On a cold winter day, there’s nothing like a hearty bowl of soup. However, making a big batch of soup can be time-consuming, especially on a weeknight. How much easier would it be if you could pull it out of the freezer in the morning and simply heat it up when you get home?

That’s the plan here – check out these amazing freezer soup recipes that will make your life a lot easier.

Remember: you want to make sure your soups have cooled completely before putting them in the freezer!

Ham Bone, Greens & Bean Soup

I found this recipe on thekitchn.com and fell in love!

• 1 c dried pinto beans*
• 4 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 ham bone (about 1 1/4 pounds and cut into half or thirds, which your butcher can do for you)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded (should be about 8 cups)
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped into bite-size pieces after removing the stems
• 8 c of water
• ground black pepper to taste
• hot sauce or cider vinegar, for serving

* soak the beans, preferably in cold water overnight, then drain before using. If you don’t have that much time, add them to a large pot with lots of cold water and bring it to a boil. Then turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for an hour and then drain.

If your ham bone has lots of bits of meat on it, you’ll want to take as much of that off as you can, but save it!

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add your bacon. Cook until it’s crisp (about 5-7 minutes) and remove with a slotted spoon. Put it on some paper towels to drain. You want to keep all that bacon fat in the pot! Add your carrots, celery, and onions and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Then add your garlic and cook for another minute. Add in your ham bone and bay leaf, plus 8 cups of water and salt. Bring this to a boil over high heat, then add the beans, turning the heat down to medium-low and let that simmer for 30 minutes. 

Next, add the cabbage and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. Stir in your kale and cook for about 15 minutes. You want it to still be really green but soft. Add in those reserved bits of meat you took off the bone earlier and stir them in (it’s okay if you don’t have a lot though). Add your black pepper to taste.

For serving: reheat in a large pot. Dish out the bowls, add a dash of hot sauce or vinegar, and crumble the cooked bacon on top!

Some notes here:

• You may not see ham bones but just ask the butcher. You can also use ham hocks, pork shanks, or another smoked pork option. However, if you’d like a different option you can use the bacon as called for in the recipe and substitute chicken broth for the water. You’ll still have great flavour.
• If you’d prefer canned beans, make sure you give them a really good rinse and add them in when you do the cabbage. You’ll need about three cups.
• You can replace the kale with collards, swiss chard, or spinach if you’d prefer. If you do go with spinach, it only needs about five minutes.

Italian Basil Sausage Soup

Just the name of this one had me drooling! This recipe comes from theslowroasteditalian.com and it is a fill-you-up kind of soup.

• 1 lb Italian sausage (not ground)
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 c chicken broth
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 15-oz can cannellini beans (white), rinsed and drained
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 6-oz can tomato paste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 lb dried orecchiette pasta (or shells) – at time of serving
• 2 c fresh basil leaves – at time of serving

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add your olive oil and sausage, and start cooking. Add your carrots and celery, and then cook until the sausage is browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Once the sausage is done, remove it from the pot. Add all the remaining ingredients (except the pasta and basil). While that is coming to a boil, slice your sausage into coins and add it back into the soup.

For serving: reheat soup to a boil. Add your pasta and basil and cook until the pasta is done, which is about 10 minutes. Serve!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe is a personal favourite at my house, I make it often. Thanks to geniuskitchen.com for this one!

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium jalapeno, chopped
• 1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
• 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 c frozen corn
• 1/2 dry white wine or water (your choice)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 14-oz cans of chicken broth
• 2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes
• 2 8-oz cans tomato sauce

For serving:

• sour cream
• shredded cheese
• Avocado
• Cilantro
• tortilla chips

Poach chicken breasts in the liquid of your choice. Once done, remove from liquid and shred (two forks work really well for this) and set aside. Saute onions, garlic, jalapeno, and green pepper in the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot until soft. Add all the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Return all the chicken to the pot and simmer for another 45 minutes.

For serving: reheat the soup and add toppings of your choice to your bowl.

A note here: I like to poach my chicken separately and then shred it because I’ll make the soup in my crockpot. Add everything in the morning, set it to low, and it’s ready when I get home that night.

There you are! Three delicious recipes to try that you can freeze for an easy dinner. Soup’s on!

Related article: Easy Winter Recipes to Try Tonight

 Originally posted Nov 14, 2017; updated Nov 10, 2022

Author: Sereena S.

Mom of two, wife to one, and a dog lover. Although cats can be okay too, but only sometimes...