20 Hearty Dinner Soups for Easy Weeknight Meals
When you need a satisfying dinner that warms you from the inside out, these hearty soups deliver exactly what you’re craving. Each one is filling enough to be the star of your evening meal, packed with proteins, vegetables, and bold flavors that make dinnertime feel special.
1. Vegetable Soup
I know vegetable soup sounds basic, but this one actually has serious flavor because I let the vegetables build their own savory base instead of trying to force it. It’s hearty enough for dinner when you serve it with crusty bread, and honestly, it tastes better the next day.
2. Cheesy Potato Soup
The bacon fat from rendering the bacon at the start makes this soup ridiculously good – it creates this smoky foundation that flavors every single bite. This is the kind of soup that makes you forget you’re eating dinner at home instead of at your favorite restaurant.
3. Barley Soup
Blooming the curry powder and thyme with the aromatics before adding any liquid is my secret for getting deep, complex flavor in this soup. The barley makes it incredibly filling, and the spices give it this warm, comforting taste that’s perfect for dinner.
4. Chickpea Soup
I love how this soup gets creamy and rich without any dairy – just by pureeing some of the finished soup and stirring it back in. The chickpeas make it protein-packed enough for a proper dinner, and the texture is so satisfying.
5. Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
This isn’t your average chicken noodle soup – the roux made from butter and flour gives it this luxurious, creamy texture that makes it feel like a complete dinner. The thick, rich broth clings to the noodles and chicken in the best way.
6. Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup
The chili beans in this soup do all the heavy lifting for flavor – they’re canned in this seasoned sauce that adds so much depth you’d think I spent hours building it from scratch. Plus, making it in the crockpot means dinner is ready when you walk in the door.
7. Corn Soup
Simmering the corn cobs in the broth extracts this incredible milky, sweet corn flavor that you just can’t get any other way. It sounds simple, but this technique makes the soup taste like pure summer in a bowl, even when it’s freezing outside.
8. Sausage Potato Soup
Browning the sausage first and using that rendered fat to cook the onions creates this amazing flavor foundation that makes the whole soup taste rich and savory. The potatoes make it hearty enough that you won’t be hungry an hour later.
9. Loaded Potato Soup
I use a mix of Yukon Gold and red potatoes because they each do something different – the Yukons break down to make it creamy while the reds hold their shape for texture. It’s like a loaded baked potato in soup form, which makes it perfect for dinner.
10. Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Blending the vegetables until they’re completely smooth is what gives this soup that restaurant-quality, velvety texture. The cheese melts into this perfectly thick, creamy base that makes it feel indulgent enough for dinner.
11. Minestrone Soup
Sautéing the tomato paste with the aromatics until it darkens is the key step that most people skip – it caramelizes the paste and creates this deep, rich flavor that makes the whole soup taste incredible. The beans and pasta make it filling enough to be dinner.
12. Taco Soup
Blooming the spices directly in the pot after browning the beef infuses so much flavor into this soup that it tastes like it’s been simmering all day. It’s basically a taco in soup form, which makes it perfect for dinner with some tortilla chips or cornbread.
13. Potato Leek Soup
The buttery golden potatoes break down into this incredibly creamy, rich soup when you blend them smooth – no heavy cream needed. The leeks add this subtle, elegant flavor that makes it feel fancy enough for a dinner party but easy enough for weeknight dinner.
14. Vegetable Beef Soup
Searing the ground beef with the vegetables and cooking down the tomato paste until it darkens builds this deep, savory flavor that makes the soup taste like it’s been simmering for hours. The beef makes it hearty enough that it’s definitely dinner, not just a starter.
15. Stuffed Pepper Soup
All the flavors of stuffed peppers but in soup form – the deeply browned Italian sausage creates this flavorful base that makes every spoonful incredible. It’s so much easier than making actual stuffed peppers, but just as satisfying for dinner.
16. Lasagna Soup
This soup has all the flavors of lasagna without all the work – caramelizing the tomato paste with the sausage creates that deep, rich taste that makes it special. The pasta and cheese make it feel like you’re eating actual lasagna, just in soup form.
17. Chicken Tortilla Soup
The cream cheese whisked into the hot broth is what makes this soup so creamy and rich – it melts perfectly without clumping. Top it with all your favorite tortilla soup fixings and you’ve got a dinner that rivals any restaurant version.
18. Cheeseburger Soup
The roux base combined with the vegetable and potato soup creates this incredibly rich, creamy texture that tastes exactly like a cheeseburger in soup form. It’s comfort food at its finest and definitely filling enough to be the main event for dinner.
19. Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
The classic roux foundation gives this soup its body, and the key is how you melt the cheese – low and slow so it stays smooth and creamy. This thick, rich soup is restaurant-quality good and perfect for a cozy dinner at home.
20. Italian Wedding Soup Recipe
Despite the name having nothing to do with weddings, this soup with tiny meatballs in rich broth with greens and pasta is perfect for dinner. The key is making sure those little meatballs are perfectly seasoned – they’re what make the whole soup special.
