17 Healthy Soup Recipes

Looking for the perfect soup recipe to warm you up on a cold day? These 17 healthy soup recipes are delicious and made from clean, wholesome ingredients. Choose from yummy vegetarian, chicken, and beef options!

If you’re anything like me, you’re getting super excited for the cooler weather.

Because, let’s face it, you are totally giddy with delight at the notion that this means you can make more soup!  More yummy, soul-warming, comforting soups, that is. Heehee!

To share my excitement, I thought I’d highlight a few of my absolute favorite healthy soup recipes — guaranteed to fit the bill now that it’s going to be cooler.  These are the best soup recipes I’ve found that not only fill you up, but maintain your healthy lifestyle, too!

I mean, there is just something wonderful about a steaming hot bowl of soup. 

It’s a nutritional meal all in one bowl. Packed with colorful vegetables, or puréed into creamy deliciousness, soup is awesome. And good for you.

Read on for 17 recipes sure to sate the appetite and meet your nutritional goals.

IS SOUP HEALTHY?

I can’t say enough about how good soup is for you. Not only is the taste savory and filling, but soup is also good for the body:

• Vitamins and minerals: Think of vitamins like C and A found in carrots and peas. Mushrooms, celery, and broccoli are healthy additions as well.
• Fiber: Fiber is the mainstay of a healthy digestive system (see how to get fiber more here) and many of the recipes here are fiber-filled.
• Meal prep: Soup can be made ahead and frozen, ensuring that you always have a healthy meal available in a pinch.
• Vegetables: Because soup is so often packed with veggies, eating soup can increase your intake.
• Water: Soup increases your water consumption, which is always a good thing! 
• Homemade soup: Making your own soup ensures that you do not overdo the sodium and you avoid preservatives, too.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES

Healthy soup recipes are a breeze to make if you keep these tips in mind:

• Use a good soup pot, instant pot, or slow cooker.
• Chop your veggies consistently for even cooking, and cut the veggies to fit in your soup spoons nicely.
• Add salt at the end because you may not need as much as you think.
• Make broth or stock to freeze and use in your soups.
• Simmer your soup (don’t boil) for tender meat and chicken.
• Don’t be afraid to use spices (I love garlic and beneficial ginger).
• If you are wanting to make your soup creamy, add the dairy at the end (I thicken with good-for-you Greek yogurt instead of cream).
• Always taste your soup before serving in case it is missing something, like a dash of turmeric or pepper.
• Use fresh or frozen ingredients instead of canned.

HOW TO FREEZE HEALTHY SOUP RECIPES

Looking to prep some healthy soup recipes and freeze them?  Great idea!  First off – you totally rock for prepping ahead.  Second, here are some tips for how to freeze soup so it’s ready and perfect when it’s time to enjoy it.

How To Freeze Soup

• Cool It Down First: Putting hot soup right into the freezer can thaw your already-frozen food by bringing up the temperature. Make sure to allow your soup to come closer to room temperature before placing into the freezer.  You can do this by placing it in the fridge or dividing it into smaller portions which will cool down quicker.
• Portion It Out Before Freezing: Yes, soup is made in a large batch, but it doesn’t have to be frozen that way.  Turn your soup into convenient grab-and-go meals by freezing it in individual servings. I use these quart-size freezer bags or freezer-safe glass containers to freeze soups.  Keep in mind the soup will expand as it freezes so allow for space when freezing.
• Keep Vegetables Slightly Undercooked: If you know you’ll be freezing your soup, try not to cook the vegetables all the way through.  That way, they’ll be perfectly cooked when reheated and not mushy.
• Separate Grains and Pasta: Pasta and grains will continue to soak up liquid as they freeze. If you like them al dente (not fully soft), you can cook and freeze any pasta or grains separately from the soup and then add them into the soup once it’s reheated.
• Hold the Dairy: Dairy tends to separate and become grainy when frozen and reheated. If you can leave it out of the soup ahead of time, it’s best.  To remember how much to add when it’s time to reheat, you can write on the bag ahead of time.
• Freeze Flat First: If using a freezer bag to store your soup, freeze flat on a sheet pan and then stack the frozen, flat soups to save space.
• Add Labels: I don’t know about you, but my freezer can turn into a scary place if I don’t use labels.  Foods disappear and become hard to distinguish so labeling will put all your effort to good use when you know exactly what you’re holding months later. 

My 17 Best Healthy Soup Recipes

1. Cream of Tomato Soup –This flavorful Cream of Tomato Soup recipe is perfectly satisfying fresh tomato soup. Lycopene, the antioxidant found in tomatoes has health benefits like reduced risk of heart disease.  This soup freezes and reheats very well and is easily vegan or vegetarian. Ready in just 35 minutes!  [GET THE RECIPE.]

2. Roasted Acorn Squash Soup –This creamy soup is delicious, healthy, vegetarian, vegan, and totally perfect for the Fall. [GET THE RECIPE.]

3. Minestrone –I love my minestrone to be full of fresh vegetables, noodles, and tasty good-for-you broth. I hope you do, too. [GET THE RECIPE.]

4. Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup –This soup has all the tastiness of flavorful chicken enchiladas and is ultra-healthy, too. Perfect for a cold day! [GET THE RECIPE.]

5. Healthy Baked Potato Soup –What could be better in a soup than almond milk and Greek yogurt? This is a protein-filled soup guaranteed to up your protein intake. [GET THE RECIPE.]

6. Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup –Just one bowl of this soup will not only fill you up, but it will provide you with 21 grams of fiber and 28 grams of protein. All of the nutrients you need in one bowl. [GET THE RECIPE.]

7. Butternut Squash Bisque –This Butternut Squash Bisque contains half and half and olive oil. It can easily be converted to be dairy-free as well by using coconut milk. [GET THE RECIPE.]

8. Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup –This is one of my favorites! Filled with clean eating ingredients, it will be the last tortilla soup recipe you’ll ever need. [GET THE RECIPE.]

9. Easy Cream of Broccoli –Ready in just 25 minutes and so flavorful, you won’t even believe this healthy soup recipe doesn’t have cream.  Greek yogurt adds goodness and creaminess. [GET THE RECIPE.]

10. Slow Cooker Hot And Sour Soup –A great new way to enjoy a take-out favorite at home.  It’s much better for you when you make it yourself. Ensure the soup is healthy by controlling what goes in it. [GET THE RECIPE.]

11. Low Carb Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup –A healthy, gluten-free soup, this colorful meal has nutritional zucchini noodles as the star of the soup! [GET THE RECIPE.]

12. Healthy French Onion Soup –Nothing says delicious more than a bowl of French Onion Soup with lots of cheese. This is a healthy version you’ve got to try! [GET THE RECIPE.]

13. Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup –Whole wheat orzo makes this hearty soup a great source of fiber. And the chicken provides protein. Double win! [GET THE RECIPE.]

14. Easy Turkey Noodle Soup –Holiday time is the ideal soup time, with all of that leftover turkey on hand! This healthy soup recipe has quinoa noodles, an absolute favorite of mine. [GET THE RECIPE.]

15. Healthy Slow Cooker Beef Stew –Slow cooking beef stew is amazing.  Beef provides iron and protein and the veggies have lots of vitamins. This recipe suits several healthy diets, like gluten-free and paleo. [GET THE RECIPE.]

16. Hearty Beef Stew –This healthy recipe is another amazing stew. With cremini mushrooms, beef chuck roast, garlic (yum!), and tomato paste, it’s super savory! [GET THE RECIPE.]

17. Butternut Squash Instant Pot Chili –With vegan protein a hot item these days, this vegan chili is a must-have recipe! It’s not exactly a soup but I couldn’t leave it out! [GET THE RECIPE.]