30 Healthy Soups That'll Warm You Right Up

October 01, 2018
Credit: Oxmoor House
Love the convenience of a hearty, one-dish meal? Then get one of these top-rated soup recipes simmering on your stove for some no-fuss comfort food. We have family-friendly reader favorites like All-American Chili and Loaded Potato Soup, or more adventurous options such as Beef Tagine and Saffron Fish Stew. Make a big batch over the weekend and you've got lunch prepared for the week.
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30 Healthy Soups That'll Warm You Right Up

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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Credit: Victor Protasio
View Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A favorite in Minnesota, a region known for its wild rice, this dish is a bowl of pure comfort. Sherry and tomato paste add a touch of acidic brightness to balance the creamy, starchy broth. If you can't find celery root, use a russet potato instead.

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Italian Gnocchi Soup

Credit: Kelsey Hansen
View Recipe: Italian Gnocchi Soup

Perfectly tender and fluffy, potato-based gnocchi (mini Italian dumplings) are the perfect way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. This comforting brothy soup gets a boost from spring vegetables and herbs; it would be extra delicious with asparagus or snow peas. Change it up to match the seasons—you can also use leftover mashed sweet potatoes to make the dumplings.

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Loaded Potato Soup

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Loaded Potato Soup

This delicious and comforting soup tastes like it took hours to make, yet is ready to eat in just 20 minutes. Provide a toppings bar of crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and thinly sliced green onions so family members can pick and choose their favorites.

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Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Chili

Credit: Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Chili

Quinoa is ideal in soups and stews because the grains don’t soak up too much liquid. Here it adds body and texture to a smoky vegetarian chili. Chipotle chiles are jalapeños that have been dried and smoked. Start with 1 minced chile in about a tablespoon of the surrounding adobo sauce, then add more according to your heat preference. 

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Loaded Cauliflower Soup

Credit: Ryan Liebe
View Recipe: Loaded Cauliflower Soup

If you love the flavors of a loaded baked potato—think cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, and the bright bite of chives—but are on a low-carb diet, then this soup is for you. We swap out the spuds for cauliflower and swirl the whole thing into a soup that has just 12g of carbs per serving—not bad for a hearty meal. 

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New England Clam Chowder

View Recipe: New England Clam Chowder

Few things are more welcome than a hearty bowl of New England Clam Chowder. Bacon crumbled atop each serving is the key to this chowder's deep, satisfying smokiness. We enjoy this hearty, simple soup with crusty bread, a tossed green salad, and a crisp sauvignon blanc.

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Tortilla Meatball Soup

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Tortilla Meatball Soup

Try a new take on tortilla soup by adding chipotle-spiked meatballs to the mix. If you can't find fresh corn on the cob, substitute 2 cups frozen corn kernels, and broil them with peppers. Use a few extra chipotle chiles to spice up a pot of beans, rice, stews, or canola mayonnaise.

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash and Shallot Soup

This three-step recipe (roast, blend, simmer) is an easy and flavorful way to warm up with a creamy vegetable-based soup on a chilly fall afternoon. And according to cathyr, the soup is not only tasty, but also makes for a bright presentation. “This soup was SPECTACULAR!,” she says. “Gorgeous color, luscious flavor, velvety texture! My mom and my neighbor both raved!”

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Beef Daube Provençal

View Recipe: Beef Daube Provençal

All stews are wonderfully warm and comforting, but this recipe stands out for its simplicity and versatility. Spend 10 minutes browning the meat and garlic, then toss in the oven or slow cooker and your work is done. Ingredients you likely have in your pantry right now combine for deep flavor that can be a weeknight family dinner as easily as the centerpiece of a fancy party.

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All-American Chili

View Recipe: All-American Chili

With more than 50 stellar reviews, this traditional American chili recipe hits the spot. We love what meredith had to say: “I love chili – and this is the best chili recipe I have ever tried. I will stop trying new recipes and use this one from now on. This is how chili should taste.” Like most chilis, this version tastes even better the next day.

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French Onion Soup

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: French Onion Soup

Once you try this classic French Onion Soup recipe, you'll never try another. It culminates in a rich-tasting soup with melt-in-your-mouth onions.

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Saffron Fish Stew With White Beans

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Saffron Fish Stew With White Beans

A unique blend of herbs and spices find their home in this one-dish-wonder. The broth—infused with saffron, thyme leaves, and orange rind—pairs magnificently with a white flaky fish of your choosing. We suggest sustainable options like wild-caught Pacific flounder or wild-caught Alaskan halibut.

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Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

Take your basic beef stew to the next level by making this simple, fragrant beef tagine featuring butternut squash. A "tagine" is a cone-shaped cooking vessel commonly used in North Africa. The unique shape allows the meat to slow cook for a luscious, tender texture. You can buy tagines at most cookware stores, or use a heavy-bottom Dutch oven like we do in this recipe.

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Quick Green Chicken Chili

Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese
View Recipe: Quick Green Chicken Chili

The secret to a lightening-fast chili is to keep it simple, with starchy, creamy Great Northern beans as the main bean and canned green chiles (already broiled, skinned, and chopped) as your heat source. We blend half the beans to build body, leaving the rest whole for texture. Precooked rotisserie chicken also saves time, but you could use any leftover protein, such as chopped cooked pork tenderloin or cooked ground turkey. Top the chili with creamy sour cream and crunchy radishes, or try diced tomato, cilantro, or sliced jalapeños. Serve with multigrain tortilla chips.

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Lemony Greek Chicken Soup

Credit: Kelsey Hansen
View Recipe: Lemony Greek Chicken Soup

This 20-minute dish provides 32g of protein and is just 261 calories per serving. To ensure this comforting soup’s velvety texture, whisk a little of the hot broth into the eggs before adding them to the pot; it cooks them gently and prevents curdling.

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Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Processed cheese melts beautifully, giving this 30-minute broccoli and cheese soup a smooth texture and mild flavor. Broccoli and Cheese Soup is a kid-friendly way to eat more veggies—making it a winner in our book!

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White Bean and Turkey Chili

Credit: Cooking Light
View Recipe: White Bean and Turkey Chili

Using canned beans and chicken broth make this crowd-pleasing chili convenient. Roasting turkey tenderloins is easy and lower in sodium than buying deli turkey. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are another option.

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Tomato-Basil Soup

View Recipe: Tomato-Basil Soup

Fresh tomato and basil are the stars of this classic summertime tomato soup recipe. Low-fat milk and light cream cheese keep it healthy. Serve with a slice of French bread baguette.

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Chicken Verde Stew with Hominy

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Chicken Verde Stew with Hominy

This "outstanding" reader-rated recipe could quite possibly be even better the second day—as is common with stews. The extra time will allow the flavors to meld and develop in a way that will bring out that beloved slow-cooked taste.

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Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stoplight Peppers

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stoplight Peppers and Avocado Relish

Fresh, high-impact flavors like those in our Chili-Spiced Soup with Stoplight Peppers and Avocado Relish, will give your soup a made-from-scratch taste that cannot be beat. Reader and recipe developer Jamie Miller created this recipe for her husband who loves Mexican food. "This recipe is everything you'd find in a fajita in a healthy, tasty soup instead."

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Beef and Guinness Stew

Credit: Photo: Victor Prostasio
View Recipe: Beef and Guinness Stew

This reader- and staff-favorite stew, layered with complex flavors from caraway seeds, sweet raisins, and full-bodied Guinness Draught, pays homage to the best of Irish cooking. You may not get a chance to freeze any leftovers; Executive Food Editor, Ann Taylor Pittman, promises “This meaty stew is so good, I sopped up every drop of the gravy-like broth with bread.”

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Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

Start with shredded cooked chicken breast and transform your dinner tonight into restaurant-quality Thai cuisine. The coconut milk gives the soup a creamy, smooth texture.

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Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Three-Bean Vegetarian Chili

This is a real crowd-pleaser and one that doesn’t necessarily scream “vegetarian,” so you can feel confident serving it to the meat eaters in your life. The combination of creamy pinto, nutty cannellini, and meaty red kidney beans gives the chili great texture, heft, and flavor, while butternut squash adds a hint of sweetness to offset the heat of crushed red pepper. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with one-fourth to one-half the amount of pepper; you can always add more, but you can’t take it away once it’s in there.

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Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

View Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Light cheese and a flour-and-milk mixture keep this soup creamy but surprisingly low in fat. Make a batch and reheat throughout the week for effortless and satisfying meals.

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North Woods Bean Soup

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: North Woods Bean Soup

Adding turkey kielbasa lends this hearty soup recipe a rich, slow-simmered flavor even though it takes less than 30 minutes to make.

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Turkey and Bean Chili

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Turkey and Bean Chili

When you need a chili fix, and you need it fast, this recipe delivers. Twenty minutes are all you need for a piping hot pot of poultry, beans, and chili. We veer from the traditional beef and red bean formula and instead turn to ground turkey and white beans for a tasty variation. We call for ground turkey, not ultra-lean ground turkey breast, because the former stays more moist (you can also use ground sirloin if you prefer). One poblano pepper offers mild to medium heat, depending on the pepper; to ensure a mild version, sub in green bell pepper.

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Indian-Spiced Lentils and Lamb

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Indian-Spiced Lentils and Lambs

Hearty, healthy lentils get a spicy and saucy Indian treatment thanks to curry powder, coconut milk, and chopped jalapeño pepper. A dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro leaves tames the heat.

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Roasted-Chicken Noodle Soup

View Recipe: Roasted-Chicken Noodle Soup

It doesn't get more classic than chicken noodle soup, and this creamy recipe is certainly a favorite. For the sake of convenience, we call for canned low-salt chicken broth. But, if you have a bit of time on your hands, feel free to use our recipe for Roasted Chicken Stock, if you are so inclined.

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Baked Potato Soup

View Recipe: Baked Potato Soup

A simple white sauce of flour and reduced-fat milk is the base for this super creamy soup. To save time, bake the potatoes, shred the cheese, chop the onions, and cook the bacon in advance.

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Garden Minestrone

Credit: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Garden Minestrone

Weight loss starts in the kitchen. Try the Cooking Light Diet

An adaptation of the classic Italian minestra, this recipe is full of late-summer produce: tomatoes, squash, fresh spinach, corn, and carrots. In cooler months, use peeled acorn squash and Swiss chard in place of squash and spinach. We love this soup for its practicality, since it's convenient for lunch or a simple dinner (just serve it with a tossed green salad and some crusty bread).

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