24 Holiday Soups to Start Your Feast in Delicious Style (2024)

From elegant soups for your grand holiday feast, to cozy soups for Christmas Eve, our festive soup recipes will have you covered all season long! Find hearty choices, like tortellini soup, beef-barley stew, and chili, along with stylish options, like butternut squash soup, pumpkin soup, and a luscious creamy Brie soup. You'll also find some great ham soup and turkey soup ideas that will help you serve up those holiday leftovers in all new ways.

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New Potato-Chicken Soup

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Don't sweat all day over your holiday soup. Bust out your slow cooker and get simmering! For this creamy potato soup, featuring caramelized onions and red potatoes, the set-and-forget appliance does nearly all of the work for you.

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Broccoli-Cheese Soup

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Cheesy. Creamy. Classic. There's no way this broccoli-cheese soup isn't hitting our special occasion menu. Bonus: It can be made with fresh or frozen veggies. Give the holiday soup recipe a cafe-worthy finish by serving it in homemade bread bowls.

03of 24

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

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Comfort food doesn't come much comfier than pot pie. Give the classic recipe a creative twist with this hearty holiday soup recipe that's stuffed with crunchy veggies and tasty chicken. Homemade biscuits (recipe included!) make the perfect topper.

04of 24

Spinach Artichoke Dip Soup

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All the flavors you know and love in the hot-dip recipe can now be savored by the bowl-full! It might sound too rich for a holiday meal appetizer but trust us. With a whole 10-ounce package of frozen spinach and a 14-ounce can of artichokes in the mix, this holiday soup is surprisingly well-balanced.

05of 24

Lemon Potato Soup with Feta

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No matter how heavy your holiday menu, this citrus-spiked starter will pair beautifully. Start your meal off fresh with a bowl of lemony, veggie-rich goodness. Did we mention this holiday soup recipe only takes 20 minutes of prep?

06of 24

Bone-In Chicken Noodle Soup

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Meaty pieces of browned, bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks make this hearty and traditional soup especially rich and comforting. Grandma would be so proud of you serving this elegant-tasting yet affordable holiday soup recipe. It's a can't-go-wrong option for a Christmas Eve soup supper—or any special occasion that could use a cozy addition!

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Beef-and-Barley Stew with Roasted Winter Vegetables

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If turkey's on the menu for Christmas day, put beef on the menu for Christmas Eve. With roasted veggies, tender beef, and hearty barley this holiday stew will fill everyone around your table with the warmth of the season. Garnish with parsley for a bright and fresh finish.

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Cream of Roasted Fennel Soup with Homemade Croutons

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Festive soup recipes that can be made in advance are key to getting your holiday-entertaining game on. (And doing so without holding up the show or stressing over the stove as guests arrive.) Here's a holiday soup recipe that showcases the sweetness of fennel in a rich, creamy base, with homemade croutons for a crunchy contrast.

35 Make-Ahead Holiday Side Dishes

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Turkey Peanut Stew

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Peanut butter isn't just for cookies and chocolate cups. (Although it sure is delicious in dessert recipes!) A cup of PB lends a creamy texture and a rich, nutty flavor to this African turkey soup recipe. This holiday soup recipe a great way to use leftover turkey.

10of 24

Tortellini Florentine Soup

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Christmas soup recipes don't come much easier than this version, which gets a headstart from jarred Alfredo sauce, leftover or deli chicken, and refrigerated cheese tortellini. To make it fitting and festive, dried tomatoes and spinach team up to infuse a little holiday color into this easy tortellini soup. Thanks to those shortcut ingredients, the holiday soup recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for those bustling Christmas Eve festivities.

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Butternut Squash Bisque

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Chipotle peppers add just the right amount of heat to this slightly sweet version of butternut squash soup. And with crumbled bacon and shaved Gouda for toppings, what's not to love? No wonder one BH&G home cook says this holiday soup is, "One of the family favorites. Definitely a winter staple!"

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Pumpkin Soup with Lentils

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Canned pumpkin takes a walk on the savory side in this hearty pumpkin soup recipe. Also, because it's meatless, it will please the vegetarians around your table. The lentils make this holiday soup hearty enough to be a main in a big serving size, but the brothy consistency and heaps of veggies make a cup an ideal first course as part of a holiday feast.

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Butternut Squash-and-Carrot Soup

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This creamy butternut squash soup calls on carrots for extra color and sweetness. While this holiday soup recipe is layered with flavor, it's mildly spiced. That means this creamy soup is a great choice when you're hosting a range of guests (with a range of spice preferences!) for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

14of 24

Butternut Squash Posole

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Warmly-spiced cumin and the bright flavor combos make this, "one of my favorite soups," according to BH&G home chef Jill H. This butternut squash soup is patterned after posole, a Mexican dish seasoned with chili powder and chock full of hominy. We suggest serving the holiday soup as a hearty main course on Christmas Eve.

15of 24

Creamy Tortellini Soup

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If the more than 100 five-star ratings don't convince you to make this holiday soup recipe, the convenience factor sure will. Coleslaw mix and refrigerated tortellini to make this a breeze to bring to the table during holiday crunch time. Smoked sausage and hearty veggies also star in the easy tortellini soup that will have everyone asking for seconds.

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Butternut Squash Soup

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Find out how to make your butternut squash soup great tasting and silky-smooth.

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Ham-and-Sweet Potato Soup

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Need the entire stovetop to prep your holiday meal? A little counter space is all this delectable slow cooker soup requires. Sweet potatoes, beans, ham, and onions simmer quietly while you're tending to sides, entrees, and guests. When you're ready to serve this holiday soup recipe, just add a healthy splash of half-and-half and mash gently!

  • The Best Sweet Potato Sides

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Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli

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If you have 30 minutes and five ingredients (six, if you want to dress things up with a pretty swirl of molasses on top), you have everything you need to make this healthy holiday soup recipe. While butternut squash simmers away in a spiced-up broth mixture, you can boil the store-bought ravioli. Then all that's left to do is blend the soup to creamy perfection, and top with the cheesy pasta pillows.

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Danish Green Kale Soup

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Go green with this five-star soup BH&G fans can't stop raving about. Potatoes and carrots make this ham soup extra hearty, while kale cranks up the color and vitamin quotient. The classic Danish recipe combines tradition and great taste for a holiday soup that will bring extra warmth to your table.

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Butternut Squash Soup with Thai Gremolata

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Go global with your next holiday menu. Coconut milk, Asian chili sauce, and other Southeast Asian touches add intrigue to this butternut squash holiday soup recipe. Bonus: It practically preps itself in your slow cooker so you can focus on the rest of the meal.

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Beet-and-Apple Soup with Horseradish Cream

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Pretty in pink! If you're on the hunt for festive soup recipes that combine glamour and great taste, you can stop clicking around. Apples and beets—two of our favorite flavors in the cooler seasons—star in this elegant holiday soup recipe that will make a head-turning first course. Using an immersion blender (like this Cuisinart Smart Stick 2-Speed Hand Blender, $50, Bed Bath & Beyond) is key to achieving its luscious texture.

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Curry Pumpkin Soup

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Trying to decide between making a pumpkin soup recipe versus another winter-squash soup? We almost always veer toward pumpkin since it comes conveniently packed as a puree in the form of the affordable pantry staple canned pumpkin. Here, a touch of curry deepens the flavor of the classic.

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Lentil-Ham Soup

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Lentil and ham soup is always a hearty and delicious option, but let's face it: Some recipes can be a little underwhelming in the looks department. Here, bright spinach added at the last minute, brings a little polish to the classic. This holiday soup is a great leftover recipe to use up extra ham from your feast.

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Spicy Brazilian Turkey Soup

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The spice is right in this holiday soup. Punchy jalapeños, warm ginger, smoky fire-roasted tomatoes, dry-roasted peanuts, and other flavor-charged ingredients make this turkey soup a creative (and covert) way to use the leftover holiday bird. A bottle of beer is the incognito broth ingredient that will have everyone asking, "hmm...what is that?!" in the most complimentary way.

24 Holiday Soups to Start Your Feast in Delicious Style (2024)

FAQs

How do you serve soup at a party? ›

Use cereal-sized bowls, and don't worry about the place settings looking lame. Put the bowls on a larger plate, with a big cloth napkin folded underneath it to cozy things up. Serve the soup from a pretty pot. Even if you don't own a soup tureen, maybe you have a pretty ceramic pot that will look nice on the table.

How to make canned soup a meal? ›

Add protein: Leftover chicken or steak, some cooked diced ham or bacon or sausage (just a little — that soup is already salty). If you don't want to add meat, think of what makes a bowl of ramen so yummy; a soft-cooked jammy egg could be just the thing.

Can soup be served as a starter? ›

Soup is commonly a starter in a three-course meal or a tasty lunch served with crusty bread on a cold winter's day. That may be so, , but did you know it is perfectly acceptable to eat soup as a main course? As unlikely as it sounds, it is completely true and most definitely scrumptious.

What gives soup the best 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.

What is the key to flavorful soup? ›

The basic principles of soup-er soups and stew-pendous stews

All soups and stews must have three major components in order to be tasty: an undercurrent liquid, aromatics, and volumizing ingredients.

What makes a bowl of soup more flavorful? ›

Roast or caramelize your vegetables before adding them to your soup to bring out their natural sweetness. Add ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes, soy sauce, miso, or seaweed to enhance the flavor of your soup. Use fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil or thyme to add fresh flavor to your soup.

What is the best canned soup? ›

Pacific Foods Organic Creamy Tomato Soup

It might even be the best soup we've ever gotten at the grocery store. It's about “as decadent as plain tomato soup can get” thanks to the organic milk from dairies local to Oregon (according to Pacific Foods). The tomatoes are sweet.

How to jazz up canned soup? ›

The addition of meat and vegetarian replacements like chicken or tofu, as well as carbs like rice or legumes add additional heft to any canned soup. Veggies and a splash of citric acid can brighten up a boring tomato soup.

How to make canned soup creamy? ›

Ways to Make Soups Creamier
  1. Add Cream: Let's get the obvious one out of the way. ...
  2. Puree a Few Cups: Blend just a cup or two of your soup with a stick blender or in a food processor — not the whole batch, though. ...
  3. Add Stale Bread: A few slices of bread also help make a soup creamy.

What is the proper etiquette for serving soup? ›

Soups should be served with the soup bowl on a service plate underneath. When you finish your soup, leave the spoon on the service plate, not in the soup bowl or on the tablecloth.

What is the proper way to serve soup? ›

Here are the steps for serving soup at a formal place setting:
  1. Place the soup plate on top of the dinner plate.
  2. Place the soup bowl on the soup plate.
  3. Place the soup spoon to the right of the dinner fork, with the bowl of the spoon facing away from the plate.
  4. Fill the soup bowl about 2/3 of the way with soup.
Apr 5, 2019

How should soups be served? ›

When serving hot soups, always make sure to serve the soup in warmed bowls so the soup stays hot on its way to the table; likewise, cold soups should be served in chilled bowls.

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