Hearty, warm soup is always a winner for dinner.

You know my goal as a parent is to have kids who eat healthy but also to eat together as a family. Enjoyably.

So as a busy mom of four small kids, I need soup recipes that are fast, nutritious enough and this one’s important, crowdpleasers!

That’s why I love these soups so much.

Here are my family’s favorite easy soup recipes.

Each recipe below is a hit with at least three of my four kids, and that for me, is a victory I’ll take every time!

how to make soup faster

Start with frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables (broccoli, carrots, beans, and so on) are picked at the peak of freshness, washed, trimmed and sealed for your convenience! Plus, they’re almost always cheaper than fresh.
Use pre-chopped onions. You can buy frozen onions already chopped (garlic too!). Or adopt this rule: Never cut onions for just one meal. If you’re already going to be chopping, bust out a few more onions and put those extras into a plastic bag. Label it and throw your new pre-cut onions in the freezer. Ta da!
Buy an immersion blender. Many soups require ladling into a blender or food processor to puree. But a stick blender can be put right into your soup pot, doing the work in a few easy minutes–with minimal cleanup!

Get cute. One of my favorite ways to get kids interested in dinner, especially little kids, is simple: Make it look fancy. I have tons of tiny dipping bowls, dessert bowls, tea cups and even cute little egg cups to make soups (and other new foods) look inviting.
Tiny portions. The second and even more important part is only giving kids a few bites to start. Literally one or two bites. If kids like it, they can ask for more. That is key because kids won’t feel overwhelmed but they WILL feel like they’ve got some control.
Offer toppings. Do you notice anything about all the soups in these photos? They’re all topped with something yummy! Don’t worry about how “healthy” the toppings are. These soups are packed with nutrition so it’s no big deal if kids sprinkle something more like a treat on top. My favorite things to offer tiny soup eaters are:
- Shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, parmesan)
- Crumbled bacon
- Crackers
- Croutons
- Crispy onions
- A wedge of lemon or lime to squeeze on top

I’ve had a Dutch Oven for 12 years and use it ALL THE TIME. It’s heavy enough to hold temperatures steady without burning on the bottom. Mine was a birthday present but there are tons of options with less hefty price tags out there.
This flat-bottomed wooden spatula is worth its weight in gold. You scrape the bottom of the pan without damaging anything, including the pan. Or spatula. Plus, it cleans up like a dream.
Don’t forget, soup for dinner can be soup for lunch! I have four of these kid-sized Thermoses and fill them about once a week. A hit every time. (Plus, don’t forget how yummy anything from pasta to chili-roni to mac & cheese can be in a Thermos.)

Want more ideas for healthy kids and happy families?