You’re staring at the grocery receipt, wondering how you just spent $200 and still have no idea what’s for dinner this week. Everything costs more, and the meals you used to stretch aren’t stretching like they used to.
Soup saved me more times than I can count when my kids were young and the checking account was running on fumes before payday. A pot of soup fed us for days, cost almost nothing, and somehow felt like I was still taking care of everyone even when I couldn’t afford much else.
These 15 soups feed your family twice – maybe three times if you serve smaller portions the first night and freeze half. They use basic ingredients you probably have, plus one or two cheap staples like beans, lentils, or potatoes. Most cost under $10 for the whole pot, and several cost even less.
You’ll find White Bean and Sausage Soup that costs about $3 total and tastes like you tried way harder than you did, Lentil Soup that works with whatever vegetables are dying in your crisper drawer, and Chicken and Rice Soup made from a rotisserie chicken that turns one $8 chicken into three meals’ worth of soup. There’s also Potato Cheese Soup that’s creamy and filling without cream, and Black Bean Soup that costs maybe $4 and fills everyone up.
Your family gets real food. You get to stop doing math in the grocery aisle.
1. White Bean and Sausage Soup
One pound of smoked sausage costs about $4, and a few cans of white beans cost maybe $3 total. This feeds six people for under $10, which comes to about $1.65 per serving. Browning the sausage slices first gets those crispy edges, then everything simmers together for 30 minutes. The beans make it filling enough that you don’t need sides – just some crusty bread if you have it. Prep takes 10 minutes, cooking another 30. Throw in whatever vegetables are getting soft in your crisper drawer. I’ve used spinach, kale, diced carrots, even frozen mixed vegetables.
2. Lentil Soup with Whatever Vegetables You Have
Dried lentils cost pennies per serving and don’t need soaking like other beans. A one-pound bag typically costs $2 and makes enough soup for eight servings – that’s 25 cents per bowl before you even count the vegetables. Use whatever needs using up: half an onion, those three carrots rolling around, the celery going limp. The whole pot comes together in about 45 minutes and gets better the next day. Add a can of diced tomatoes if you have one. Lentils cook fast and turn creamy without any effort from you.
3. Chicken and Rice Soup from a Rotisserie Chicken
When your grocery store marks down rotisserie chickens at the end of the day, grab one for around $5 instead of the usual $7-8. One chicken gives you meat for soup plus bones for broth – two meals in one. Add rice (maybe 50 cents worth), some carrots and celery (another $2), and you’ve got eight servings for under $8 total. That’s a dollar per bowl. The whole thing takes 20 minutes if you use the store chicken. Pick the meat off while the broth simmers, then add everything back in the last 10 minutes.
4. Potato Cheese Soup
Five pounds of potatoes run about $4 and make enough soup to feed your family twice. Dice them small, so they cook faster – about 20 minutes in chicken broth. The secret is mashing some of the potatoes right in the pot to make it creamy without adding cream. A bag of shredded cheddar (about $3.50) goes in at the end. Total cost comes in under $10 for eight servings. Back when we were paying off debt, I made this every other week because the ingredients are basics you probably have anyway. Top with bacon bits if you splurged on a package.
5. Black Bean Soup
Three cans of black beans cost maybe $3, and that’s most of your soup right there. Blend one can to make it thick and leave the other two whole for texture. Cumin and garlic make it taste way more expensive than it is. The whole pot totals around $5 and serves six people – that’s 83 cents per serving. Prep and cook time together is about 35 minutes. This one’s great because you can stretch it with rice on the side. Kids who say they don’t like beans will eat this with cheese and chips on top.
6. Cabbage and Sausage Soup
One head of cabbage costs about $2 and looks like way too much until it cooks down to nothing. Half a package of smoked sausage adds flavor without killing your budget – around $2 for half. The cabbage turns sweet when it simmers, and the sausage makes everything taste rich. Total cost comes in under $8 for six big servings. It takes 15 minutes to chop everything and 40 minutes to cook. This was one of those weeknight staples when my kids were small.
7. Split Pea Soup with Ham
A bag of dried split peas is about $2 and sits in your pantry forever until you need it. If you have a ham bone from dinner, this soup is basically free. No ham bone? A $3 ham steak, diced up, works fine. The peas break down into this thick, creamy soup without any help from you – just time. The total cost is about $6 for eight servings. It takes an hour to cook, but only 10 minutes of actual work from you. This freezes great and tastes even better reheated.
8. Tomato Rice Soup
This comes together in 30 minutes from two cans of crushed tomatoes (about $3), rice (maybe 50 cents worth), and pantry staples you already have. It serves six for under $5 total – that’s about 80 cents per serving. Add a pinch of sugar to cut the tomato acid. Kids love this one because it tastes like a grilled cheese without the sandwich. You can blend it smoothly if your kids are picky about texture, or leave it chunky. Tastes way fancier than it costs.
9. Beef and Barley Soup
Ground beef costs over $6 a pound these days, but you only need half a pound for this soup. Barley comes to about $2 for a bag and makes the soup so filling you don’t need much meat. The barley puffs up and gets chewy – kids think it’s fun to eat. Total cost is about $10 for eight servings, which is $1.25 per bowl. It takes 15 minutes to brown the meat and chop vegetables, then everything simmers for 45 minutes. Use whatever frozen vegetables are on sale. The barley keeps you full way longer than pasta would.
10. Corn Chowder
Three cans of corn cost around $2.50, and you’re halfway done. A few diced potatoes (maybe $1 worth) make it hearty, and milk makes it creamy without using actual cream. The whole pot totals under $6 and serves six people. Cook bacon first if you have it, but honestly, it’s good without. Total time is about 40 minutes, start to finish. This tastes like something from a restaurant but costs almost nothing. A little Old Bay seasoning on top makes all the difference.
11. Minestrone with Pasta
This is that “everything but the kitchen sink” soup when you need to use up vegetables before they go bad. A can of kidney beans is about $1.50, pasta is maybe 50 cents, and canned tomatoes are another $1.50. Whatever vegetables are getting soft, go in – zucchini, carrots, green beans, doesn’t matter. The whole pot comes in under $8 and feeds eight people. It takes 20 minutes of chopping and 30 minutes of simmering. Keep the pasta separate and add it to each bowl so leftovers don’t get mushy.
12. Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Frozen broccoli costs about $2.50 per bag and works just as well as fresh for soup. Sharp cheddar (about $4 for 8 ounces) makes this taste expensive. Skip the heavy cream and use milk with a little flour to thicken it – same result for way less money. Total cost comes to around $8 for six servings, about $1.35 per bowl. The whole thing takes 35 minutes. Kids who won’t touch broccoli any other way will eat this. Blend it smooth or leave it chunky depending on your family.
13. Taco Soup
One pound of ground beef, one packet of taco seasoning, and whatever canned beans you have on hand. The meat runs around $6, beans maybe $3 total, and a can of diced tomatoes another $1.50. This serves eight people for under $12 – that’s $1.50 per serving. It takes 15 minutes to brown the meat, then everything just simmers together for 20 minutes. Top with crushed tortilla chips and cheese. My adult kids still ask me to make this when they come over. It tastes like tacos but goes so much further.
14. Navy Bean and Ham Soup
A bag of dried navy beans costs around $2 and makes enough soup for a crowd. If you don’t have ham, bacon ends from the deli counter run about $2 and add tons of flavor. The beans need to soak overnight, but that’s not actual work – just planning. Total cost is about $6 for eight generous servings. After soaking, everything simmers for 90 minutes until the beans are creamy. Mash some beans against the pot to thicken it naturally. This was my go-to when I needed to stretch groceries at the end of the month.
15. Pasta Fagioli
Two cans of cannellini beans cost around $3, and a can of diced tomatoes runs about $1.50. Small pasta shapes work great for this – ditalini or elbow macaroni costs maybe a dollar. The whole pot comes together for under $8 and feeds six people, which works out to about $1.30 per bowl. Brown some ground beef if you have it, but this works plenty of times without meat when the budget is tight. It takes 15 minutes to get everything in the pot, then 25 minutes of simmering. Sounds fancy, tastes expensive, costs almost nothing.
Your Family Eats Well This Week
That $200 grocery receipt doesn’t have to mean another week of panic about what’s for dinner. These soups stretch what you already have into meals that fill everyone up and give you breathing room.
Start with White Bean and Sausage Soup if you need something that tastes expensive but costs $3, try Lentil Soup with Whatever Vegetables You Have when the crisper drawer is full of odds and ends, or make Chicken and Rice Soup from a Rotisserie Chicken when you need that $8 chicken to work three times as hard. Each one feeds your family tonight and probably tomorrow too.
You’re not failing because groceries cost more than they should. You’re doing exactly what needs doing – feeding your family real food without breaking what’s left in the checking account.