Healthy Soup Recipes

Warm up with a bowl of soup that's brimming with healthy grains and bright vegetables.

Cook the veggies (and apple), get out the blender, and your work is done.

This silky take on cream of mushroom soup is actually cream-less; coconut milk is subbed for traditional dairy making a satisfying plant-based soup. The humblest of mushrooms: button or cremini—which are both inexpensive and easy to find—anchor the recipe and white or yellow miso pumps up their earthiness without overwhelming them.

A split-pea puree is extra nutritious (and extra green) thanks to baby spinach. The swirl of plain yogurt brings brightness, and a sprinkle of barley gives the make-ahead soup another healthy boost—it contains the soluble fiber beta-glucan, which has been found to do wonders to lower bad cholesterol.

On a chilly day, this rustic soup -- made with potatoes, leeks, butternut squash, and escarole -- will warm you right up. Serve it with our Popovers.

Extra-virgin olive oil, which has a distinct taste and is ideal for dressings and drizzling, serves as the base for this polenta and spinach soup.

In Chinese cultures, lemongrass and cilantro are considered yin ingredients -- cooling elements that are ideal on hot days. The subtle heat of ginger and chile, combined with the bright aroma of fresh mint, enlivens this lightened rendition of chicken soup.

This chicken soup is loaded with kale, zucchini, chickpeas and carrots for a hearty meal.

Broccoli is at its peak from October through April—that's the best time to puree it in a soup like this one.

When cold and flu season hits, this warming Super-Grain Soup with Watercress and Mushrooms can serve as either prevention or cure. Packed to the gills with superfoods like peppery watercress, earthy mushrooms, and nutty quinoa, it'll be just what the doctor ordered.

This is no simple soup, it's a richly-flavored dish that features lots of spice and aromatics. Use our Whole Roasted Tomatoes as a base.

Cannellini beans provide protein and fiber in this fragrant, steaming broth with Kale, White Bean, and Farro Soup. It's loaded with vegetables, grains, and herbs.

The flavor of pears is wonderful with earthy squash. Another great combo? This soup plus a grilled cheese sandwich make a cozy, comforting lunch.

One of the world's oldest health foods, lentils are nutritional powerhouses. Their high protein and fiber content steadies blood sugar, staving off hunger. Create this Curried Red Lentil Soup with Dried Cherries and Cilantro for a tasty and nutritious meal. 

This Shanghai-style soup is filling, fragrant, and made for those chilly evenings when the craving to slurp down a big bowl of noodle soup is the strongest! After infusing the collagen-rich chicken broth with ginger, lemongrass, and shiitakes, a medley of different vegetables ranging from hearty winter squash to delicate broccolini are simmered until tender. Lastly, defeat the winter doldrums by ladling the soup over a portion of silky fresh wheat noodles and top it off with a fried egg or sliced chicken (or both!). Whichever way you have it, consider the handful of fresh herbs and lime wedges as mandatory tableside accompaniments. 

Eggs are the key ingredient in this quick and easy soup inspired by the Italian classic. The whites are poured in first and cooked in chicken broth until set, while the yolks are stirred in off the heat, lending the soup a rich texture.

This sweet and mellow fall soup features aromatic spices, including coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and ginger for vibrant flavor.

This warm satisfying potato leek soup gets fresh flavor from rosemary and parsley.

A pinch of saffron adds a vegetal, almost tomatoey taste to this rustic chicken soup made with leeks, celery, and carrots.

With this method of cooking, you get tender and moist chicken as well as a tasty broth, which you can use in a variety of dishes.

If you're intrigued by the speckled borlotti beans at the farmers' market, this minestrone is the perfect excuse to grab a few pounds. The hearty soup is flexible by nature—think of the ingredients as mere suggestions. Didn't find borlottis? Use butter beans instead, or canned versions of either. No escarole or kale in sight? Toss in another leafy green—say, mustard greens or chard. Last, stir in cooked pasta; any shape you can eat with a spoon will do! 

There are dozens of variations on borscht, the Eastern European beet soup. Some (like this one) are served hot, others chilled; some are pureed until smooth, others are chunky -- but all showcase the beauty of beets. Sour cream is the traditional topping; its tang tempers the sweetness of the beets. When peeling beets, it's a good idea to wear gloves to avoid staining your hands. This recipe appears in our cookbook "Martha Stewart's Vegetables" (Clarkson Potter).

Mash the beans, and use them to thicken the broth; leave some whole for added texture.

This is a lighter, brothy take on the Italian soup ribollita, which is also made with leftover bread. If using frozen peas, add them to the soup along with the bread.