Homemade Comfort: Soups to Warm You Inside and Out


Happy Friday, Reader!

When you’re feeling a little off — achy, stuffy, or just worn out — there’s nothing more soothing than a warm bowl of homemade soup.

Friend, whether it’s one of those bugs making the rounds or just a tired day that needs some comfort, a pot of soup has a way of helping you feel cared for and restored.

These are some of my favorite soups to make when comfort’s on the menu — simple, budget-friendly, and full of homey goodness to warm the ones you love.

Delicious Zuppa Toscana

I developed my version of Zuppa Toscana when my girls and I were following the 30-day Whole30 eating plan. This delicious soup is not only easy but it's hearty and nourishing. It is an often-requested family favorite.

Get the Easy Recipe: Zuppa Toscana



Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Slow Cooker Beef Stew is a comfort food classic that is so easy you could serve it any night of the week. It combines tender chunks of seared beef with baby potatoes and carrots in a rich, savory and herbaceous broth that's somewhere between a soup and a gravy. It's thickened, but just enough to cling to the tender meat and vegetables, providing deep, rich flavor in every scrumptious bite.

Get the Easy Recipe: Slow Cooker Beef Stew



Easy Creamy Chicken and Noodles Recipe

There’s nothing quite like a big bowl of Creamy Chicken and Noodles to make everything feel right again. Tender egg noodles and hearty chunks of chicken are nestled in a rich, silky gravy that’s pure comfort in every bite.

It’s the kind of cozy, homemade meal families love — simple, hearty, and full of flavor. You can make everything from scratch or take my easy shortcut to get dinner on the table in no time.

We love piling our Creamy Chicken and Noodles over a mound of buttery mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort food feast, but they’re just as delicious served on their own as a creamy, soul-warming soup. However you serve it, this is one of those meals your family will ask for again and again — especially on chilly nights.

Get the Easy Recipe: Creamy Chicken and Noodles

Chicken Pot Pie Soup Recipe, a Big Bowl of Comfort

Chicken Pot Pie Soup is a delicious, savory, creamy soup studded with chunks of chicken, potatoes, carrots and peas. The broth is infused with onion, garlic, and flavorful herbs. It’s a warm comfort food hug on a winter night. You can achieve all this savory deliciousness in a quick 30-minute soup. Chicken Pot Pie Soup is hearty and satisfying, and this recipe will leave you with leftovers for tomorrow’s lunches! It's also gluten free and dairy free.

Get the Easy Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie Soup


Here’s to cozy evenings, healthy bodies, and happy hearts. May these soup recipes bring a little warmth and comfort to your home this week.

Have a blessing-filled weekend! I hope you get to make and share comforting soup with the people you love most and that somebody else does your dishes!

What's For Dinner?

This is the part of the newsletter where I share recipe ideas from some of my best blogging friends and myself to inspire you with what's for dinner at our houses this week. That gives you seven days worth of new recipes to inspire you for your own delicious meal plan. Enjoy!

Tools to Make Delicious Soup Suppers

These are Amazon and Walmart affiliate links to some of my favorite soup recipes. I may earn commissions on qualifying purchases. You can read my affiliate disclosures here.

  • Crock Pot - This is one of three slow cookers I use on a regular basis. Yes, three. lol I mean what does a girl do when she is making refried beans, delectable southwest chicken and creamed corn all at the same time? lol This beauty is an 8-qt giant that can handle anything I throw at her. And she was cheap, as crock pots go.
  • This Cheese and Vegetable Grater/Slicer - I am not easily influenced by Internet trends, but this grater/slicer is the newest tool I've added to my kitchen. I use it multiple times per week, if not every day. It comes with so many blade options, attaches tightly to the counter so I don't have to hold it in place, and it's easy to clean. I've used it to grate cheese, carrots, onions and apples and to slice potatoes. It's hard to imagine working without it now. Love this one lots!
  • OXO Good Grips Chef's Mandoline - This is the one I use in my own kitchen. It's sturdy. The rubber legs keep it from sliding around the counter, and it gives me beautiful, even slices of potatoes, apples, onions — whatever needs slicing. It has a good-sized food holder to help protect fingers. The two-sided blade does straight and crinkle-cut. And there are blades built in to julienne vegetables or cut french fries. Set the blade to your desired thickness (there are several) and make up to 21 different kinds of cuts.
  • This is my pricey Cuisinart Food Processor, but it is a workhorse and the best large-capacity one I've ever used. I do LOVE it and it will last the rest of my lifetime. Perfect to make quick work of grating, chopping and slicing veggies! I also own the more affordable Ninja BN801 Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ (Blender Food Processor Combo). It comes with a high-speed blender, two smoothie blender cups and a food processor. I have owned and used it for nearly 15 years and LOVE it to this day. But the food processor in this system is more like a small, wide-based blender. It doesn't come with grating or slicing blades. And so, a few years ago, I added the Cusinart Food Processor to my kitchen. I still love both and use them often.

Glenda Embree

Glenda Embree: Making Homemade Easy shares easy, approachable recipes to help you create delicious weeknight dinners, I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy.

Read more from Glenda Embree
Easy One Pot Spaghetti in a white bowl with garlic toast.

Happy Friday Reader! It's always fun to look back and see what the most popular recipes of the year were. But before I look back, here's a new, easy recipe for 2026 that will have you enjoying classic Italian without fuss and on a tight budget. Easy Spaghetti Recipe: One-Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce This easy one-pot spaghetti gets a scrumptious Italian dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. Loved by young and old, it's a recipe to reach for on busy weeknights or when you're craving simple...

Breakfast tacos on a concrete countertop.

Happy Friday Reader! Even though I've taken some time off to enjoy the holidays with family and friends, I'm sending an abbreviated newsletter with the What's for Dinner section with seven recipe ideas for easy meals you can make next week. We don't do it often, but my friends and I chose a theme for this week — Breakfast for Dinner. Do you ever eat breakfast for dinner? Friend, I hope your Christmas was fabulous and you're looking forward to a new year. Enjoy making memories and be sure to...

Chicken Casserole on a white plate with house salad.

Happy Friday Reader! I originally planned to not send newsletters until after the New Year, but decided I didn't want you to go three weeks without recipe inspiration while I'm enjoying time off. So, I'll go ahead and send the weekly What's for Dinner section with seven easy recipes to help you plan a menu for next week! Have a wonderfully blessed week and a Merry Christmas!! What's For Dinner? This is the part of the newsletter where I share recipe ideas from some of my best blogging friends...