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Leftover cornbread? Transform it into a cozy Cornbread Sage and Onion Soup! All the creamy, dreamy Thanksgiving stuffing recipe vibes—minus the dairy!

Cornbread, sage and onion soup in a black bowl garnished with cornbread croutons and a crispy sage leaf

It’s that time of year—the holiday season is approaching! The best part of Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner? The sides, especially the stuffing, and this soup tastes just like it! Whether you make my Cornbread Stuffing or your own white bread stuffing, this soup is an easy way to use up any leftovers.

Turning Leftover Stuffing/Dressing into Soup

I first created this soup in 2023 after I had a lot of leftover Sage Cornbread stuffing recipe—a classic cornbread dish elevated with fresh sage. This is a delicious combination of crumbled Sage Cornbread (picture below), fresh sage, sautéed onions, celery and chicken stock (or chicken broth). It takes minutes to make and is even faster when using leftover stuffing.  

A slice of Sage Cornbread showing flecks of fresh sage on the inside

The cornbread mixture is blended with vegetable stock/vegetable broth (which takes very little time) making it a quick and easy recipe. Just make sure the stuffing and liquid are at room temperature, not hot, before blending.

Fresh sage vs dried sage for stuffing

For me, fall and winter is sage season. Fresh earthy, sage is a staple in my kitchen at this time of the year and I do prefer to use fresh. If you can’t find fresh sage, dried herbs will work, but in my opinion it doesn’t quite measure up.

Homemade Cornbread or Store Bought Cornbread

Just like with my stuffing recipe, you don’t have to use leftover stuffing for the soup; you can make it from scratch with a classic Jiffy cornbread mix or cornbread stuffing/dressing mixture from the grocery store or your own cornbread recipe. Either way, it’s an easy recipe that transforms into a delicious soup.

Creamy and smooth cornbread, sage and onion soup without any dairy

A Comforting Dairy-Free Vegetarian Holiday Soup

This thick, creamy soup needs no milk or cream—the cornbread itself thickens it, making it not only a comforting vegetarian option but also a delicious vegan soup.

Thanksgiving, Christmas or Holiday Appetizer Soup

This soup makes a perfect appetizer to serve at your Thanksgiving or holiday table and is sure to become a new family favorite. It would be a perfect appetizer to serving at your Thanksgiving table or holiday table and will be your new family favorite.

A spoonful of Cornbread, Sage & Onion soup with a cornbread crouton

Easy Cornbread Croutons

If you have leftover cornbread, you can turn it into crispy croutons that add a satisfying crunch to garnish the soup. This can be done in the oven on a baking sheet or tray, a casserole dish, or on the stovetop in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Simply brown in butter or oil, tossing often until golden brown.

Storing Leftover Cornbread Soup

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the soup. Simply defrost in the fridge overnight and heat in a pan over medium heat (stirring often) or in the microwave.

Optional Additions to the Soup

Try a sprinkle of poultry seasoning, fresh herbs like thyme or parsley, caramelized onions, or even a sweet dollop of cranberry sauce. A dash of black pepper adds a little spice.

Storing leftover soup

Add the cooled soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

As with most of my recipes, you will find a video tutorial on the page with showing the step-by-step recipe.

Yield: 4

Cornbread Sage & Onion Soup

A bowl of cornbread, sage and onion soup on a serving platter with a spoon

Onion, celery, fresh sage and cornbread are cooked in vegetable stock/broth then blended.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the croutons:
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Day old cornbread corn bread, cut into crouton-size cubes
  • 4 tablespoons (57 grams) butter, unsalted
  • 12 small sage leaves
  • For the soup:
  • 1 cup (226 grams) yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 ¼ cups (360 grams) about 4 large celery stalks, chopped small
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt (add more later depending on the salt content in your stock or broth)
  • 1 ½ cups (128 grams) cornbread, crumbled
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your stock is)
  • Small pinch ground black pepper
  • 2 ½ cups (562 ml) low sodium vegetable stock or broth (plus a little more if needed)

Instructions

  1. For the croutons:
    Add the butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted and bubbling add the 12 sage leaves and cook until crispy. Remove to a towel to drain off the fat.
  2. To the same butter, add the corn bread cubes. Toss to coat in the butter, cook on each side, turning until they are evenly browned. Remove and set aside. Remove the browned butter (save it to use in another dish) and wipe out the pan.
  3. For the soup:
    To the same pan with the heat still on medium, add the 4 tablespoons butter. When melted and bubbly add the onions and celery. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often until softened. Stir in the sage, cook for 1 minute. Add the crumbled cornbread and salt (you can add more later) depending how salty your stock or broth is.
  4. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer in small batches to a blender and blend until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock until it is the consistency you want. Taste to see if it needs more salt.
  5. Serve topped with croutons and crispy sage.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 209Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 36mgSodium 1119mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 4g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

© Janette
Cuisine: American / Category: Soup