Clean-Eating Soup Recipes

A pound of dried beans is the inexpensive foundation for this simple, hearty meal. Serve it with slices of whole-wheat bread or a side salad for a complete and satisfying lunch or dinner.

A winter classic, this crock pot version of minestrone is heavy on the vegetables and light on the pasta, keeping carbs in check while providing plenty of flavor.

This pureed carrot soup uses wild lemon thyme which has a more pronounced lemon flavor than plain thyme. Look for it at your local farmers' market. This recipe serves eight as a side dish, but can be halved for a smaller gathering.

Having company and lacking dinner inspiration? This Italian-inspired lentil soup may be the answer. It uses ingredients you'd commonly have on hand (including frozen vegetables) and can be on the table in about an hour.

Leftover turkey is not just for sandwiches! This hearty soup recipe is full of shredded turkey and vegetables and the tasty toppings--cilantro, avocado and queso fresco--are what may just have you coming back for that second dish. Queso fresco is a mild Mexican cheese with a crumbly texture, similar to that of feta or farmer's cheese. Look for it at Hispanic food markets or larger grocery stores.

Be creative with your holiday leftovers--there's more to after-Thanksgiving eating than cold turkey sandwiches. This simple turkey soup is loaded with cannellini beans, which add protein and fiber without adding calories. Enjoy this soup any time of the year by making our Herb-Roasted Turkey & Vegetables (see associated recipe), which makes enough for a meal as well as this soup.

Red sweet pepper, winter squash and cilantro brighten up this spicy soup, making this Mexican-inspired one-dish meal the perfect family dinner. Accompany with a fresh fruit salad and warm crusty bread.

This easy soup recipe cooks up quickly thanks to the use of an electric pressure cooker or multicooker, like the Instant Pot. It packs in tons of filling veggies without packing on the calories. Plus, it happens to be entirely plant-based. If you aren't eating vegan, top it with a little Parmesan cheese or pesto to add even more flavor.

This is a soup with a long history (references to it in English go back to 1784) that can now be conveniently made in a modern appliance. Although it's technically an English soup, its origins are decidedly Indian. (The name loosely means "pepper water" in the Tamil language of Southern India.) The sweetness of apple and coconut milk counterbalances the garlic, ginger, curry and cayenne.

French green lentils and black lentils hold up well to long, slow cooking without becoming mushy. Save the rinds from used-up blocks of Parmesan in a resealable plastic bag or tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. They give soup broths a rich, savory flavor.

Using bone-in chicken thighs in this soup ensures the meat stays moist over the long cooking time. Not only are chicken thighs inherently juicier than breast meat, but cooking chicken on the bone also helps it stay succulent.

This famous soup from the state of Michoacán in Western Mexico is often made with a base of pureed beans along with tomatoes and dried chiles, which bring a lot of the character to the dish. Here we use ancho chiles, which are sweet, earthy and relatively mild. You could also use pasillas, which have a heat level similar to anchos--or, if you like it hot, gaujillos, which also bring some smoky notes to the pot.

This version of the French potato-and-leek soup is whisper-light and a lovely green color because we swap zucchini for the potatoes. Serve chilled or hot.

Would you, could you make this creamy green soup recipe? How about if we told you it's dairy-free--just flavorful pureed veggies topped with a perfectly poached egg and ham? Trust us, whether you eat it in a box or with a fox, in a house or with a mouse, both you and your kids will love this storybook-perfect soup.

Skip the roasting in this butternut squash soup recipe and let your slow cooker do the work instead. Just load up all the ingredients into the crock pot, set it and forget it for an easy, healthy dinner or packable lunches.

Kohlrabi is a root vegetable related to cabbage that can be eaten raw or cooked. Here, we blend it with potatoes for a more nutritious take on the classic potato-leek soup.

Roasted shiitake mushrooms make a vegan "bacon" topping that gives this soup a delicate hint of smoke. Soaked cashews get whirled up into a luscious sauce that serves as a dairy-free cream alternative. Don't shy away from this comforting soup because it's meat-free; it has more than enough flavor to satisfy.

Thai spices and creamy coconut milk distinguish this version from traditional butternut squash soup. Curry paste is a convenient way to add complex flavor, but if you want to make sure this soup is vegan or if you are allergic to shellfish, check the ingredient list carefully--some brands contain shellfish.

Sweet, hearty roasted carrots are the basis for a satisfying soup that has the perfect hint of ginger.

After some quick prep, your slow cooker will do the rest of the work. This Indian-inspired, high-protein soup has sweet butternut squash, earthy brown lentils and garam masala, and will delight the whole family.