The 20 One Pot Soup Recipes That Make You Feel Warm and Cozy Anytime

Do you crave soup when the cold weather hits? I know I do! One pot soup is a great meal to make because you can load it with your favorite vegetables and meat. It's a filling and healthy meal that's comforting during the fall and winter seasons. Another plus, you can make a big batch in your stock pot or Dutch oven on your stovetop, let it cool off, and then freeze it in containers. You'll always have a big supply of soup whenever you need it!

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Making soup doesn't have to be an all day task either; most soups don't take as much total time as you might think, and most of that time you can step away from the stove (or slow cooker or instant pot!) while the soup simmers in a large pot. With a few steps and only one pot, you can have a delicious, hearty soup to enjoy with your family or friends. Here's a list of 20 easy recipes for one pot soups that will warm you up this season.

1. Pasta e Fagioli

Growing up, this was one of my favorite soups that my mom would make. It was just perfect on a cold night. Pasta e fagioli is an Italian dish meaning pasta and beans and it's a tomato and stock-based one pot soup perfect for a weeknight meal.

Onions, garlic, carrots, celery, white beans, pasta (usually ditalini) and some spices are the main ingredients in this one pot soup. My mom would sometimes add in spinach or kale for extra vegetables. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and a swirl of olive oil for extra flavor.

Here's the recipe.

2. Lentil and Sausage Soup

I love this hearty old-school soup. It's packed with lentils, sausage and vegetables and is best served with crusty bread for dipping. If you haven't cooked with lentils before, you definitely should try it out!

Lentils are very healthy, low-calorie legumes that come in many varieties. They are nutty, earthy and store well in the pantry. For this soup, you can even add in a small pasta shape like ditilini or mini shells. Flavorful and healthy, this is a perfect lentil soup meal!

Try out the recipe.

3. 5-Ingredient Chicken Pesto Soup

This is probably the easiest chicken soup you will make. It takes around 15 minutes to prepare and requires only 5 ingredients. It's also a great way to use up any leftover shredded chicken you may have. If you do not have any extra cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken would also work well.

Finishing this chicken recipe with pesto, adds such a fresh flavor to this one pot soup. Pesto also freezes really well, so you can always have it on hand with little prep time.

Here's the soup recipe.

4. One Pot French Onion Soup

French onion soup is another hearty, beef broth-based soup (mushroom broth would be delicious too) that's conveniently made in one pot or a Dutch oven. The onions are sautéed and cooked down in some butter and a little maple syrup or sugar to bring out the sweetness and to help caramelize them. Wine is added to deglaze the pan and to help release any flavor bits from the bottom.

This soup is also a nice way to use up any bread that you do not want to waste and that might go stale-it will soak up all the flavors from the broth. Gruyere cheese is sprinkled on top as a garnish and then the whole pot goes into the oven to melt the cheese for a bubbly crust on this one-pot recipe.

Here's the recipe.

5. Tortellini Minestrone Soup

You will really get your veggie intake from this Italian soup. And I think the kids will love it too.

Onions, zucchini, green beans, carrots, celery, cannellini beans and kale (spinach would also work) make up this vegetable-based soup. Tortellini is added and it's topped with Parmesan cheese. Who wouldn't love this easy vegetable soup?

Get the recipe here.

6. Wonton Soup

There is so much flavor in this great recipe. Chicken stock, water, soy sauce and sesame oil make up this Asian-inspired broth. You can easily make this in a few minutes and you can make the wontons yourself or buy them at an Asian market.

They're actually fun to make yourself (the kids can help out!) and store well in the freezer. For extra protein, I sometimes add in fresh or frozen shrimp to the soup and they cook in a matter of minutes.

Here is the recipe.

7. Tomato Soup

Creamy tomato soup paired with grilled cheese is classic comfort food filled with classic flavors. The recipe suggests using San Marzano canned tomatoes, which really are the best brand of canned tomatoes out there. They're imported from Italy and are nice and juicy. You can purchase them at most grocery stores.

To get a smooth texture for this one pot soup, an immersion hand blender (or regular blender) is used.

Here's the recipe.

8. Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs

This soup is also known as Italian Wedding soup. It's a chicken broth-based soup and the escarole is a delicious leafy green used. If you cannot find escarole, kale or spinach will do. When you are preparing this soup recipe, just make sure to rinse the escarole thoroughly. Escarole tends to have a lot of dirt in the leaves.

The meatballs are made with ground turkey meat, but you can also use ground beef mixed with Italian sausage or chicken. I like the turkey because it tends to be a leaner meat. If you're making this for kids, try forming the meatballs a little smaller so it's easier for them to eat.

Here's the recipe.

9. Chicken and Rice Soup

This is the kind of one pot chicken soup you eat when you are feeling under the weather. It's packed with vegetables, chicken and fresh thyme.

This is also another great weeknight dinner recipe that uses leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken. If you do not have that on hand, just boil chicken breasts in water or chicken broth and shred it with two forks.

Get the recipe here.

10. Chicken Stew

This stew is easy to make and uses chicken thighs, which are inexpensive, flavorful and tender. This stew takes a little longer to simmer-about 45 minutes, but it turns out thick and full of flavor from the bay leaves.

Here is the recipe.

11. Cheddar Broccoli Soup

This creamy soup is all you need this season! It's quick to whip up and it's fun serving a soup in a bread bowl. If you do not have bread bowls, no need to worry! Just serve some crusty bread on the side.

You can also easily make this vegetarian-friendly by substituting chicken broth for vegetable broth. You'll love this cheesy one pot soup.

Get the recipe here.

12. Mushroom Barley Soup with Shaved Parmesan

Mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables-they're earthy and full of flavor. There are also a ton of varieties. This recipe uses a mix of button, shiitake and portobello mushrooms.

The addition of sherry wine and beef broth add depth of flavor to this hearty soup. The shaved Parmesan will add saltiness and little melted chunks of cheese to the soup. Delicious!

Here's the recipe.

13. Potato Bacon Soup

This comforting soup is filled with vegetables (celery, carrots and potatoes) and topped with bacon, shredded cheese and parsley. Half of the finished soup is blended and the other half is left as is, so the texture is both smooth and chunky.

The addition of the Cajun spice gives this soup a little heat and bold flavors.

Here's the recipe.

14. Lemon Chicken and Spinach Orzo Soup

The lemon juice and zest makes this soup refreshing and bright. The dried herbs (oregano, thyme, basil and rosemary) are also a nice addition to the broth making this one of my favorite comfort food recipes.

This recipe recommends dropping in the rind from a block of Parmesan cheese. The flavors from the rind will infuse throughout the soup, which will make it extra special and tasty.

This is a great way to make full use out of the rind and you might even see bits of cheese in the soup. You can also try doing this for marinara sauce for another dinner idea. If you have a rind that you do not need right away, they store well in the freezer.

Here's the recipe.

15. Chicken Taco Soup

Give Taco Tuesday a break and try out this easy soup! The broth is a little spicy but full of seasonings like cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. The corn kernels add a little sweetness to help balance the spicy flavors. You'll love this one pot soup! Just don't skip out on the margaritas.

Here's the recipe.

16. Creamy Tomato and Tortellini Soup

You won't believe how simple and delicious this soup recipe is. This creamy tomato based soup has a bunch of fresh herbs in it which are similar to ones found in Italian red sauce. And you really can't go wrong with cheese tortellini!

Find the recipe here.

17. Stuffed Pepper Soup

I absolutely love stuffed peppers because they're healthy, taste amazing, and a great meal all in one pepper. You get your intake of vegetables, carbohydrates, protein and dairy. It's also fun to experiment using different meats (ground beef, turkey, chicken or even venison) and different colors of bell peppers (red pepper will always be my favorite).

This soup is like a deconstructed stuffed pepper and will take around 30 minutes to prepare. You can serve this one pot soup with rice and cheddar cheese if you'd like.

Here is the recipe.

18. Quinoa, Chickpea and Spinach Soup

Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian or meat-eater, this soup recipe will satisfy all. It's a very healthy soup packed with carrots, spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas and quinoa.

Quinoa is actually considered a seed and a great alternative to rice. It's high in protein and fiber and has a very nutty flavor which pairs great with root vegetables.

Here is the recipe.

19. Chicken Zoodle Soup

Have you ever heard of zoodles? They're simply just zucchini noodles (you can use other vegetables too) and you get that cool, spaghetti look by using a spiralizer. This trend has become more and more popular and it's a great way to eat more vegetables and to cut some of those carbs while enjoying a "chicken noodle soup."

If you do not have a spiralizer, many grocery stores are starting to sell vegetables that are already spiralized.

Try out this recipe.

20. White Bean, Bacon and Garlic Soup

This one pot soup is comfort food in a bowl! You'll love the salty bacon paired with the creamy white beans, which naturally help thicken this bean soup. You can use either canned white beans or dried.

If you're using dried, just make sure to soak them overnight and boil them until they're soft. I love the convenience of canned beans though!

Here is the recipe.

This article was originally published on January 21, 2018.

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