Tinned soup in tuckara.com/post/best-budget-home-essentials-new-homes-australia" title="Best Budget Kitchen Gadgets Under Australia">Australia costs $2.50–$5 per can — enough for one, maybe two people, and usually disappointing. A homemade pot of soup costs $4–$8 total and feeds four to six people. The economics are clear. And the soup is significantly Kmart: Which Has Better Home Deals?">better.
None of these recipes require technique or special equipment beyond a large pot and a blender or stick blender. All use ingredients from Aldi or Woolworths. All cost under $2 per serve.
1. Classic Pumpkin Soup — $0.90 per serve
Serves 6 · Total cost ~$5.40
Preheat oven to 200°C. Dice 1.2kg pumpkin (any variety — Kent and butternut are best for flavour) and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and salt. Roast 30 minutes until golden at the edges. In a large pot, fry one diced onion and 4 garlic cloves in butter until soft. Add the roasted pumpkin, 1L chicken or vegetable stock, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of nutmeg. Simmer 10 minutes. Blend until smooth. Season generously. Stir in 80ml cream. Serve with crusty bread and a swirl of cream.
Make it better: Toast pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in a dry pan and scatter on top. Add a pinch of chilli for warmth.
2. Leek and Potato Soup — $1.10 per serve
Serves 4 · Total cost ~$4.40
Slice 3 large leeks thinly (white and light green parts only). Melt 40g butter in a large pot and cook the leeks on low heat for 15 minutes until completely soft — don't rush this, it's the key to the soup's depth. Add 700g diced potato, 1L chicken or vegetable stock and 1 tsp dried thyme. Simmer 20 minutes until potato is soft. Blend until smooth. Stir in 100ml cream. Season well. Top with chives and croutons.
Make it better: Add crispy bacon pieces on top. Serve with sourdough toasted in the pan in butter.
3. Minestrone — $1.30 per serve
Serves 6 · Total cost ~$7.80
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add one large diced onion, 3 diced carrots, 3 diced celery stalks and 4 garlic cloves. Cook 10 minutes until soft. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and stir 1 minute. Add two 400g tins diced tomatoes, 1.2L chicken or vegetable stock, one tin cannellini beans (drained), one diced zucchini, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp dried basil. Simmer 20 minutes. Add 100g small pasta (ditalini or small spirals) and cook a further 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a good splash of olive oil. Serve with parmesan and bread.
Make it better: Add a parmesan rind to the pot while it simmers — it adds enormous depth of flavour.
4. Lentil Soup — $0.85 per serve
Serves 6 · Total cost ~$5.10
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Fry one large diced onion, 4 garlic cloves, 3 diced carrots and 2 diced celery stalks until soft. Add 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp coriander — stir 1 minute. Add 350g red lentils (rinsed), one 400g tin diced tomatoes and 1.5L vegetable or chicken stock. Simmer 25 minutes until lentils are completely soft. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Season generously. Blend partially for a thicker texture or leave as-is. Top with a swirl of yoghurt and a dusting of smoked paprika.
Make it better: Fry sliced garlic in butter or olive oil until golden and pour over the soup just before serving — this is called tarka and transforms the soup.
5. Chicken Noodle Soup — $1.60 per serve
Serves 4 · Total cost ~$6.40
Bring 1.5L chicken stock to a simmer. Add 3 chicken thighs (bone-in) and poach on low heat for 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken, shred the meat and discard bones and skin. Return shredded chicken to the pot with 3 diced carrots, 3 sliced celery stalks, one diced onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 tsp dried parsley. Simmer 15 minutes. Add 100g egg noodles and cook 8 minutes. Season generously. This is the soup you make when someone is sick or cold or needs comfort — and it works every time.
Make it better: Add a squeeze of lemon at the end. It brightens the whole soup.
Making a Big Batch and Freezing
All five soups freeze exceptionally well except the minestrone (the pasta goes mushy — freeze without the pasta and add fresh when reheating). Make a double batch on the weekend and freeze in individual portions. You'll have cheap, restaurant-quality soup available in 5 minutes for weeks.
What is the cheapest homemade soup in Australia?
The cheapest homemade soups in Australia per serve are lentil soup ($0.85), pumpkin soup ($0.90), leek and potato ($1.10), minestrone ($1.30) and chicken noodle ($1.60). All use ingredients from Aldi or Woolworths and make 4–6 serves per batch, making them significantly cheaper than tinned or supermarket-prepared soup.
Do you need a blender to make soup in Australia?
A blender or stick blender is needed for smooth soups like pumpkin and leek and potato. For chunk soups like minestrone, lentil and chicken noodle, no blending is required. A stick blender (immersion blender) is more practical than a jug blender for soup — you blend directly in the pot. Kmart stick blenders start at $25 and are perfectly capable for home soup making.