More than 70 delicious Winter Soups—the perfect menu helper for cold days. Comfort food the whole family will love.
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This collection of more than 70 delicious Winter Soups is the perfect menu helper for cold days! From creamy chicken soups to hearty bean stews and slow cooker favorites, find comfort food the whole family will love.
There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly winter day. When temperatures drop and you’re craving something warm and nourishing, these winter soup recipes deliver exactly what you need.
Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a slow cooker meal that practically makes itself, this collection of recipes has something for everyone. From classic chicken noodle to creative vegetarian options, hearty chilis to creamy chowders, these comforting dishes will keep you cozy all season long.
🩷 Melissa
So what’s the difference between soup, stew, and chili?
Soups have more liquid and are typically brothier.
Stews are thicker with larger chunks of meat and vegetables.
Chili is a specific type of stew characterized by chili peppers, beans (usually), and a thick consistency.
A trick I learned from my mom and grandma when making soups even more filling is adding easy homemade noodles or quick dumplings – it really does make the meal more filling and tastes amazing, too!
My Favorite Recipes For Winter Soups
Soups of any kind – stew, chowder, chili, etc – tend to be easy recipes and also more frugal than a traditional meat-and-potatoes meal. This is my collection of a variety of great soup recipes that will feed your family well as well as save you time and money.
Each recipe is designed to be easy enough for busy home cooks while delivering the rich flavor and satisfying warmth that makes soup the ultimate comfort food!
Hearty Chili Recipes
When the temperature drops, nothing satisfies quite like a thick, protein-packed bowl of chili. These recipes range from traditional beef versions to creative vegetarian options, all simmered to perfection with aromatic spices and tender beans.
Whether you’re feeding a crowd at a game day gathering or need a meal prep option for the week, these chili recipes deliver big on taste and convenience. Many can be made in your slow cooker or instant pot, making dinner prep effortless on busy winter evenings.
1
Crock Pot Black Bean Chili
This hearty Black Bean Chili recipe combines ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, and perfect spices for the ultimate comfort meal. Perfect for potlucks, game day gatherings, and those chilly evenings when you just want something that feels like a warm hug in a bowl!
This easy-to-make Vegetarian Chili is the last chili recipe you will ever need! This meatless dish is full of flavor and spice to keep your family coming back for more.
Cincinnati Chili is a delicious, comforting dish hailing from the Midwest. Cooked with signature spices that give the chili a unique flavor, this savory dish is warm and irresistible!
This easy White Bean Chicken Chili recipe is ready in no time and is the perfect warming soup after a long day! You’ll love this creamy white chicken chili!
This is such a flavor-filled quick and easy chili recipe! It’s the perfect meal for Fall and Winter days when you’re craving something hearty and warm!
Easy Slow Cooker Chili made with all the classic ingredients like beans, tomatoes, and ground beef, plus two other surprising ingredients that will add tons of flavor with no extra work. This hearty chili recipe is best served with some fresh cornbread!
A healthy and flavorful Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili recipe made with dried beans, vegetables, spices, and a secret ingredient. This is an easy, one-pot meatless meal your whole family will love.
This Healthy Lentil Chili recipe is packed full of whole foods, plant-based proteins, and flavor. You won't even miss the meat! Lentil chili is a hearty vegan/vegetarian recipe, and perfect for a cold winter day.
Chicken soup isn’t just good for the soul—it’s the ultimate healing food for cold weather.
This collection includes everything from traditional chicken noodle to Italian-inspired gnocchi versions, each one loaded with tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and savory broth.
These recipes are perfect for using up leftover or rotisserie chicken or turkey from holiday meals, and most come together in under an hour. The creamy variations add an extra layer of richness that transforms a simple soup into something truly special.
I highly recommend using your own homemade broth to make soups as it adds an additional layer of seasoning and “homemade” taste!
15
Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
This Slow Cooker Chicken Soup has become my go-to recipe when I need classic comfort food that practically makes itself. Simply toss everything except the noodles into your crockpot, set it, and forget it!
This slow cooker Italian Chicken Gnocchi Soup is rich, creamy, and loaded with tender chicken, veggies, pillowy gnocchi, and fresh spinach. It’s an easy, hands-off comfort food recipe your family will request again and again!
Enjoy this thick, creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup, a comforting blend of onions, carrots, celery, gnocchi, and shredded chicken in savory chicken broth – a sure crowd-pleaser!
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup features crunchy vegetables, juicy chicken, and tender rice that are cooked perfectly in chicken broth to create this hearty spin on a classic soup
Chicken tortilla soup is a flavorful and comforting Mexican-inspired dish that combines tender chicken, zesty tomatoes, aromatic spices, and crispy tortilla strips.
Looking for the ultimate comfort food? This Instant Pot chicken and wild rice soup is a creamy, satisfying meal that comes together in no time and will satisfy the pickiest of eaters.
Quick, Easy, and Healthy White Chicken Enchilada Soup
This quick, easy and healthy white chicken enchilada soup recipe is made with chicken, beans and corn. You can make it in the oven, a slow cooker or your Instant Pot!
This comforting Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe will brighten any gloomy day. Feeling under the weather? This homemade soup combats any head cold with its hearty combination of shredded chicken (or turkey), egg noodles, carrots, peas, corn, and lots of flavor-packing spices.
This Italian Chicken and Mushroom Soup recipe is warming to the soul and is totally easy to make a big batch of on a chilly night! Packed with flavor and hearty ingredients, you’ll love this soup on fall and winter nights when all you want is something cozy and comforting.
Thick, rich soups and stews bring an entirely different level of satisfaction during winter months. These one-pot wonders combine juicy beef, savory seasoning, and hearty root vegetables into meals that taste even better the next day.
From classic beef stew to Hungarian goulash seasoned with paprika, these recipes simmer away on your stove or in your crockpot until everything becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. Perfect for Sunday dinners or when you need something truly filling.
27
Brunswick Stew
Our simple Brunswick Stew combines tender chicken, sweet tomatoes, and aromatic spices for a delightful meal. It's made with pantry staples.
Classic beef stew made with chuck roast, potatoes, onions, carrots, and spices. This dish simmers away on the stove for a few hours so that it's perfectly tender when it's time for dinner.
This Farmstand One Pot Wonder Recipe is made with fresh green beans, new potatoes, onions, and ham that are all cooked in one pot. It is so easy, you’ll love it!
Packed with pasta, beans, veggies, and ground beef, pasta fagioli is a hearty, comforting soup. Easy to make, it's perfect for a chilly day with flavor in every bite!
Juicy beef, seasoned veggies, rich broth, and chewy egg noodles create the ultimate comfort food! Beef and noodle soup is easy to make and perfect for busy weeknights.
Sausage Tortellini soup is hearty, creamy, and full of rich flavor. If you are looking for a new creative dinner idea that is easy to make then you will love this delicious, flavorful soup!
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew that's surprisingly easy to make. The star is the red wine, which simmers with beef broth to create a savory, rich, and slightly sweet base.
Few things beat the velvety texture of a well-made chowder on a cold winter day. These recipes showcase the versatility of potatoes and corn, often enhanced with bacon, cheese, or ham for extra flavor.
Whether you prefer the classic New England clam chowder or a loaded baked potato version topped with all your favorite fixings, these thick and satisfying soups deliver comfort in every spoonful.
A bonus is the time-saving factor: most work beautifully in the instant pot for quick weeknight meals!
39
Baked Potato Corn Chowder
Baked potato corn chowder is creamy, savory, and full of comforting flavors! This warm and satisfying soup is easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal.
All the heartiness of a baked potato comes together in this rich and fast-as-can-be Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup, topped with shredded cheddar, crispy bacon bits, green onion, and sour cream.
You’ll love how quick and easy this clam chowder recipe is and your family will love it as much as mine. It’s rich and creamy but oh so simple to make.
Classic potato chowder recipe with bacon, veggies & potatoes, made creamy with sour cream. This easy recipe can be made in the slow cooker or instant pot!
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the most satisfying. These vegetable-forward soups celebrate seasonal produce while providing warming nourishment without heavy cream or excessive calories.
Classic minestrone, alphabet soup for the kids, and filling vegetable soups all make appearances here. Many recipes are easily adaptable based on what’s in your kitchen, making them perfect for using up odds and ends.
The flavors develop beautifully when these soups sit overnight, making them excellent meal prep options.
46
Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup
Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Soup is easy to make and loaded with all your favorite vegetables. This delicious, hearty and healthy soup will be a hit with the whole family!
This easy Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup recipe combines fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta in a rich broth. Perfect for those busy days when cooking feels impossible but you still want something homemade and nourishing – just set it and forget it!
This veggie-packed, herby noodle dish is the classic minestrone soup you love with simple ingredients and flavors, perfect with some grated parmesan on top!
Healthy Cauliflower Sausage and Kale Soup is the low-carb version of Zuppa Toscana that uses cauliflower in place of the potatoes! This hearty vegetable soup recipe is the delicious but low-calorie meal you've been searching for!
This creamy Sausage Potato Soup combines Italian sausage, crispy bacon, tender potatoes, and fresh kale in a rich, comforting bowl. Perfect slow cooker recipe using chicken broth and heavy cream for the ultimate comfort food experience!
Packed with plant-based protein and fiber, bean and lentil soups are both nutritious and incredibly satisfying. These recipes prove that healthy eating doesn’t have to sacrifice flavor—each bowl is loaded with vegetables, herbs, and warming spices that create depth and richness.
From 15-bean soups perfect for serving with cornbread to quick lentil versions ready in 30 minutes, these options are ideal for Meatless Mondays or anyone looking to incorporate more wholesome ingredients into their cooking routine.
53
Italian White Bean Soup
White bean soup is made with simple ingredients that creates a satisfying, flavorful dish. This hearty soup embodies home-cooking at its finest, delivering both comfort and nourishment in every bowl.
Ham and Bean Soup Recipe (Stove Top, CrockPot, or InstantPot)
Thisham and bean soup recipe is the definition of cozy comfort food – thick, hearty, and packed with smoky flavor. Perfect for using up that leftover holiday ham or just warming up on a chilly evening.
Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach
Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach is a mouthful to say and a mouthful of flavor- mushrooms, beans, Italian sausage, and Spinach to liven up the dinner table and fill you up. Plus it is made in the slow cooker, so you don't have to worry about it all day.
Quick and easy Instant Pot Split Pea Soup made with just a few ingredients and done in about 40 minutes, start to finish. Hearty soup recipes are a must if you want to make it through the harsh winter!
This savory and rich sausage black bean and pumpkin soup is the perfect cool weather dinner that’ll fill you up with nourishing ingredients, like black beans, ground sausage, onion, chicken broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, and pumpkin puree.
For those times when you want something a little more elegant, these specialty soups deliver restaurant-quality results at home.
Butternut squash soup with a hint of curry, velvety tomato basil, and earthy mushroom cream varieties showcase how simple ingredients can create sophisticated dishes. These recipes often require just a few high-quality components and a blender to achieve their signature smooth texture.
They’re impressive enough for entertaining yet easy enough for a cozy dinner for two.
60
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
This creamy Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup is silky, cozy, and naturally dairy-free. The slow cooker softens the squash and apples, and the soup is finished with coconut milk and warm spices right at the end so the flavors stay bright. Such a lovely autumn soup!
Easy curried butternut squash soup made on the stove top with fresh butternut squash, coconut milk & spices. A warming soup recipe for perfect for winter!
This Instant Pot broccoli and cheese soup recipe takes only ONE minute to make. It's an easy Instant Pot soup that's thick, creamy and healthy. Enjoy this gluten free and vegetarian soup for any meal!
Carrot Soup will warm your heart and fill your belly. The carrots are perfectly seasoned, cooked, and pureed to ensure that you get plenty of flavor in each spoonful.
Cream of mushroom soup is a comforting and velvety concoction bursting with the earthy richness of mushrooms, making it a beloved classic in the world of soups.
Thick and creamy Stove Top Cheddar Broccoli Soup is what my dreams are made of. This is a highly requested recipe and there is no doubt why. Cheesy broccoli soup is the epitome of comfort food.
This carrot soup with ginger is full of hearty, warming flavors and is perfect to make on a cold day when you just want something easy and comforting for dinner!
Yes, most of these recipes adapt beautifully to pressure cooking. The instant pot significantly reduces cooking time while still developing rich, complex flavors. Just remember to use the sauté function for browning meat and vegetables first.
Why do my soups turn out watery?
This usually happens when too much liquid is added initially. Start with less broth than you think you need—you can always add more. Also, resist covering the pot completely if you want some liquid to evaporate and concentrate flavors.
Can I make vegetarian versions of these recipes?
Definitely! Replace meat with extra beans, lentils, or hearty vegetables. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef stock. Many recipes in this collection are already meatless or easily adaptable.
How long do homemade soups last in the refrigerator?
Most soups stay fresh for 3-4 days when stored in airtight containers. Cream-based soups are best consumed within 2-3 days. Always let soup cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Are these soup recipes freezer-friendly?
Most are! Avoid freezing soups with pasta, rice, or potatoes as they can become mushy. Cream-based soups may separate when thawed but can be whisked back together. Leave headspace in containers for expansion.
What’s the best way to reheat soup without losing flavor?
Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. This gentle method preserves texture better than microwaving. Add a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened during storage.
Best Tips for Cooking Winter Soups
Layer Your Flavors: Start by sautéing aromatics like onions, celery, and carrots before adding liquids for deeper taste.
Choose the Right Broth: Quality chicken or vegetable broth makes a noticeable difference in the final dish. I try to stay stocked up on homemade broth in the winter by using the Instant Pot to make the broth and then refrigerating or freezing it in quart jars.
Don’t Rush the Simmer: Low and slow cooking allows spices and ingredients to blend into the homemade taste you’re wanting. This was part of the reason our grandmothers got a pot of soup going early in the day and let it simmer on the back burner!
Season in Stages: Add salt and pepper throughout the cooking process, not just at the end. Other seasonings are good being added starting at halfway through the cooking time and then again near the end.
Make It Ahead: Most soups taste even better the next day as flavors continue developing. I like to make a big pot of soup on Sunday and sometimes have it for lunch or supper that day. Then it’s used as leftovers for lunches for a couple of days. Easy peasy!
Use Your Slow Cooker:Let your crockpot do the work while you’re out, coming home to ready-to-eat comfort food. Most soup recipes can be cooked on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3 so you can easily adjust recipes to fit your schedule.
Freeze for Later: Double the recipe and freeze portions for quick future meals. I almost always make a double batch when making soup since most can be at least refrigerated and reheated for a few days of warm meals.
Fresh Herbs at the Finish: Add delicate herbs like parsley or basil just before serving to preserve their bright flavor. Dried herbs can go in earlier.
Control the Thickness: Keep extra broth on hand to thin soups. If a soup needs thickening, simmer it uncovered to reduce and thicken and use an easy slurry for thickening at the end.
Top It Right: Garnishes like sour cream, shredded cheese, croutons, or a drizzle of cream elevate presentation and taste.
