Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes 60 Easy Christmas Soups Grandma (Almost!) Didn't Share By Emma Phelps Emma Phelps Emma Phelps is an Editorial Fellow who covers lifestyle, beauty, and food content for Southernliving.com. She also works on Southern Living's social media across all platforms from Facebook to TikTok. You'll find everything from her grandma's crisp linen secrets to products she can't live without under her byline. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 24, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos We all knew that Grandma could be a sneaky lady at times, but to withhold her best easy Christmas soup recipes? A true *clutches pearls* moment. These recipes cover every base from a reliable, slightly more formal Christmas Eve soup recipe to the easiest use-up-those-holiday-leftovers soup recipes. Looking for a Christmas tomato soup recipe? Try the Basil Tomato Soup or Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheddar Cheese. On the hunt for Christmas vegetarian soup recipes? It shouldn't be a surprise that Grandma had a few of those stashed in her recipe box, too, pulling out the flavors of veggies like asparagus, carrots, and squash. And of course, it only makes sense that she had plenty of Christmas ham soup recipes up her sleeve. No matter your soup preference, these recipes will leave you feeling toasty warm and perhaps a touch nostalgic this holiday season. What can we say–Mama (and Grandma!) always knows best when it comes to feeding a crowd and keeping even the hungriest family members happy. 01 of 60 Slow-Cooker Turkey and Dumplings Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Slow-Cooker Turkey and Dumplings Soup We've dubbed these "day-after dumplings" because they make use of delicious turkey leftovers. Say goodbye to the turkey sandwich and hello to your new favorite way to enjoy holiday leftovers. 02 of 60 Spicy Blue Hubbarb Squash Soup Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Spicy Blue Hubbarb Squash Soup Nothing goes to waste in this recipe. The whole squash—seeds and meat—get used in this spicy variation of squash soup. You can even substitute butternut squash if you can't find Blue Hubbarb squash, but we love the thought of widening our ingredient palate. 03 of 60 Slow-Cooker Cheddar Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Slow-Cooker Cheddar Soup This soup is liquid gold. There's no need to add broccoli because it's hearty enough to stand on its own, but pair it with a pretzel bowl for a delicious vessel that just makes sense paired with cheese. 04 of 60 Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Classic notes of torn chicken, carrots, celery, and warm chicken stock shine in this soup, kicked up a notch by a dash of paprika, heavy cream, and sherry vinegar. A steaming bowl of this creamy take on a staple will warm you down to your bones. 05 of 60 Cheesy Lasagna Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Cheesy Lasagna Soup We've taken everyone's favorite pasta dish and turned it into an even more comforting soup. The wavy-edged lasagna noodles add just the right amount of texture to the cheesy, beefy, tomato sauce broth. Don't skip that dollop of nutmeg-spiced ricotta that slowly melts into the soup for a creamy finish. 06 of 60 Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup Finally, no more babysitting your onions over the stove for 30 minutes. This slow cooker version is bursting with flavor and requires minimal attention. Serve with another French classic like a Croque Monsieur for warming comfort in every bite. 07 of 60 Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup Southern Living Recipe: Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup This soup sings with the flavors of coconut curry and the richness of a butternut squash soup. Adding a hint of apple cider vinegar brings the sweetness of the squash back to the forefront of the dish. 08 of 60 Instant Pot Creamy Root Vegetable Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Instant Pot Creamy Root Vegetable Soup This soup has quickly become a Test Kitchen favorite. All the vegetables—carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes—work together to create a wealth of flavor in soup that's versatile enough to be the main course or a starter. 09 of 60 Creamy Collard Green Soup with Bacony Croutons Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Creamy Collard Green Soup with Bacony Croutons Every Southerner knows that collards and bacon are a match made in heaven, but have you ever tried them in a soup? The heavy cream and hot sauce add richness and a touch of spice to a dish that's all-around earthy and good for the soul. 10 of 60 Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup An easy shortcut to your favorite soup? Sounds like a win to us. Rotisserie chicken makes classic, feel-good flavors possible in a pinch. 11 of 60 Creamy White Bean-and-Chard Soup Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Creamy White Bean-and-Chard Soup This soup is a fool-proof way to sneak in some vegetables without your kids even realizing. Chard has a milder flavor than spinach but is still full of nutritional value. 12 of 60 Acorn Squash Soup Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Victor Protasio, Prop Stylist Claire Spollen Recipe: Acorn Squash Soup You'll be roasting, simmering, and pureeing your way to your new favorite fall soup with this recipe. Our Test Kitchen professionals suggest topping this soup with crispy pancetta, fried scallions, toasted hazelnuts, hot sauce, or cinnamon for even more flavor. 13 of 60 Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Southern Living Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup So maybe Grandma's original recipe didn't include an Instant Pot, but we're in favor of shortcuts to make the chef of the household's mealtime prep just a little easier. We've revived a classic tortilla soup recipe with the convenience of hands-off cooking in a modern kitchen gadget. 14 of 60 Broccoli-Spinach Soup with Parmesan Croutons Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Broccoli-Spinach Soup with Parmesan Croutons Spinach and broccoli pair excellently in this colorful take on classic winter soup. The secret to keeping a vibrant green color in your soup is to cool down the vegetables with cold water right after blanching them. 15 of 60 Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup A warm heaping bowl of this citrus-pasta soup is just what the doctor ordered for cold winter nights. You can also use a rotisserie chicken in this soup to make the prep time even shorter. 16 of 60 Slow-Cooker Chipotle-Tomato Soup Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Chipotle-Tomato Soup Is there really anything better than tomato soup and a grilled cheese on a cold night? We know Southerners don't mind a little heat in their food, so we think chipotle makes a delicious addition to a classic tomato soup recipe. 17 of 60 Slow-Cooker Peas-and-Greens Soup with Turkey Sausage Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Slow-Cooker Peas-and-Greens Soup with Turkey Sausage Hearty and delicious, this soup is solid enough to withstand a few substitutions. Try out a different meat for your sausage or even a different variety of peas. Pro Tip: Add the tomatoes and kale at the very end to ensure the peas cook to a tender consistency and the kale doesn't over-wilt. 18 of 60 Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon One taste of this cauliflower soup and you'll never go back to using heavy cream again. Substituting a potato for the half-and-half gives this soup a velvety, smooth texture. 19 of 60 Cheeseburger Soup Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Recipe: Cheeseburger Soup This soup is ready in just 30 minutes and doesn't even require you to fire up the grill. Kids will love this fun take on their favorite fast-food meal, and you'll love how simple it is to whip up. 20 of 60 Instant Pot Black-eyed Pea Soup Photography: Alison Miksch, Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland, Food Styling: Melissa Gray Recipe: Instant Pot Black-eyed Pea Soup Start your New Year's luck early with a comforting bowl of black-eyed pea soup. Make sure to soak the peas overnight before combining them with all of the other smoky and savory ingredients. 21 of 60 Instant Pot Potato Soup Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Instant Pot Potato Soup Your guests will be astonished when they learn that this potato soup is ready in less than an hour thanks to your trusty Instant Pot. Using two types of potatoes ensures that this potato soup is overflowing with soothing flavors and textures. 22 of 60 Chicken Pot Pie Soup Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Melissa Gray Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Soup We've turned a classic Southern dish into an easy soup, but rest assured, the comforting nature of classic chicken pot pie remains intact. Fresh baked biscuits are essential when you're serving up this crust-less twist. 23 of 60 Instant Pot Vegetable Soup Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Melissa Gray Recipe: Instant Pot Vegetable Soup Sautéed onions, carrots, celery, and garlic combine in just 35 minutes to create a flavorful go-to soup that's welcoming to any other frozen veggies you have stocked up in the freezer. This soup recipe could also be called a One-Pot Vegetable Soup because your Instant Pot does all the work for you. 24 of 60 Broccoli-Cheddar Soup Southern Living Recipe: Broccoli-Cheddar Soup What more could you need in the categories of comforting and filling soup recipes? Grandma knows that a soup doesn't have to be complicated to be a winner. Broccoli and cheddar marry for a simply delicious soup ideal for chilly days. 25 of 60 Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup Southern Living Recipe: Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup This soup is brothy like a stew, making it perfect for those colder football game days. You could even set up a whole toppings bar with avocado, cheese, and tortilla chips. 26 of 60 Busy Day Soup Micah A. Leal Recipe: Busy Day Soup We took some creative liberties with this soup so there's practically no hands-on time required for making this delicious recipe. It comes together in just 25 minutes, but the satisfied bellies of all those at your supper table will never know it. 27 of 60 Charleston Oyster Soup Photography: Victor Protasio, Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck, Food Styling: Erin Merhar Recipe: Charleston Oyster Soup Shining a spotlight on fresh seafood, this Lowcountry soup makes for a great starter or can also be poured over rice. Ready in just 15 minutes, this soup will have you thinking you've stepped foot on South Carolina's coast. 28 of 60 Ground Beef Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero Recipe: Ground Beef Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi Full of meat, veggies, and pasta, this soup is all you could ask for in a meal. Plus, it's about as customizable as they come. Add more veggies if you want or throw in some store-bought gnocchi for even more flavor. 29 of 60 Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Jennifer Causey Recipe: Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Grandma didn't want to share this vegetable-forward recipe because, secretly, she thought it was better than some of her best hearty meat soup recipes. Let your slow cooker do the heavy lifting, and you'll have a protein-packed soup in time for supper. 30 of 60 Cheesy Potato Soup with Bacon Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christina Lane; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cheesy Potato Soup with Bacon This recipe checks all our soup-loving boxes: feeds a crowd, freezes well, and requires only a Dutch oven. That's not even mentioning the champion trio of potato, cheese, and bacon. Sounds like a winner dinner to us. 31 of 60 Split Pea Soup with Sausage Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Split Pea Soup with Sausage Conecuh sausage adds an Alabama twist and extra hickory-smoked kick to split pea soup. Substitute your favorite smoked sausage if Conecuh eludes you, and you'll have this hearty take on classic split pea soup in just under an hour. 32 of 60 Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Heavy cream and collards amp up classic chicken and rice soup into a heartier and more nutritious version of its already delicious self. There are plenty of shortcuts that you can take in this recipe to have it on the table in no time. 33 of 60 Easy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Easy Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Bacon Tender sweet potato chunks, smokey bacon, and roasted tomatoes renovate your run-of-the-mill lentil soup. Prepare this crowd-pleasing soup up to three days in advance. 34 of 60 Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheddar Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Roasted Tomato Soup with Cheddar Cheese While a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup is normally our go-to, this hybrid soup may be the exception. Thanks to the load of cheddar cheese that we pile on this classic tomato soup recipe, you might not even need a sandwich on the side. 35 of 60 Harvest Beef Soup Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Harvest Beef Soup Seasonal veggies and beef combine beautifully in this soup and freeze well for tempting leftovers. Edamame and kale are colorful additions to this hearty soup recipe, well-suited for wintertime. 36 of 60 Vegetable Beef Soup Recipe: Vegetable Beef Soup This soup recipe can make the most of that bag of vegetables hiding in your freezer. If you planned ahead last summer, you may even have frozen garden vegetables to showcase in this recipe. 37 of 60 Beef-and-Orzo Soup Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Beef-and-Orzo Soup This is the kind of stick-to-your-bones soup that grandma is always going on and on about. A piece of crusty bread is just the right companion to sop up beef broth with all the best veggies and pasta. 38 of 60 King Ranch Chicken Soup Alison Miksch Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Soup Add a little Tex-Mex to your menu with this chicken soup recipe. It's all your favorite flavors combined into one ready-in-35-minutes soup. 39 of 60 Italian-Style Turkey Meatball Soup Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Italian-Style Turkey Meatball Soup You may not be celebrating a wedding, but this Italian wedding soup is a sure cause for celebration any time. Using frozen meatballs cuts cooking time, too—another reason to celebrate. 40 of 60 Tortilla Turkey Soup Iain Bagwell Recipe: Tortilla Turkey Soup This is the ideal day-after-Christmas meal because it flips your holiday turkey leftovers to take on new life. Combined with Mexican-inspired flavors, you won't even realize that this soup has the same turkey as the one that sat on your dinner tables the day before. 41 of 60 Lemongrass-Turkey Soup Photo: Alison Miksch Recipe: Lemongrass-Turkey Soup This fragrant soup is just the sort of thing you'll crave after a decadent holiday feast. Add rice or noodles for a hearty boost to this light soup. 42 of 60 Chicken-and-Prosciutto Tortellini Soup Alison Miksch Recipe: Chicken-and-Prosciutto Tortellini Soup Easy and cheesy—that's the kind of post-holiday meal we're after. Any flavor tortellini will work well in this soup that's ready in just 20 minutes. 43 of 60 Hoppin' John Soup Photo: Johnny Autry; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Hoppin' John Soup There are many delicious ways to start your new year on the right foot, but this comforting soup is one of our favorites. Black-eyed peas and collards light up with smoky flavors in this winter soup fit for New Years good luck. 44 of 60 Smoky White Bean Soup Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Mary-Claire Britton; Recipe: Smoky White Bean Soup This soup is ready in less than half an hour and requires only one dish. And, it starts with bacon—our favorite foolproof ingredient. 45 of 60 Southern Wedding Soup Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Southern Wedding Soup Consider this a Southern version of the classic Italian-American soup. Make and freeze the meatballs ahead of time for easy weeknight dinner prep. 46 of 60 Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Pop all the ingredients for this soup into your slow cooker and let it do the work for you. Every bite will burst with smokey flavor that will make you want to lick your bowl clean. 47 of 60 White Bean, Fennel, and Italian Sausage Soup with Parmesan Toast Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: White Bean, Fennel, and Italian Sausage Soup with Parmesan Toast You might as well meal prep this soup because the whole family will be asking for second and third helpings. Don't forget the toast for sopping up all the chicken broth infused with meat, veggies, and herbs. 48 of 60 Pecan Soup Iain Bagwell Recipe: Pecan Soup You knew that the pecan is a winning dessert ingredient, but had you ever considered its potential as a savory soup? A Southern spin on chestnut soup, this nutty bisque combines pecans, potatoes, onions, and celery for a rich dinner topped with crème fraîche. 49 of 60 Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Mushrooms Recipe: Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Mushrooms The most hands-on prep that you'll do with this soup is making sure the wild rice cooks. After your rice is cooked, simply throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and enjoy the aromas before it's time to dig in. 50 of 60 Creamy Turnip Soup Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Turnip Soup Let your root vegetables stew in the slow cooker before combining them to delicious effect with garlic and herbs. Blend it all up and the result is a stunning seasonal soup served best with bacon garnish. 51 of 60 Sweet Potato Soup Greg DuPree Recipe: Sweet Potato Soup This is the kind of freezer-ready soup that we crave on cold winter nights. Make sure to toast extra pecans so you have additional toppings for your leftovers and even future salads. 52 of 60 Navy Bean and Ham Soup Photo: Hector M. Sanchez Recipe: Navy Bean and Ham Soup You should have known that almost half of Grandma's recipes could be made in a slow cooker. We're all about working smarter not harder in the kitchen, especially if the end result is this scrumptious soup cooked with a ham bone. 53 of 60 Gumbo-Style Turkey Soup Greg DuPree Recipe: Gumbo-Style Turkey Soup We've never met a gumbo that we didn't like, and this turkey version is no exception. Use this recipe to revive your leftover Thanksgiving turkey in a soup so delicious it will be slurped up in seconds. 54 of 60 Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup Some traditionalists may argue that we're a few months early on our celebratory corned beef and cabbage, but we think this is the ideal soup to warm you right to your bones on an especially cold night. It only takes one pot too, so tasty soup is possible without too big of a burden on the dish duty. 55 of 60 Capitol Hill Bean Soup Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Capitol Hill Bean Soup You know how Grandma is with her connections. This soup has been a popular dish in the Senate's restaurant since 1903. Easy to prepare on a low budget, it's clear how it has withstood the test of time. 56 of 60 White Bean and Sausage Soup with Pasta Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: White Bean and Sausage Soup with Pasta When there's a nip in the air, a steaming bowl of this savory soup is just what your whole family needs. In just 40 minutes, you'll have this hearty and healthy soup ready to ladle. 57 of 60 Basil Tomato Soup Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Basil Tomato Soup This recipe adds a few extra ingredients to take classic, creamy tomato soup to the next level. With just a few sprigs of basil and a handful of crowd-pleasing fried okra, your grilled cheese dinner will never be the same. 58 of 60 Baked Potato Soup Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Baked Potato Soup Flipping through Grandma's recipe box, we think this hearty recipe is worth a double-take. Creamy, savory, and with all the baked potato fixings like cheese and bacon, this soup is comfort in a cup. 59 of 60 Asparagus Soup Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Asparagus Soup Sipping this Asparagus Soup, you'll feel like you're indulging on something lavishly gourmet, but really it couldn't be easier to make. The key to this pretty green soup is fresh asparagus, best enjoyed when freshly harvested, but we also have some preservation tricks up our sleeve. 60 of 60 Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel Recipe: Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup This hearty weeknight soup is easy as 1, 2, and can be made in 3 different ways. Cook down your root veggies (opt for potato-beet or turnip-parsnip combos if you like!) and puree them up for supper that's simple, vibrant, and filling. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit