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

Is it cheaper to make homemade 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.

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

How much soup do I need for 25 people? ›

How Much Food to Serve at a Party
FOODSERVE 25SERVE 50
Meats
Soup5 quarts2–1/2 gallons
Side Dishes
Baked beans5 quarts2–1/2 gallons
35 more rows
Apr 1, 2024

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

Is soup enough to live on? ›

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."

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.

Can you put Worcestershire sauce in soup? ›

Adding Worcestershire Sauce To Soups

It will work in a broad range of dishes from your favorite French onion soup to velvety tomato bisque. It definitely does a great job of amping up the meaty flavors of a beef stew as well as giving vegetable soups a flavor lift, too.

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? ›

Some of our favorites are Dried Shallots, Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Dehydrated Green Bell Pepper, Tomato Flakes, Minced Onion and Roasted Garlic Flakes. Or, add a bay leaf to your recipe. The bay leaf will give the soup a little something extra without overwhelming the dish.

What makes homemade soup taste better? ›

Use fresh, good quality ingredients like vegetables and herbs. Add a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to your soup to make it taste better. Use a high-quality broth or stock as a base for your soup. Roast or caramelize your vegetables before adding them to your soup to bring out their natural sweetness.

What gives soup depth of flavor? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

How many people will 2 quarts of soup feed? ›

A: Two quarts equals 8 cups. So, if your soup serving size is one cup, you'd get 8 servings. If you ladle about 1-1/3 cups of soup, you'd get about 6 servings.

How do you serve soup to a large crowd? ›

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 many cups of soup does one person eat? ›

Using this guide
Serving Size per Person
Soup1/2 cup 1 1/2 cups
Stuffing1/3 cup
Potatoes1 1/2 cup 1/2 cup
Potato Toppings2 tsp 1/4 cup 1 tbsp 1 tbsp
10 more rows

Are soups a good way to save money? ›

Often the most budget friendly option is to make your own soup. Soups are simple to make and are a good way to use any bits and pieces you have leftover from other meals. Freeze leftovers in freezer bags or containers marked with the date and the contents.

Is soup the cheapest way to eat? ›

Soup is the best cozy meal on a warm day, plus, it's usually a cheap way to make a lot of food. Make a big batch for a dinner party, meal-prep lunches or even to stash away in the freezer for an emergency dinner.

Are soup makers economical to run? ›

Indeed, soup makers are tailored for precision and convenience, often consuming less electricity due to their lower wattage and speedy cooking times. By combining both the cooking and blending processes in one insulated gadget, they retain heat more effectively and reduce the overall energy output.

Is homemade food cheaper than store bought? ›

For those who want a quick and easy answer: It's generally cheaper to cook food at home than eat out. The reason so many people can get stuck on the question is the human psychology variable. People don't always spend wisely, and it isn't as if prices are always the same at a supermarket or a fast food restaurant.

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