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 love Simple Green Smoothies challenges in general, and to join the 10 days soup challenge seemed like a evidence! With the days getting colder and the harvests so plenty, the timing was just perfect. I love the uses of such à variety of produce, yet without being cumbersome. The challenge was well tough of, easy to follow, with a variety of recipes to please people of all tastes. The recipes are easy to execute, and the fact that we can adjust them to our tastes, dietary requirements or simply to accommodate the other person in our family is simply great. I like the conviviality of the support group, the constant follow-up, the email answering, and the great document you put together. Linking different sites is also awesome, opening our horizons to a healthy path. I have a few close favourites, detox soup is definitely in my palette, but i love the corn chowder the most as it is very different to what i would normally do. I like the mix of flavours and textures, crunchy, smooth and sweet and salty. Thank you for that great experience, can’t wait for the next challenge!
Good afternoon;
It’s very difficult, for me anyway, to say which soup I liked the most. Each one surprised me with it’s own flavor, each one had it’s own distinctive ingredients and each one had it’s own personality. I can tell which I liked the least. Not because it was a bad soup but only due to the fact that peppers don’t like me. My husband liked all of them and he’s not even a Vegan. I’m not totally either but, yes but, am heading in that direction more and more. Meat is eaten not in many meals for me anymore. I love using my Vitamix for some of these soups. Am learning more and more of the capabilities these machines provide. Very impressive to say the least! I also receive my Protein Powder from Simple Green on a regular basis which has caused me to delve even more into smoothies. I enjoyed the group camaraderie amongst the other individuals both pro and con about each soup. Interesting how we all differ in so many ways with our taste buds both in consistency, spices, heat and so on. Excellent job by the organizers. Let’s do more of this, I’m in!
We agree Sonja. Here’s to more soup in the future!
I loved doing the soup challenge. It was fun to see everyone post pictures and was a positive experience. My favorite recipe was the lentil detox soup. The flavors were so great. The cilantro, turmeric and lemon. Just fantastic. Even my loved one who is afraid of anything healthy said it was, and I quote, delightful. That was a major win. I walked away with some great recipes and feel really healthy. Would do again.
I loved this challenge. It started right as the cold weather and some big storms rolled in at my house. So it was a perfect fit. So my two biggest take-aways: first, I don’t own enough spoons, and second, having an open mind and trying soups I thought I would hate was a good choice some of those turned out to be my favorite.
My favorite soups were the Vegan Tomato Soup, Paprika Corn Chowder, and Ultimate Detox Soup. I liked the Red Lentil Curry just fine, but when I ate it as leftovers the next day it was even better and deserves a spot in the favorites as a make in advance soup.
This challenge had two big benefits for me. Having a plan and the groceries for dinner each day and not scrambling with the usual “what am I going to make for dinner?” was such a time and sanity saver. It also was a wonderful way for me to incorporate more vegetables into my day. I always feel better when my diet is filled with lots of fresh vegetables. ❤️
Oh and I wanted to say that I really enjoyed going to the other ladies’ food/healthy living blogs and being introduced to some of their recipes. I saw some that looked delicious and they all have me as a new follower. The cookbook that is just recipes for moon milk?! Um Yes please!
So glad our friends are now your friends, Jenni!
The past 10 days have been excellent. As the weather cools I had some delicious soup to keep me warm. The soup also put a smile on my face because I was doing something good for myself (and will continue to do so).
My favourite recipe was for the smoked paprika corn chowder. I LOVE smoked paprika and I LOVE corn. I never thought of a smoked paprika flavoured soup before though. Just excellent. It was also easy to make, which is a must for me, and it is really easy to clean up a single pot!
I learned that I can make the time to feed my body better; I just have to DO it and I would continue to feel better all the time.
I love Simple Green Smoothies challenges in general, and to join the 10 days soup challenge seemed like a evidence! With the days getting colder and the harvests so plenty, the timing was just perfect. I love the uses of such à variety of produce, yet without being cumbersome. The challenge was well tough of, easy to follow, with a variety of recipes to please people of all tastes. The recipes are easy to execute, and the fact that we can adjust them to our tastes, dietary requirements or simply to accommodate the other person in our family is simply great. I like the conviviality of the support group, the constant follow-up, the email answering, and the great document you put together. Linking different sites is also awesome, opening our horizons to a healthy path. I have a few close favourites, detox soup is definitely in my palette, but i love the corn chowder the most as it is very different to what i would normally do. I like the mix of flavours and textures, crunchy, smooth and sweet and salty. Thank you for that great experience, can’t wait for the next challenge!
Good afternoon;
It’s very difficult, for me anyway, to say which soup I liked the most. Each one surprised me with it’s own flavor, each one had it’s own distinctive ingredients and each one had it’s own personality. I can tell which I liked the least. Not because it was a bad soup but only due to the fact that peppers don’t like me. My husband liked all of them and he’s not even a Vegan. I’m not totally either but, yes but, am heading in that direction more and more. Meat is eaten not in many meals for me anymore. I love using my Vitamix for some of these soups. Am learning more and more of the capabilities these machines provide. Very impressive to say the least! I also receive my Protein Powder from Simple Green on a regular basis which has caused me to delve even more into smoothies. I enjoyed the group camaraderie amongst the other individuals both pro and con about each soup. Interesting how we all differ in so many ways with our taste buds both in consistency, spices, heat and so on. Excellent job by the organizers. Let’s do more of this, I’m in!
We agree Sonja. Here’s to more soup in the future!
I loved doing the soup challenge. It was fun to see everyone post pictures and was a positive experience. My favorite recipe was the lentil detox soup. The flavors were so great. The cilantro, turmeric and lemon. Just fantastic. Even my loved one who is afraid of anything healthy said it was, and I quote, delightful. That was a major win. I walked away with some great recipes and feel really healthy. Would do again.
I loved this challenge. It started right as the cold weather and some big storms rolled in at my house. So it was a perfect fit. So my two biggest take-aways: first, I don’t own enough spoons, and second, having an open mind and trying soups I thought I would hate was a good choice some of those turned out to be my favorite.
My favorite soups were the Vegan Tomato Soup, Paprika Corn Chowder, and Ultimate Detox Soup. I liked the Red Lentil Curry just fine, but when I ate it as leftovers the next day it was even better and deserves a spot in the favorites as a make in advance soup.
This challenge had two big benefits for me. Having a plan and the groceries for dinner each day and not scrambling with the usual “what am I going to make for dinner?” was such a time and sanity saver. It also was a wonderful way for me to incorporate more vegetables into my day. I always feel better when my diet is filled with lots of fresh vegetables. ❤️
Oh and I wanted to say that I really enjoyed going to the other ladies’ food/healthy living blogs and being introduced to some of their recipes. I saw some that looked delicious and they all have me as a new follower. The cookbook that is just recipes for moon milk?! Um Yes please!
So glad our friends are now your friends, Jenni!
The past 10 days have been excellent. As the weather cools I had some delicious soup to keep me warm. The soup also put a smile on my face because I was doing something good for myself (and will continue to do so).
My favourite recipe was for the smoked paprika corn chowder. I LOVE smoked paprika and I LOVE corn. I never thought of a smoked paprika flavoured soup before though. Just excellent. It was also easy to make, which is a must for me, and it is really easy to clean up a single pot!
I learned that I can make the time to feed my body better; I just have to DO it and I would continue to feel better all the time.