuits and grilled cheese make soup a full meal.

Slow Cooker Soup Safety

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service says a slow cooker is a safe way to cook, and it recommends high-moisture foods such as chili, soup, stew and spaghetti sauce. A few habits keep your slow cooker soup recipes safe:

  • Thaw first. Always thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker.
  • Keep it cold until you start. The cooker can take several hours to reach a safe, bacteria-killing temperature, so keep perishable foods refrigerated until preparation time. If you chop meat and vegetables ahead, store them separately.
  • Vegetables go in first. They cook slower than meat and poultry.
  • Keep the lid on. Remove it only to stir or check for doneness.
  • Settings. If you can, start on high for the first hour, then switch to low, but the USDA says it is safe to cook on low the whole time.
  • Power outage. If you are away and the power goes out, throw the food away even if it looks done.
  • Leftovers. Store leftovers in shallow covered containers and refrigerate them within 2 hours of finishing cooking. The USDA does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker.

Read the full guidance in the USDA slow cookers and food safety guide.

How to Store and Reheat Soup

Big pots of soup cool slowly, which gives bacteria time to multiply. The USDA says to divide a large pot of soup into smaller, shallow containers so it cools quickly, and to refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking. Soup keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.

When you reheat soup, bring it to a rolling boil, because the USDA says soups, sauces and gravies should be boiled, and leftovers should reach 165°F as measured with a food thermometer. Cover leftovers while reheating to keep them moist. See the USDA leftovers and food safety guide.

A Simple Weekly Plan for Soup Recipes

You do not need a new soup every night. Pick two or three soup recipes for the week and use them in different ways.

  1. Weekend: make a big pot of chili, stew or a creamy soup and set aside portions for later in shallow containers.
  2. Monday: serve it with a simple side such as cheese bread or biscuits.
  3. Midweek: start a slow cooker soup in the morning so dinner is ready when you get home.
  4. Thursday: make a quick 30-minute soup for a busy evening.
  5. Weekend again: freeze extra portions for another week.

Looking ahead to the holidays? Our Thanksgiving menu guide includes ideas for using leftover turkey in soup.

Soup Recipes FAQs

What are the best soup recipes for a slow cooker?

Soups, stews and chili are the best foods for a slow cooker, according to the USDA, because they are high in moisture. Try slow cooker chili, beef stew, chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup or potato soup, and thaw any meat before it goes in.

How long does homemade soup last in the refrigerator?

The USDA says leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for 3 to 4 months. Refrigerate soup within 2 hours of cooking, and divide a large pot into smaller, shallow containers so it cools quickly.

Can I put frozen chicken straight into the slow cooker?

No. The USDA says to always thaw meat or poultry before putting it into a slow cooker. The cooker can take several hours to reach a safe temperature, so starting with frozen meat gives bacteria a head start.

Can I reheat soup in the slow cooker?

The USDA does not recommend reheating leftovers in a slow cooker. Reheat soup on the stove, in a microwave or in an oven until it reaches 165°F, then move it to a preheated slow cooker to keep it hot, at 140°F or above.

How do I cool a big pot of soup quickly?

Divide it into smaller, shallow containers so it cools quickly, as the USDA recommends. Hot food can go directly into the refrigerator, or you can chill it in an ice or cold water bath first. Then refrigerate it within 2 hours.

Final Thoughts on Soup Recipes

The best soup recipes are the ones you will actually make on a busy night, so start with one slow cooker soup, one quick soup and one creamy favorite. Add bread or a grilled cheese, store leftovers safely and you will have dinner covered for days. Come back to this page whenever you need a new idea, and bookmark your favorites.

Sources and Further Reading

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