Tuesday Tip: Soup Season — Cheap Soup Recipes From 57 Cents a Serving
These cheap soup recipes are proof that soup season is not only good for our tummies — it’s good for our wallets, too. I took three of my family’s favorite soups and did a budget breakdown on every one of them, because I was curious to see if soup is really the good deal everybody says it is. And it is. Soups are a great deal, and my cheapest one comes in at just 57 cents a serving.
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When you are feeding seven people, the grocery bill is never far from my mind. So I sat down with these three recipes and figured out what each one really costs per bowl. I went from the most expensive down to the least expensive, and there’s a little range on every one, just depending on where you shop and what groceries cost that week. But honestly, even the high end of every range surprised me.
Cheap Soup Recipes — My Budget Breakdown, Most Expensive to Least
Creamy Spinach Tortellini Soup — $1.40 to $2.00 a Serving
My most expensive soup — if you even want to call it that — is my creamy spinach tortellini soup. It makes about eight to nine servings, and it runs $1.40 to $2.00 a serving. We don’t always have a lot of leftovers from this one, because my crowd goes back for seconds. Tear off a piece of bread for dipping and nobody will believe it came out of one pot.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup — $1.00 to $1.44 a Serving
Next up is my broccoli cheddar soup — so delicious, and such a family favorite. It makes nine to ten servings, so I usually have a couple of lunches I can pack off after dinner, too. That one comes in at $1.00 to $1.44 a serving.
Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup — 57 to 79 Cents a Serving
And finally, my cheapest — and also delicious — is my quick and easy chicken noodle soup. It’s ready in one pot in about 20 minutes, and it makes about 14 servings. That is 57 to 79 cents a serving, and I feed my family twice over with it. Two full meals out of one pot of chicken noodle soup. Even if you take the more expensive end of that range, it is still under 80 cents a person.
Why Cheap Soup Recipes Stretch So Far
Soup is one big pot, and one big pot goes a long way. Pasta, broth, and vegetables fill every bowl without a lot of meat, so a little bit of chicken or cheese carries the whole recipe. And the leftovers are the bonus — a pot that feeds us dinner tonight can turn into lunches or a second dinner later in the week, and that’s where the real savings show up. If you want to stretch it even further, save your parmesan rinds and drop one into the pot for a whole lot of flavor for free.
Cozy and comforting is not the only great thing about soup season. It’s also a pretty good deal. All three of these recipes are free on my website, and you can print or download every one of them right from the recipe card. So you know what? Let’s go make some soup, y’all. That’s my Tuesday tip for you. Come to the table, y’all. It’s time to eat.
Cheap Soup Recipes FAQ — Your Soup Budget Questions
Which of these cheap soup recipes is the least expensive?
My quick and easy chicken noodle soup, hands down. It costs 57 to 79 cents a serving, makes about 14 servings, and feeds my family of seven twice.
Why is there a price range instead of one number?
Grocery prices change depending on where you shop and the week you shop. The low end is what I pay on a good week, and the high end covers the more expensive stores. Even the high end of every soup is still a great deal for a family dinner.
Are these soups good for feeding a crowd?
They are made for it. Every one of them makes eight servings or more, and the chicken noodle soup makes about 14. Add a loaf of bread or some rolls and you have dinner for a crowd for just a few dollars.
How long does leftover soup keep?
The FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart says soups and stews with meat or vegetables keep about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 2 to 3 months in the freezer. I pack mine into individual containers for grab-and-go lunches.
📅 New here?
Every Tuesday Tip I have shared lives on my Tuesday Tips page — sorted by what you need, from feeding a crowd to stretching the grocery budget.
More Tuesday Tips You’ll Love
- Tuesday Tip: Parmesan Rinds — Don’t Throw Them Away, Save Them for Soup — the free flavor boost for every pot on this page.
- Tuesday Tip: Pork Loin — One $19 Costco Loin, Four Dinners for My Family of Seven — another way I stretch the grocery money.
- Tuesday Tip: Feeding a Crowd — How to Feed 10 People on One Pound of Meat — the same idea as soup: make a little meat go a long way.
- Every Tuesday tip, newest first — all my kitchen and money-saving tips in one place.
📬 Come to the table on Saturday
Every Saturday morning I send a printable meal plan and full grocery list — the whole week, formatted for the fridge and the grocery run — plus new recipes and whatever’s happening at the Longstreth house. Drop your email below and I’ll save you a seat.
Cheap Soup Recipes — About Stephanie’s Tips
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.
