18 of Our Best Fall Soups to Cozy Up With This Season

These delicious, vegetable-forward soups are bowls of comfort.

Squash soup
Photo:

Mikkel Vang

When glorious golden and red foliage signals that the days will soon be getting shorter, it’s time to adjust more than just our wardrobes. Our cooking routines need to change to suit the season, too, and this is a great time to get into the kitchen and make a favorite fall soup recipe.

A big pot of soup is just the right thing to take off the chill. Inherently nutritious and full of seasonal vegetables, soup can be the cornerstone of a healthy meal, bolstering you for whatever comes your way. We know the fall is full of activities, tight schedules, and social gatherings, and having a pot of soup as part of your weekly plan can be a time-saver. Many of these soups can be made ahead and heated up when you need them. 

We’ve got an assortment of no-nonsense, filling soups featuring favorite autumn flavors like woodsy mushrooms, earthy grains, and root vegetables, as well as farmstand favorites like pumpkin, squash, and apples. Dedicate a bit of time to stirring an aromatic pot of soup, or get out your slow cooker and let it cook all day while you’re out at work or play—and you can look forward to coming home to a bowl of comfort.

01 of 18

Test Kitchen’s Favorite Tomato Soup

tomato soup with basil
Sidney Bensimon

A bowl of tomato soup is often our first choice to warm us up when the temperatures begin to dip. This recipe is a lighter, brighter, take on the classic.

02 of 18

Slow-Cooker White Bean Soup

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Lennart Weibull

So much goodness in one pot. The slow extraction of flavors from leeks, squash, fresh sage leaves, and a parmesan rind make this purely vegetarian soup simply outstanding.

03 of 18

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This easy recipe is a tutorial on making soup with the quintessential fall ingredient—pumpkin. It includes a list of variations you can choose for toppings—and remember that you can use most other winter squashes in place of the pumpkin if you like. 

04 of 18

Creamy Broccoli and Spinach Soup

broccoli and spinach soup recipe

Yuki Sugiura

Brighter green than broccoli alone, because of the addition of spinach, this soup shines. It is a dairy-free option, with stock and a roux providing a rich texture. If you’re a vegetarian, substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock, and if you’re vegan, you can skip the crème fraiche garnish.

05 of 18

Lentil Soup With Crispy Kale

lentil soup with crispy kale
Armando Rafael

Hearty and simple, lentil soup is always a good choice for comfort and health. The addition of oven-crisped kale and sliced mushrooms is a brilliant—and crunchy—addition.

06 of 18

Coconut-Miso Mushroom Soup

coconut-miso mushroom soup
David Malosh

Looks can be deceiving—at first glance you might imagine this is a traditional cream of mushroom soup, but its ginger and miso flavors will be a surprise. With coconut milk in place of dairy, it will surely delight your palate—and it's a perfect soup for the vegans in your life.

07 of 18

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

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One, two, three—your soup is ready! Cauliflower steams in a small amount of stock, which allows the flavor to concentrate before you blend it into a silky puree.

08 of 18

Kale, White Bean, and Farro Soup

kale white bean and farro soup served in a white bowl
Kate Mathis

A bowl of rustic Italian-inspired grains, beans and kale requires a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil.  Some of the cooked soup is thickened in the pot by puréeing a portion of it in the blender.

09 of 18

Corn and Butternut Squash Chowder

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This soup marries late summer corn (but you can use frozen kernels) and early fall squash. A hint of curry powder accents the corn and squash’s sweetness—add more if you like it spicy.

10 of 18

Mrs. Kostyra’s Mushroom-Barley Soup

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Martha’s mom kept her family’s favorite culinary traditions alive. Here is her recipe for a richly flavored mushroom soup that uses dried mushrooms and homemade beef broth and is seasoned with dill.

11 of 18

Roasted Squash and Parsnip Soup

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A select combination of ingredients creates a perfect balance in this fall soup: Sweet squash, parsnip, and leeks are brightened by tart Granny Smith apples, and all of the produce is roasted to deepen their flavors.

12 of 18

Gingery Beet Soup

gingery beet soup in ceramic bowl
Johnny Fogg

A vibrant and nourishing bowl is simple to create with just a few ingredients. Fresh beets and potatoes give body to the soup, and ginger adds a touch of heat that will make you glow.

13 of 18

Slow-Cooker Ribollita

slow cooker ribollita
Stephen Kent Johnson

This Tuscan classic is all about making use of what you’ve got. Note the use of parmesan rind for thrift; it adds incomparable flavor to the pot.

14 of 18

Creamy Broccoli-White Bean Soup

broccoli soup
Johnny Miller

You can make a pot of home-cooked soup in very little time if you rely on canned beans and quickly steamed broccoli like this recipe.  Pine nuts and freshly shaved parmesan on top add toasty, nutty flavors.

15 of 18

Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup

roasted kabocha squash soup
Martyna Szczesna

A savory, spiced backbone of ancho chili, cumin, and cinnamon make this fall soup recipe stand out. Garnishes such as pepitas and blackened corn kernels add to its smart, Southwestern style.

16 of 18

Italian Chicken Minestrone

Italian chicken minestrone soup in white bowl

Combining a classic chicken soup base and a minestrone? Yes please! With kale, zucchini and chickpeas, this soup is a seasonal win-win.

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Miso Soup With Tofu and Kale

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Richard Gerhard Jung

Delicate and nutritious miso soup can fill you up if you add cubes of tofu for protein. Fall’s sweet, vitamin-packed kale is a great addition.

18 of 18

Farro-Mushroom Soup

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Autumn’s woodland treasures are the stars of this soup. It uses an array of wild and cultivated mushrooms, and there are dried porcini in the base. Skip the chicken broth in favor of mushroom or vegetable stock if you prefer.

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