Choosing our favorite form of comfort food is an impossible task, but if pressed, we'd have no choice but to select soup (please don't tell lasagna). Soup is just the thing for warming you up from the inside out, plus it's the perfect blank canvas for stirring your favorite proteins with vibrant vegetables, fresh herbs, and (of course) a rich and restorative broth. You can whirl it up with an immersion blender for a velvety-smooth texture or leave your ingredients intact.
Whatever way you serve it, soup's on—and these healthy soup recipes will have you feeling great. Each one is chock-full of nutrient-packed ingredients and, best of all, quick and easy to prepare.
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Crispy Tofu and Rice Noodle Soup
Whether you're a fervent vegan or a full-time carnivore, you're going to love this rich and restorative plant-based tofu and rice noodle soup. It's bursting with ribbons of Swiss chard and tamari-soaked tofu, all swimming in a spiced vegetable broth that's spiked with ginger, garlic, tamari, and star anise. Consider it the most warming winter meal. Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamins A, K, and C while tofu is packed with protein.
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Creamy Miso White Bean Soup Recipe
You can make this magic miso and white bean soup recipe for your entire family with just 15 minutes of hands-on time. The combination of white miso paste, cannellini beans, butter, and extra virgin olive oil makes for the silkiest—think velvet—texture, spoonful after spoonful. Aside from amazing flavor, olive oil is full of healthy fats. And the white beans are a great source of fiber and protein.
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Carrot and Red Lentil Soup
Restaurant-quality soups don't have to be fussy to be deeply delicious and satisfying. Take this simple soup for example: It's an easy-to-make mixture of red lentils, carrots, onions, fresh herbs, and lots of ground spices, but deeply complex in flavor. The key to building rich vegetable flavor is giving the carrots and shallots enough time to release water before adding the cumin, turmeric, and ginger.
Carrots contain betacarotene, potassium and vitamin A while turmeric is has been known to reduce inflammation.
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Whole-Grain Minestrone With Parmesan Crisps
Swap out processed, refined grains for a whole-grains for better nutrition. This steamy bowl of vegetable-packed minestrone is made extra hearty with whole grain farro in place of pasta and DIY Parmesan crisps for bites of umami on every spoonful. Speaking of Parm, don't throw out those rinds; you'll use one here to infuse the broth with deep flavor.
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Red Lentil Squash Soup With Lemon
This protein-packed silky red lentil soup soothes and satisfies with generous amounts of vegetables and a touch of heat. The recipe combines carrots, butternut squash, a cornucopia of spices, and harissa paste for layered flavor; fresh ginger adds a surprising amount of warmth, too.
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Ginger Meatball Ramen With Greens and Scallions
Improve digestion and boost immunity with some ginger. Spaghetti and meatballs meet brothy ramen noodles in a dinner that will have you wondering how you've lived so long without it. Three elements combine to make this recipe an instant classic: delicious pork meatballs (seasoned with fresh ginger, scallions, and soy sauce), a miso-spiked broth, and of course, squiggly instant ramen noodles.
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Red Cabbage and Beet Borscht
A bowl of this jewel-toned soup packs in five different vegetables for an ultra-healthy meal. The beets, cabbage, and carrots add bright flavor, a substantive body, and tons of plant fiber to keep you full. High fiber foods are also easier to digest, making this recipe the perfect addition to your weekly meal rotation.
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Cod and Clam Chowder With Smoky Oyster Crackers
This tasty remix of a traditional chowder recipe is refreshingly modern thanks to beautiful in-shell littleneck clams that cozy up alongside chunks of tender cod. Plus, you'll be getting a ton of essential omega-3 fatty acids in just one bowl. Leeks and fennel join in with onion to make an aromatic base, and you'll infuse the broth with a generous dose of wine and clam juice to add acidity and umami flavor.
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Peruvian-Style Chicken Soup With Cilantro and Lime
If you've never had Peruvian-style chicken soup, then you're in for a treat. In addition to the standard ingredients (chicken, carrots, peas), you'll add bell pepper, cumin, and potatoes, plus a generous dose of lime-scallion-herb puree for a brighter and spicier bowl of flavor. It's great to clear out a cold or to warm up on a wintery night.
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Mushroom Barley Soup
Barley is a whole grain packed with vitamins and minerals and may reduce the risk of diseases like heart disease. As if we needed another reason to eat this delicious soup.
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Ginger Chicken Soup With Vegetables
Warm up to this invigorating soup made from freshly grated ginger and root vegetables. The high fiber content of the vegetables will keep you fuller longer. Plus, they are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol.
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Beef and Bean Chili
Semisweet chocolate adds depth to this rich and satisfying stew. Top with fresh avocado and diced red onion for added flavor.
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Broccoli Soup With Cheddar Croutons
This broccoli soup manages to be both comforting and healthful, thanks to the balance between decadence (cheddar croutons) and virtue (green veggies).
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Cauliflower Soup With Toasted Garlic
This dairy-free soup has minimal ingredients but lots of deep flavors. The creamy texture comes from the blended cauliflower and broth. And remember the toasted garlic, which gives the soup a crisp and fragrant finish.
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Salsa Verde Chicken Soup
Inspired by posole, a traditional Mexican stew, this soul-satisfying chicken soup comes together in about a half-hour thanks to chicken broth, cans of pinto beans and hominy, and a jar of tomatillo salsa, aka salsa verde.
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Chile Corn Chowder
This thick, rich soup gets a subtle heat from canned green chiles. As for the corn, fresh, frozen, or canned will work.
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Vegan Creamy Tomato Soup
Keep this recipe handy because you’ll want it in rotation all soup-season long. Serve in bowls garnished with fresh oregano, a drizzle of olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper.
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One-Pot Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup
A simple soup doesn't have to mean simple flavors. Case in point, this rich and hearty recipe, which packs turkey sausage and potato gnocchi into every bite.
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Classic Chicken Soup
You don't have to be sick to enjoy a nourishing bowl of chicken soup. This recipe brings out all the classic flavors while keeping cooking time to a minimum. The fresh carrots and celery are the key ingredients in this comforting soup.
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Chicken Paprikash Soup
This beloved Hungarian chicken dish becomes a quick and comforting weeknight soup you'll want to make time and time again. No time to cook chicken? Substituting with store brought rotisserie chicken in this recipe is a great time saver.
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Butternut Squash and Chicken Pozole
For a healthy dinner the whole family will love, make this cozy bowl of pozole. Kale, butternut squash, and hominy pack your bowl full of veggies, while chicken adds a protein boost. Top it all off with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.
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