This is, hands-down, our favorite minestrone soup recipe. It’s packed with veggies, beans, and pasta, all swimming in the coziest tomato-Parmesan broth. We can’t get enough of it.

I love this soup so much. It’s perfect on day one, but somehow it gets even better as the days go by. The trick is to add a Parmigiano Reggiano rind to the broth as it simmers. It melts a bit, seasons the broth, and adds a light cheesy flavor.

Thanks to the beans, tomatoes, loads of veggies, and a handful of pasta, this soup is hearty enough to be a meal all on its own. If you want something even heartier, check out our minestrone soup with sausage or try one of our other veggie soups like this easy vegetable soup.

Key Ingredients

• Vegetables: The heart of any minestrone is a lot of veggies. You can play around with what you have on hand or what’s in season, but in our most made version, we use onion, carrots, celery, green beans, zucchini, and spinach.
• Canned Tomatoes: I’m all about fire-roasted canned tomatoes for this soup. They add a little extra flavor compared to regular tomatoes.
• White Beans: Use whatever white beans you love best. Canned or cooked both work. We usually go for cannellini, navy, or Great Northern beans. That said, kidney beans are popular in minestrone soup, so if you have a can of them, feel free to use them.
• Pasta: I love a handful of dried pasta added to this soup. Go for a smaller shape like ditalini or orzo, or use shells, which trap some of the vegetables inside.
• Stock: I used chicken broth in the photos, but vegetable broth is just as good. If you want to make your own, check out our chicken broth, chicken stock, and vegetable broth recipes.
• Garlic, Tomato Paste, Rosemary, and Parmesan: These are what make the broth so good. Use fresh garlic if you can. Tomato paste makes the broth richer, and a tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary makes it aromatic. If you have a Parmesan rind, drop it right into the pot and let it work its magic as the soup simmers. If you don’t have a rind, just stir in some grated Parmesan at the end.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Our Favorite Minestrone Soup

Tip 1: Sweat the vegetables. To remove the raw flavors of onions, carrots, and celery, briefly sauté them in olive oil. After a few minutes, that raw flavor will disappear, and they will smell sweet. We keep the other vegetables to the side for adding later since they do not need as long to become tender.

Tip 2: Build flavor with garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary. Just before pouring in your canned tomatoes, add the garlic, tomato paste, and rosemary. A minute or so of stirring them around the pot toasts the garlic and turns the tomato paste from a bright red to orange, which deepens its flavor.

Tip 3: Make the broth. Now, you can pile in the green beans, zucchini, canned tomatoes, beans, and broth. We drain and rinse our beans before adding them.

Tip 4: Add a Parmigiano Reggiano rind. This is my secret for the best minestrone soup. It works wonders. As the soup simmers, the cheese melts a bit and seasons the broth. Depending on how hard the rind you use is, it may not dissolve completely.

Tip 5: Add the pasta towards the end. So it doesn’t get too mushy, add your pasta when the soup has about 10 minutes left. The veggies only take about 20 minutes, so I usually simmer them for 10 minutes, then add my dried pasta and stir.

Tip 6: Turn off the heat, then stir in the spinach. I love finishing this soup with a generous amount of roughly chopped fresh spinach. It doesn’t take long to cook, so turn off the heat and stir in the spinach. Leave it for a minute or two, and it will be nicely wilted into the soup.

Serving Suggestions

I am perfectly happy to sit with a bowl of this soup and call it a day, but if you are looking for more, I’ve got a few suggestions for you. First off, a slice of homemade focaccia or sourdough with salted butter would be lovely. Then, for something light, try a salad on the side. Some of our favorites include panzanella salad, Caprese salad, arugula couscous salad, and lemon-herb zucchini salad.

More Vegetable Soups

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This minestrone soup recipe with sausage is always a happy sight at our dinner table. It’s packed with loads of veggies and made with a light, cozy tomato-Parmesan broth. It’s so good.

This minestrone is my love language. Made hearty with lots of vegetables, golden-brown sausage crumbles, and the simplest Parmesan-tomato broth (thanks to a Parmesan rind). It’s pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on my face.

This recipe makes a big pot of soup, which is perfect because minestrone gets better the next day. Make it today and enjoy it all week! If you’re looking for more soup ideas, check out our chicken and vegetable soup, Italian wedding soup, and classic minestrone.

Key Ingredients

• Vegetables: The heart of any minestrone is lots of veggies. You can play around with what you have on hand or what’s in season, but we love using fennel, onion, carrots, celery, potato, and zucchini (or yellow squash).
• Sausage: Some minestrone recipes use pancetta, but we love swapping in Italian sausage. It makes the soup extra hearty and adds so much flavor. I usually go for mild, but spicy sausage is great if you like a little heat. You can use bulk sausage or just remove the casings from fresh links.
• Canned Tomatoes: I’m all about fire-roasted canned tomatoes for this soup. They add a little extra flavor compared to regular tomatoes.
• White Beans: Use whatever white beans you love best. Canned or cooked both work. We usually go for cannellini, navy, or Great Northern beans.
• Stock: I used chicken stock in the photos, but vegetable broth is just as good. If you want to make your own, check out our chicken stock and vegetable broth recipes.
• Garlic, Italian Seasoning, and Parmesan: These are what make the broth so good. Use fresh garlic if you can. If you have a Parmesan rind, drop it right into the pot and let it work its magic as the soup simmers. If you don’t have a rind, just stir in some grated Parmesan at the end.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Minestrone Soup with Sausage

Tip 1: Brown the sausage. The first step for this soup is to cook the sausage in a bit of olive oil until it browns and renders its fat. We’ll remove the sausage once it’s browned and stir it into the soup later, but we will keep the rendered fat in the pot for cooking the vegetables.

See all the tiny browned bits? This step makes the sausage more enjoyable in the soup and adds lots of flavor to the vegetables and broth.

Tip 2: Sweat the vegetables. To remove the raw flavors of the onion and fennel, briefly cook them in the rendered sausage fat. After a few minutes, that raw flavor will disappear, and they will smell sweet.

Tip 3: Toast the garlic. Just before pouring in your canned tomatoes, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, potatoes, and zucchini to the pot. A minute or so of stirring them around the pot toasts the garlic and brings out the flavor of the seasoning. We add the potatoes and zucchini at this point because they will have plenty of time to cook once you add the broth.

Tip 4: Simmer until the veggies are tender. This soup does not have a long cooking time. Once you add the broth, simmer for about 20 minutes, which should be enough time for the potatoes and zucchini to become tender.

After pouring in the stock, add a Parmesan rind. As it simmers, it perfumes the broth with a light Parmesan flavor. It’s lovely and one of the best secrets for incredible minestrone soup!

Serving Suggestions

I am perfectly happy to sit with a bowl of this soup and call it a day, but if you are looking for more, I’ve got a few suggestions for you. First off, a slice of sourdough with butter or some garlic bread would be lovely. Then, for something light, try a salad on the side. Fresh Caprese salad is perfect, as is a Caesar salad. And, if you have extra fennel in the fridge, we also love this shaved fennel salad with parmesan!

More of My Favorite Soup Recipes

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This cabbage soup recipe is easy to make and loaded with vegetables, a heaping pile of cabbage, and the perfect blend of spices. I love it so much that I genuinely crave it.

Whenever we want a little reset or a meal that just makes us feel good, this easy cabbage soup is where we turn. It’s packed to the brim with vegetables, quick to make, and tastes incredible.

This recipe is a riff on our popular vegetable soup, but with even more cabbage and a slightly richer broth. It’s genuinely delicious, whether you’re looking for a healthy soup recipe or not.

Key Ingredients

• Vegetables: This cabbage soup uses a lot of veggies, but feel free to use what you have on hand. I love onions, carrots, potatoes, and of course, cabbage. You can also customize it with your favorite seasonal vegetables. In summer, add fresh zucchini or corn. In winter, try heartier root vegetables like parsnips or turnips.
• Tomato Paste and Tomatoes: These build a rich, flavorful base for the broth. Tomato paste adds a serious amount of flavor, and if you can find them, canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes bring a subtle smoky flavor to the soup.
• Garlic, Italian Seasoning, and Bay Leaf: These all perfume the soup beautifully. I love fresh garlic and switch between Italian seasoning and Herbs de Provence for this recipe, and both work well.
• Broth: Use whatever broth you enjoy most. Our homemade vegetable broth is wonderful here and keeps the soup vegan or vegetarian. Chicken broth or chicken stock works nicely, too. You can even use bone broth for extra protein.
• Parsley and Parmesan (optional): These are my favorite finishing touches. The chopped parsley adds a fresh pop of color and flavor, and a generous grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top is always delicious. Another option is a spoonful of basil pesto!

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Cabbage Soup

Tip 1: Cook the onions and carrots. We want a solid base for this soup, so give the onions and carrots a head start in the soup pot with a bit of olive oil. When the onions are translucent and smell sweet, you can move on to the aromatics. It takes around 6 minutes.

Tip 2: Toast the aromatics. So that our garlic and tomato paste don’t taste raw in the soup, you want to give them some time in the pot with the olive oil. You’ll know they are ready when they are fragrant and the tomato paste turns more of an orange color than bright red.

Tip 3: Make the soup. Now the onions are sweet and the aromatics are toasted, you can pile in everything else: the canned tomatoes, broth, potatoes, and cabbage. It’s going to look like way too much cabbage at first, but it cooks down. Trust me. After 20 minutes of simmering, your delicious homemade cabbage soup will be ready.

Recipe Variations

One of my favorite things about cabbage soup is that its so flexible, which means you can really feel free to make it your own. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Change up the vegetables: Use what you have on hand. Swap the potatoes for sweet potatoes, add zucchini in the summer, or try parsnips, turnips, or celery root in the winter. You can also add a handful of chopped kale or spinach during the last few minutes of cooking.
• Add beans: For extra protein and fiber, stir in a can of drained beans. White beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans all work beautifully. Lentils are lovely, too!
• Add protein: Stir in cooked shredded chicken, cooked Italian sausage, browned ground turkey, or diced ham (like in this ham and cabbage soup).
• Make it spicy: Add red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne, or add a chopped fresh jalapeño to the garlic and tomato paste in the beginning. A drizzle of hot sauce at the end is excellent, too.
• Swap the cabbage: Green cabbage works best, but you can use Napa cabbage or Savoy cabbage. Red cabbage works in a pinch, but keep in mind it will change the soup’s color.
• Add grains or pasta: Add dried quinoa to the pot with the cabbage. Or, add small pasta shapes (like ditalini) about 5 minutes before it’s done simmering.

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Our homemade sauerkraut soup recipe, made with kielbasa and bacon, is smoky, tangy, and incredibly comforting.

There’s almost always a batch of homemade sauerkraut in our fridge, which is how we stumbled into this soup recipe. And now, our family genuinely can’t stop making it.

It’s cozy, really delicious, and hard to resist going back for seconds. The sauerkraut adds just the right amount of sourness, perfectly balancing the richness of the bacon and sausage.

Key Ingredients

• Sauerkraut: The star of our soup. I love fermented sauerkraut, which you can buy or make yourself (here’s our sauerkraut recipe). Another option is to make our fresh sauerkraut, which tastes incredible, but skips the fermenting time, meaning you can make and enjoy it on the same day. When buying sauerkraut from the grocery store, look for more traditional options with classic spices like caraway.
• Bacon and Sausage: For the bacon, I use thick-cut slices and cut them into lardons (small strips). For the sausage, kielbasa is my favorite, but any smoked sausage will work.
• Onion, Carrot, and Garlic: Roughly chop the onion and carrot, then slice the garlic. No need for perfection here, this is a rustic soup after all.
• Thyme and Paprika: The fresh thyme adds a lot of flavor, but you can substitute it with dried thyme. For the paprika, use sweet paprika to avoid introducing extra smokiness or heat.
• Stock: I use chicken stock or chicken broth, but vegetable broth would work just fine here.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

My Tips for Making Sauerkraut Soup

Tip 1: Render the bacon and sausage. Flavor builds step by step in this soup. Start by cooking the bacon and sausage until browned and their fat has rendered. Transfer the meat to a plate, but leave the flavorful fat in the pot. This is what you’ll use to sauté the veggies.

Tip 2: Keep things hearty. This is a rustic, filling soup, so there’s no need to finely dice or mince the ingredients. Chop the onion and carrot into bite-sized pieces that can stand up to the sausage slices.

Tip 3: You only need a quick simmer. My favorite part of this sauerkraut soup is the carrots! They turn out so sweet against the sourness of the broth. When simmering, look for the carrots to become tender, and when they do, you can serve. It only simmers for about 15 minutes.

More Rustic Soup Recipes

Sauerkraut Soup

• PREP
  15 mins
  
• COOK
  20 mins
  
• TOTAL
  35 mins
  

This sauerkraut soup recipe turns out a little smoky, tangy, and sour thanks to the sauerkraut. I love using homemade sauerkraut, but store-bought works really well (just choose one that’s been made with classic flavors like caraway seeds). It’s lovely served by itself, with potatoes, or crusty bread.

5 Servings

You Will Need

4 ounces bacon, thinly sliced (113g)

12 ounces kielbasa, sliced ¼-inch thick (340g)

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

5 fresh thyme sprigs

6 cups chicken stock (1.4L)

2 ½ cups drained sauerkraut (450g)

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, optional

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1Cook the bacon: Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat renders and the bacon is browned and almost crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.

2Brown the sausage: Add the kielbasa and cook until lightly browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside with the bacon.

3Cook the vegetables: Add the onion, carrot, garlic, paprika, and thyme to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens slightly, about 3 minutes.

4Simmer the soup: Pour in the chicken stock, then add the sauerkraut. Stir and taste for seasoning, then add salt and pepper as needed. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

5Finish and serve: Stir the bacon and kielbasa back into the soup, discard the thyme sprigs, and season to taste. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

• Serving: I love this as-is, but it would be lovely with a spoonful of sour cream and fresh herbs (like fresh dill or parsley) sprinkled over the top.
• Storing: Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over medium-low heat on the stove or use the microwave.
• Measuring your sauerkraut: It doesn’t need to be completely dry; some brine is fine. I like to use a spoon and pull the cabbage out to measure it.
• Thyme: I like to tie my thyme with a little twine to make it easy to remove later on. For dried thyme, use ½ teaspoon.
• The nutrition facts provided are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 of 5 servings (about 1.5 cups)
/
Calories
330
/
Total Fat
22.8g
/
Saturated Fat
7.8g
/
Cholesterol
62.4mg
/
Sodium
1538.3mg
/
Carbohydrate
14.9g
/
Dietary Fiber
3.3g
/
Total Sugars
4g
/
Protein
18.8g

AUTHOR:

Joanne Gallagher

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Warm up with these cozy soup recipes, from creamy chicken noodle to butternut squash. These are easy, comforting, and perfect for chilly days.

There’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup on a chilly day. From creamy chicken noodle and classic French onion to hearty white bean, broccoli cheddar, and black bean, each recipe is perfect for making your autumn evenings feel a little more cozy.

These are some of our best fall soup recipes that are perfect for cozy nights, busy weeknights, and lazy weekends. They are comforting, easy to make, and full of flavor, so you’ll come back to them again and again.

Find all 10 recipes below. For more, see all of our soup recipes or join our free newsletter and get our best seasonal recipes delivered straight to your inbox. Happy cooking!

Our Favorite Soup Recipes

Best French Onion Soup We’ve Made

Perfect for chilly evenings, French onion soup is easier than you might think to make at home. Trust me. All you need are a few tips and a surprisingly short list of ingredients.

Easy White Bean Soup

I created this white bean soup on a chilly evening when I craved something comforting and nutritious but I was in a time crunch. Now it’s become one of our favorites!

Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I love broccoli cheddar soup so much, especially this one, which skips the flour and butter base common in many other recipes. Instead of extra butter and flour, we use a potato to thicken our soup and make it creamy.

Lemon Turmeric Lentil Soup

I make this lentil soup recipe all year round, but it’s especially good when it’s chilly outside. I love the combination of spices and lemon in this simple soup. It’s so comforting and honestly makes me feel so good!

Perfect Black Bean Soup

My family loves this easy black bean soup recipe so much. I love how quickly it comes together and that it’s designed for canned or previously cooked black beans (hello, quick weekday dinner!).

Easy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

For this easy cauliflower soup, we roast a whole head of cauliflower until golden brown and blend with onion, parmesan cheese, and broth until silky smooth. We have so many cauliflower recipes on Inspired Taste, and honestly, I love them all, but this soup is the one I go to when I need a little comfort.

Easy Butternut Squash Soup

You do not need any cream or butter to make this creamy butternut squash soup! Everyone, even the meat-eaters at the table, will love it, especially when topped with our delicious crispy spiced chickpeas!

Easy Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

I usually make a double batch of this homemade creamy chicken noodle soup because it’s that good! Along with our classic chicken noodle soup, this is probably my most-made soup during the colder months.

Easy Italian Wedding Soup

The meatballs are perfectly tender and juicy on the inside, and the broth is incredibly flavorful. Making this soup is simpler than you’d think and absolutely worth the effort for one of the tastiest bowls of soup I’ve had in a while!

Easy Split Pea Soup

I love hearty soups, and this split pea soup definitely hits the mark! The ham adds a lovely smoky flavor, but if you’d prefer to make this without it, you can (and it will still be delightful).

Want more cozy recipes? Join our free newsletter and get our best seasonal recipes delivered straight to your inbox. Click here to join. Happy cooking!

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This chicken vegetable soup recipe checks all the boxes. Thanks to lots of veggies, this soup is hearty, healthy, and perfect for a cozy night in.

You’ll love how this chicken and vegetable soup is loaded with tender chicken, five different veggies, and just the right amount of pasta to make it really satisfying. I’ve made it so many times, I’ve lost count.

It’s similar to our chicken noodle soup, but with even more vegetables and a few slices of lemon added to brighten the flavor. I can’t wait for you to try it!

Key Ingredients

• Chicken: Use leftover or rotisserie chicken, or cook chicken specifically for this soup. I’ve included instructions for easy roasted chicken thighs in the recipe, which I love chopping up and stirring in.
• Vegetables: I use five veggies in this chicken soup. You’ll find onion, carrots, fennel, zucchini, and kale. Feel free to add more if you have them on hand.
• Herbs and Spices: Garlic, thyme (or rosemary), a bay leaf, and a touch of ground turmeric add flavor and a beautiful golden color to the broth.
• Broth: Use your favorite store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. Bone broth is another great option and adds extra protein. For homemade options, try our chicken broth, bone broth, or vegetable broth recipes.
• Pasta: I love a small amount of pasta. It’s optional, but adding just under a cup of dry pasta to the pot makes the soup hearty and dinner-worthy. Potatoes would do the same!
• Lemon: Just before serving, slide in a few lemon slices. It brightens everything up. I use this trick in our lentil soup and ham and cabbage soup as well.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Chicken Vegetable Soup

Tip 1: Start with flavorful chicken. If you don’t already have leftover cooked chicken, bake a few chicken thighs with herbs in the oven. Roast them at 400°F until cooked through. This method keeps the chicken juicy and adds a lot of flavor. You can even pour a little of the roasting juices into the soup for extra richness.

Tip 2: Cook the hearty veggies first. This soup comes together in two stages. Start by cooking the onion, carrot, and fennel until they’re soft and smell sweet. Then add the garlic, herbs, and broth, and let everything simmer for about 20 minutes.

Tip 3: Add the delicate veggies with the pasta. Zucchini and kale cook quickly, so add them near the end along with the pasta, which only needs about 10 minutes to cook. This is also the perfect time to stir in your chicken and any pan juices, adding a lot of flavor.

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This light and savory turkey meatball soup recipe is made with tender mini meatballs, orzo, and fresh kale. It’s simple, nourishing, and just delicious.

I’m always in the mood for soup. They are comforting, usually one-pot recipes, and since we’re big on hearty soups, they are always satisfying. This turkey meatball soup hits all the right notes, and I am so happy we’ve added it to our ever-growing list of easy soup recipes.

Thanks to the protein-packed meatballs and orzo, this soup stands entirely on its own, no sides needed. It’s also great for making ahead of time. Just keep in mind that the orzo will continue to absorb the broth as it sits. If you’re reheating it the next day, simply add a splash of extra broth to bring it back to that brothy soup consistency (or don’t, it’s still delicious!).

Key Ingredients

• Ground Turkey: For the best results, use ground dark meat or ground turkey that’s at least 7% fat. Any leaner and the meatballs will be dry and crumbly rather than juicy. Ground chicken or ground pork are great substitutes. In fact, I use a combination of chicken and pork in our popular Italian wedding soup recipe.
• Spices: You’ll mix a little salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and pepper flakes (I love gochugaru, but crushed red pepper flakes are fine) into the turkey to make the meatballs. Then, the soup has ground fennel and bay leaves. Both make our broth seriously tasty.
• Onions, Carrots, and Garlic: We wanted this to be a weeknight-friendly soup, which means prep needs to be minimal. So, we keep the base simple with onion (yellow or sweet onion are great), carrots, and garlic.
• Stock: Use a flavorful chicken or turkey stock. Store-bought is fine, just use something you enjoy. Bone broth is also great and will bump up the protein. For homemade, here’s our chicken stock recipe and here’s our bone broth recipe.
• Orzo: Any small pasta shape will work, but our family loves orzo in soup. The starch in the pasta helps thicken the soup’s broth a bit, giving it a creamier texture without any added dairy.
• Kale: We stir an entire bunch of kale into the broth right at the end. If kale is too hearty for you, spinach or cabbage are excellent alternatives.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Turkey Meatball Soup

Tip 1: Make the meatballs. This recipe uses mini meatballs made with seasoned ground turkey, which we pinch off and roll into little balls. These aren’t like our classic meatballs or Italian meatballs, which have breadcrumbs and egg, but are simpler and turn out with an almost bouncy texture in the soup.

To make them, mix the ground turkey with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and a bit of pepper flakes. Then pinch off little bits of the meat (around 1/2 tablespoon’s worth), and roll into little balls.

Tip 2: Brown the meatballs. To build flavor into the base of our soup and add a little color to our meatballs, you’ll brown them in olive oil before making the broth. You aren’t looking to cook them all the way through (that will happen later as the meatballs simmer in the soup). If you have a wide soup pot, you may fit them all in one go; otherwise, consider browning in batches (they take 5 to 7 minutes to brown).

Tip 3: Build the soup base. After browning, you’ll move the meatballs to a plate and set them aside. The pot will be left with some oil and browned, stuck bits at the bottom. This is where a lot of flavor lives, so toss in your onions, carrots, garlic, fennel, and bay leaves, then cook them until they begin to soften. The moisture from the onions will release, helping you scrape up the stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.

Tip 4: Simmer, but not for long. When the onions and carrots are beginning to turn tender, pour in the stock and add the meatballs back. The broth will taste a bit lackluster at this point, but after simmering the meatballs and adding the orzo later, it will transform into a lovely, savory broth. You’ll simmer for about 10 minutes.

Tip 5: Add the pasta and cook just until tender. In goes the orzo. You’ll continue to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes (or until the orzo is tender). As it cooks in the soup, it releases flavor and some starch, which thickens the broth nicely, giving it a more luxurious mouthfeel.

Tip 6: Finish with lots of kale. Once your orzo is tender, stir in lots of greens (that’s kale in our photos). Then, let the soup simmer a few more minutes so it wilts down and becomes tender. Don’t simmer too long, though, you want that bright green color!

Serving Suggestions

This soup is fabulous right out of the pot, but if you want to make it even more delicious, consider grating some Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese over the top. It’s also lovely with a pop of lemon (I just squeeze a lemon wedge over my bowl).

More Favorite Soup Recipes

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This black bean soup recipe has quickly become a family favorite! It’s easy, incredibly flavorful, and vegetarian when you use veggie broth.

My family loves this easy black bean soup recipe so much. We make it often! I love how quickly it comes together and that it’s designed for canned or previously cooked black beans (hello, quick dinner!).

You can make this soup as spicy as you like. I add canned chipotles in adobo, which adds some spice, but you can add even more for a spicy black bean soup. For more bean soups, try our white bean soup, easy vegetarian chili with quinoa and black beans, or this hearty split pea soup.

Key Ingredients

• Black Beans: You can use canned black beans or home-cooked black beans (here’s how to cook dried black beans).
• Aromatics: I love making this soup hearty, so I combine onion, carrot, and garlic for the base. Then, I add more flavor with a bay leaf, cilantro, vinegar, oregano, and cumin. This soup is so flavorful!!
• Chipotle Chiles in Adobo: Whenever I see them in the store, I add a can of chipotles in adobo sauce to my cart. Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeños that taste smoky and quite spicy. Adobo sauce is a spicy, red sauce that packs a major punch of flavor. For this soup, I add one pepper, which I mince, along with a little sauce. This amount adds enough spice to the soup so that you notice it. For an extra spicy black bean soup, add more. You will have some leftover, which you can save for another recipe (it freezes well). I also use chipotles in adobo sauce to make my chipotle bean chili.
• Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are perfect for this soup, but chopped fresh tomatoes are great, too. If you go the canned route, look for fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
• Broth: I use veggie broth, but chicken broth or chicken stock are fine. Use what you love!

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Black Bean Soup

Tip 1: Use one pot. Making black bean soup is simple (it all happens in one pot)! To make it, you’ll cook onions and carrots in olive oil until soft and sweet. Then stir in garlic, ground cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, and chipotle chiles for more flavor. Pour in your broth, tomatoes, and a bay leaf. Then, stir in the black beans and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.

Tip 2: Season with salt and acid. Before serving, I like to taste the soup and season it with salt and a little extra acid from vinegar or lime juice. I love lime juice for this (it really makes the flavors of the soup pop).

Tip 3: Creamy or brothy. We often enjoy this as a brothy soup (like in our photos), but you can also turn this into a creamy black bean soup by blending. For a thickened soup that’s somewhere in between, blend a portion and add it back (like I do for this white chicken chili).

Serving Suggestions

I usually add a few slices of avocado to the top of this soup, but there are many options. Try our favorite guacamole, crushed tortilla chips, or a spoonful of sour cream. I also love extra lime juice and cilantro!

Beyond that, you can add something to the side. Consider a batch of homemade corn tortillas (they are so good) or a side of this avocado salad.

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Our broccoli cheddar soup recipe is extra cheesy, packed with broccoli, and incredibly creamy!

I love broccoli cheddar soup so much, especially this one, which skips the flour and butter base common in many other recipes. Instead of extra butter and flour, we use a potato to thicken our soup and make it creamy.

Even with these smart changes, our soup is creamy, rich, and incredibly delicious! For a similar soup, take a look at our cauliflower soup made with parmesan cheese.

Key Ingredients

• Broccoli: I love using broccoli with the stems for this recipe. The stems (or stalks) taste fantastic and blend well with the potato to make this super creamy broccoli soup.
• Butter or Olive Oil: I love cooking my onion and garlic in butter, but olive oil is excellent for this soup.
• Onion and Garlic: I’m pretty generous with the onion and garlic. I love one large sweet or yellow onion with four cloves of garlic. You’ll cook them until soft and sweet so they taste mild in the soup.
• Potato: One potato makes this soup super creamy without needing the traditional flour and butter roux.
• Spices: Salt and pepper are a must, but you will also need a pinch of red pepper flakes (or gochugaru), Dijon mustard, and a bay leaf. These round out the flavor of our soup.
• Broth: I use something light, like our homemade veggie broth or chicken broth. You can even use chicken bone broth to add a bit of extra protein. I have also made this plenty of times with plain water. It works great and allows the broccoli flavor to shine!
• Cheese: I stir in about 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese for the perfect cheesy flavor. Other cheeses work, too, but I do love the combo of broccoli and cheddar (see my cheddar roasted broccoli and this broccoli cheddar quiche for proof).

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Tip 1: Use the broccoli stalks. In this broccoli soup, you’ll use both the stalks and the florets of the broccoli. You’ll cook onions and whole garlic cloves in butter or olive oil until soft and sweet. Then, stir in the diced potatoes and broccoli stalks. Add your broth and simmer. The potato and broccoli stalks become the base of this creamy soup.

Tip 2: Save some florets for the end. When the potato and stalks are tender, you’ll add half of the broccoli florets. Then, when they are tender, blend them into the soup so everything is super creamy and thick. As a last step, add the remaining broccoli florets and cook until they are bright green and tender. This way, the base of the soup is green and creamy, and you still get a few small bites of broccoli.

Tip 3: Add cheese and cream. Stir in lots of grated sharp cheddar cheese and, if you want it extra creamy and luxurious, a bit of cream. This is a good one!

More Creamy Soups

More Broccoli Recipes

If you have some broccoli leftover, I highly recommend making our easy sautéed broccoli, broccoli salad with bacon, or this incredible broccoli slaw.

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My easy butternut squash soup recipe is unbelievably creamy, satisfying, and flavorful. Our recipe is also naturally vegan!

You do not need any cream or butter to make this creamy butternut squash soup! Everyone, even the meat-eaters at the table, will love it, especially when topped with our delicious crispy spiced chickpeas!

We’ve already shared our easy roasted butternut squash soup, but this recipe adds even more flavor with extra veggies, coconut oil, and crispy chickpeas (optional, but really tasty). The key to the best flavor is roasting. By roasting our butternut squash, we develop lots of flavor and caramelize the sugars, much like roasting cauliflower for roasted cauliflower soup or roasting tomatoes for my favorite roasted tomato soup!

Key Ingredients

• Butternut Squash: I typically use a medium butternut squash, but feel free to swap in other winter squash like honeynut, kabocha, or red kuri squash, or even a small sugar pumpkin like I use when making homemade pumpkin puree.
• Veggies: Leeks, carrots, and garlic complement the squash beautifully. They cook down and add a touch of sweetness.
• Spices: Cumin and smoked paprika add a smoky flavor. A pinch of cayenne adds a little kick (optional but delicious!).
• Broth: I use vegetable broth to keep my butternut squash soup vegetarian, but chicken broth works great if that’s not a concern.
• Coconut Oil: I love stirring in a small amount at the end to add a subtle coconut flavor. If coconut is not your thing, use butter or olive oil instead.
• Crispy Spiced Chickpeas: These are optional but add a nice crunch, extra flavor, and a bit of protein. You can buy them ready-made or roast your own (it’s simple!). The recipe below includes instructions for making them.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Butternut Squash Soup

Tip 1: Roast your butternut squash. This soup is one of my favorite fall soup recipes. Start by roasting your butternut squash. I like to cut it in half and tuck a sprig of fresh rosemary underneath each piece before roasting (just like I do when roasting spaghetti squash).

Tip 2: Build flavors. While the squash roasts the oven, sauté your veggies (leeks, carrots, and garlic) in a bit of oil until they’re soft and sweet. Add cumin and smoked paprika for warmth and smokiness, along with your broth. Then, when the squash is out of the oven, you can scoop out the flesh and add it to the pot, and finally, blend until smooth. An immersion blender is the easiest way to do this right in the pot, which is what I’ve done in the video.

Tip 3: Finish with coconut oil and crunch. Just before serving, stir in a little coconut oil for a light coconut flavor. If you’re not a coconut fan, feel free to omit it or use olive oil or butter instead. I also love topping the soup with a handful of spiced chickpeas for extra crunch and flavor. You can buy them pre-made or roast your own (it’s easy!). Check out the recipe below for instructions.

More Squash Recipes

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