Can you serve soup for dinner? Is that enough? Have a Soup Night once a week as a great way to save money and enjoy a comforting meal.
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Soup night? Yep, it’s a thing. A beautiful, delicious, money-saving thing.
It’s that night of the week when you serve, what else? Homemade Soup! Serving soup for dinner is simple and cheap to make, tastes amazing, and can easily be stretched to accommodate more people.
It’s comfort in a bowl. You can make a meal from little bits of a few different ingredients. And it’s so cozy on a cold day.
However, some people have a hard time considering soup for dinner. They often mistake it as a side dish instead of a main course. Or they balk at the idea of vegetables and broth. Homemade soup can be so much more than that, my friend!
Why serve soup for dinner?
It’s a good cheap eat. Serving homemade soup for dinner costs very little per serving and, in my book, is a great occasion for using up the leftovers I’ve acquired throughout the week so as to reduce waste. Yes, Stone Soup is a real thing!
It’s filling. Depending on what homemade soup recipe you choose, soup for dinner can be incredibly filling, making for a hearty meal on a cold night.
Homemade soup can be delicious! There are so many great soups to make, you are bound to find more than a few favorites. From smooth to chunky, there’s a homemade soup to match everyone’s preferences.
It’s a great way to use up leftovers.Yes, learning How to Make Soup from Leftovers is a thing you need to know! Never let good food go to waste when you can make a yummy soup, like Turkey and Rice Soup.
How to Make Soup Night Good
Over the years I’ve developed strategies to make soup night a little easier to swallow, for adults and children alike.
Here’s what I’ve learned about serving soup for dinner:
- Offer a choice on soup night. Whether you prepare two different types of homemade soup or a variety of toppings to choose from, make some options available. Not only does having a choice brighten up soup night, but it also allows reluctant soup eaters to have some power in the matter.
- Provide some delicious breads. My kids absolutely love Garlic Focaccia and breadsticks as well as popovers. By offering these on soup night, I’m giving the kids — of all ages — something to look forward to, in addition to the homemade soup. In a pinch, cheese and crackers work, too.
- Bake a great dessert. It’s amazing to me how quickly the kids can scarf down a bowl of soup for dinner when they know there is a great dessert, like Slab Apple Pie to top off with. Since soup is so cheap to make, you can easily afford dessert!
- Pay attention to what they like. If your child or spouse isn’t quick to embrace homemade soup for dinner, never fear. Through trial and error, you’ll find ways to make it work. It may be a question of finding out which soups everyone likes.
- Try different styles of soup. If someone in the house doesn’t care for smooth, blended soups, choose chunkier soups like Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup or Spicy Beef & Bean Stew. If they prefer smooth soups, blend up a few pots of Roasted Vegetable Soup or Creamy Asparagus Soup.
- Keep a stockpile of frozen veg, beans, and small pasta on hand. Frozen green beans, corn, and peas are easy to stock as are orzo and canned beans. You can easily make soup for dinner with just a few pantry staples!
- Build a library of favorite homemade soup recipes. It’s not that some people don’t like soup for dinner. It’s that they haven’t found the soups that they love. Through trial and error, you’ll find the right styles and recipes to fit the folks at your table. Try the wide breadth of soup recipes available. (Scroll down for our faves!)
- Invest in the right kitchen tools for making soup. Making something easy to do makes you do it more often. You’ll save more money when you have the right kitchen equipment.
How to Freeze Soup for Dinner
Homemade soup is a great food to freeze. When you make a big batch, you can freeze it in 2-cup portions for later. In this way, everyone in the household can enjoy his or her favorite without your needing to be a short order cook.
Likewise, you can make a double batch every so often to freeze for later so that you can have soup for dinner without ever having to cook.
To freeze homemade soup: Prepare the soup according to the recipe. Divide into meal-size portions. Label with the dates and contents. Chill completely in the refrigerator. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To serve frozen soup: Reheat from frozen and serve. You can do this in a pot on the stove, in the instant pot, in the slow cooker, or in the microwave for smaller portions.
Take Advantage of Souptember
In our estore you can find a digital goodie box filled with resources to elevate your soup dinners.
From easy soup recipes and a monthlong meal plan to what to serve with soups, like homemade breads and sandwiches, we’ve got you covered for yummy soups for dinner for months to come!
Easy Soup Recipes for Dinner
Here are some of the more popular recipes Good Cheap Eaters enjoy:
Tell us what you think!
We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.
This post was originally published on October 10, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Nicola
In your recipe for Quicker Minestrone, it calls for 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans. Are they supposed to be dry (raw) or canned/cooked? If I use the wrong form, I’m worried that my Minestrone might have chewy Ceci beans, or that they’ll cook down to nothing. I’m thinking I’ll make this tonight in my new “toy” (the Instant Pot I got for Christmas)
Jessica Fisher
Canned or cooked. Sorry for missing that.
Lynette Wilhelm
Last week I made potato soup, which is only liked by 4 of the 6 people here (two do not like potatoes in any way, except french fried!) I also happened to make chili that same week (which our version is actually more like “bean soup” because it’s not spicy at all). Both make enough for double nights of meals and I realized on the second night of left-overs with the potato soup and the people who were not liking that soup were complaining, that I could have given them our chili as an option. I think in the future, I’ll make both of them in the same week, and then offer left-overs to those who don’t like the potato soup option. Breadsticks sounds like lots of fun too!
Jessica Fisher
Sounds like a good plan!
K Yee
Yes to the idea of adding good bread! I know someone mentioned cornbread which is a family favourite. Also top favourites to have with soup are biscuits, cornmeal muffins or other savoury muffins. Growing up my Mom often would serve one of our (the kids) favourite salads with soup including grated carrot with sunflower seeds and raisins or an apple salad. Having something that was a favourite made for smiles all around even if soup was not the favourite item for all.
Jessica Fisher
Great ideas. Thanks!
Christine
I love soup and would eat it all the time, but it gets so many groans. Thanks for the tips!
Jessica Fisher
Brave the pushback! I am right there with you. I decided I’m a train with a cowcatcher on it. I’m coming on through with my plan. 😉
Jori
When my children were little, soup night always went over better when there was something to dip in it! Bread sticks went over very well. Or little cubes of cheese they could float in the soup and then eat when they got melty. Whatever it takes! Even at 17 and almost 20, they still like cubes of cheese in their tomato soup!
Jessica Fisher
Love that sweet memory!
Janine
I tried to look to see if I can find it but alas….. what is the soup in the picture in this post?
Jessica Fisher
That was probably a version of Stone Soup: https://goodcheapeats.com/2013/10/soup-is-good-food-or-how-to-make-stone-soup/
Lynette W.
Thanks for this reminder post Jessica! My kids are reluctant soup eaters too! Drives me crazy (though they don’t like the canned chicken and noodle stuff too – so that’s for some weird reason, encouraging to me!) I pretty much have followed all of your tips as well. I figure over time having crock-pot soup night ingrained in their brains and they’ll get it that soup is great and fun to eat! I can certainly hope 🙂
My oldest use to eat chilli as a baby (because, hey she was given a spoon! liquid drained of course!) than she went through what I call the picky 3 – 6 yr old years where they don’t like ANYTHING (even that chilli!) Now she is back to loving chilli (at 8 now, almost 9!) and even asks for seconds and says it’s her favorite! Glad I didn’t give up those foods on her during those years….Now I just have to wait patiently while my other kids each go through their picky years. Great Tips! Thanks for the reminder 🙂
christy
i was going to ask for the slab apple pie but saw someone else already asked. I made a mexican dish the other night that used up little bits and pieces too. We like soup and toppings are always a must!
Susan Ely
Soup, beautiful soup! Turkey vegetable for dinner tonight, ham and bean soup in the freezer, and just finished up a pot of ham and potato soup. Umm, ummm good!
Kaz
Soup is a staple in my house! I take it for lunch most days as it heats up easily and, paired with a salad, is a cheap and sooo yummy! 😀 And with fresh bread it always hits the spot.
Jackie Brown
I love soup in the fall, so cozy. I like to double my recipes and freeze extra for a non-cooking night. I will reheat two frozen soups, one in the crock pot and the other on the stove-top to offer choices. Plus soup is such a frugal meal for company or give away! Ummm, cornbread or homemade bread hits the spot.
Melinda P
My 5 year old loves soup (especially tomato), but my 3 year old and 2 year old won’t touch the stuff. Maybe when they get a little older they’ll be more open to it.
Kelley
We have Saturday night soup night here in the colder weather. I meet a lot of resistence with all kinds of soup I make. I try to have them on an 8 week rotation. But this past Saturday my mind was blown!! I served your recipe for Roasted Vegetable soup. And they.ate.it.all!!!!!!!!!!! I would have NEVER guessed a soup made of vegetables and pureed would be THE soup to serve! Thank you one million times!!!
Jessica
@Kelley, Yeah! That makes my day!
Sarah
@Jessica, I also made this soup! I had all the ingredients from my CSA as well. The kids had an aversion to the peppers, but both my husband and I L-O-V-E-D it. Not to mention its just pure veggies. This has given me a spring board to create similar soups – thank you!
Lucky @ Making My Own Luck
The college DH and I attended did bread and soup night once a week and donated the money they saved to charity. When we graduated and got married I kept up the tradition except now the charity is us. So, my kids are used to it, but I agree good bread or crackers and a bit of dessert help a lot. I also like to add a pitcher of lemonade or iced tea to make things seem even more special (we usually drink water or milk).
Kim
We all love soup (my 3 boys included). I think soup is a success because I am sure to include some kid of hearty ingredient. Whether it’s the additional of little meatballs in the soup, thick hearty chunks of potatoes in their chowder , or just the addition of a few tortellini in the soup, it seems to make the difference.
Valerie
I’ve declared Wednesday, Soup Night, at our house. It’s AWANA’s night and soup is a perfect go to meal so we can eat and head out the door. My oldest son actually asks for soup for dinner sometimes. This week is Beef Barley – will have to look into the slab apple pie too!
Jackie Brown
@Valerie, I’d love a link to the beef barley soup. Is it Fish mama’s recipe? Have you tried freezing it?
Valerie
@Jackie Brown, Sorry Jackie, the recipe for the soup is in a good old fashioned cookbook (Better Homes & Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes) and I don’t have a blog to link to. I’ve never frozen it, but I think you could if you kept the barley out until you reheated. (I add the barley at the end in my crockpot.)
Jessica
@Jackie Brown, my recipe is, ahem, in the cookbook. Wait for it? 😉
But, I do freeze it with the barley in it cooked already.
Kaz
@Jackie Brown, this is my go-to Beef with Barley soup recipe. DELICIOUS and easy!
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=593315 🙂
SharonMarie
Soup at our house IS a meal. I usually serve some type of bread or sandwich with it, then raw veggies, pickles or olives, or crackers and cheese. My kids don’t complain at all. When its cold we like to have it once a week.
Amy
Love soup! My five-year old actually said, the other night, “Can we not have soup for dinner tomorrow?”. Guess I need to change it up a little bit.
Can you point me to the recipe for the slab apple pie you mention? I know I’ve seen it before but I don’t seem to be finding it in your recipe index, it IS early but…
Thanks!
Jessica
@Amy, it’s on LifeasMOM. Here’s the link: http://lifeasmom.com/2009/11/slab-apple-pie-perfect-for-fall-perfect.html