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Looking for fall soup recipes that actually earn a spot in your rotation? Here are 23 of my favorites: slow cooker chilis, creamy squash and pumpkin soups, and Instant Pot dinners that come together fast. Every one is made for chilly nights, busy weeknights, and big pots of leftovers.
These fall soup recipes are the ones I make on repeat from the first cold morning of September until I’m sick of wearing a sweater. Here in Denver, soup season starts the second the mornings turn crisp, and the first pot is almost always some form of chili. I grew up in Colorado eating it on Halloween, so it just feels like fall to me.
This is my full list of soup recipes for fall. You’ll find slow cooker chilis, silky squash and pumpkin soups, and 25-minute Instant Pot dinners for nights when you forgot to plan anything. My weeknight go-to is the Lemon Chicken Orzo soup, because it’s bright and simple. For a crowd or game day, I make the Pork Green Chili, since it serves 10 and gets better as it sits.
Every recipe here comes from my own kitchen. Many have stovetop, slow cooker, and Instant Pot options, so you can cook the way your night allows. Pick one, grab a spoon, and get cozy.
What Makes a Soup a Fall Soup?
Fall recipes soup lovers (ahem, me) usually want the same things: warmth, something filling, and flavors that taste like the season. Here’s what I look for:
- Fall produce. Butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, apples, and hearty greens.
- Warming spices. Smoked paprika, chipotle, curry, cumin, ginger, and sage.
- Low-effort cooking. Slow cooker and Instant Pot soups fit into busy fall schedules.
- Real comfort. Think creamy, cheesy, and brothy. Chili counts, because it’s soup season too.
Not every soup here is “fall” in the pumpkin-spice sense. Some, like the tuscan white bean soup and dumpling soup, are bright, brothy bowls I crave once the weather turns. If you want something heartier, look for the chilis and creamy squash soups.
Our favorite Fall Soup Recipes
Pork Green Chili
This pork green chili recipe is a thick, slow-simmered bowl of comfort made with tender shredded pork shoulder and layered Hatch green chile heat. It’s smoky, earthy, slightly citrusy from fresh lime, and built for burritos, chips, bowls, or just eating straight with a spoon.
Creamy Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
Creamy pumpkin and sweet potato soup is a comforting bowl to warm up with throughout the fall season. This versatile recipe can be whipped up on the stovetop, in your trusty slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot. You’ll want to cozy up to a bowl any night of the week!
Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili is a comforting, flavorful soup that you will want to warm up with every night. The combination of chicken, green chiles, and beans with cream cheese and heavy cream makes for a variety of textures with just the right amount of spice. Plus it’s all made in the slow cooker, so it’s the easiest recipe ever!
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
This butternut squash and apple soup blends roasted butternut squash and tart, sweet apples in one comforting bowl. A splash of coconut milk creates a luxuriously smooth texture, while white miso rounds it out with subtle umami depth and sophistication.
Slow Cooker Queso Chili
Slow Cooker Queso Chili is creamy, cheesy, and oh-so perfect for dinner tonight. This chili is packed full of yummy Southwest flavors with corn, black beans, peppers, and savory beef in a rich, flavorful sauce.
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
This creamy chicken tortilla soup recipe is Tex-Mex comfort in a bowl. It’s rich, smoky, and a little spicy, with shredded chicken, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a silky cream base that makes it taste like it simmered all day. Whether you need a quick weeknight dinner or a cozy meal to reheat for lunch, this soup delivers bold flavor with simple ingredients.
Instant Pot Carne Asada Chili
Instant Pot Carne Asada Chili is rich and hearty, making it perfect for cold winter days or anytime you are craving classic comfort food. The carne asada flavor comes through in every meaty bite! Serves 4 to 6.
Easy Dumpling Soup
Cozy up with this 30-minute dumpling soup! Featuring frozen dumplings in a rich miso-ginger broth topped with chili crisp, it’s the ultimate weeknight comfort food.
Chipotle Chili
Chipotle Chili is a smoky simple meal that can be made on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot! No matter how you prepare it, this spicy dinner is one that screams for your favorite chili toppings.
Lemon and Chicken Orzo Soup
Bright and cozy, this lemon and chicken soup brings comfort with a fresh, citrusy lift. It’s a simple one-pot meal that comes together quickly, making it ideal for cool days when you want something warm without feeling weighed down.
Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon Croutons
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon Croutons is the surefire way to kill it at Thanksgiving this year. The creamy soup paired with crunchy bacon fat croutons make this the ultimate way to celebrate fall with friends and family.
Instant Pot Chicken Stew
This Instant Pot chicken stew recipe is perfect for a quick and healthy dinner. With simple ingredients and an easy cooking method, you can have a this savory and hearty chicken stew on the table in no time!
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is the quick and easy soup to pull out when you’ve got a leftover ham hock or ham bone to use up! You’ll want to cozy up to a bowl of this rich flavorful broth packed with ham, white northern beans, and fresh herbs.
Tuscan White Bean Soup
This simple and hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup is the perfect winter soup. Full of creamy white beans, fresh vegetables, and wilted greens, it will keep you satisfied and warm you from the inside out. It’s an easy recipe that everyone will love, and one you can easily prep ahead of time for later in the week or to freeze.
Thai Shrimp Noodle Soup
Red curry paste, coconut milk, lemongrass, and ginger make a spicy, creamy broth. Rice noodles and shrimp turn it into a full meal.
Red and Green Enchilada Soup
Red and Green Enchilada Soup is a comforting, ridiculously simple meal that’s on the table in only 35 minutes! Featuring hearty vegetables, chicken and richly flavorful enchiladas sauces (both red and green!), this soup packs a punch of spicy flavor to warm up with any night of the week.
Spicy Taco Chili
This is the best, easy-to-make Spicy Taco Chili, giving you your taco fix in a bowl! Familiar taco seasoning flavors cook with beef and beans, making it a simple meal you will love to serve up all season long. Make it in the slow cooker/crockpot, instant pot, or on the stove!
Curry Tomato Tortellini Soup
Curry Tomato Tortellini Soup is so easy to make and one of the best soups you’ll ever taste! Creamy tomato soup is seasoned with fresh basil and curry spices to add extra richness to this hearty pasta soup.
Instant Pot Creole Chicken Sausage Soup
Instant Pot Creole Chicken Sausage Soup is ready in less than 15 minutes, using Johnsonville® Andouille Rope Sausage I found at Safeway! This creole inspired soup is packed with vegetables, meat, and a bit of heat. You can easily make it ahead of time, and even freeze it for meal prep.
Individual Ginger Acorn Squash Soup Bowls
Individual Ginger Acorn Squash Soup Bowls are full of bright ginger flavor paired with smooth, creamy acorn squash and savory sage. It’s an easy soup to make for an holiday meal, especially Thanksgiving! Served up in individual acorn squashes, these adorable soups are a real stunner for all your guests.
Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Instant Pot Tomato Soup is the easiest way to make homemade tomato soup! You get all the flavor of a slow simmered soup in much less time. The recipe is super customizable, so you can make it any way you like whether that’s the classic version you see here, extra creamy, spicy, and more.
Curried Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon Pumpkin Seed Bread
Curried Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon Pumpkin Seed Bread is a creamy, dreamy soup that encompasses everything you love about fall, with a curry twist. The sumptuous soup is silly smooth and thick, pairing perfectly with an easy no-yeast bread packed with crispy bacon and crunchy pumpkin seeds. Prepare to be warmed through with every sultry spoonful!
Tequila Lime Pozole
Tequila Lime Pozole is a fresh and light soup with a burst of citrus and a smooth finish. With juicy chicken thighs, hominy, lime juice and a touch of tequila, this soup is fantastic for any time of year. Pair it with margaritas and savor the authentic flavor!
What to serve with soup: Try my no-knead overnight bread or sourdough garlic toast.
Storing and Freezing Fall Soups
- Fridge: Most soups keep 3 to 4 days in airtight containers. Check each recipe for specifics.
- Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze in portions. Brothy and puréed soups freeze best.
- Dairy and pasta: For cream-based soups like the tomato and tortilla soups, freeze before adding the cream, then stir it in when you reheat. Orzo, tortellini, and noodles get mushy, so I wouldn’t freeze those soups.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stove and add a splash of broth if the soup thickened.
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What are the best fall soup recipes?
It depends on your mood. For creamy and cozy, try the Creamy Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup or Butternut Squash and Apple Soup. For something hearty, go with the Pork Green Chili or Slow Cooker Creamy White Chicken Chili.
Which fall soups are quickest?
The Instant Pot Chicken Stew (25 minutes) and the Easy Dumpling Soup (30 minutes) are my fastest picks.
Which fall soup recipes are vegetarian?
The Tuscan White Bean Soup and Butternut Squash and Apple Soup are vegetarian-friendly. Several others can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth (the pumpkin and sweet potato soup lists chicken or vegetable stock).
Can I make these in a slow cooker or Instant Pot?
Many of them, yes. Check each recipe card for the method options.
Kitchen Essentials for Making Fall Soups
You don’t need a lot of gear to make a great pot of the best soup, but a few tools make it easier. These are the ones I reach for most with this list:
- Dutch oven or large soup pot: A heavy-bottomed pot holds heat evenly, so soups simmer without scorching on the bottom. A 6 to 7 quart size fits most of these recipes.
- Instant Pot: It handles the chilis, stews, and bean soups on this list, and it browns and pressure cooks in the same pot. If you’re shopping, I recommend the Instant Pot Ultra, which is my favorite of the models I’ve tried.
- Slow cooker: It’s the key to the family favorites like Pork Green Chili, White Chicken Chili, and Queso Chili. A 6 quart works for most recipes.
- Rimmed baking sheet: You’ll need it for roasting squash and apples, which is where the sweet, caramelized flavor comes from.
- Tongs (or my favorite clongs): For browning meat, turning squash halves, and pulling things out of a hot pot.
- Good chef’s knife and cutting board: Butternut squash is tough, so a sharp knife and a stable board matter. Also to cut a grilled cheese sandwich to dip in tomato soup.
Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!
Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!
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about meghan
Meghan Yager is the recipe developer, food photographer, and creative force behind Cake ‘n Knife, where everyday moments are celebrated with bold, flavor-forward recipes. From cozy cocktails to bold appetizers and indulgent desserts, her approachable style brings people together around food worth sharing. Meghan’s work has been featured by Good Housekeeping, Oprah Daily, Today, Woman’s Day, and The Huffington Post. She lives in Denver, where she brings big flavor and a little sass to every bite.
