The Autumn season is considered “soup season” all over the world. Simply put, making soup is a great way to warm your body during cooler months, a great way to cook indoors, and a great way to use your final summer vegetable harvests. 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

There’s no denying the warmth that travels through your body when even smelling one of your favorite Autumn soups. The unique scents swirling through the kitchen as you cook an old Minnesota recipe for Wild Rice Soup, the hints of cumin and chili powder lingering while cooking a good West Coast Chicken Tortilla soup, soup is an incredible experience. Memories, happiness, hope. 

Cooking soup for your family as a mom can range from warming cans of Campbell’s to pouring hours of your time and energy into a from-scratch recipe, and everything in between. No matter what kind of soup you prepare for your family, it is an act of love and care. 

Growing up in church, soup also held a special meaning in our church community. Does anyone else remember “soup suppers” during Lent and Advent service seasons? Perhaps your church still offers some sort of soup supper. Say what you want about Lutherans, but come hungry to a Lutheran soup supper. You’re gonna want to try each and every soup offered and you will enjoy spending time with other believers over a good bowl of soup.

Ok, so, we are moms, right? We have a bazillion things we are in charge of, right? Right. So let me help us all out a bit by compiling an easy-to-access soup resource. In this post, you will discover soup tips and tricks for moms as well as some wonderful soup recipes. Some are my favorites, some were suggested to me by other local moms here in Illinois. 

Enjoy!

Tips and tricks for moms:

• If you enjoy cooking, spend time on the recipes that excite you. If you don’t enjoy cooking, buy prepared soup and don’t feel guilty about it. 
• Feel confident switching up ingredients to better suit your family. My husband doesn’t like onions, so I try to find other ingredients to substitute. With soups, I usually choose a nice bell pepper from the garden to use instead of onion, or I cut the amount of onion in the recipe in half. Celery is another option to use instead of onions without losing the “crunch” factor.
• Are you out of an ingredient for the recipe you want to cook? No worries! Pick up your phone and do a quick Google search for a substitute. Did you forget sour cream? Search for “sour cream substitute” and take your pick. The internet is full of amazing substitution options. Work smarter, not harder.
• Create a topping tray to serve with your soup. Find a fun serving tray or plate and fill it with croutons, different kinds of crackers, tortilla strips, nuts and seeds, cheese, or anything you would like to top your soup with. Let your kids pick and top their own soup with what they want. 
• Chop, measure, and prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time and let your kids help add ingredients when the time is right. Kids of all ages enjoy being involved in your activities and it’s never too early to teach cooking!

Autumn Soup Recipes:

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

My husband and his family are from the great state of Minnesota, so this soup recipe is representing their heritage. Turkey and wild rice are both important resources given to us largely by Minnesota. This thick and creamy soup will warm your bones and stick to your ribs. Get the recipe here.

King Ranch Soup

Texas’s King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. This hearty Tex-Mex soup is full of flavor and nutrition the whole family will enjoy. Add black beans for extra flavor and fiber and offer tortilla strips to top the soup in addition to the corn tortillas inside the soup. Get the recipe here.

Andersons Split Pea Soup

Growing up in California, our family loves stopping at a Pea Soup Anderson’s travel restaurant. The good news about this Split Pea Soup recipe is that you can make it or buy it already prepared…sometimes from Amazon! Both options are delicious, especially topping with seasoned croutons or Saltine crackers. Get the recipe here.

Instant Pot French Onion Soup

You know that incredible smell while cooking French Onion Soup? Well, get ready for a blast of that smell that would make Yankee Candle proud. This Instant Pot version of a family favorite recipe will make your soup cooking time a little easier. Use fresh thyme (from your garden if you have it) for a unique flavor. Get the recipe here.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup Mini Pies

My kids are two and four, so soup eating is usually a fairly dramatic and sometimes traumatic situation at our house. Not all kids are good at eating soup. This recipe helps solve that problem while making Broccoli Cheddar Soup fast and easy to eat for everyone. Get the recipe here.

Pesto Chicken Minestrone Soup

Minestrone is a well-loved soup and this recipe uses highly nutritious dark green kale leaves which pairs pleasantly with the basil in the pesto. Using prepared cheese tortellini keeps this recipe in the “totally doable” category for most moms, but homemade tortellini would probably be delicious and fun to try making with your kids. Get the recipe here.

The Best Chili

I personally believe there are so many good ways to make chili that there is no “best”. This “Best Chili Recipe” has never let me down being the best at that moment. Are you someone who thinks beans have no place in chili? That’s okay, my husband thinks that way. Skip the beans and add a bit more meat or thickener instead! Get the recipe here.

Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup

Made popular by Olive Garden restaurants, this soup is a favorite in many homes. Making this soup in the crockpot frees up some time and energy for other parts of mom life and fills your home with the smell of autumn soup all day long. Get the recipe here.

Beef, Tomato, and Acini Di Pepe Soup

Acini Di Pepe is a really fun small shape of pasta used in this hearty and healthy Italian autumn soup recipe. The beef and many nutritious vegetables in this soup will make your family feel incredible and full. Any small-shaped pasta can be used in this recipe, I plan to try using Farro next time. Get the recipe here.

Spicy Sausage Corn Chowder

Much like chili, chowder is in an essential soup category all on its own. This sausage and corn chowder is a creamy concoction using starchy veggies and spicy Italian sausage. For families who don’t enjoy spicy foods, regular sausage can be substituted. For families who want more spice, consider adding a poblano pepper and an Anaheim chili pepper. Get the recipe here.

Creamy Crockpot White Chicken Chili

Yesssssssss, another chili recipe, and another crockpot recipe! This creamy chili uses lighter-colored ingredients for a completely different taste and texture than red chili. Substitute one can of chilies for a fresh Anaheim Chili Pepper or two. Remove chili pepper seeds to minimize the heat of the spice level, leave the seeds for more heated spice. Get the recipe here.

Cabbage Roll Soup Recipe

Imagine enjoying the tastes of cabbage rolls without having to do ALL of the work required for those rolls. This recipe solves that problem for us. Make Cabbage Roll Soup! This soup cooks for 8-10 hours so plan to make this recipe on a day you will be home all day. Experiment with using different kinds of fresh basil in this soup. I plan to use Thai Basil next time! Get the recipe here.

Ina Garten’s Easy Tomato Soup

Some Autumn and Winter days seem to encourage eating tomato soup. Do you know what I mean? This easy tomato soup recipe pairs perfectly with a good grilled cheese sandwich and a cozy blanket on the couch in sweatpants. Use fresh garden tomatoes for a unique flavor and additional health benefits. Get the recipe here.

Soup mood is a real thing.

Some days we moms wake up craving soup. Some days we already have plans to make soup. Some days we look forward to cooking soup all day for our families. Some days we struggle to find the can opener for a quick can of soup. I hope and pray you all get to enjoy some good soup this Autumn. 

Until next time, my friends.

XOXO

Amy