17 Mediterranean Diet Soups to Pack for Lunch
Make one of these cozy soup recipes to prep for lunch this week. Featuring a balance of veggies, legumes, whole grains and lean protein, these soups fit well into the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest eating patterns to follow. Plus, they're warming, comforting and even taste better after a few days in the fridge. Packable recipes like our White Bean Soup with Pasta and Moroccan-Inspired Chicken & Sweet Potato Soup are tasty and nutritious choices that will keep you fueled for the week ahead.
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White Bean Soup with Pasta
We use mirepoix—a combination of onion, celery and carrots—to flavor this white bean soup. Keep a store-bought bag of the mixture in your freezer to ensure you always have some on hand without worrying about it going bad.
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Curried Chickpea Stew
Who says a meatless meal isn't filling? Packed with fiber-rich vegetables and chickpeas, this fragrant stew satisfies.
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Chicken & White Bean Soup
Once again, rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine.
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Moroccan-Inspired Chicken & Sweet Potato Soup
This healthy chicken soup recipe gets bold Moroccan flavor from sweet potatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and a touch of fiery harissa. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients.
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Tomato Florentine Soup
This hearty tomato Florentine soup has great tomato flavor from caramelized tomato paste and crushed tomatoes, with plenty of spinach that complements the flavors. The cheese and lemon topping with a hint of dried oregano adds an extra pop of flavor.
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Kale, Wild Rice & Chicken Stew
Chicken thighs get perfectly tender in just a few hours in the slow cooker. Plus, cooking everything together low and slow infuses all the flavors together for complexity in every bite.
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Veggistrone
This vegetable-packed minestrone soup recipe is inspired by a popular Weight Watchers vegetable soup recipe. It makes a big pot of soup, so keep some in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and freeze the rest in single-serve portions. That way you always have an easy, delicious vegetable soup to start your meal or to eat for lunch. Think of this vegetable minestrone recipe as a starting point for other healthy soup variations, too: toss in leftover chopped cooked chicken or whole-wheat pasta or brown rice to make it more satisfying.
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Winter Vegetable Mulligatawny Soup
Our meatless version of the Indian-inspired British colonial soup includes parsnip and squash to keep it hearty and satisfying.
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One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan
This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. If you avoid cheese made with rennet, look for vegetarian Parmesan cheese, which is made without it.
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Kale, White Bean & Pasta Soup
This veggie-packed kale, white bean and pasta soup is hearty and flavorful. Mashing beans into the soup gives it body and creaminess without actual cream. Serve this delicious vegetarian soup with a piece of crusty whole-grain bread on the side.
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Classic Chicken Soup
Classic chicken noodle soup gets a healthy upgrade with low-sodium chicken broth, whole-wheat egg noodles and tons of vegetables. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients. But you're short on time, feel free to use pre-cooked chicken and start the recipe at step 2.
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Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Curry Soup
In this healthy cauliflower soup recipe, roasting the cauliflower first adds depth and prevents the florets from turning to mush. A little tomato sauce and coconut milk give the broth a rich, silky texture. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, if desired.
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Slow-Cooker Chicken & Chickpea Soup
The only things better than healthy dinner ideas are easy healthy dinner ideas. This set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker soup recipe is just that. It simmers away all day so you come home to a warm and healthy dinner the whole family will love. Using bone-in chicken thighs is the key to making rich soup without adding broth. Plus, if you're also in need of healthy meals on a budget, thighs are less expensive than breasts, and dried chickpeas are a relatively inexpensive and versatile pantry item that's always good to stock up on.
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Bean & Barley Soup
This hearty bean and barley soup tastes like it has simmered for hours, but actually it's quite quick to throw together. Plus this recipe for healthy bean and barley soup freezes beautifully. If you have cooked barley on hand, omit the quick-cooking barley and stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked barley along with the broth in Step 2.
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Vegan Lentil Stew
This comforting vegan lentil stew is incredibly satisfying thanks to hearty lentils and sweet potato. The leeks provide a savory allium note while the tomato paste, miso and cumin add bold flavor.
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Pesto Chicken & Cannellini Bean Soup
This healthy, Italian-inspired chicken soup recipe is loaded with fiber-rich vegetables and beans and gets an extra boost of flavor from a swirl of pesto at the end. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients.
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Quinoa Peanut Soup (Sopa de Mani)
This spicy vegetable, quinoa and peanut soup recipe is a modern take on a traditional Bolivian soup recipe called Sopa de Mani. Serve this healthy quinoa soup recipe as a starter or make it a heartier meal by adding diced cooked chicken or turkey breast to the soup.