16 Summer Soup Recipes for Weight-Loss
Reviewed by Dietitian Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD
Eating soup during the summer season is surprisingly refreshing with these low-calorie, high-fiber recipes. Made with seasonal produce high in water content like zucchini and tomatoes, these soups will help you feel nicely hydrated. Plus, each dish is less than 575 calories and has at least 6 grams of fiber per serving, made to help you meet your nutrition goals. Recipes like our Thai Green Curry-Inspired Vegetable Soup and Mom's Minestrone are hearty and hydrating options for summertime lunch or dinner.
Clean-Out-the-Fridge Vegetable Soup
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This recipe is purposefully flexible so you can incorporate just about any veggie into it. Top with a dollop of pesto and/or a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Thai Green Curry-Inspired Vegetable Soup
Green curry paste, fresh herbs and plenty of scallion all pack a bunch of flavor into this vibrant, refreshing soup. The light yet creamy broth is loaded with vegetables, with tofu stirred in at the end to make it filling. A small spoonful of chili crisp adds nice heat and crunch, but if you want to tame the spice, chopped cashews would work well in its place.
Tuscan White Bean Soup
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.
Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup
A big bowl of this vegetable soup will leave you satisfied for hours without consuming a lot of calories, which is helpful when trying to lose weight. Plus, it's an easy way to boost your vegetable servings for the day—something all of us could benefit from. Top with a dollop of pesto before devouring this delicious vegetable soup and consider serving with a hunk of toasted whole-wheat bread to help round out the meal.
Mom's Minestrone
This is less a soup than it is an Italian-American vegetable stew, great on its own but most often eaten more like a vegetable stroganoff or Bolognese, coating the pasta with its thick, rustic, vegetable-and-bean gravy, and finished in the bowl with fresh basil and a dusting of Parmesan and drizzle of olive oil. Adapted from The Don't Panic Pantry Cookbook: Mostly Vegetarian Comfort Food That Happens to Be Pretty Good for You © 2023 by Noah Galuten. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
Everyone's Favorite Taco Soup
This easy-to-make taco soup features enchilada sauce and taco seasoning, which provides a mild heat. Top this family-friendly soup with all of your favorite taco garnishes.
Vegetarian Lasagna Soup
All the delicious flavors of a vegetarian lasagna can be found in this cozy soup. Mushrooms, zucchini and spinach provide color and nutrients, while a ricotta-and-mozzarella topping provides the signature cheesiness and creaminess. Serve with a side salad or crusty bread for dipping.
Cabbage & White Bean Soup
This cabbage and white bean soup is easy and flavorful. Avoid browning the leeks and garlic, as it can make the soup bitter. If you want to make this soup vegan, use vegan-friendly pesto and omit the Parmesan rind.
Copycat Panera's Tomato-Basil Soup
We've re-created Panera's Tomato-Basil Soup, loved for its richness and subtle sweetness, by roasting cherry tomatoes and shallots, which add natural sweet flavors and eliminate the need for added sugar. Serve with a salad or a grilled cheese for dunking.
Immunity Soup
This easy soup is full of immunity-supporting foods: vitamin C–rich kale, zinc-containing chicken and chickpeas and antioxidant-packed garlic. Plus, the hot, steamy broth and a hint of pepper heat get your nose running—great for flushing out sinuses and potentially staving off an infection. It's a big pot of brothy soup that you can make ahead and enjoy for a couple of days; the flavor just gets better over time. You may be wary of the large amount of garlic, but keep in mind that it mellows considerably after being cooked. Though we love using bone-in chicken breasts here, you can also swap in 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast in a pinch (be aware that it will add more sodium)."
Beet & Red Cabbage Borscht with Dill & Mint Yogurt Cream
This vibrant borscht features the traditional red beets plus cabbage, carrots and potatoes to make a hearty and filling vegetarian soup. A cool yogurt cream, featuring fresh mint and dill stirred in at the end, adds a pop of flavor and freshness to the dish.
Vegetarian French Onion Soup
This vegetarian French onion soup is teeming with onions and shallots that caramelize and add sweet and savory flavor to the soup. Vegetable broth stands in for beef broth, but mushroom broth, with its dark color and earthy flavor, is also a good option.
Spicy Black Bean Soup
This healthy vegetarian bean soup recipe draws inspiration from Brazil's feijoada, a pork and black bean stew. Blackened jalapeños, fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika give it plenty of flavor.
Hearty Tomato Soup with Beans & Greens
Garlicky kale and creamy white beans elevate simple canned tomato soup into a 10-minute lunch or dinner that really satisfies. Use a soup with tomato pieces for a heartier texture. Look for a brand that's low- or reduced-sodium, with no more than 450 mg sodium per serving.
Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
Hominy adds mild corn flavor, while poblanos provide smokiness in this chicken tortilla soup recipe. Spices like cumin, coriander and smoked paprika bring a bold flavor that's balanced by fresh lime juice.
Black Bean Soup
This is a zippy Southwestern-flavored black bean soup. We make it with canned beans so it comes together in minutes. If you have leftovers, pack them up in individual serving containers for lunch the next day.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, July 2023
