These healthy soup recipes are made for crisp fall days and busy weeknights. From red lentil soup and creamy vegan broccoli to 1-pot vegetable noodle and slow cooker minestrone, all 15 are hearty, flavor-packed, and easy to make ahead. Grab a big pot, pick a favorite, and keep bowls ready for the week.
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Soup doesn’t just keep us warm. It comforts, fills the house with the best cozy aromas of the season, and makes it easy to eat more vegetables without even trying. Every one of these healthy soup recipes is built on whole-food ingredients like lentils, beans, potatoes, broccoli, and carrots, so the bowls are filling, satisfying, and full of plant-based protein and fiber (the red lentil soup has 21g protein + 25g fiber, and the split pea soup has 14g protein + 16g fiber).
Start the slow cooker minestrone in the morning and dinner is ready by evening, because the longer a soup simmers, the more flavorful it gets. Save your veggie scraps to make my Homemade Vegetable Stock— the flavor is unreal (and it’s free!). As fall settles in, this lineup is perfect for chilly evenings, meal prep Sundays, or anytime you want something hearty and wholesome.
These five are the soups readers come back to again and again. They each bring big, cozy flavor with simple steps, and they’re all great for making ahead. Start here if you’re not sure which pot to fill first, then keep the leftovers for lunches all week.
1
Vegan Tomato Soup
4.64 (670)
The tomato soup of my childhood, all grown up. Zucchini and carrots disappear into a silky, creamy blend (nobody will ever know), and a swirl of cashew cream seals the deal. Stock pot + immersion blender, 50 minutes.
Thick, cozy, and ridiculously easy. Red lentils melt into a spiced, stew-like bowl with fire-roasted tomatoes and a bright squeeze of lemon. No soaking, minimal chopping, 21g protein + 25g fiber. One large pot, 45 minutes.
Creamy, zesty, and just spicy enough, with tofu, mushrooms, and zucchini noodles in a lime-brightened coconut broth. It's a cookbook favorite and a soup on repeat at my house. One saucepan, 45 minutes.
Sweet carrots and zingy ginger get a silky upgrade from blended cashews and coconut milk. It's basically a warm smoothie you can sip right from a jar. Saucepan + immersion blender, 40 minutes.
Taco night in a bowl. Tortilla chips blend right into the smoky broth for a creamy, dairy-free body, and the toppings (avocado, corn, cilantro, extra chips) are the best part. Stock pot + immersion blender, 45 minutes.
Fewer dishes, more flavor. These healthy soups simmer in a single pot, Instant Pot, or slow cooker, so cleanup stays super easy. Choose a 15-minute ramen for a fast weeknight, a set-it-and-forget-it minestrone for a busy day, or a big pot of split pea or black bean soup to stock the fridge for the week.
6
Instant Vegetarian Ramen
4.45 (117)
Restaurant-style ramen without the restaurant price tag. Shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, and crisp veggies float in a savory tamari-sesame broth, with 14g protein per bowl. One pot + one skillet, 15 minutes.
Dump, seal, and walk away. Dried black beans cook from scratch (no soaking!) in smoky cumin, oregano, and salsa, then get a squeeze of lime. 12g protein + 13g fiber. Instant Pot + immersion blender, 1 hour 10 minutes.
My plant-based answer to chicken noodle soup, and yes, it tastes legit. Golden turmeric broth, tender carrots, and fusilli noodles, and it freezes like a dream. One Dutch oven, 40 minutes.
Minestrone literally means “big soup,” and this one delivers. Cannellini beans, butternut squash, and kale simmer in a fragrant tomato broth, with a spoonful of basil pesto on top. Slow cooker, 4 hours 25 minutes.
Old-fashioned, stick-to-your-ribs comfort without the ham bone. Smoked paprika and thyme bring the savory depth, and lemon and mustard stirred in at the end make it sing. 14g protein + 16g fiber. One stock pot, 1 hour 20 minutes.
Silky, velvety, and completely dairy-free. Potatoes, cashews, cauliflower, and coconut milk do the creamy work in these five cozy soups, so you get that rich, silky, spoonable texture with no dairy cream at all. Top with kale croutons, cashew cream, or toasted pepitas, then serve with crusty bread for the coziest bowl of the fall season.
11
Creamy Vegetable Soup
4.70 (182)
My lazy-day soup, made with frozen veggies, cannellini beans, and a rich, dairy-free cashew cream. Savory, filling, and even better the next day. Soup pot + blender, 40 minutes.
Potatoes do the creamy heavy lifting while broccoli keeps its bright, tender bites, and nutritional yeast brings a cheesy finish. 14g protein and on the table in 25 minutes. One saucepan + immersion blender.
No dairy, no problem. Golden potatoes and cauliflower blend into something velvety and deeply comforting, topped with crispy kale croutons you'll want to eat by the handful. Dutch oven + blender, 45 minutes.
The sleeper hit of the bunch. It sounds plain, but potatoes and cashews turn celery into a silky, herby, lemony bowl with 11g protein. Large pot + immersion blender, 30 minutes.
This delicious jalapeño vegan corn chowder is hearty and packed with 12 grams protein, providing a creamy texture without any dairy, and a kick of heat to warm you from the inside out.
Sometimes you find a soup recipe in need of a bit of oomph. I get it (I put hot sauce on a lot of dishes).
Fresh herbs: finely minced herbs can add a delightful flavor explosion to any soup. Try minced scallions, basil, tarragon, basil and dill.
Cashew Cream: A good vegan sour cream can provide depth and creaminess to almost any recipe. If you’d add sour cream to a soup, then you can add this!
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto: There’s just something about pesto that instantly levels up a recipe. I love adding a dollop of vegan pesto to a good vegetable soup. It’s just so good! I’ve got a few different variations you can try, and they all freeze well.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan is a staple in many American households. This vegan cheese sprinkle certainly gives Kraft’s a run for its money, and its made with real ingredients that really do add a cheesy finish to your dish.
I’m the mom who swapped Lucky Charms for green smoothies— and never looked back. Here you’ll find smoothie recipes and plant-based recipes made simple and tasty.
I jumped in to the 10 day soup challenge because it was an easy answer to “what’s for dinner?” I really enjoyed trying all of the recipes and going mostly meatless. I say mostly because I did have chicken stock in the fridge that I had just made because it is that time of year that stock should always be on hand for a warming, nutritious dinner. That said it was enjoyable trying all the vegetables in different ways. My favorite soup of the challenge was the roasted red pepper. I have never roasted peppers separately like that. The flavor was amazing and I will be using that technique for more than just soup. Thanks to all the contributors for their recipes!
I genuinely enjoyed this challenge. Getting the grocery list was a huge help. And my menu was planned for me. The Ultimate Detox Soup was my absolute favorite. I make lentil soup quite often, but never with green lentils, ginger, turmeric and lemon juice. Those flavors made my taste buds so happy. The Thai Coconut was my 2nd favorite because I have never had coconut milk or Thai spices.
One result of this challenge was discovering that I did not miss meat, chicken for fish for the entire 10 days! And my husband was out of town so this gave me a focus and a purpose to eat more then just a salad.
Thank you Jen.
So glad we could hang out with you in recipe form while your hubby was away! Thanks for joining us for this Ann Marie!
I entered this 10-day soup challenge not knowing whether or not I was going to be able to complete it, I mean really, soup every day for 10-days plus needing a ton of room in my freezer for left overs, even when making only 2 servings for some soups, I just did not think was possible (especially the storage part). Well, I successfully completed the challenge and just went and reviewed, sometimes for a second time each of these wonderful soups, while also signing up for each Soup Makers newsletters to obtain more great recipes.
During this process, I quickly learned on day one from making the Vegan Tomato Soup (my favorite by far that I already posted a long review telling you all why and repeated it when I rated it). that this challenge definitely was not just about making soup for 10-days, but instead how to eat and live a healthier life, something I tended to forget over the last several years, which now thanks to all your Soup Makers, both the Chefs that supplied these great tasting recipes, and many of you that took the time and effort to share your own personal comments that so many were very helpful and caused me to think more out of the box for flavors and pairings. I have finished this challenge relearning how easy and quick it is to make delicious meals out of soup without having to use animal protein and dairy that I thought I could not do without, but with each passing day became easier to do. I have no intention of returning to eating animal protein and dairy, and learned its now much easier to do than I thought – my overall heath will be much better for making this life changing decision.
Wow, I never thought using poultry seasoning with tofu could resemble the taste of chicken – hello! Cashew cream I have made 4 times already in either 1 or 2 cup portions that always came out rich and creamy. The suggestions on how to vary the taste by using different ingredients to give it a whole new flavor was phenomenal, so many uses and a little bit goes a long way in boosting flavor without needing all kinds of dairy products; never thought that was possible from raw cashews. Since I bought organic raw cashews in bulk at one of those big box stores cheaply, I decided to try making cashew milk and loved it with my oatmeal and smoothies that use spinach in for many I make – home made is so much better then store bought!
As I am reflecting more on all the different spices I either never used or disliked in the past but wanted to try again after only bad experiences, I was amazed at how much I really liked them in these soup recipes, such as smoked paprika, Thai curry red paste, thyme, cumin, turmeric, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and poultry seasoning I am convinced complement foods and make them so much better in a way to enjoy food more. There were a lot of links shared for Indian and Palestinian food which was not only vegan based to help me continue on this quest that I bookmarked as I read them, but one recipe I found time to make the other day, roasted eggplant with spiced chickpeas and tomato that was soooo good. Of everything that I enjoyed from participating in this soup challenge, the top #1 item I am grateful of learning from a post was the tip of using quart size freezer bags to put soup in and frozen flat that I can also use stored up – I got my freezer back!! This was mind blowing advice that also kept me in the challenge participating each day plus I didn’t run out of plastic storage bins to use. Thank you everyone, although this challenge has come to an end, I’ll continue on this community board and look forward to the rest of my life eating much healthier and feeling better.
It’s been great having soup every night and leftovers the following days!! My favorite(s) are the Red Lentil Curry, Thai Coconut and Black Bean Soups. The others are a very close second! Thank you so much for sharing these delicious and healthy soups. It’s been fun!!
Hi, just want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved for organising this challenge and sharing all of these recipes. I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
I have a few favourite soups, but my most favourite is the Thai coconut soup, its heaven in a bowl. I love Thai flavour, the creaminess and spice, and the zucchini noodles and the crunch from the cashews. Yum! And how simple it is to make.
What I have gained from this challenge is it has given me the kick up the butt I have needed to get back into eating better for my health. And it’s another way to add more veg into our life. Once again thank you ❤
I jumped in to the 10 day soup challenge because it was an easy answer to “what’s for dinner?” I really enjoyed trying all of the recipes and going mostly meatless. I say mostly because I did have chicken stock in the fridge that I had just made because it is that time of year that stock should always be on hand for a warming, nutritious dinner. That said it was enjoyable trying all the vegetables in different ways. My favorite soup of the challenge was the roasted red pepper. I have never roasted peppers separately like that. The flavor was amazing and I will be using that technique for more than just soup. Thanks to all the contributors for their recipes!
I genuinely enjoyed this challenge. Getting the grocery list was a huge help. And my menu was planned for me. The Ultimate Detox Soup was my absolute favorite. I make lentil soup quite often, but never with green lentils, ginger, turmeric and lemon juice. Those flavors made my taste buds so happy. The Thai Coconut was my 2nd favorite because I have never had coconut milk or Thai spices.
One result of this challenge was discovering that I did not miss meat, chicken for fish for the entire 10 days! And my husband was out of town so this gave me a focus and a purpose to eat more then just a salad.
Thank you Jen.
So glad we could hang out with you in recipe form while your hubby was away! Thanks for joining us for this Ann Marie!
I entered this 10-day soup challenge not knowing whether or not I was going to be able to complete it, I mean really, soup every day for 10-days plus needing a ton of room in my freezer for left overs, even when making only 2 servings for some soups, I just did not think was possible (especially the storage part). Well, I successfully completed the challenge and just went and reviewed, sometimes for a second time each of these wonderful soups, while also signing up for each Soup Makers newsletters to obtain more great recipes.
During this process, I quickly learned on day one from making the Vegan Tomato Soup (my favorite by far that I already posted a long review telling you all why and repeated it when I rated it). that this challenge definitely was not just about making soup for 10-days, but instead how to eat and live a healthier life, something I tended to forget over the last several years, which now thanks to all your Soup Makers, both the Chefs that supplied these great tasting recipes, and many of you that took the time and effort to share your own personal comments that so many were very helpful and caused me to think more out of the box for flavors and pairings. I have finished this challenge relearning how easy and quick it is to make delicious meals out of soup without having to use animal protein and dairy that I thought I could not do without, but with each passing day became easier to do. I have no intention of returning to eating animal protein and dairy, and learned its now much easier to do than I thought – my overall heath will be much better for making this life changing decision.
Wow, I never thought using poultry seasoning with tofu could resemble the taste of chicken – hello! Cashew cream I have made 4 times already in either 1 or 2 cup portions that always came out rich and creamy. The suggestions on how to vary the taste by using different ingredients to give it a whole new flavor was phenomenal, so many uses and a little bit goes a long way in boosting flavor without needing all kinds of dairy products; never thought that was possible from raw cashews. Since I bought organic raw cashews in bulk at one of those big box stores cheaply, I decided to try making cashew milk and loved it with my oatmeal and smoothies that use spinach in for many I make – home made is so much better then store bought!
As I am reflecting more on all the different spices I either never used or disliked in the past but wanted to try again after only bad experiences, I was amazed at how much I really liked them in these soup recipes, such as smoked paprika, Thai curry red paste, thyme, cumin, turmeric, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and poultry seasoning I am convinced complement foods and make them so much better in a way to enjoy food more. There were a lot of links shared for Indian and Palestinian food which was not only vegan based to help me continue on this quest that I bookmarked as I read them, but one recipe I found time to make the other day, roasted eggplant with spiced chickpeas and tomato that was soooo good. Of everything that I enjoyed from participating in this soup challenge, the top #1 item I am grateful of learning from a post was the tip of using quart size freezer bags to put soup in and frozen flat that I can also use stored up – I got my freezer back!! This was mind blowing advice that also kept me in the challenge participating each day plus I didn’t run out of plastic storage bins to use. Thank you everyone, although this challenge has come to an end, I’ll continue on this community board and look forward to the rest of my life eating much healthier and feeling better.
It’s been great having soup every night and leftovers the following days!! My favorite(s) are the Red Lentil Curry, Thai Coconut and Black Bean Soups. The others are a very close second! Thank you so much for sharing these delicious and healthy soups. It’s been fun!!
Hi, just want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved for organising this challenge and sharing all of these recipes. I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
I have a few favourite soups, but my most favourite is the Thai coconut soup, its heaven in a bowl. I love Thai flavour, the creaminess and spice, and the zucchini noodles and the crunch from the cashews. Yum! And how simple it is to make.
What I have gained from this challenge is it has given me the kick up the butt I have needed to get back into eating better for my health. And it’s another way to add more veg into our life. Once again thank you ❤