33 Healthy and Satisfying Soup Recipes

By Food & Wine
Updated January 09, 2019
From mushroom dumplings in mineral-rich dashi broth to hearty minestrone, these soul-soothing soups will become regulars in your dinner rotation.
Start Slideshow

1 of 33

Rocket Soup

Credit: Greg DuPree
Go to Recipe

A blend of spinach, cilantro, and arugula anchors this delicate, vegetal soup from Yasmin Khan, author of Zaitoun.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 33

Miso Soup with Turmeric and Tofu

Go to Recipe

The combination of miso and turmeric is soothing and satisfying in this simple adaptation of classic miso soup.

3 of 33

Mushroom Dumplings in Katsuobishi Broth

Credit: Greg DuPree
Go to Recipe

At Onsen in San Francisco, chef George Meza bathes plump, silky mushroom dumplings and slightly bitter bok choy in a clear, mineral-rich dashi broth for this elegant, warming soup.

Advertisement

4 of 33

Tomato Soup with Feta, Olives and Cucumbers

Go to Recipe

This pretty, fresh-tasting tomato soup is David Chang’s riff on Greek salad: He tops it with tomatoes, olives, honeyed cucumbers and feta.

5 of 33

Beef-and-Farro Soup

Go to Recipe

Chef and TV personality Hugh Acheson uses miso to add umami to this hearty and exceptionally savory soup.

6 of 33

Basque Garlic Soup

Credit: Greg DuPree
Go to Recipe

With its tendrils of egg swimming in a fragrant broth of paprika and garlic, writer and cookbook author Marti Buckley’s Basque Garlic Soup is a balm for a cold day.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 33

Creamy Piquillo Pepper and Chickpea Soup with Chicken

Go to Recipe

The secret to this speedy soup is buying ingredients with lots of built-in flavor, like hummus and jarred piquillo peppers.

8 of 33

Corn Soup with Vadouvan

Credit: John Kernick
Go to Recipe

Vadouvan is a French spice blend inspired by Indian curry. Here, it's added to corn chowder for a new twist on the summer classic.

9 of 33

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Coconut and Chiles

Go to Recipe

Chef Annie Somerville thickens and enriches her fragrant cauliflower soup with unsweetened coconut milk. The thinly sliced jalapeño served on top adds a bright, fresh heat that’s delicious with the warm curry spices and sweet roasted cauliflower.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 33

Butternut Squash Soup

Go to Recipe

Adding collard greens, bell pepper, corn and carrot to a rustic butternut squash soup is Mary Ellen Diaz's clever way of making it even more healthy. Together these vegetables deliver vitamins A and C as well as fiber and powerful antioxidants.

11 of 33

Quick Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Beef

Go to Recipe

Rocco DiSpirito likes to heat shirataki noodles (a low-calorie noodle made from tofu or a kind of sweet potato) in store-bought chicken broth seasoned with lime juice.

12 of 33

Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey

Go to Recipe

Simmering the broth with a Parmesan rind gives the soup an even richer taste than sprinkling the cheese on top.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 33

Split-Pea Soup with Portobellos

Go to Recipe

Meaty portobellos are especially good for adding substance and flavor to this soup, but shiitakes or other mushrooms will work well, too. You can also add a ham hock to the pot while the split peas cook, if you like.

14 of 33

Colombian Chicken Soup

Go to Recipe

Chicken breast adds plenty of protein but not much fat to this version of ajiaco, a cilantro-scented chicken soup that's virtually Colombia's national dish. Stirring in fiber-rich brown rice turns the soup into a satisfying one-dish meal.

15 of 33

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Go to Recipe

This satisfying soup from David Bull is an excellent source of fiber.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 33

Gingery Sweet Potato Soup

Go to Recipe

Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, essential for vision. The soup uses only one cup of the ginger broth; the rest makes a terrific cooking liquid for grains like quinoa.

More Great Soups

17 of 33

Spinach Soup with Horseradish Granité

Go to Recipe

Horseradish, originally consumed for medicinal purposes, became the condiment of choice for English roast beef in the 17th century. Chef Tristan Welch creates an ingenious granité by freezing horseradish with milk, scraping it into icy flakes and scooping it onto toasts to garnish a creamy nettle soup (spinach is excellent here too).

18 of 33

Spicy Grain Soup

Go to Recipe

Based on a brothy tortilla soup, this fiery, substantial soup is full of nutty-tasting barley, brown rice and bulgur, creating a dish that's high in fiber.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 33

Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Rice

Go to Recipe

Avgolemono is a classic sauce of chicken broth, egg yolks and lemon juice; the addition of a bit more chicken broth, rice and shredded chicken turns it into a satisfying soup.

20 of 33

Chickpeas and Swiss Chard in Parmesan and Sun-Dried-Tomato Broth

Go to Recipe

Top-quality jarred pesto is the key to this soup, contributing a lovely, herby nuttiness. Simmering the soup with a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind adds even more flavor complexity.

21 of 33

Classic Split Pea Soup

Go to Recipe

"I haven't met a bean or pea that I didn't love," says Steven Satterfield. Here he soaks split peas for an hour before simmering them in the soup, so they're more tender and the soup is smoother.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 33

Black-Bean Turkey Chili

Go to Recipe

"In this industry, you often don't eat when you need to," says Ronnie Killen. "What helped me lose weight was eating at the right times." He started having real meals with lean proteins, like this turkey chili.

23 of 33

Pea Consommé with Mint

Go to Recipe

This delicate broth is full of vitamin C, thanks to the pea pods Jeremy Fox simmers. (Snow peas are just as delicious and easier to find.) He tops the consommé with shards of white chocolate because he likes the way it brings out the peas' sweetness while adding only a little fat.

24 of 33

Raw Sweet Corn and Cashew Chowder

Go to Recipe

Not only is yellow corn a good source of vitamin B, magnesium and thiamin, it also contains carotenoids (organic pigments with health benefits) not found in white corn. Ani Phyo likes to add a handful of vitamin A–rich spinach or soft lettuce to the chowder. “Then it becomes part-soup, part-salad,” she says.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 33

Chilled Fennel-Grapefruit Velouté with Lemon Olive Oil

Go to Recipe

For this soup, a citrus oil is used in two different ways: for sautéing fennel before pureeing it with grapefruit juice, and for garnishing the soup before serving.

26 of 33

Chilled Persian Yogurt Soup

Go to Recipe

"Ask anyone on my staff their favorite summer dish, and they'll tell you it's this one," says Hoss Zaré. Filled with herbs, nuts and raisins, the soup is delicious with grilled bread.

27 of 33

Zucchini-and-Watercress Soup

Go to Recipe

Sophie Dahl likes eating peppery watercress in the spring and has figured out a way to highlight its bright flavor in this silky soup. A single tablespoon of cream gives the vivid green soup a touch of richness.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 33

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Go to Recipe

Chef Eric Skokan grows hundreds of vegetables at his farm in Boulder, Colorado, analyzing each variety for its best use. He prefers the Zagross Persian cucumber for this tangy soup.

29 of 33

Chilled Tomato Soup with Goat-Milk Yogurt

Credit: © Fredrika Stjärne
Go to Recipe

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge make yogurt from the goat milk produced on the Beekman farm. They blend the tangy yogurt into this herb-flecked soup.

30 of 33

Tomato-Miso Soup

Go to Recipe

This miso soup gets extra flavor from ripe tomatoes.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 33

Caribbean Green Soup

Go to Recipe

Callaloo, originally from Africa, is served throughout the Caribbean in different forms--from a thick side dish to the soup you see below.

32 of 33

Summer Black Bean Soup with Corn and Tomatoes

Go to Recipe

This recipe works best with fresh corn and tomatoes at the height of the season. Add them in right at the end so they maintain their texture and fresh summer flavor.

33 of 33