I am a lover of soup. Soup for lunch, soup for dinner, give me all the soup. I make it in July and will order a cup of soup over a salad or appetizer when eating out any day of the year. And although I indulge in soup year round, there is no better time than the chill of single digit temperatures and snow flurries to treat your family to a big steaming pot as well!
Soup is my winter go-to meal. It’s a one pot wonder, packed with protein, veggies, and a bit of carbs. I love being able to whip together a pot of soup big enough to feed our family for a few days and find that most soups are even better the next day. The best part of making and eating soup is there are so, so many different types to try and fall in love with. Below I’ve shared four of our favorite recipes to help you get your soup on with. Enjoy!
Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
READY IN: 1 hour SERVES: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium/large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 cups of chicken broth (I like to make my own using ‘Better Than Bouillon’
1 bay leaf
12 ounces homestyle noodles (from the freezer section, I use Reames)
1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon parsley
1⁄2 of a rotisserie-cooked chicken, broken into pieces/chunks
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepot, saute carrots, celery, and onion in the olive oil for 10 minutes over med-high heat, until slightly softened.
Add broth, garlic, and bay leaf, give it a stir, put the lid on the pot and crank up the heat to high until it starts boiling.
When boiling, remove lid and add in the noodles. Give it a good stir, reduce heat to low simmer and leave the lid off.
Simmer for 25 minutes.
In the meanwhile, remove the (pre-cooked) chicken meat from the bones and set aside.
After 25 minutes, add seasonings and chicken.
Stir and let it cook on low for 15 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Chicken & Gnocchi Soup (an Olive Garden inspiration)
READY IN: 40 minutes SERVES: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
3 medium/large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme – you can used dried, but reduce amount to 1 teaspoon
1 cup fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and chopped
1 16 ounce package potato gnocchi (in the pasta isle)
1 cup diced cooked chicken breast or diced rotisserie chicken
Salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, on medium high heat, add olive oil.
Add carrots, celery, and onion; sauté until tender, about ten minutes.
Add garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Slowly add the chicken broth and stir.
Add the thyme, spinach, and gnocchi. Simmer for about 10 minutes
Add cooked chicken and simmer on low for an additional 5 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
I like to sprinkle on a bit of Parmesan cheese immediately prior to serving as well.
*Disclaimer* This is a creamy soup when ordered from the inspired restaurant, however, I omit the cream (and calories!) and find I enjoy it all the same. If you would like this soup to be a bit creamier, swap out two cups of chicken broth for 2 cups of half and half.
Pasta e Fagioli Soup
READY IN: 50 minutes SERVES: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 pound mild Italian sausage (I’ve tried both and like either)
3 medium/large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1⁄2 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium chicken broth or beef broth
1/2 cup water, then more as desired
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup dry ditalini pasta
1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat, crumble in ground sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
Drain fat from sausage then transfer to a plate, set aside. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in same pot.
Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium-high heat until tender about 10 minutes, add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, water, canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and cooked sausage; then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 15 – 20 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare ditalani pasta according to directions on package, cooking to al dente.
Add cooked and drained pasta to soup along with great northern beans. Thin with a little more broth or water if desired.
Allow to cook 1 minute longer. Serve warm with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.
Mini Meatball & Orzo Soup
READY IN: 40 minutes SERVES: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef – I use 80/20
¼ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 Tbls Italian Seasoning
1 Tbls olive oil
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup onion
2 cloves of garlic
Soup:
1 Tbls olive oil
¼ cup onion, diced
½ cup carrot, chopped
2 Tsp Italian seasoning
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 cup orzo pasta
8 cups chicken stock
Toppers: grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, add beef, breadcrumbs, and egg. Mix with hands to combine. Add chopped onion and Italian seasoning mixture. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Roll meat mixture into tiny meatballs – about the size of large marble. Brown meatballs on all sides, placing on a plate after cooked. Repeat until all are cooked. Set meatballs aside.
Heat a soup pot over medium high heat and add olive oil. Add onion and carrots. Cook, about 10 minutes stirring frequently until onion becomes translucent.
Add Italian seasoning.
Slowly pour in chicken stock and meatballs. Add orzo. Allow to bubble for 10-12 minutes on medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
To serve, top with Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
Notes: This soup can get quite thick as leftovers, adding a few cups of beef stock upon reheating will thin it out to return it to its soupy consistency.
Feel free to add or remove ingredients that don’t jive for your family; with soup you almost can’t go wrong!
Please feel free to share your family favorite soup recipes – we are always looking to try something new!
Maybe pizza is more your family’s style?
Check out our guide to the best pizza around here!
