45 Good-For-You Soups To Help You Get Through The Winter
Finally, soups that are healthy, hearty, and DELICIOUS.
If you’re looking to lighten up your meal, most of the year, a salad is a solid bet. In the winter though, when produce isn’t as inspiring and the weather outside is terrible, it’s harder to get excited about cold greens in lieu of things like heavy casseroles and hearty baked pastas. Don’t despair—you can still achieve all your health goals with these 45 super-comforting soup recipes. The ones on this list are packed with veggies, protein-ful beans, and lean proteins, and are sure to keep you feeling good all winter long.
We know health looks different to different people, so we’ve included options for a variety of diets, like low-carb, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, and even low oil. Looking for soups that are lower in carbs? Try our keto broccoli cheddar soup, our loaded cauliflower soup, our miso soup, or our zoodle ramen. Trying to avoid animal products? Check out our vegan slow cooker butternut squash soup, our vegan "clam" chowder, our Thai red curry coconut noodles, or our coconut curried red lentil soup. Just looking to get more veggies into your diet? We got you too. Try our green goddess soup, our vegetarian kale soup, our Instant Pot vegetable soup, or our quinoa vegetable soup. They’re colorful and good for you, the perfect combo for getting through gray winter days.
It also must be noted, when we’re feeling under the weather, there’s nothing quite like a bowl of chicken noodle soup. We’ve included a few variations on the theme here, like our vegan chickpea noodle soup, our turkey noodle soup, our keto chicken soup, our healthy chicken noodle soup, and our chicken & wild rice soup. No matter what health looks like to you, one of these is guaranteed to help cure everything that ails you, from the common cold to a broken heart.
Want even more soup ideas? Check out our top creamy soups, our favorite vegetable soups, and our best noodle soups too.
Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup
Classic chicken noodle soup is already pretty good for you, but we made this even more so by loading it up with lots of kale, using low-sodium broth, and opting for boneless skinless chicken breasts. We also used gluten-free noodles, but feel free to go for egg noodles if you're a purist.
Get the Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe.
Keto Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Is there anything more hearty, cheesy, and perfect than broccoli cheddar soup? You get all of the stick-to-your bones goodness from all the best comfort food and the sharp, cheesy flavor from the cheddar, while still getting a good dose of veggies.
Get the Keto Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
We love lentil soup for its versatility. For this healthy rendition, we add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic as a base, plus canned tomatoes and fresh thyme. Simply add ingredients, set your Instant Pot to high, and press go!
Get the Instant Pot Lentil Soup recipe.
Chickpea Noodle Soup
This is an incredible vegan version of chicken noodle soup, made with chickpeas instead of chicken and orecchiette instead of egg noodles. Cooking the pasta in the soup will yield a velvety, substantial broth, but for a leftover-friendly version, boil the noodles separately so they don’t bloat in the broth over time.
Get the Chickpea Noodle Soup recipe.
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
This hearty soup might be vegetarian, but it's also super-filling thanks to protein-full quinoa and white beans and a colorful variety of veggies. Hot tip: Raid your crisper drawer for anything on its last legs, this soup can take any old vegetables you've got.
Get the Quinoa Vegetable Soup recipe.
Green Goddess Soup
It’s not always easy eating your greens, especially in winter. Enter: a soup inspired by one of our favorite salad dressings, Green Goddess. The creamy green dressing is wholesome, herbaceous, and can improve even the most lackluster of salads, so we knew it had potential to be an incredible soup.
Get the Green Goddess Soup recipe.
Keto Chicken Soup
This version of chicken soup gets a hearty boost with cauliflower rice, and we're big fans. Don't skimp on the ginger—it adds an irresistible kick to the broth.
Get the Keto Chicken Soup.
Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup
Cozy and nourishing, we crave matzo ball soup pretty much year-round. Although schmaltz (AKA chicken fat) and chicken broth are typically included in this classic Ashkenazi Jewish soup, it’s not hard to swap in vegetarian-friendly ingredients.
Get the Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup recipe.
Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
This comforting soup is sort of like an earthy version of chicken noodle soup. Wild rice brings some subtle floral, smokey flavors, while bone-in chicken thighs provide enough fat and flavor for a rich homemade stock. Topped with crispy chicken skin "croutons," we dare you to find a meal that can ward off the blustery cold like this one.
Get the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup recipe.
Vegan Ramen
This completely vegan recipe uses layers of umami-packed flavor to mimic the depth complexity of traditional ramen, with edamame for a protein boost. Feel free to swap in some of your favorite veggies, but don't skip the salty soy sauce balanced with sweet, tangy mirin—it makes this bowl extremely slurp-worthy.
Get the Vegan Ramen recipe.
Cheeseburger Soup
As fun as food mash-ups are, we’re only going to put one out into the universe if it’s straight-up delicious... and that's what this soup is. Loaded with creamy cheese, vegetables, and that awesome burger flavor, it’s everything we want in a comforting bowl of soup. Grab a spoon!
Get the Cheeseburger Soup recipe.
Nabeyaki Udon
Nabeyaki udon is a one-pot Japanese noodle soup with a super flavorful broth. It's got all the umami you crave, with TONS of vegetables so you can get your greens in all winter long.
Get the Nabeyaki Udon recipe.
Pesto Rice & Bean Soup
This one-pot pesto rice & bean soup can be as flexitarian as you’d like it. While we use chicken broth here to add a layer of savoriness without actually adding meat, you’re free to substitute it with vegetable broth or water. Try out different pesto varieties too!
Get the Pesto Rice & Bean Soup recipe.
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Loaded with cabbage, cauliflower, bell peppers, and zucchini, this vegetable soup is the easiest, healthiest way to warm up this winter.
Get the Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipe.
Turkey Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup is obviously our go-to. It's simple and fast and just so darn comforting. Turkey noodle soup is still everything you love about the classic with the addition of some leftover turkey. Honestly, though, this soup is reason enough to go out and buy yourself a turkey breast or two.
Get the Turkey Noodle Soup recipe.
Vegan French Onion Stew
With complex flavor and toasts broiled with melty dairy-free cheese, this is just as good as the French classic. Be warned: If you’re meal prepping, it’s best to melt your cheese on a sheet tray instead to avoid losing soggy pieces of bread in your leftovers.
Get the Vegan French Onion Stew recipe.
Creamy Spinach Soup
This gorgeously green spinach soup is guaranteed to make you feel good.
Get the Creamy Spinach Soup recipe.
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
What dish is the most indicative of impending winter? Some might say it's pumpkin pie, others might say warm apple cider, but to us, nothing fits better with sweater weather than a delicious bowl of healthful butternut squash soup.
Get the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
Vegan Black Bean Soup
Working against that stereotype of vegan food being lesser-than, this soup is loaded with spices and smoky numbers. There's chipotle in adobo, serrano, poblano, and cayenne for a quadruple hot kick; then there's onion, tomatoes, and a bit of sugar to balance that spiciness with underlying sweetness. This might just be the best black bean soup ever.
Get the Vegan Black Bean Soup recipe.
Vegetable Cabbage Soup
This hearty soup is totally adaptable. Add any of your favorite veggies! Leftover pulled pork, rotisserie chicken, or even tofu would also be delicious. Add it in during the last few minutes of cooking, just to warm it up.
Get the Vegetable Cabbage Soup recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
