21 Soul-Warming Italian Soup Recipes

Minestrone Soup

This minestrone soup recipe is special to me because it’s one of the few dinners my entire family loves. And I can feel good about serving it because it’s full of nutrition and low in fat. —Lauren Brennan, Hood River, Oregon

Traditional Italian Wedding Soup

You don’t have to be Italian to love this easy-to-make soup with tiny round pasta! Homemade meatballs pair beautifully with ready-made stock and rotisserie chicken. —Mary Sheetz, Carmel, Indiana

Ribollita

Ribollita, also known as bread soup, is a hearty and flavorful Italian dish that uses up stale bread. If you'd like the bread to have more texture, toast it before stirring it into the soup. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Filled with fresh turkey sausage, beans and pasta, pasta fagioli soup is a powerhouse of nutrients and flavor.

Zuppa Toscana

You can make a copycat Zuppa Toscana that's even better than the Olive Garden recipe. And it's ready in 30 minutes!

White Bean and Sausage Soup

In the cold months, I like to put on a big pot of this comforting soup. It cooks away while I do other things, such as baking bread, crafting or even cleaning the house. —Glenna Reimer, Gig Harbor, Washington

Tomato Tortellini Soup

Warm up with a bowl of creamy tomato tortellini soup. Made with store-bought cheese tortellini, vegetable broth, dairy and sun-dried tomatoes, it's a cozy meal-in-a-bowl any day of the week.

Quick Ravioli & Spinach Soup

I love my Italian American traditions, but I never had time to make a classic Italian wedding soup. So I created this shortcut version with ravioli. —Cynthia Bent, Newark, Delaware

Meatball Soup

This meatball soup recipe is a hearty meal. It’s great for chilly days. —Sue Miller, Walworth, Wisconsin

Italian Vegetable Soup

This Italian zucchini soup recipe was given to me by my neighbor. Nice and simple, it’s a good way to use a lot of your zucchini and other garden vegetables. It freezes well and is great to have on hand on a cold winter day. —Clara Mae Chambers, Superior, Nebraska

Italian Sausage Orzo Soup

I always look for recipes high in taste and nutrition but low on prep time and fat. This thick, chunky soup fills the bill and is such a family favorite that I serve it at least once a month! —Deborah Redfield, Buena Park, California

Ravioli Soup

Beef, vegetables and cheese-stuffed ravioli come together in this satisfying ravioli soup that's equally simple to make. Serve it with garlic bread or an antipasto salad.

Sausage and Kale Soup

Italian sausage and kale soup is hearty and filling with nutrient-dense ingredients like kale, white beans and a tomatoey broth.

Chicken Gnocchi Pesto Soup

After tasting a similar soup at a restaurant, I created this quick and tasty version. It’s rich and creamy, and couldn’t be easier to make! —Deanna Smith, Des Moines, Iowa

Lasagna Soup

All the traditional flavors of lasagna come together in this heartwarming bowl of comfort. —Sheryl Olenick, Demarest, New Jersey

One-Pot Spinach Beef Soup

My idea of a winning weeknight meal is this beefy soup simmering in one big pot. Grate some Parmesan and pass the saltines. —Julie Davis, Jacksonville, Florida

Chicken & Spinach Tortellini Soup

Shredded rotisserie chicken is complemented by fresh green spinach and cheese tortellini in this quick-to-fix soup. It makes a great starter or a light meal with a salad and crusty bread. —Charlene Chambers, Ormond Beach, Florida

Italian-Style Lentil Soup

A nutritious, inexpensive source of protein, lentils are low-fat, lens-shaped seeds that are delicious in salads, sides and soups, like our Italian-style lentil soup that's cozy, comforting and packed with nutrients.

Seafood Soup

Salmon, shrimp and loads of chopped veggies make this chowder a hearty, herby meal-in-a-bowl. It’s just the perfect homemade fish soup. —Valerie Bradley, Beaverton, Oregon

Tortellini Soup

This quick, easy rustic Italian tortellini soup recipe is flavorful and comforting. Italian sausage, spinach and tender cheese tortellini simmer in a rich tomato broth, creating a soup that cooks for only 20 minutes.

Italian Meatball ‘n’ Bean Soup

Tender meatballs in a savory, chili-like soup deliver a taste sensation the whole family will love. You can use sweet, medium or hot Italian sausage, depending on your heat preferences! —Amanda Bowyer, Caldwell, Idaho

Italian Soup Recipes FAQ

Should I use fresh or dried herbs in Italian soups?

The short answer is you can use either fresh or dried herbs to make these Italian soup recipes. Each offers slightly different flavor profiles, but the two are not so different that you couldn’t use one over the other.

If a recipe calls for fresh herbs and you don’t have any on hand, use our fresh to dried herb conversion, as you’ll need to increase the quantity. Dried herbs lack some of the vibrancy found in fresh herbs, but they work well in soups if you add them early in the cooking process. That ensures they have time to bloom and release their full flavor potential.

What kind of broth is best for Italian soups?

Many traditional Italian soups were made with water as the only liquid, so any type of stock or broth—chicken, beef or vegetable—will add flavor to your soup. It really just comes down to your preferences. I always recommend choosing the best chicken broth brands when buying store-bought, but it’s always worth the project if you have time to make homemade chicken broth.

How do I make Italian soup recipes vegetarian?

Plenty of Italian soups are already vegetarian, like vegetable minestrone, ribollita and Italian-style lentil soup. However, many contain meatballs, sausage or chopped bits of cured pork like pancetta or prosciutto.

To make a soup vegetarian, swap in vegetable broth and use plant-based meat brands to mimic meat’s hearty character. One age-old (completely vegetarian!) hack for making irresistible, umami-rich Italian soups is to throw a Parmesan rind into the pot while your soup is simmering.