Having a shelf full of home-canned soup is one of the best gifts you can give your future self. I rely on these jars for busy days, but I appreciate them most when we are feeling under the weather and I just don’t have the energy to cook. There is nothing quite like popping open a jar of nourishing, homemade soup that is ready to heat and eat.
Today, we are going to fill the pressure canners with three inexpensive, hearty pantry staples: a potato leek soup base, a zesty chicken taco soup, and a classic vegetable soup.
Why I Can My Own Soups
Beyond the convenience, pressure-canned soups are incredibly easy to digest, making them perfect for sick days. They are also a fantastic way to use up vegetables from the root cellar or freezer. Today, we’re using carrots, potatoes, onions, and garlic straight from storage to create meals that will last us through the winter.
A Note on Canning Safety: What Not to Include
When canning your own soup creations, there are a few ingredients you must leave out for safety reasons.
- Dairy: Do not include milk, cream, or butter. These are not safe to can. Instead, add them when you open the jar to heat it up. For my potato leek soup, I can the vegetables and broth, then puree it and add cream and butter right before serving.
- Thickeners: Avoid adding flour, cornstarch, or other thickeners, as they can interfere with heat penetration during canning. Thicken your soups when you reheat them.
- Noodles/Rice: It is best to leave these out and add them fresh when serving, as they can turn to mush in the jar.
You can watch me prepare and can all three of these soups in the video below.
Creamy Potato Leek Soup Base
Ingredients
Ingredients per Quart Jar:
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1/5 bay leaf crumbled
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt optional
- 1/2 cup leeks fresh or freeze-dried
- Potatoes peeled and cubed (par-boiled)
- Chicken broth to fill
Instructions
- Add the garlic, onion, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and leeks to the bottom of each clean jar.
- Fill the jar about halfway with par-boiled potato cubes.
- Top with hot chicken broth, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Debubble, wipe rims, and apply lids.
Hearty Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients per Quart Jar:
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 clove garlic quartered
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 1 tbsp diced peppers (heaping) red/green
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1 raw chicken breast cubed
- Chicken broth and/or water to fill
Instructions
- Add all the dry spices, garlic, onion, peppers, and tomatoes to the bottom of each jar.
- Add the cubed raw chicken breast.
- Top with hot chicken broth (or a mix of broth and water), leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Debubble, wipe rims, and apply lids.
Versatile Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients per Quart Jar:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- Mixed vegetables I used peppers, corn, celery, onions, carrots, and frozen mixed veggies
- Boiling water to fill
Instructions
- Add salt, basil, and tomatoes to the jar.
- Fill the jar with your mix of chopped vegetables.
- Top with boiling water, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Debubble, wipe rims, and apply lids.
How to Pressure Can Your Soups
Because these are low-acid foods containing meat and vegetables, you must use a pressure canner.
- Prepare Your Canner: Place your filled jars into the pressure canner with 2-3 inches of water (and a splash of vinegar to prevent mineral buildup).
- Venting: Lock the lid and turn the heat to high. Allow steam to vent steadily from the vent pipe for 10 minutes.
- Pressure: Place your weight on the vent pipe. Process at 10 lbs of pressure (weighted gauge) or 11 lbs (dial gauge). Adjust for your altitude. I use 15 lbs for my elevation.
- Time: Process quart jars for 90 minutes (pints for 75 minutes).
- Cool Down: When the timer is up, turn off the heat and let the pressure drop to zero naturally. Wait another 10-15 minutes before opening the lid to prevent siphoning (liquid loss from jars).
Printable Checklist for Canning Soup
- Prep: Peel and chop root vegetables. Par-boil potatoes. Chop onions, garlic, and peppers.
- Fill Jars: Fill clean jars halfway with solid ingredients (meat/veggies). Add seasonings.
- Add Liquid: Top with hot broth or water, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Debubble: Remove air bubbles with a tool and adjust headspace if needed.
- Wipe & Seal: Wipe rims with a damp cloth. Apply lids and rings fingertip tight.
- Process: Pressure can quarts for 90 minutes (adjust pressure for altitude).
- Cool: Allow canner to depressurize naturally. Cool jars on the counter for 12-24 hours.
We ended up with 19 beautiful jars of soup for the pantry! It is a long day of work, but knowing that I have these healthy, homemade meals ready to go makes it all worth it.
If you have any questions about canning soup, please leave them in the comments below. Happy canning!