Discover the best Dump-and-Simmer Crockpot Soups for Busy Holiday Nights with easy, hands-off recipes!

On nights when the tree is glowing, the to-do list is endless, and everyone’s hungry right now, Dump-and-Simmer Crockpot Soups for Busy Holiday Nights feel like a quiet win!

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Dump-and-Simmer Crockpot Soups for Busy Holiday Nights

1. Slow Cooker Herbed Turkey And Wild Rice Soup

This is the “I still have turkey in the fridge and no energy” soup. It’s rich without being heavy, packed with protein, and tastes like the inside of a very calm snow globe.

Ingredients

Base And Protein

• Cooked turkey breast or thigh – 3 cups, shredded or diced
• Wild rice blend – ¾ cup, rinsed
• Yellow onion – 1 large, finely diced
• Carrots – 3 medium, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
• Celery – 3 ribs, sliced
• Garlic – 4 cloves, minced

Liquids And Seasoning

• Low-sodium chicken or turkey broth – 7 cups
• Bay leaf – 1
• Dried thyme – 1 tsp
• Dried sage – ½ tsp
• Dried rosemary – ½ tsp, crushed between your fingers
• Fine sea salt – 1 ½ tsp, plus more at the end if needed
• Black pepper – 1 tsp

To Finish

• Plain Greek yogurt – 1 cup, room temperature
• Fresh lemon juice – 1–2 tbsp
• Fresh parsley – ¼ cup, chopped

How To Turn Leftover Turkey Into A Slow Cooker Miracle

Load The Crock First Thing

• Add wild rice, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the slow cooker.
• Scatter shredded turkey over the top in an even layer so it warms evenly.

Pour In The Flavor

• Pour the broth over everything.
• Add bay leaf, thyme, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
• Stir once, gently, so every grain and vegetable meets the broth.

Let The Slow Cooker Do Its Job

• Cover with the lid.
• Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the wild rice splits and turns tender-chewy and the vegetables feel soft when you poke them with a spoon.

Make It Creamy Without Heavy Cream

• Ladle about ½ cup of hot broth into a bowl.
• Whisk Greek yogurt into that hot liquid until smooth.
• Pour the mixture back into the slow cooker and stir.
• Add lemon juice and parsley.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper so every spoonful tastes warm and bright.

Storage

• Cool the soup to room temperature.
• Transfer to airtight containers, making sure the rice and turkey stay covered in broth.

2. Dump-And-Go Beef, Potato And Barley Stew

This one tastes like you fussed with three different pots. In reality, you tipped everything into one slow cooker while still in your coat and walked away.

Ingredients

Protein And Vegetables

• Stew beef – 1 ½ lb, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Yellow onion – 1 large, diced
• Carrots – 3, peeled and sliced into chunks
• Celery – 3 ribs, sliced
• Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes – 3 medium, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
• Garlic – 4 cloves, minced

Grains, Liquids, And Seasoning

• Pearl barley – ½ cup, rinsed
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
• Low-sodium beef broth – 7 cups
• Worcestershire sauce – 1 tbsp
• Bay leaf – 1
• Dried thyme – 1 tsp
• Smoked paprika – 1 ½ tsp
• Fine sea salt – 1 ½–2 tsp, start lower and adjust later
• Black pepper – 1 tsp

How To Build A Beef Stew While Your Brain Is Elsewhere

Pile Everything Into The Crockpot

• Add beef cubes to the slow cooker.
• Top with onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and garlic.
• Sprinkle barley over the top so it sinks into the spaces between the vegetables.

Add Tomato Paste And Seasoning

• Dollop tomato paste over the mixture.
• Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.
• Add bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
• Stir, reaching down to the bottom so tomato paste dissolves into the broth.

Let Time Build The Flavor

• Cover.
• Cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef feels fork-tender and the barley turns soft but still has a little bite.

Final Texture Check

• Stir well; the potatoes and barley thicken the broth naturally.
• If the stew looks thicker than you like, stir in ½–1 cup hot water or broth and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper again.

Storage

• Cool, then store in airtight containers.
• Make sure some broth sits on top so the beef and barley stay moist.

3. Creamy Chicken Tortellini Tomato Soup

This is the one that feels like holiday-season takeout, except your house smells better and you didn’t stand in a delivery app spiral for 25 minutes.

Ingredients

Base And Protein

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – 1 ½ lb, whole
• Yellow onion – 1, finely diced
• Carrots – 2, peeled and finely diced
• Garlic – 4 cloves, minced

Liquids, Tomatoes, And Seasoning

• Crushed tomatoes – 1 can (28 oz)
• Low-sodium chicken broth – 5 cups
• Italian seasoning – 2 tsp
• Dried basil – 1 tsp
• Fine sea salt – 1 ½ tsp
• Black pepper – 1 tsp
• Red pepper flakes – ¼ tsp, optional for gentle heat

To Finish

• Refrigerated cheese tortellini – 12–14 oz
• Half-and-half or heavy cream – 1 cup, room temperature
• Fresh spinach – 3 big handfuls, roughly chopped
• Fresh basil or parsley – ¼ cup, chopped

How To Turn Frozen Holiday Brain Into Dinner

Load The Slow Cooker In Layers

• Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock.
• Scatter onion, carrots, and garlic over the top.

Pour In Tomato Comfort

• Add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth.
• Sprinkle Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) over the surface.
• Stir gently around the edges, leaving the chicken mostly in place.

Leave It Alone To Work

• Cover.
• Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily with two forks.

Add Tortellini And Cream At The End

• Remove chicken to a board, shred, and return it to the pot.
• Turn the slow cooker to HIGH if it was on LOW.
• Stir in tortellini and chopped spinach.
• Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, until the tortellini feels tender when you bite into one.
• Stir in the cream and chopped fresh herbs.

Taste And Serve

• Taste the broth and adjust salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes.
• Ladle into bowls while the tortellini still holds its shape and the spinach looks bright.

Storage

• Tortellini continues to absorb liquid, so store the soup with plenty of broth.
• Cool completely, then transfer to containers.

4. Smoky Sausage, White Bean And Kale Crockpot Soup

This is the “I want something hearty, but I’d also like to see a vegetable today” soup. Protein, fiber, and a smoky broth that makes your kitchen smell like you have a fireplace.

Ingredients

Base And Protein

• Smoked chicken sausage or turkey sausage – 1 lb, sliced into coins
• Yellow onion – 1, diced
• Carrots – 3, peeled and sliced
• Celery – 3 ribs, sliced
• Garlic – 4 cloves, minced

Beans, Broth, And Spices

• Canned cannellini or great northern beans – 2 cans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed
• Low-sodium chicken broth – 7 cups
• Crushed tomatoes – 1 can (14.5 oz)
• Smoked paprika – 2 tsp
• Dried oregano – 1 tsp
• Dried thyme – 1 tsp
• Fine sea salt – 1 ½ tsp
• Black pepper – 1 tsp

Greens And Finish

• Curly kale – 4 packed cups, stems removed, leaves chopped
• Fresh lemon juice – 1–2 tbsp

How To Build A Smoky Sausage Pot Without Dirtying A Skillet

Dump The Sausage And Vegetables

• Add sausage, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic straight into the slow cooker.
• Scatter the beans over the top.

Add Liquids And Spice

• Pour in chicken broth and crushed tomatoes.
• Sprinkle in smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
• Stir well so spices dissolve into the broth.

Let It Simmer Into Itself

• Cover.
• Cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the vegetables turn fully tender and the flavors taste unified, not separate.

Finish With Greens And Lemon

• In the last 20–30 minutes, stir in chopped kale.
• Cover again and let the kale soften and turn deep green.
• Stir in lemon juice right before serving.

Storage

• Cool fully, then store in airtight containers.
• The beans and sausage sit happily in broth without falling apart.

5. Cozy Ginger Lentil And Sweet Potato Vegetable Soup

This is your plant-based safety blanket: loaded with lentils, sweet potatoes, and warm ginger, it fills you up without feeling heavy. Perfect for the night after a big holiday feast.

Ingredients

Base Vegetables

• Yellow onion – 1, finely diced
• Carrots – 2, diced
• Celery – 2 ribs, diced
• Sweet potatoes – 2 medium, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
• Fresh ginger – 1 ½ tbsp, finely grated

Lentils, Broth, And Seasoning

• Dry red or brown lentils – 1 cup, rinsed
• Low-sodium vegetable broth – 7 cups
• Crushed tomatoes – 1 can (14.5 oz)
• Ground cumin – 1 ½ tsp
• Ground coriander – 1 tsp
• Ground turmeric – ½ tsp
• Fine sea salt – 1 ½ tsp
• Black pepper – 1 tsp

To Finish

• Baby spinach – 3 cups, loosely packed
• Fresh lemon juice – 1–2 tbsp
• Fresh cilantro or parsley – ¼ cup, chopped

How To Let Lentils Do The Work While You Ignore Them

Load Every Veg Into The Slow Cooker

• Add onion, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, and ginger to the crock.
• Add rinsed lentils over the top.

Pour In Broth And Spices

• Pour in vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes.
• Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, and pepper.
• Stir well so lentils sink down and everything sits under the broth.

Walk Away And Let It Thicken

• Cover.
• Cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until lentils break down slightly and sweet potatoes feel tender when you press a piece against the side of the crock with a spoon.

Add Greens And Freshness

• Stir in spinach for the last 15 minutes of cooking, letting it wilt into the soup.
• Add lemon juice and chopped fresh herbs just before serving.

Storage

• Lentil soups age well. Cool the soup, then pack into containers, leaving a little space at the top.

When you start leaning on these Dump-and-Simmer Crockpot Soups for Busy Holiday Nights, something subtle shifts in your evenings. You stop panic-snacking over the sink, your kitchen smells like you live with a private chef, and dinner waits for you instead of the other way around—all from a few minutes of chopping and a very smart slow cooker!!