Healthy Fall Soup Recipes

Hearty soup image via shutterstock

A warm, hearty soup doesn’t have to mean using a lot of heavy cream. By making some healthy swaps, you can warm up the middle of winter without ruining your holiday diet. Soups and stews are the perfect one pot meal for any night (or day) of the week. Most of these recipes don’t take a lot of time, but you can make a pot on Sunday and then heat it up any other night of the week. Allowing the stew to sit will also let the flavors meld and deepen, which will make it taste even better after a few days.

1. Cauliflower Kale Soup
via Penthouse Kitchen

Cauliflower is a great vegetable that helps thicken a soup. This recipe roasts the cauliflower and kale first which won’t cook the veggies all the way through but will give the outsides a nutty crunch that makes the finished soup taste like its been cooking all day.

2. Chickpea, Lentil, and Kale Stew
via Eat Spin Run Repeat

This vegetarian stew packs a meaty punch with the addition of lentils and chickpeas. Lentils come in a variety of colors like green, red, or black. You can use whichever one looks good to you.

3. Chicken and Rice Soup
via Avocado Pesto

This recipe is great because it includes the steps for making homemade stock. Chicken stock is extremely easy to make and only takes about 40 minutes. The best part about making your own stock is having the opportunity to control salt levels and play with the flavor. Try adding herbs like parsley (stems and leaves) or dill.

4. Roasted & Curried Butternut Squash Soup
via Food Faith Fitness

Coconut oil and light coconut milk gives this soup a Thai twist. If you don’t have coconut oil, try olive oil. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds for a finishing crunch.

5. Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup
via Deliciously Ella

Creamy tomato soup is usually finished with heavy cream but this soup leaves out the dairy and relies on the veggies and herbs for fresh flavor. For the ingredients that the recipe measures in dessert spoons, just use a teaspoon.

6. Morel Mushroom Soup
via The Wholesome Pursuit

If you haven’t had mushroom soup without the addition of dairy, then you haven’t had real mushroom soup. This recipe uses reconstituted morels and mushroom stock (or vegetable stock) for a developed mushroom flavor. Instead of butter, cook the onion in olive oil.

7. Udon-Beef Noodle Bowl
via Cooking Light

This dish is a cross between a soup and an Asian noodle bowl. Udon noodles are made of buckwheat and can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. This is a good soup to serve hot or cold for the next day’s lunch.

8. Carrot and Coriander Soup
via Honest Cooking

Coriander is the seed from cilantro plants. The flavor is floral and sharp and pairs well with sweet carrots. Instead of water, use low sodium vegetable stock for a slow cooked aroma and flavor.

9. Chicken Matzo Ball Soup
via Graceful Cuisine

Building the stock from scratch for this recipe is very important since the matzo balls are served in this broth. Try adding chopped dill to the matzo balls for an added kick of herbal flavor.

10. Wild Mushroom and Beef Stew
Cooking Light

Any winter soup recipe box should include a quality beef stew. This recipe balances the hearty meat with earthy mushrooms. When selecting stew meat, look for packages with as little marbling as possible. The leaner the meat, the leaner the stew.