These 15 cozy winter soups are exactly what you want on a cold December night: creamy, hearty, and ready without hours at the stove. Most of them are made in the Instant Pot, and many are copycats of restaurant favorites from Panera, Olive Garden, Outback, and Cracker Barrel.
December gets busy fast. Between shopping, wrapping, and holiday parties, a pot of soup is the easiest way to get a warm, filling dinner on the table. Make a big batch on Sunday, and you’ve got lunches for the week. The list is grouped into creamy soups, chicken soups, and hearty soups, so you can pick a favorite from each.
Creamy Winter Soups
Rich, velvety, and perfect with a slice of crusty bread.
1. Instant Pot Panera Baked Potato Soup
All the flavor of the Panera favorite, ready in under an hour. Mash the potatoes right in the pot to the texture you like, then top each bowl with bacon, cheddar, and green onions.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Panera Baked Potato Soup
2. Instant Pot Copycat Panera Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Panera’s most-ordered soup, made at home. Broccoli, carrots, onion, and sharp cheddar melt into a thick, creamy soup. Serve it in a bread bowl for the full Panera experience.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Copycat Panera’s Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
3. Copycat Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup
Outback’s signature onion soup is thick, creamy, and cheesy instead of brothy. Caramelized Vidalia onions and sharp cheddar make it rich, and it’s ready in about 25 minutes.
Get the recipe: Copycat Outback Steakhouse Walkabout Soup
4. Copycat Nordstrom Tomato Basil Soup
Creamy tomato basil soup made three ways: Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop, with the same ingredients for each. Pair it with a grilled cheese for the ultimate cold-weather lunch.
Get the recipe: Copycat Nordstrom Tomato Basil Soup
5. Copycat Costco Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut squash and sweet potato blended with coconut milk, ginger, and garlic. It’s dairy-free and vegan, yet it still tastes creamy. It also freezes well, which makes it perfect for batch cooking.
Get the recipe: Copycat Costco Butternut Squash Soup
Comforting Chicken Soups
The soups you crave when it’s freezing outside or someone in the house has a cold.
6. Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
Tender chicken, soft potato gnocchi, and vegetables in a creamy broth. It tastes like the Olive Garden classic, and the Instant Pot makes it weeknight-easy.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden Copycat
7. Instant Pot Jason’s Deli Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Everything you love about chicken pot pie, with chicken and vegetables in a creamy, filling broth. Serve it with a biscuit on top for that pot pie feeling.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Jason’s Deli Chicken Pot Pie Soup
8. Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken Noodle Soup
A classic, homestyle chicken noodle soup with tender chicken, egg noodles, carrots, celery, and a rich broth. This is the bowl you want on a snow day.
Get the recipe: Copycat Cracker Barrel Chicken Noodle Soup
9. Demos Chicken and Rice Soup
A hearty soup of tender chicken, rice, and vegetables in a savory broth. Short on time? Shred a rotisserie chicken and stir it in near the end.
Get the recipe: Demos Chicken and Rice Soup
10. Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Shredded chicken, peppers, tomatoes, and green chiles make a hearty soup with all the flavor of enchiladas. Top it with sour cream, cilantro, and avocado.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Hearty Winter Soups
Stick-to-your-ribs soups that eat like a full meal.
11. Instant Pot Copycat Carrabba’s Sausage Lentil Soup
Italian sausage and lentils in a rich, savory broth, just like the Carrabba’s favorite. It’s protein-packed and filling enough for dinner on its own.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Copycat Carrabba’s Sausage Lentil Soup
12. Copycat Culver’s Stuffed Pepper Soup
All the flavor of stuffed peppers with none of the stuffing. Ground beef, bell peppers, and rice simmer in a rich tomato broth in the slow cooker. Add cheese right before serving.
Get the recipe: Copycat Culver’s Stuffed Pepper Soup
13. Instant Pot Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
Vegetables, beans, and pasta in a hearty tomato broth, ready in about 30 minutes. It’s naturally vegetarian, just like the Olive Garden version.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
14. Instant Pot Copycat Applebee’s French Onion Soup
Sweet, slow-cooked onions in a savory broth, finished with melted Gruyere cheese. Swap in vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
Get the recipe: Instant Pot Copycat Applebee’s French Onion Soup
15. Progresso Copycat New England Clam Chowder
A creamy, cozy chowder loaded with clams and red potatoes. It freezes well, and you can make it in a slow cooker instead of the Instant Pot.
Get the recipe: Progresso Copycat New England Clam Chowder
Tips for Making, Storing, and Freezing Winter Soup
- Make a double batch. Soup is just as easy to make in a big pot, and leftovers make quick lunches all week.
- Cook pasta and rice separately for leftovers. Noodles and rice keep soaking up broth in the fridge. Store them apart if you plan to eat the soup over several days.
- Cool soup before you freeze it. Let it cool completely, then pack it into freezer-safe containers with a little room at the top.
- Freeze the right soups. Broth-based and pureed soups, like butternut squash and minestrone without the pasta, freeze best. Soups thickened with cream or cheese can turn grainy.
- Thaw overnight. Move frozen soup to the fridge the night before, then reheat it gently on the stove or in the Instant Pot.
- Add toppings at the end. Cheese, sour cream, fresh herbs, and croutons taste best when you add them right before serving.
Winter Soup FAQs
What is the best soup for a cold winter night? Creamy soups like baked potato, broccoli cheddar, and Walkabout onion soup are hard to beat on a cold night. For something lighter, try chicken noodle or minestrone.
Can I make these soups without an Instant Pot? Yes. Several of these recipes include stovetop or slow cooker options, like the Nordstrom tomato basil soup and the Culver’s stuffed pepper soup. Check each recipe for its cooking methods.
Which of these soups are vegetarian? The Olive Garden minestrone is naturally vegetarian, and the Costco butternut squash soup is vegan. You can make the French onion soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth.
Which soups freeze best? The butternut squash soup and the clam chowder both freeze well. For soups with pasta, like minestrone, freeze the soup without the pasta and add fresh pasta when you reheat it.
What should I serve with winter soup? Crusty bread, grilled cheese sandwiches, biscuits, or a simple green salad all turn a bowl of soup into a full meal.
Stay warm, and enjoy every cozy bowl this December!
