As much as we love Thanksgiving, we admit that the main menu doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for creativity—turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes are all pretty much mandatory. So we like to add personal touches in other ways, like always starting the meal with a warm, comforting bowl of soup. It’s cozy, autumnal and sometimes even keeps us from going for that third slice of pumpkin pie. Here are 28 of our favorite Thanksgiving soups.
28 Thanksgiving Soups Everyone Will Love
1. Curried Parsnip And Apple Soup
Apple pie, apple fritters, apple cider doughnuts… ’Tis the season for all things apple, and we’re definitely not complaining.
2. Easy 5-ingredient Corn Soup
If you have time to boil corn on the cob, you can make this easy five-ingredient corn soup
3. Kale And Apple Soup
Bonus: This soup is so green, you can cross one extra veggie side off your main menu.
4. Sweet Potato And Roasted Red Pepper Soup
We love this creative take on a standard Thanksgiving staple, from Coterie member Gena Hamshaw.
5. Cheaters Italian Wedding Soup
No one ever said it was just for weddings.
6. Ginger Carrot Soup
This light, spicy soup from Coterie member Heidi Larsen uses Greek yogurt for some extra cream and tanginess.
7. Slow-cooker Pasta E Fagioli Soup
News flash: All you have to do is bust out your Crock-Pot for a mini trip to the Tuscan countryside.
8. Spicy Lemon-ginger Chicken Soup
Number one on our list of comfort foods? Chicken soup. And Aran Goyoaga’s version wins bonus points for both flavor and ease.
9. Chicken Gnocchi Soup
This would be great as a hearty addition to your Thanksgiving table OR the next day with leftover turkey in place of the chicken.
10. Fall Vegetable Quinoa Soup
Coterie member Maria Lichty packs an entire fall farmers market into this soup, and we are here for it.
11. Slow-cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Fact: Cooking dinner in your Crock-Pot rocks. So the next time you use it, make this slow-cooker chicken soup recipe. It's the easiest way to prep this warming classic.
12. The Best Damn Tomato Soup
We’re of the opinion that any time is a good time for a bowl of this deliciousness.
13. Maple Butternut Squash Apple Soup
This soup from Coterie member Monique Volz is basically autumn in a bowl.
14. Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup
Make this savory soup in a slow-cooker or Instant Pot so you don’t have to worry about it as you juggle the rest of the meal.
15. Vegan Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup
Who said sweet potatoes had to be covered in marshmallows on Thanksgiving? (Not Coterie member Phoebe Lapine.)
16. Loaded Baked Potato And Cauliflower Soup
Instead of serving mashed potatoes, why not a big bowl of this?
17. Pumpkin Soup In Mini Pumpkin Bowls
Who needs table decor when you have these totally adorable individual serving bowls? (And we promise: Roasting a pumpkin is just as easy as a squash.)
18. Turkey Tortilla Soup
You might not want this spicy soup from Coterie member Gaby Dalkin ON your Thanksgiving table. But there’s nothing better than a bowl of it the next day.
19. Kale Minestrone
The dollop of pesto really brings out the flavors in this classic soup.
20. Silky Leek Soup
An elegant start to any holiday meal, from Coterie member Katie Workman.
21. Cheddar Apple Butternut Squash Soup With Cinnamon Pecan Crumble
We love this take on classic butternut squash soup—the sharp cheddar brings out the sweetness of the squash and apple.
22. Slow-cooker French Onion Soup
Nothing says festive (and belly-warming) like a crock of French onion soup. And we love a set-it-and-forget-it recipe at the holidays.
23. Five-ingredient Cheesy Cauliflower Soup
Nothing this delicious should be this easy to make.
24. Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese Bites
We guarantee they’re exactly what you’re craving. (And your kids will go bonkers.)
25. Tortellini Soup With Italian Sausage
This tasty tortellini soup with Italian sausage comes in at less than $5 a serving!
26. Freekeh Vegetable Soup
Vegetable soup can be just as hearty and soul-warming as any meat-based one.
27. Lasagna Soup
You love lasagna. You love soup. Why the heck not try a fun mash-up of the two greatest meals on earth? Just don’t skimp on the cheese.
28. Easy One-pot Lentil Kielbasa Soup
This easy one-pot lentil kielbasa soup shortcuts the flavor problem with heavily spiced, smoky Polish sausage, which you can find in any supermarket.