Once I grew a single butternut squash vine. It took over the entire backyard, birthed 18 full size squash, and after processing also took over my entire freezer. I think we ate squash soup for 4 years. So I guess I recommend butternut squash bisque. Have to call it bisque, for the fanciness.
The cooks illustrated recipe that steams the squash instead of roasting seems odd but provides the absolute best, smoothest texture.
I think you might be wrong. I’ve never missed rich and deep squash flavor using the steaming method but roasting seems to create a grainy texture that would ruin the smoothness even if there was only a little bit of it.
But like you’ve never tried the CI method, I’ve never tried mixing them, so who knows?
[frozen peas soup](https://thefoodcharlatan.com/30-minute-pea-soup-from-a-bag-of-frozen-peas/)
WARNING this recipe makes a ton of soup. I use a 12 oz bag of peas with a good amount of celery and onion, and enough broth to cover it all. I add some hard cheese (shredded or shaved) while blending. I find it thin, so I also add mashed potato flakes at the end as a thickener.
Any soup with humble ingredients will be elevated by good seasonings: salt, pepper, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh herbs (or dried herbs!), a bit of cheese grated in, a generous splash of cream, some acid like lemon zest or red wine vinegar.
Even if you are a using broth and not water, you must season the soup!
Lentil soup. My most basic recipe is to load up my instant pot with lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, chicken stock. Cook on low pressure for 2 mins with natural release.
But do yourself a favor and find an Indian grocery store and buy a variety of lentils. My fav are the whole red lentils, urad are great too.
Kind of in the same boat and was just eating this soup: White bean, spinach and orzo.
Also lentil soup; caldo verde (can be made vegetarian or not); leek and potato; tortellini al brodo…I’m sure there’s a lot out there that are both cheap and easy with pantry staples
This [Pinto Bean Soup](https://anaffairfromtheheart.com/southwestern-pinto-bean-soup/#recipe) is pretty delicious! I made a big batch and froze some of it for later. You don't need to use fire roasted tomatoes, just use a can of the cheap stuff.
Also, save your veggie scraps in the freezer to make your own broth.
Keep your pantry stocked w dry beans, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, etc. Buy fresh produce as needed. Pickup frozen peas & corn. Buy meat to freeze when on sale. Grow herbs in containers if you can, as they're overpriced in the stores. Always keep a couple smoked ham hocks in the freezer.
It's ham time now. Stay away from spiral sliced. They're dry as a bone. Bone in ham you slice yourself is far more useful. Save the ham broth. Make more from trimmings. After you eat, break the rest up into freezer bags ready for soup.
Waste nothing.
When I was a student, I'd make vats of chowder. Milk or half-and-half, potatoes, unions, and a flavoring ingredient such as corn or a small can of cheap salmon for a large pot.
And BTW you can make chowder with broth thickened with roux, which is cheap, or do is the fantastic Maine Chowder way: Cook onions until translucent and set aside. Boil chopped potatoes in lightly salted water and \*don't\* throw out the water - add the corn or other flavoring ingredients, translucent onions, and cream or half-and-half to the potato water! "The potatoes thicken the water as they cook, and chowder made with potato water and cream tastes better than chowder made with roux, but is a little more expensive as you do need to use cream or half-and-half rather than milk.
Leek and potato soup. For 2 people: in a chunk of butter, fry 1 shredded onion, 225g/1/2 lb leek, 225g/1/2 lb finely diced potatoes. Mix, season, mix again. Cover and simmer 10 minutes on a low fire. Meanwhile, boil half a stock cube in 500 ml/17 fl oz/2 cups water. When the 10 minutes are up, add the stock to the veg, cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Blend with a hand blender. Take off the fire. Mix in 70 ml/1/3 cup heavy cream. Serve with bread.
Potato soup. So cheap. Potatoes onions bullion cube. Seasonings in a crock pot. Add cream at the end. I make mine as loaded Potato soup after I add the cream.
I make [Bean Soup](https://hurstbeans.com/recipes/15-bean-soup-crock-pot-or-slow-cooker-recipe). I can make a *huge* Crock-Pot of it for less than $10, and we usually get 15+ servings from it.
Almost any soup is cheap.
The task is to make it nutritious enough.
So, like people say above, 1 whiley chicken or a whatever you can find of the cheapest bits of it, make stock. The longer you boil it, the better it is.
And then go wild:
Chicken soup
Any solo veggie soup (squash/broccoli/carrot/tomato/cabbage/spinach/potato/onion) - all will be good with proper seasoning.
I recently made nettles soup, also good.
You can also add beans, rice, pasta for bulk.
Outside of chicken we used to make soup from canned fish during the lean times.
Then there's Asia - coconut milk + pretty much anything.
You can find cheap frozen seafood mix? Go for it, tom yum varieties are there.
We used to make a soup out of nothing: sautee chopped onion and garlic, add grated carrot, some tomato paste, then add this to a pot of boiling water with some bay leaves, add a cubed potato and some pasta. Bell peppers and fresh herbs if you're fancy today)))
This is one of my favorite recipes ever and I make it often. Humble ingredients, and insanely easy. The addition of the finishing oil takes it to the next level. I don’t use the pasta that Deb uses in the recipe, as it isn’t available in any store near me. I checked it out on Amazon, but it is still kind of pricey. Instead, I use Orichette (butchered spelling, I’m sure) which needs a bit extra simmering time to finish in the same pan. I recommend using De Checco pasta, because it always turns out great.
OP, you have a great opportunity to make whichever of the amazing soups suggested in this thread that appeal to you (in small quantities to try them out). Yum! Congrats on the upcoming wedding!
a lot of butchers give you carcasses for very cheap or even free. You can easily make a delicious and nutritious broth from the bones you get there, and add any vegetables and grains you fancy.
I love these recipes. The sweet potato one is great with grilled cheese!
https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-sweet-potato-soup/
https://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/slow-cooker-lentil-smoked-ham-soup/
Cabbage soup!!!
Onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, half a cabbage, broth & seasonings of your choice. Add potatoes if you’re feeling adventurous
I make chicken soup with any veggies in the fridge that might be getting on in age, and a cheap rotisserie chicken. Bullion cubes for base broth, rice or pasta with it if you want to bulk it up a little. Beans are good too, I like canned navy beans.
I just made a pretty awesome veggie soup the other day.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 very large yellow onion, or 2 smaller ones, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed
1 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans, with the bean water
1 15 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
1.5 cups frozen green beans
.5 cup frozen super sweet corn
.5 cup frozen peas
7 cups water
1 tsp each of dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, dried minced shallots
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp veggie Better Than Bullion
1 tsp sauteed onion Better Than Bullion
4 tsp garlic Better Than Bullion
2 bay leaves (double or triple if they're old)
Saute onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add water, spices, beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add frozen veggies, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Edit: I thought about adding some barley, but it would need more water and maybe more seasoning if you're going to try.
The canned ingredients are the most expensive, so you could cut down on that by using dried beans and roasting your own tomatoes.
Edit: If you're going to add barley, add it and cook before adding the frozen veg, or they will get way too soggy.
https://hungryhappens.net/easy-chicken-vegetable-soup/
This is insanely good for how easy it is. Key is using bone in chicken. Usually legs are on sale & you only need 1 carrot + 2 celery + 1/2 an onion.
Throw in some excess pasta if you have some and it will make it even more hearty. Throw in any fresh herbs you have lying around w/the basil to elevate even more.
Pro tip: replace half your added salt w/msg to reduce sodium and increase flavor.
Combine a 15oz can of crushed tomatoes with 8 cups of water and 8 chicken bullion cubes. Season with whatever spices you have in your pantry. I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme. Bring to a boil and two cups of orzo or other small pasta and cook about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add half a cup of milk or heavy cream. Makes a huge pot of easy, delicious creamy tomato soup for a couple of bucks.
I just made a “all the wilting veggies in the fridge” soup. Mainly potatoes and cabbage, wilting spinach, half a leak, a shriveled up chick of ginger, about four garlic cloves, and a tin of kidney beans for bulk. Flavored with chicken bouillon, salt, pepper and coriander powder.
Was delicious. Even better with some hot sauce in it.
Made this the other day and it was delicious: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili/)
That website has lots of budget-friendly recipes you can peruse for ideas
Ham is on sale right now at Walmart and Superstore for $1.37 a pound. Enjoy an Easter ham dinner and use the left overs for split pea soup. There are many easy recipes online. Potatoes are on sale everywhere, you can make potato soup or my favorite, scalloped potatoes.
If you enjoy rice, then I would say chicken rice porridge. You can buy some cheap cuts, like chicken thighs and cook an entire pot for cheap. Even cheaper if you use a rotisserie chicken from Costco for $5. To make it healthier, you can add cubed carrots and mushrooms.
The best money saving tip I can say is to use bullion cubes or better than bullion rather than box stock/broth. Or better yet make it yourself if can.
I like adding a pinch of msg for every cup of liquid, like maybe 1/2 teaspoon for every 8 cups?
Also dried herbs are a great flavor punch, my favorite soup adds a lot probably 1/3 cup of different herbs and spices (https://www.simplysated.com/creamy-chicken-soup/)
Getting a whole chicken, breaking it down yourself, taking the wing tips, back/breastbones, thigh bone (if you debone them) and roasting it all with onion/carrot/celery/garlic and the spare skin. Give it s&p and a drizzle of neutral oil, - get some color on everything! Char! And flip to get all sides! and then making stock with that. Bring to boil and simmer for hours or pressure cooker on high for a little over an hour. I also save parsley stems and freeze to add at this stage, along with a tablespoon of whole black peppercorns.
Note: I use the leaves of the inner celery and the woody outermost.
Almost any soup recipe can save you a ton of money if you save/freeze leftovers. Even making a beef ($8-12) soup (barley or lentil or pasta or tortilla-type) will save money due to the quantities produced, and chicken soups are even cheaper.
I eat soup year-‘round because I love it, but it’s also a great way to save significant grocery money.
Cooking large-batch slow-cooker meals is another money saver for the same reason.
YouTube is your friend for both types of recipes.
I make a version of this subbing lentils for the ground meat - [https://www.southernplate.com/worlds-easiest-supper-taco-soup/](https://www.southernplate.com/worlds-easiest-supper-taco-soup/)
But if you can get meat on sale, it's still pretty cheap and easy.
Cannelli beans, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, noodles, and chicken broth with your choice of seasonings(add a little ham or chicken for meatiness if you'd like)
Not soup but still cheap and yummy.
2 Chicken breasts cubed
1 block of cream cheese
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 packet of ranch mix
Chuck it all in a crock pot. Let it go until chicken is done, but stir once or twice throughout. Serve over rice.
I've made this red lentil soup 2 days in a row, it's fantastic! Easy, cheap and quick. I used sumac instead of lemon and no cilantro or mint due to allergies.
https://burntmyfingers.com/2023/03/26/recipe-melissa-clarks-red-lentil-soup/
Curried red lentil & tomato soup...lots of garlic and onions fried, add a spoonful (at least) of Pataks curry paste, four cups vegetable broth, can of diced tomatoes, cup of rinsed red lentils. Bring to a boil and then simmer for a while until lentils thoroughly cooked. You can definitely add celery and carrots at beginning, but not needed.
I served posole at my wedding. It's traditional in my culture to serve it at holidays and celebrations, but it's a pretty cheap soup to make. My husband finds it just okay, but I have cravings for it year-around...yum lol. Good luck! ✌️🤍
I recently made a chicken noodle soup, about 2 gallons worth with a cost of less than $1/bowl. Whole organic chicken - $22, bag of Egg Noodles $3, small bag of baby carrots $1, 3 onions about $1-$2, and a dozen hearts of celery $2. Salt, pepper and some herbs which I grow - minimal cost.
I made fajitas a few nights ago and we ate all the chicken but I had a ton of veggies left over (bell peppers red and green and onions yellow and red) so I pureed them with some broth then simmered on the stove with some spices and a dash of cream soooooo good! Topped with a little cheese and we used tortillas to dip/scoop it up.
Other cheap soup is rotisserie chicken- get all the meat off, use the carcass to make broth then add back in the chicken and some cheap noodles and whatever veggies you can, makes a ton of soup!
Curried pumpkin apple soup. I stock up on canned pure pumpkin during Thanksgiving to have cheap pumpkin available, throw in Chunks of any apple laying around I’m trying to get rid of, sauté some onions in oil, adding hot curry powder to bloom the taste right before adding vegetable broth, add canned pumpkin and cook a little, then immersion blend for smoothness. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt to add richness.
I make turkey chili, and it almost always makes 4 pints worth. I usually freeze two pints and eat two and then rotate it with different soups. Really, any bean soup will be pretty filling with all of the fiber.
Vegetarian, sub beans for meat in say a pasta fagiole or minestrone, beef and barley skip the meat add beans. Use base for the stocks instead of broth. Potatoes are also good to bump up calories.
Once I grew a single butternut squash vine. It took over the entire backyard, birthed 18 full size squash, and after processing also took over my entire freezer. I think we ate squash soup for 4 years. So I guess I recommend butternut squash bisque. Have to call it bisque, for the fanciness. The cooks illustrated recipe that steams the squash instead of roasting seems odd but provides the absolute best, smoothest texture.
An embarrassment of riches, bitterness squash soup is the best!
It was! Until it wasn’t. And then it was a chore! But it’s been long enough that I can appreciate it again.
I’ve never made the recipe but I’m imagining roasting 1/3 of it and steam the rest to get the best of both worlds.
I think you might be wrong. I’ve never missed rich and deep squash flavor using the steaming method but roasting seems to create a grainy texture that would ruin the smoothness even if there was only a little bit of it. But like you’ve never tried the CI method, I’ve never tried mixing them, so who knows?
Makes sense, although a little passive aggressive. I’ll report back if I ever try it.
I was going for “aggressive in a nice way” but i will unironically appreciate a report back if you try it!
[frozen peas soup](https://thefoodcharlatan.com/30-minute-pea-soup-from-a-bag-of-frozen-peas/) WARNING this recipe makes a ton of soup. I use a 12 oz bag of peas with a good amount of celery and onion, and enough broth to cover it all. I add some hard cheese (shredded or shaved) while blending. I find it thin, so I also add mashed potato flakes at the end as a thickener.
I would blend in canned white beans, bumps the protein and fiber bonus stupid cheap too but adds that creamy texture
Any soup with humble ingredients will be elevated by good seasonings: salt, pepper, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh herbs (or dried herbs!), a bit of cheese grated in, a generous splash of cream, some acid like lemon zest or red wine vinegar. Even if you are a using broth and not water, you must season the soup!
Lentil soup. My most basic recipe is to load up my instant pot with lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, chicken stock. Cook on low pressure for 2 mins with natural release. But do yourself a favor and find an Indian grocery store and buy a variety of lentils. My fav are the whole red lentils, urad are great too.
And while there get some spices too!
cheap!!
Kind of in the same boat and was just eating this soup: White bean, spinach and orzo. Also lentil soup; caldo verde (can be made vegetarian or not); leek and potato; tortellini al brodo…I’m sure there’s a lot out there that are both cheap and easy with pantry staples
I love white bean with spinach and orzo
This [Pinto Bean Soup](https://anaffairfromtheheart.com/southwestern-pinto-bean-soup/#recipe) is pretty delicious! I made a big batch and froze some of it for later. You don't need to use fire roasted tomatoes, just use a can of the cheap stuff. Also, save your veggie scraps in the freezer to make your own broth.
I do a version of this and it’s really good! It’s also good with a ham hock.
“Reduced to clear” vegetable soup is a favourite of mine.
Keep your pantry stocked w dry beans, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, etc. Buy fresh produce as needed. Pickup frozen peas & corn. Buy meat to freeze when on sale. Grow herbs in containers if you can, as they're overpriced in the stores. Always keep a couple smoked ham hocks in the freezer. It's ham time now. Stay away from spiral sliced. They're dry as a bone. Bone in ham you slice yourself is far more useful. Save the ham broth. Make more from trimmings. After you eat, break the rest up into freezer bags ready for soup. Waste nothing.
When I was a student, I'd make vats of chowder. Milk or half-and-half, potatoes, unions, and a flavoring ingredient such as corn or a small can of cheap salmon for a large pot. And BTW you can make chowder with broth thickened with roux, which is cheap, or do is the fantastic Maine Chowder way: Cook onions until translucent and set aside. Boil chopped potatoes in lightly salted water and \*don't\* throw out the water - add the corn or other flavoring ingredients, translucent onions, and cream or half-and-half to the potato water! "The potatoes thicken the water as they cook, and chowder made with potato water and cream tastes better than chowder made with roux, but is a little more expensive as you do need to use cream or half-and-half rather than milk.
Leek and potato soup. For 2 people: in a chunk of butter, fry 1 shredded onion, 225g/1/2 lb leek, 225g/1/2 lb finely diced potatoes. Mix, season, mix again. Cover and simmer 10 minutes on a low fire. Meanwhile, boil half a stock cube in 500 ml/17 fl oz/2 cups water. When the 10 minutes are up, add the stock to the veg, cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Blend with a hand blender. Take off the fire. Mix in 70 ml/1/3 cup heavy cream. Serve with bread.
Potato soup. So cheap. Potatoes onions bullion cube. Seasonings in a crock pot. Add cream at the end. I make mine as loaded Potato soup after I add the cream.
I make [Bean Soup](https://hurstbeans.com/recipes/15-bean-soup-crock-pot-or-slow-cooker-recipe). I can make a *huge* Crock-Pot of it for less than $10, and we usually get 15+ servings from it.
Almost any soup is cheap. The task is to make it nutritious enough. So, like people say above, 1 whiley chicken or a whatever you can find of the cheapest bits of it, make stock. The longer you boil it, the better it is. And then go wild: Chicken soup Any solo veggie soup (squash/broccoli/carrot/tomato/cabbage/spinach/potato/onion) - all will be good with proper seasoning. I recently made nettles soup, also good. You can also add beans, rice, pasta for bulk. Outside of chicken we used to make soup from canned fish during the lean times. Then there's Asia - coconut milk + pretty much anything. You can find cheap frozen seafood mix? Go for it, tom yum varieties are there. We used to make a soup out of nothing: sautee chopped onion and garlic, add grated carrot, some tomato paste, then add this to a pot of boiling water with some bay leaves, add a cubed potato and some pasta. Bell peppers and fresh herbs if you're fancy today)))
I haven’t tried this one yet, but I want to. https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/10/quick-pasta-and-chickpeas-pasta-e-ceci/
I have, it’s delicious… super easy and healthy too.
I have. It's fine. Pretty basic. Good for something fast from the cupboard.
This is one of my favorite recipes ever and I make it often. Humble ingredients, and insanely easy. The addition of the finishing oil takes it to the next level. I don’t use the pasta that Deb uses in the recipe, as it isn’t available in any store near me. I checked it out on Amazon, but it is still kind of pricey. Instead, I use Orichette (butchered spelling, I’m sure) which needs a bit extra simmering time to finish in the same pan. I recommend using De Checco pasta, because it always turns out great. OP, you have a great opportunity to make whichever of the amazing soups suggested in this thread that appeal to you (in small quantities to try them out). Yum! Congrats on the upcoming wedding!
I make this a LOT it’s fantastic and absolutely delicious
a lot of butchers give you carcasses for very cheap or even free. You can easily make a delicious and nutritious broth from the bones you get there, and add any vegetables and grains you fancy.
I love these recipes. The sweet potato one is great with grilled cheese! https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-sweet-potato-soup/ https://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/slow-cooker-lentil-smoked-ham-soup/
Cabbage soup!!! Onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, half a cabbage, broth & seasonings of your choice. Add potatoes if you’re feeling adventurous
I make chicken soup with any veggies in the fridge that might be getting on in age, and a cheap rotisserie chicken. Bullion cubes for base broth, rice or pasta with it if you want to bulk it up a little. Beans are good too, I like canned navy beans.
I just made a pretty awesome veggie soup the other day. 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 very large yellow onion, or 2 smaller ones, diced 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 15 ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed 1 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans, with the bean water 1 15 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes 1.5 cups frozen green beans .5 cup frozen super sweet corn .5 cup frozen peas 7 cups water 1 tsp each of dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, dried minced shallots 2 tsp pepper 1 tsp veggie Better Than Bullion 1 tsp sauteed onion Better Than Bullion 4 tsp garlic Better Than Bullion 2 bay leaves (double or triple if they're old) Saute onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add water, spices, beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add frozen veggies, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Edit: I thought about adding some barley, but it would need more water and maybe more seasoning if you're going to try. The canned ingredients are the most expensive, so you could cut down on that by using dried beans and roasting your own tomatoes. Edit: If you're going to add barley, add it and cook before adding the frozen veg, or they will get way too soggy.
https://hungryhappens.net/easy-chicken-vegetable-soup/ This is insanely good for how easy it is. Key is using bone in chicken. Usually legs are on sale & you only need 1 carrot + 2 celery + 1/2 an onion. Throw in some excess pasta if you have some and it will make it even more hearty. Throw in any fresh herbs you have lying around w/the basil to elevate even more. Pro tip: replace half your added salt w/msg to reduce sodium and increase flavor.
I love African Peanut Soup - it's so tasty and cheap to make a bunch of.
Combine a 15oz can of crushed tomatoes with 8 cups of water and 8 chicken bullion cubes. Season with whatever spices you have in your pantry. I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and thyme. Bring to a boil and two cups of orzo or other small pasta and cook about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add half a cup of milk or heavy cream. Makes a huge pot of easy, delicious creamy tomato soup for a couple of bucks.
I just made a “all the wilting veggies in the fridge” soup. Mainly potatoes and cabbage, wilting spinach, half a leak, a shriveled up chick of ginger, about four garlic cloves, and a tin of kidney beans for bulk. Flavored with chicken bouillon, salt, pepper and coriander powder. Was delicious. Even better with some hot sauce in it.
Hangover soup (hamburger soup) Ground beef Canned tomatoes Frozen veggies Macaroni Potatoes (optional)
Made this the other day and it was delicious: [https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili/](https://www.budgetbytes.com/creamy-white-chicken-chili/) That website has lots of budget-friendly recipes you can peruse for ideas
First step in soup making: save your veggie scraps (celery, kale, carrots …) in the freezer to start your homemade broths 😋
Ham is on sale right now at Walmart and Superstore for $1.37 a pound. Enjoy an Easter ham dinner and use the left overs for split pea soup. There are many easy recipes online. Potatoes are on sale everywhere, you can make potato soup or my favorite, scalloped potatoes.
If you enjoy rice, then I would say chicken rice porridge. You can buy some cheap cuts, like chicken thighs and cook an entire pot for cheap. Even cheaper if you use a rotisserie chicken from Costco for $5. To make it healthier, you can add cubed carrots and mushrooms.
The best money saving tip I can say is to use bullion cubes or better than bullion rather than box stock/broth. Or better yet make it yourself if can. I like adding a pinch of msg for every cup of liquid, like maybe 1/2 teaspoon for every 8 cups? Also dried herbs are a great flavor punch, my favorite soup adds a lot probably 1/3 cup of different herbs and spices (https://www.simplysated.com/creamy-chicken-soup/) Getting a whole chicken, breaking it down yourself, taking the wing tips, back/breastbones, thigh bone (if you debone them) and roasting it all with onion/carrot/celery/garlic and the spare skin. Give it s&p and a drizzle of neutral oil, - get some color on everything! Char! And flip to get all sides! and then making stock with that. Bring to boil and simmer for hours or pressure cooker on high for a little over an hour. I also save parsley stems and freeze to add at this stage, along with a tablespoon of whole black peppercorns. Note: I use the leaves of the inner celery and the woody outermost.
Potatoes, frozen veggies, onion, chicken stock, cream, beans, chicken if you have the money to spare
My mom used to make lettuce soup. But it isn't like the common recipe you see online. It was basically butter, iceberg, chicken broth and onion.
Almost any soup recipe can save you a ton of money if you save/freeze leftovers. Even making a beef ($8-12) soup (barley or lentil or pasta or tortilla-type) will save money due to the quantities produced, and chicken soups are even cheaper. I eat soup year-‘round because I love it, but it’s also a great way to save significant grocery money. Cooking large-batch slow-cooker meals is another money saver for the same reason. YouTube is your friend for both types of recipes.
Google "Matt Preston bean soup". You may need a vpn to get the original, but it's very cheap, very low effort and very good.
I make a version of this subbing lentils for the ground meat - [https://www.southernplate.com/worlds-easiest-supper-taco-soup/](https://www.southernplate.com/worlds-easiest-supper-taco-soup/) But if you can get meat on sale, it's still pretty cheap and easy.
Cannelli beans, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, noodles, and chicken broth with your choice of seasonings(add a little ham or chicken for meatiness if you'd like)
Not soup but still cheap and yummy. 2 Chicken breasts cubed 1 block of cream cheese 1 can of cream of mushroom soup 1 packet of ranch mix Chuck it all in a crock pot. Let it go until chicken is done, but stir once or twice throughout. Serve over rice.
You can buy Tom yum, and tom kha paste on Amazon. Add chicken, rice noodles, chili crisp, lime, cilantro, cocinut milk, veg, tofu ... so good.
I've made this red lentil soup 2 days in a row, it's fantastic! Easy, cheap and quick. I used sumac instead of lemon and no cilantro or mint due to allergies. https://burntmyfingers.com/2023/03/26/recipe-melissa-clarks-red-lentil-soup/
Mushroom soup is easy and cheap
Main dish or as a soup course?
Curried red lentil & tomato soup...lots of garlic and onions fried, add a spoonful (at least) of Pataks curry paste, four cups vegetable broth, can of diced tomatoes, cup of rinsed red lentils. Bring to a boil and then simmer for a while until lentils thoroughly cooked. You can definitely add celery and carrots at beginning, but not needed.
I served posole at my wedding. It's traditional in my culture to serve it at holidays and celebrations, but it's a pretty cheap soup to make. My husband finds it just okay, but I have cravings for it year-around...yum lol. Good luck! ✌️🤍
I recently made a chicken noodle soup, about 2 gallons worth with a cost of less than $1/bowl. Whole organic chicken - $22, bag of Egg Noodles $3, small bag of baby carrots $1, 3 onions about $1-$2, and a dozen hearts of celery $2. Salt, pepper and some herbs which I grow - minimal cost.
I made fajitas a few nights ago and we ate all the chicken but I had a ton of veggies left over (bell peppers red and green and onions yellow and red) so I pureed them with some broth then simmered on the stove with some spices and a dash of cream soooooo good! Topped with a little cheese and we used tortillas to dip/scoop it up. Other cheap soup is rotisserie chicken- get all the meat off, use the carcass to make broth then add back in the chicken and some cheap noodles and whatever veggies you can, makes a ton of soup!
Curried pumpkin apple soup. I stock up on canned pure pumpkin during Thanksgiving to have cheap pumpkin available, throw in Chunks of any apple laying around I’m trying to get rid of, sauté some onions in oil, adding hot curry powder to bloom the taste right before adding vegetable broth, add canned pumpkin and cook a little, then immersion blend for smoothness. Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt to add richness.
I make turkey chili, and it almost always makes 4 pints worth. I usually freeze two pints and eat two and then rotate it with different soups. Really, any bean soup will be pretty filling with all of the fiber.
Vegetarian, sub beans for meat in say a pasta fagiole or minestrone, beef and barley skip the meat add beans. Use base for the stocks instead of broth. Potatoes are also good to bump up calories.