Delicious Soup Recipes to Kick Off Thanksgiving Dinner

Spicy Blue Hubbard Squash Soup
Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

When November rolls around, it's time to start the countdown to the day of thanks and feasting. When it comes to the feasting, Thanksgiving Day is a marathon, not a sprint—and we relish every second of every course. Our mountainous menu must cover all of the bases, from our favorite family dishes to the bountiful fall flavors. We like to give every course our full attention, and we know it's just as important to pick the perfect starter to kick off the Thanksgiving feast on the right note as it is to bake those pumpkin pies. These soups are sure to impress your guests and get the ball rolling on a Thanksgiving dinner that won't disappoint. You can pick a soup that highlights the tastes of fall from the get-go, or you can select a palette-pleasing soup that saves those fall flavors for the main event. We love serving our starter soups in festive shooters for a pretty presentation and perfectly sized portions, while garnishing with toasted pumpkin seeds and fall-hued creams always gives that Thanksgiving pizazz. We can't wait to let these delicious soups don our Thanksgiving table this year!

01 of 15

Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup

Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Recipe
Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup

We can't get enough of this favorite fall soup, so we're thinking it's a great bet to impress our guests at Thanksgiving. It's big on flavor, low on effort. Because all the ingredients sit in the slow cooker together, the potatoes soak up each element, especially the ham, so every bite is a full-flavored one.

02 of 15

Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet Potato Soup, potato soup, soup recipes
Greg DuPree

Recipes: Sweet Potato Soup

The oven-browned onions are the secret weapons in this fall favorite soup. With only six ingredients, you're definitely going to want to whip this up for an easy, delicious Thanksgiving starter.

03 of 15

Creamy White Bean-and-Chard Soup

Creamy White Bean-and-Chard Soup
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Creamy White Bean-and-Chard Soup

Add a pop of green to the Thanksgiving table with this soup. Full of Swiss-chard, this soup is the easiest way to sneak some veggies into the kids before pie.

04 of 15

Classic Oyster Stew

Classic Oyster Stew
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Classic Oyster Stew

Maybe your family usually does Oyster Dressing, but wants to try a new recipe this year without oysters—well, you can get your holiday oyster fix with this decadent seafood stew! To achieve the perfect texture of just-cooked oysters, poach them in the milk until their edges begin to curl, set aside, and return them to the stew just before serving.

05 of 15

Pecan Soup

Pecan Soup
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Pecan Soup

This velvety soup is like chestnut soup, but with a Southern flair. With the delicious (and crunchy) addition of toasted pecans, this starter soup gives the quintessential "fall in the South" taste we love.

06 of 15

Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup

Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup
Southern Living

Recipe: Coconut-Curry Butternut Squash Soup

All the rich flavors of a coconut curry melded with a velvety butternut squash soup. The secret to this comforting soup is a dash of apple cider vinegar at the end to balance the sweetness of the squash.

07 of 15

Spicy Blue Hubbard Squash Soup

Spicy Blue Hubbard Squash Soup
Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Recipe: Spicy Blue Hubbard Squash Soup

You might not be familiar with the Blue Hubbard Squash, but this very pretty blue heirloom gourd should become a part of your winter rotation. Semisweet and smooth in texture, it's the perfect gourd for soup.

08 of 15

Carrot Soup with Pea Pesto

Carrot Soup with Pea Pesto
Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe:Carrot Soup with Pea Pesto

Brighten up a classic winter soup like carrot with a touch of spring in the form of a pea pesto. While fresh peas may not available around Thanksgiving, frozen ones will do the trick.

09 of 15

Bryant Terry's Turnip Green Soup

Bryant Terry's Turnip Green Soup
Ed Anderson

Recipe: Bryant Terry's Turnip Green Soup

This vegan soup may lack cream, but is filled with satisfying flavor. Use young (or baby) turnips for this soup as they are tender, mild, and slightly sweet for a balanced dish that isn't bitter.

10 of 15

Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup

Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup
Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Prissy Lee Montiel

Recipe:Sweet Potato-Carrot Soup

Get creative with the garnishes on this versatile soup. Everything from a sprinkle of toasted pepitas to a swirl of Greek yogurt will take this soup from plain to stunning.

11 of 15

Instant Pot Creamy Root Vegetable Soup

Instant Pot Creamy Root Vegetable Soup
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Instant Pot Creamy Root Vegetable Soup

This hearty winter soup comes together entirely in an Instant Pot, freeing up precious stove-top space for Thanksgiving sides and making cleanup a breeze.

12 of 15

Acorn Squash Soup

Acorn Squash Soup
Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Victor Protasio, Prop Stylist Claire Spollen

Recipe: Acorn Squash Soup

Butternut squash may be a classic, but the beautiful golden-hue of this soup is bound to wow Thanksgiving guests. You can also take this soup up notch with playful garnishes like fried scallions or a sprinkle of cinnamon.

13 of 15

Creamy Collard Green Soup with Bacony Croutons

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

Bacon makes everything better, including soups. This soup starts with bacon fat, which is used to cook the onions and garlic, later the soup is finished with bacon-fat roasted croutons and bacon crumbles. You couldn't squeeze more bacon in this soup if you tried.

14 of 15

Creamy Turnip Soup

creamy turnip soup
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Creamy Turnip Soup

From top to tip, this soup uses every part of the turnip. The root is blended with potatoes for a creamy base, while the tops are sautéed for a pretty green garnish.

15 of 15

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon

Would you believe this creamy soup contains no cream? Instead, it uses a potato to create a full-bodied cauliflower soup with a velvety texture but less fat.

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