33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (2024)

Are you looking for some cheap and easy soup recipes? Look no further!

You’re going to want to pin these fantastic recipes for later!

Soupis probably my families all-time favorite meal. I love that soup is incredibly easy to make, extremely inexpensive, and that it’s so nourishing and comforting! I also love that I can always make it ahead in my crockpot, for busy days when we’re all running around right up until dinner time. And my family loves all the delicious variety!

There are so many different varieties that we eat soup on a regular basis in our home all through the fall and winter, and we never grow tired of it. I usually serve it with bread or rolls to round out our meal and to really satiate my teenage boys, who seem to be bottomless pits of hunger! Homemade rolls or bread add only a few pennies per serving.

You can save even more time and money by making an extra large pot of soup and sending leftovers in thermos jugs for lunches the next day. Or make a double batch and freeze half of it for a crazy day, so you won’t be tempted to pick up takeout on the way home from work.

Soups are so easy to alter to your taste, budget and make them allergy friendly. I eat gluten-free and sugar-free to keep my autoimmune illness (hashimotos) in check. I don’t have the energy or desire to make separate meals for my family and for myself, but that’s no problem when I’m serving soup. I can always just take out a portion for myself before adding pasta, or I can just substitute a gluten-free thickener. That’s the beauty of homemade soup!

When we were young college students living on less than $10k a year, I made soupseveral times a weekand I made all of that soup meatless because our grocery budget was less than $100 a month for our family of four. Cheap and easy soup recipes really saved our finances during that lean time!

Luckily, our budget is nowhere near that tight now, but I still cook from scratch and we still eat a lot of soup, because I understand the power of budgeting. The less I spend on groceries, the more I can divert to my travel budget!

It really is amazing how much money you can save by eating at home and cooking from scratch. Cheap and easy soup recipes are the very biggest budget and time savers.

Here’s a quick assignment for you. Multiply the number of people in your family times ten, which is about what a cheap restaurant meal costs (if you don’t order a beverage, appetizer or dessert). Mutliply that by 90, which is approximately how many meals you eat each month. That is a low estimate of what it would cost you to to eat all of your meals out for a whole month — it doesn’t include snacks or extras or tips or anything. Crazy, huh?

Now multiply the number of people in your family times 90. That’s how much your grocery budget could be if you stick to meals that are less than $1 per serving. Yes, it’s ten times less than eating out! And that’s a conservative estimate.

Honestly, I regularly feed my family of 10 for less than $500 per month, and you’d be amazed at how well we eat.

Over half of these cheap and easy soup recipes cost less than 50 cents per serving.That should give you an idea of how much (or little) you could be spending on groceries, and a goal to shoot for.

Read: 15 Meals You Can Make for Pennies

To help you reduce your own grocery expenses I’ve assembled this list of 33 cheap and easy soup recipes from other bloggers. They each cost less than $1 per serving. Feed your family one of these nourishing, inexpensive soups once or twice a week, and I promise it will really help reduce your grocery budget.

Minestrone Soup (Orison Orchards) less than 68 cents a serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (1)

Chicken Noodle Soup (Orison Orchards) less than 54 cents a serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (2)

Chili Con Carne (Orison Orchards) less than 60 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (3)

French Onion Soup(Good Dinner Mom) under 55 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (4)

Black Bean Soup(Real Food Real Deals) only 40 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (5)

Italian Wedding Soup(The Beach House Kitchen) around 60 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (6)

Smoky Red Lentil Stew(Real Food Real Deals) only 62 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (7)

Butternut Squash Soup (My Baking Addiction) under 40 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (8)

Loaded Potato Soup (The Wicked Noodle) about 95 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (9)

Taco Soup (I Heart Naptime) about 45 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (10)

Vegetable Barley Soup(Cookin Canuck) under 45 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (11)

Butternut Squash Chili(Real Food Real Deals) only 58 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (12)

Lasagna Soup(Dam Delicious) under $1 per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (13)

Chicken Wild Rice Soup (Pinch of Yum) less than 65 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (14)

Cauliflower Curry(Real Food Real Deals) only77 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (15)

Southwestern Chicken Soup(Real Food Real Deals) only 90 cents per serving33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (16)

Mexican Black Bean & Corn Soup (Forks Over Knives) under 50 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (17)

Broccoli and Pea Soup (Frugal Feeding) under 40 cents per serving
33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (18)

Corn Chowder(Real Food Real Deals) only 69 cents per serving
33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (19)

White Chicken Chili(Tablespoon) under $1 per serving33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (20)

Dumpling Soup(Real Food Real Deals) only 21 cents per serving!33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (21)

Carrot Soup(Real Food Real Deals) only 49 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (22)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup(Baked by Rachel) under 60 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (23)

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup (Orison Orchards) under 20 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (24)

Slow Cooker White Bean Soup(Budget Bytes) under 50 cents per serving33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (25)

Creamy Chicken Tortilla(Cookie Classy) under 70 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (26)

Greek Lentil Soup(Jeanette’s Healthy Living) just 70 cents per serving33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (27)

Chicken Parmesan Soup(Closet Cooking) under $1 per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (28)

Potato Leek Soup (Real Food Real Deals) just 59 cents per serving33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (29)

Turkey Chili Taco Soup(SkinnyTaste) under 70 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (30)

Chicken Cordon Blue Soup(Chef in Training) under $1 per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (31)

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup (Jo Cooks) around 85 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (32)

Basic Creamy Potato Soup (Cooking Classy) under 40 cents per serving

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (33)

Don’t forget to pin these recipes for later!

I hope you found several cheap and easy soup recipes you want to add to your meal rotation. I know I did! If you’re looking for ways to further reduce your grocery budget, check out my series of frugal recipes for less than $1 per serving:

15 Meals You Can Make for Pennies

9 Frugal Breakfast Ideas that will Make You Excited to Wake Up

Meals for Under $1 per Serving

7 Secrets for Cutting Your Grocery Budget in Half

What’s your favorite frugal healthy soup recipe? I’d love some more ideas to add to my regulars, so please share your suggestions (and links!) in the comments!

33 Cheap and Easy Soup Recipes | Orison Orchards (2024)

FAQs

What was Julia Child's favorite soup? ›

Soup was one of Julia Child's favorite things to eat, and reportedly, her absolute favorite was vichyssoise. Leek and potato soup, known as potage parmentier in French, is a classic base soup recipe. What sets vichyssoise apart is the addition of cream—and the fact that it is traditionally served chilled.

Is it cheaper to make or buy soup? ›

Making your own soup takes time, but it gives you complete control over the ingredients and how you prepare them. Homemade soup can also save you money compared to canned soup. Cook a large batch of soup, then freeze small portions for meals that you can heat quickly.

What can I add to soup to make it rich? ›

Adding umami-rich ingredients like tomato paste or a parmesan rind to the soup will add a deep, rich savoriness and body to the soup. (Here's what umami means.)

What is the secret to soup? ›

7 Tips for Successful Soup Making
  • Use a Sturdy Pot. It is worth investing in a heavy pot with a thick bottom to use for making soup. ...
  • Sauté the Aromatics. ...
  • Start with Good Broth. ...
  • Cut Vegetables to the Right Size. ...
  • Stagger the Addition of Vegetables. ...
  • Keep Liquid at a Simmer. ...
  • Season Just Before Serving.
Oct 9, 2022

What was the meal that changed Julia Child's life? ›

For their first meal in France, Paul ordered oysters, sole meunière and a green salad. Child devoured the meal, calling it “perfection.” Alex Prud'homme, Child's grandnephew and cowriter of her memoir, “My Life in France,” opened the book with this now famous scene.

What did Julia Child have for her last meal? ›

Child's last meal before she passed away was homemade French onion soup. Just two days before her 92nd birthday in 2004, Julia Child died of kidney failure at her assisted-living home in Montecito, California.

What is the healthiest canned soup to eat? ›

  • 18 Best Healthy Canned Soups (and 6 to Avoid), According to a Nutritionist. ...
  • Campbell's Well Yes! ...
  • Progresso Reduced Sodium Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. ...
  • Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle Soup. ...
  • Pacific Foods Organic Split Pea and Uncured Ham Soup. ...
  • Good & Gather Chicken Tortilla Soup. ...
  • Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Soup.
Dec 28, 2021

Can you eat soup every day? ›

What Experts Say. "The concept of eating soup to lose weight has spanned decades, but experts say an all-soup diet lacks nutrients and is not sustainable. They do agree it can be smart to eat vegetable-packed soups for some meals, though, as these are filling, nutrient-dense, and low in calories."

Are homemade soups healthy? ›

They're good for you.

While some soups can devastate a diet (cream-based varieties can be particularly high in fat and calories), most serve as a great vehicle to meet your daily quota for veggies.

What not to do when making soup? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
  1. Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
  2. Not using enough salt. ...
  3. Ignoring water. ...
  4. Overcooking the vegetables. ...
  5. Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
  6. Neglecting to garnish. ...
  7. Not trying a pressure cooker.
Nov 19, 2014

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What thickens homemade soup? ›

6 ways to thicken soup:
  • Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
  • Add cream or yogurt. ...
  • Add flour or cornflour. ...
  • Use a butter and flour paste. ...
  • Blend in bread. ...
  • Add lentils or rice.

What gives soup the best flavor? ›

Herbs and spices add aroma, flavor, and intensity to soup broth. "Use fresh or dried basil in tomato-based recipes or fresh parsley to add freshness to clear broth soups," says Sofia Norton, RD. You can also go with more heat and spices.

What gives soup depth of flavor? ›

Vinegar – A spoonful of vinegar is a quick fix when you find yourself with a bowl of dull, flat-tasting soup. Just a small amount of acid will brighten up the flavors. 2. Soy Sauce – Soy sauce is another item that's ideal for brightening up and adding depth of flavor to an otherwise dull soup.

How to make homemade soup more flavorful? ›

7 Easy Ways to Make Any Soup Better
  1. Brown or Sear the Meat.
  2. Roast the the Veggies.
  3. Mix up the Texture.
  4. Use Homemade Stock Whenever Possible.
  5. Put Your Cheese Rinds to Work.
  6. Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples.
  7. Add Fresh Herbs or Dairy When Serving.
  8. Recipes Pictured.

What is Julia Child's most famous dish? ›

Child's Boeuf Bourguignon recipe was featured in one of the earliest episodes of The French Chef and has become a classic among the many Child enthusiasts at GBH. In fact, GBH News host Henry Santoro concludes there's no better recipe for the dish.

What is Julia Child's favorite food? ›

Vichyssoise. Well-known as one of Julia Child's favorite dishes, this chilled leek and potato soup is startling in its simplicity. Aside from the leek, potato, and water, Child's version of the soup calls for barely any additional ingredients.

What was Julia Child's first meal? ›

Child repeatedly recalled her first meal at La Couronne in Rouen as a culinary revelation; once, she described the meal of oysters, sole meunière, and fine wine to The New York Times as "an opening up of the soul and spirit for me." In 1951, she graduated from the famous Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and later ...

What was Julia Child's favorite restaurant in Paris? ›

Chez Georges is known as one of Julia Child's favorite restaurants, and I certainly know why!

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