MyPlate-Inspired Soups and Stews

February 21, 2013
Photo: Iain Bagwell
Enjoy our favorite MyPlate-inspired stew and soup recipes, which incorporate a variety of protein, vegetables, and grains for comforting and filling one-dish meal and starter options.
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Nutrititous Soups and Stews

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Chicken and White Bean Soup

Cooking Light is working with the Partnership for a Healthier America and USDA’s MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to thousands of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Cannellini beans, native to Tuscany, work beautifully in this rustic soup because they hold their shape after simmering in the flavorful broth. In addition, the orzo pasta absorbs all of the right flavors of this warming dish. 

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Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Nothing beats a bowl of chicken noodle soup — it's familiar, flavorful, and instantly soothing. While we love our classic recipe, we've included some twists to satisfy all types of taste buds. 

Our rendition of Classic Chicken Noodle Soup is just what the doctor ordered. Bone-in chicken fortifies commercial unsalted stock and adds meaty depth to the soup.

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Black Bean, Hominy, and Kale Stew

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Black Bean, Hominy, and Kale Stew

Roasting the poblano chiles offers a fast route to deep flavor in this hearty bowl of vegetable stew.

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Fresh Tomato Soup

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Fresh Tomato Soup

Homemade tomato stock provides the base for this fresh soup. Prepare the soup through step 2 up to a day ahead. Reheat over medium-low heat, and stir in the basil, lemon rind, and butter just before serving.

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Basic Beef Stew with Carrots and Mushrooms

View Recipe: Basic Beef Stew with Carrots and Mushrooms

This classic beef stew recipe has all you expect in beef stew: tender chunks of beef, carrot, and potato. Yet the cremini mushrooms are a wonderful and welcome surprise.

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Chicken and Okra Stew

Photo: Kwaku Alston
View Recipe: Chicken and Okra Stew

Our hearty chicken stew is similar to Brunswick stew–only the Haitian version is certainly fierier, thanks to the habanero. If you don’t like it quite so spicy, use a seeded, minced jalapeño, which is somewhat fruitier and not as powerful.

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Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Creamy Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Known for heightened flavor over time, we recommended making this delightful, creamy soup several days in advance and reheating over medium-low heat when ready to eat.

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Lentil-Edamame Stew

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Lentil-Edamame Stew

Fava beans are traditional in this stew, which we updated with edamame. Green peas can be substituted for the edamame, if you like.

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Southwestern Chicken Soup

View Recipe: Southwestern Chicken Soup

This top-rated Southwestern soup is a great way to use up leftover chicken. The creamy chunks of avocado add a richness that’s unusual to find in most chicken soups.

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Brunswick Stew

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Brunswick Stew

A Southern classic dish, our version features chicken, chopped bell pepper, lima beans, and corn in a tomato base. Serve with garlic bread and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

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Chilled Corn Soup

Photo: Lee Harrelson
View Recipe: Chilled Corn Soup

This recipe for chilled corn soup yields an incredibly sumptuous, velvety concoction that’s vegan and nearly fat-free. Use corn at the peak of freshness as this simple preparation will highlight corn’s natural sweetness.

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Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

Sugary butternut squash and meaty chicken thighs remind us how well sweet and savory flavors play together in Moroccan cuisine.

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Baked Potato Soup

View Recipe: Baked Potato Soup

A creamy classic, our version of baked potato soup is rich, warming, filling, and only around 330 calories per serving. Garnish with cheese, onions, bacon, and cracked pepper when ready to eat.

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Chilled Avocado Soup with Seared Chipotle Shrimp

Photo: Anna Williams
View Recipe: Chilled Avocado Soup with Seared Chipotle Shrimp

A delicious combination of tastes and textures, this first course soup combines smoky chile heat, crisp sweet corn, and silky-rich avocado.

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Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Ancho Pork and Hominy Stew

This pork stew recipe is an easy way to feed your family meat and veggies in just one dish. It’s easy to make, ready in just 45 minutes, and consistently delicious.

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Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Photo: Howard L. Puckett
View Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Serve this simple roasted red pepper soup recipe with crusty bread and a simple green salad for a quick lunch or lighter dinner option.

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Pumpkin and Yellow Pepper Soup with Smoked Paprika

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Pumpkin and Yellow Pepper Soup with Smoked Paprika

Our luscious pumpkin soup is made with pumpkin puree, yellow bell peppers, carrot, and onion and is topped with toasted pumpkin seed kernels for added crunch.

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Ham and Bean Soup

Photo: Lee Harrelson
View Recipe: Ham and Bean Soup

This ham and bean soup recipe gets great flavor from a smoked ham hock, fresh vegetables, and fresh herbs. Starting with a package of dried bean soup mix instead of using canned beans helps keep the sodium in check.

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D’uk Gook (Rice Cake Soup)

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: D’uk Gook (Rice Cake Soup)

Beaten egg thickens this Asian-inspired soup, reminiscent of an egg drop soup. You can make the seasoned, toasted nori garnish to eat with the rice.

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Fennel and Spinach Soup with Roasted Pepper Yogurt

Photo: José Picayo
View Recipe: Fennel and Spinach Soup with Roasted Pepper Yogurt

You can serve this light, bright-tasting soup hot or at room temperature–or if you want to get a head start, make it ahead and serve chilled.

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Turkey Meatball Soup with Greens

Photo: Iain Bagwell
View Recipe: Turkey Meatball Soup with Greens

In our play on Italian wedding soup, cooked quinoa serves as a nutty, whole-grain binder for the meatballs. We like the tenderness of lacinato kale in this soup, but you easily can substitute other varieties.

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Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Traditional broccoli-cheese soup has nearly 400 calories and more than 18g saturated fat per serving. Ours has less than half the calories and one-fourth of the saturated fat.

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Herbed Parmesan Potato Soup

Photo: Grant Cornett
View Recipe: Herbed Parmesan Potato Soup

Prepared mashed potatoes tend to come packed with a lot of sodium--too much for a side dish. Here we stretch them out into an entrée-sized soup that's creamy, cheesy, and brightened with fresh herbs.

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Poblano-Tomato Soup

Photo: Brian Woodcock
View Recipe: Poblano-Tomato Soup

Pair this spicy tomato soup with your favorite grilled cheese sandwich for a warm and filling weeknight dinner.

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Chicken, Kale, and Quinoa Soup

Photo: Raymond Hom
View Recipe: Chicken, Kale, and Quinoa Soup

We took four of the top recipe search categories from our website—chicken, kale, quinoa, and soup—and combined them into one tasty dish that we think will become your new favorite. Rinse the quinoa to ensure that any bitter coating is removed.

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Green Vegetable Soup with Lemon-Basil Pesto

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Green Vegetable Soup with Lemon-Basil Pesto

Covering the pot when bringing the liquid to a simmer gets this soup ready even faster.

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Pork Posole

Photo: Raymond Hom
View Recipe: Pork Posole

It's amazing how much flavor there is in such a humble (and, by the way, inexpensive) dish. The star of the soup is hominy, with its chewy texture and toasty-corn character; you'll find it with the Latin foods in the supermarket.

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Creamy Pumpkin-Red Pepper Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Creamy Pumpkin-Red Pepper Soup

The soup can be topped with a variety of things: We love Parmigiano-Reggiano and rosemary, but savory sprinkles like chopped smoked almonds or toasted pecans would be lovely. This tastes even better the next day...or the day after.

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Grandma Salazar's Albóndigas Soup

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Grandma Salazar's Albóndigas Soup

Albóndigas soup is a traditional Mexican soup featuring spicy meatballs offset by the fresh flavors of vegetables and herbs.

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Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Apple

Photo: Sang An
View Recipe: Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Apple

Chicken Soup with Cabbage and Apple is the definition of hearty in a bowl. Earthy green cabbage mingles with moist shredded chicken, chicken sausage, and broth-soaked potatoes. Tart, crunchy apple slices add a fruity counterpoint to this German-inspired soup.

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Chilled Fresh Corn Soup with King Crab

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Chilled Fresh Corn Soup with King Crab

This chilled soup is full of delectably sweet fresh corn and gorgeous pieces of king crab legs.

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Creamy, Light Potato Soup

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Creamy, Light Potato Soup

The irresistible trifecta of starchy, creamy, and comforting pleasures found in loaded potato soup makes this warming bowl a restaurant and home-cooked favorite, especially on chilly, wintry days. Because cauliflower has two-thirds fewer calories per ounce than the starchy potato, swapping some in is both wise and tasty.

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Creamy Tomato Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Creamy Tomato Soup

Smoked paprika and cumin round out the sweetness of San Marzano tomatoes. If you can't find these tomatoes, use a can of regular unsalted tomatoes.

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Chilled Butter Bean Soup with Basil-Corn Relish

Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Chilled Butter Bean Soup with Basil-Corn Relish

You'll need about 1 1/2 pounds of butter bean pods to get 2 cups shelled beans. You can substitute fresh lima beans, if you prefer.

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Carrot-Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Carrot-Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips

Winter root vegetables lend their complementary, slightly sweet flavors to this hearty bowl. Stir in more water or broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.

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Curried Butternut Soup

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Curried Butternut Soup

This butternut soup is the perfect way to brighten up cold dark days, with its vibrant color and even better taste. For multiple-meal-use, just wait to add the toppings until it’s time to reheat.

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Chicken-Udon Soup