How to Make Healthy Soups to Support Weight Loss

It’s more than just a bowl of warmth and comfort—incorporating soup into your diet can be a flavorful and satisfying strategy for those on a weight loss journey. 

How Soup Can Support Weight Loss Goals
Soups can be made low-calorie and high-nutrient. A broth-based soup will have a lot of water to help keep you hydrated. Soup is also the perfect vehicle for nutritious vegetables we may otherwise struggle to eat, such as cauliflower, celery, spinach, or kale. 

Soup is also a great tool against the great villain of dieting—boredom. There are endless ways to combine ingredients and flavors, helping you switch it up whenever you’ve had enough of one recipe. 

As versatile in preparation as ingredient options, soup can be made in a large batch and frozen to be eaten during the week or to feed an army of friends. The trusty crockpot or instant pot can be used to save time. 

Not Even Soup is Perfect: Watchouts 
Not all soups are created equal, and not every soup is considered healthy. A cheesy soup served in a bread bowl is not considered a low-calorie food. Opt for homemade soups with whole, nutrient-dense ingredients using our cheat sheet later in this article. But here are some other things to watch out for with soup:

• Soup can be a salt bomb. Canned soup can be high in sodium, but sometimes their convenience can’t be beat. Make sure to check the nutritional information to ensure the soup is meeting your nutritional goals.
• Avoid high-fat soups. Fat in soups can come from using a creamy broth or fattier cuts of meat. Opt for a clear broth and low-fat protein options. Other ways to increase creaminess without increasing calories: purée a starch (like potatoes or chickpeas) or use milk instead of cream in recipes.
• Broth is not a meal. Bone broth and other clear broths like miso soup can seem like a weight loss hack with their extremely low-calorie count. But these soups are more like a hydrating, warming drink than a full meal. Without some fiber and protein, your soup will go right through you. You’ll be hungry again before you know it.  
  
  

Cheat Sheet to Making a Soup
There are soup recipes available online and in cookbooks in nearly every combination of ingredients inspired by nearly every culture. And we encourage you to explore them! We couldn’t possibly pick favorites.

However, understanding how to put specific ingredients together to make a filling soup can help you whip up a healthy meal—and avoid some of those pitfalls we mentioned—with whatever ingredients you have at home.

#1: Build the Base
The base of your soup is the broth. There are pre-packaged meat and vegetable broths and bouillon cubes available to buy, but these can be high in sodium. Start your soup off by chopping up some aromatics, such as garlic, shallot, and celery, and sauteing them in olive oil. Then, add the water that makes the soup so hydrating.

#2: Create Some Texture
Now, we work on building the body of the soup—otherwise, we’re just drinking some broth. Potatoes, squash, carrots, parsnips, and other starchy vegetables make great soup ingredients because once cooked, they dissolve to thicken the broth. 

#3: Fill Up With Protein and Fiber
Now to the meat (or plant-based alternative) of the soup. A good soup that keeps you satiated will have both protein and fiber. Chicken, lentils, and beans take care of the protein, while chickpeas, quinoa, and brown rice can have fiber to keep you full.

Pro tip: Add one or two whole bay leaves into your cooking soup for deeper levels of flavor. Take them out after cooking before serving.

#4: Go Green (Veggie)
Not adding something healthy and green to your soup would be a missed opportunity! You may find some easier to eat when they’re “hidden” in a delicious soup.

Some green veggies, such as broccoli, cook faster than others. Tough, leafy greens like kale and Swiss chard will need some time simmering in the soup to break them down and soften them. You can also add a little acid (like a dash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice) to help the greens soften.

#5: Add Some Spice
Very important: it’s time to add your spices—and we encourage you not to hold back. You’ll need to add more proportionally, depending on how much broth you have. Add your spices, taste the soup, and adjust from there.

Keep it savory with thyme, oregano, or basil. Turn up the heat with cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes. Make flavors more complex with turmeric, ginger, and cumin.

Let everything simmer together. How long? For some time, so keep an eye on it and let the ingredients do their thing. Before you know it, you have a warm, satisfying meal with leftovers or extra to share.  

CON-1867-001 12/2023