Soup is a highly versatile meal, making it great for any weather. It makes excellent use of leftovers as well as cheap storecupboard ingredients, such as beans and pulses. It’s a great budget meal as you can often make it in a large batch and freeze it to save cooking time.
How to make soup
There are many ways to make soup, from simmering your ingredients and leaving them in a broth to blitzing after cooking to a puréed consistency. Using a soup maker is a very energy-efficient way of cooking as it takes only 20-30 minutes to make a soup from scratch compared to using the hob and blending. Check out our review of the 10 best tried-and-tested soup makers.
There’s a soup perfect for any occasion, from hearty pumpkin soup bowls to warm you in the winter to cold soups perfect for cooling you down in the sweltering summer heat. Check out our delicious winter soup recipes and cold soup recipes for inspiration. Discover more budget-friendly recipes in our budget & everyday hub, such as budget healthy recipes, budget batch cooking recipes and 5 ingredient budget meal plan.
These are our user’s favourite recipes, tried-and-tested classics that hold a special comforting place in our hearts, from leek and potato soup to more interesting spiced flavours, such as butternut squash soup with chilli and crème fraîche.
Our ten best soup ideas
1. Leek & potato soup
Leek and potato soup is a classic winter soup that’s comforting and familiar. This simple, creamy soup can be prepared in only 20 minutes to make a batch for 6-8 people, making it a great weekday meal with little hassle. Freeze your leftovers and reheat them for a quick and easy dinner or lunch.
Discover more leek and potato recipes.
2. Butternut squash soup with chilli & crème fraîche
This autumnal vegetarian soup has a beautiful kick from the chillies that warms you to the tips of your toes. The use of crème fraîche brings a creaminess, and the sourness of fresh cream counteracts the sweetness of the squash perfectly. Garnish the soup with extra crème fraîche, and if you’re a fan of spice, the remaining chopped chilli.
Discover more butternut squash recipes.
3. Spiced carrot & lentil soup
This delicious, spicy soup is packed with iron while remaining low in fat. It’s a beautiful, budget-friendly recipe using cheap storecupboard ingredients such as spices, carrots and lentils. A great midweek meal, it can be on the table in under 30 minutes. However, if you want to maximise your energy-efficient cooking, you could make it in a slow cooker.
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Discover more slow cooker soup recipes.
4. Tomato soup
This warming vegan soup uses juicy, ripe tomatoes, which come into season around September. It takes around 2 hours from start to finish but can be frozen for up to three months. It’s a comforting recipe you can make and eat throughout the year.
Discover more tomato recipes.
5. Pumpkin soup
This beautifully silky pumpkin soup makes a wonderfully comforting supper. Still, it can also be elevated into a sophisticated dinner party starter using pumpkin seeds to garnish and a drizzle of olive oil and homemade croutons.
Discover more pumpkin recipes.
6. Lentil soup
This vegetarian soup made with red lentils, carrots, and leeks is pleasantly filling while remaining low in calories, fats and saturates. It’s great for feeding a crowd as it takes only 10 minutes to prepare, and the recipe can be easily doubled to serve eight people.
Discover more healthy lentil recipes.
7. French onion soup
This deliciously rich and easy-to-make soup is a winner for a casual evening in or for impressing guests at a dinner party. Use a glut of onions before they turn for the worst, and top this savoury soup with oozing gruyere. If you really want to show off your skills, serve with our homemade baguette.
Discover more French recipes.
8. Broccoli & stilton soup
This soup is another comforting meal that wouldn’t be out of place at a dinner party. The tangy and savoury stilton cuts through the creaminess of the broccoli perfectly to create a medley of flavours.
Discover more broccoli recipes.
9. Chicken noodle soup
Made from noodles and chicken sitting in an aromatic broth, this warming soup is perfect for cold winter evenings as it contains ginger which is especially good for colds.
Discover more chicken noodle soup recipes.
10. Mushroom soup
This mushroom soup made using cream, onions and garlic tastes like a bowl of earthy goodness. Top with a handful of parsley for a burst of freshness to cut through the creamy umami flavour.
Discover more mushroom recipes.
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