15 Healthy Soup Recipes That Will Help You Lose Weight
What if we told you that dieting doesn’t mean you have to feel hungry all the time…that would be pretty great, right?
From spicy lentil stews to green detox tinctures, these easy weight loss soups will allow you to eat whatever you want, whenever you want and still shed some pounds
1.Instant Pot Lentil Soup
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 40 mins
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 c. green lentils
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper - 4 c. low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 c. baby spinach
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
Step-1
To an Instant Pot, add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, lentils, and tomatoes. Add thyme and Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.
Pour broth over and stir to combine. Set Instant Pot to Manual, High and set for 18 minutes. Once finished, set valve to quick release.
Step-2
Remove lid and stir in spinach. Serve with Parmesan.
2.Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup
A soul-warming Moroccan sweet potato lentil soup recipe. This soup is made in the slow cooker and requires hardly any work at all. Plus, it makes the whole house smell warm and cozy
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SOUP TIME. Which, in my very humble opinion is the best kind of time there is. Unless it’s chocolate chip cookie time, which, goes without saying, is obviously better. And which obviously this is NOT. Ahem, what? Where were we? Detoxing. That’s right. Bringing you this moroccan-style detox lentil soup loaded with all the goodness straight from your refrigerator plus pantry with tons of soul-warming spices to brighten up these cold, cold winter days.
Now that’s what i’m talkin’ about.
So January. We’re already half a week into 2017 guys. How? But also – I don’t know if it’s just me – but is anyone else just now officially starting the detox from all the holiday eats and treats? Anees’ birthday is the day after New Years Day so we tend to get a slow start with the whole January cleanse thing.
But with all of the birthdays and parties finally out of the way, i’m just itching to get another pot of this warm lentil soup on and am ready to hit the clean-eating reset button now.
Of course, lentil soup isn’t just limited to those of us that are desperate for a reset either. In fact, it’s even more delicious if you decide to serve it with pan-fried pita wedges and a healthy dollop of whipped greek yogurt or sour cream to just mellow out all those glorious spices.
Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup – an easy, vegetarian detox soup that’s loaded with tons of veggies, lentils, and sweet potatoes to keep you full! Light on the calories too! #moroccansoup #soup #lentilsoup #slowcooker | Littlespicejar.com
I kept this lentil soup completely vegan/vegetarian friendly so everyone can enjoy this. Know that it’s easy to make this a more protein packed meal though. Just sauté ground turkey, chicken, beef or lamb or any other kind of ground protein you like and add it straight into the crockpot with all the other ingredients. You’ve instantly got the perfect bagged lunch for the week. This lentil soup would also work well over a mound of fragrant basmati rice incase you like the whole Indian ‘daal’ scene. Lentil-anything was made to be paired with rice.
One of the best things about having a blog is getting to name all the recipes. I say that now. If you rewind back to a few years ago, you’d see this definitely was not the case. I realize it’s important to be clear and precise when naming a recipe. With that said, this is a detox lentil soup recipe that comes loaded with all those wonderful cleansing ingredients that are like a toothbrush for our insides. And, yeah that’s totally weird, but go with it, will ya?
Added bonus : under 250 calories per serving.
Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup – an easy, vegetarian detox soup that’s loaded with tons of veggies, lentils, and sweet potatoes to keep you full! Light on the calories too! #moroccansoup #soup #lentilsoup #slowcooker | Littlespicejar.com
Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup – an easy, vegetarian detox soup that’s loaded with tons of veggies, lentils, and sweet potatoes to keep you full! Light on the calories too! #moroccansoup #soup #lentilsoup #slowcooker | Littlespicejar.com
It all starts with the trinity – onions, carrots, celery. Then of course, tons of pressed garlic, which is a completely normal thing around here and it totally caught me by surprise that garlic has all these detoxing properties which NO BIG DEAL – but only it is. It’s HUGE. Love these kinds of happy coincidences. But, HOLD THE PHONE there’s more, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon. We all know about that turmeric trend of 2016 right? Let’s carry all the good things into ’17 with us now. Loaded with anti-inflammatory properties and perfect for when you’re a leeetle under-the-weather to boost your immune system.
Now here’s how simple this lentil soup recipe is. Grab all your ingredients, add them to a slow cooker and let them hang out of low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. One the lentils has softened all the way through, puree ½ of the soup in your blender and pop it back into the slow cooker along with tons of chopped baby spinach and just let it wilt. Pro tip: make this one day ahead for even more flavor. So pop it into the slow cooker when you get home from work tonight and into the fridge before you head to bed. Puree it when you get home from work tomorrow, add the spinach and just heat it through. Squeeze ¼ cup of lemon juice right into the slow cooker or serve lemon wedges on the side. It’s seriously the perfect spicy, tangy, veggieful soup ever.
Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup – an easy, vegetarian detox soup that’s loaded with tons of veggies, lentils, and sweet potatoes to keep you full! Light on the calories too! #moroccansoup #soup #lentilsoup #slowcooker | Littlespicejar.com
The hardest part about the whole thing is that it requires a bit of prepping, but if you buy store-bought mirepoix mix (ze onions, carrots, and ze celery) then all that really requires your attention is the sweet potatoes. And let me just say when it comes to customizing this lentil soup, you can easily swap the sweet potatoes for pre-diced butternut squash chunks and swap the brown lentils for greens or even use chickpeas along with all the other good stuff in this soup.
But here’s the thing – even with all it’s simplicity, it’s a warm, FEEL GOOD food. Kinda perfect for those of us that have decided to pack more lunches this year and make smarter choices.
It’s quick to throw together, completely straightforward, and easily adaptable to your dietary preferences.
It’s gotta go with you to lunch this week!
Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup – an easy, vegetarian detox soup that’s loaded with tons of veggies, lentils, and sweet potatoes to keep you full! Light on the calories too! #moroccansoup #soup #lentilsoup #slowcooker | Littlespicejar.com
YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS
Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup (Slow Cooker)
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prep time 15 MINUTES
cook time 6 HOURS
total time 6 HOURS 15 MINUTES
A soul-warming Moroccan sweet potato lentil soup recipe. This soup is made in the slow cooker and requires hardly any work at all. Plus, it makes the whole house smell warm and cozy!
Winter Detox Moroccan Sweet Potato Lentil Soup (Slow Cooker)
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4.9 Stars (200 Reviews)
Ingredients
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into small pieces
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ½ cups green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 ½ teaspoon EACH coriander AND cumin powder
1 teaspoon curry powder (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon EACH smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, AND turmeric
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
6-7 cups low sodium broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 ½ cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
¼ cup lemon juice or lemon wedges for serving
Place the sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, red bell pepper, garlic, lentils, spices, and 6 cups of broth into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Check the lentils for doneness. If you’re lentils have been in the pantry for a while, note that they’ll take a bit longer to cook through
Place half the soup into a blender along with a little additional broth (½ cup or so) and blend till smoothish. Alternately, you can use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker but be sure to not blend all of the soup if you want it to have a chunkier texture. Add the puree back into the slow cooker. Stir in the baby spinach and lemon juice. Cover the slow cooker, unplug it, and allow the ingredients to just hang out for 30 minutes or so until the spinach wilts down.
Season with salt, pepper and curry powder to taste as desired. Thin with additional broth to desired consistency. Serve warm with whipped greek yogurt, fried pita bread, and tons of fresh herbs (parsley or cilantro) on top!
3.Turmeric Tomato Soup
Ingredients
5 oz cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in halves
1 can diced tomatoes with their sauce
½ cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coconut oil
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Mixed seeds and nuts, to garnish
Instructions
1.Heat the coconut oil in a sauce pan and fry the onion and garlic for one minute.
Add turmeric and cherry tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes softens and leave their juices.
Add the tomato can, vegetable stock, apple cider vinegar and basil, bring to boil, cover with a lid and let simmer for five minutes.
Transfer into the blender and pulse to obtain a creamy liquid.
Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with mixed seeds and nuts.
4.Veggie-Packed Tomato Soup
Broth or Stock – We use either beef broth or chicken broth but you can use any homemade stock or broth or vegetable broth if you prefer.
A variety of vegetables make this soup fun and flavorful. The cabbage adds bulk and fills your belly. If you’re not a fan of cabbage, you can most certainly substitute kale or spinach. Keep in mind that kale will add more bulk and spinach will shrink down quite a bit.
Low Carb Veggies Cabbage, beans, cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, celery
Starchy Veggies Carrots, potatoes or sweet potatoes (may need longer to cook), corn, green peas
Instructions
Cook garlic & onion until softened.
Add cabbage, carrots, & green beans, cook until tender.
Add remaining ingredients (except for zucchini) & simmer as directed in recipe below.
Add zucchini & cook until soft. Remove bay leaves before serving
5.Immune-Boosting Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Chicken – I like to use shredded rotisserie chicken because it’s quick and easy with so much flavor, but you can also use chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Leftover chicken (or turkey) works great too!
Veggies – I used a combination of carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms, but feel free to add in some bell peppers, butternut squash or even chopped sweet potatoes
Garlic – we are using A LOT in this recipe (yes 10 garlic cloves!), but trust me it tastes absolutely amazing. Garlic is such a powerful antioxidant that strengthens immune function and just overall makes you feel really good. Don’t worry, the garlic definitely mellows out while cooking so don’t expect the flavor to be too intense!
Chicken stock – I used low-sodium chicken broth, but vegetable broth would work or any stocks you have in your pantry. Make sure to adjust the amount of salt used if you don’t use a low-sodium broth
Chickpeas – also known as garbanzo beans, these add extra protein and delicious texture to this soup
Kale – this is a hearty leafy green that packs in the antioxidants, vitamin C and other nutrients good for your health. You could also use fresh spinach in place of the kale and even sprinkle in some fresh parsley or other fresh herbs
Herbs and spices – a combination of turmeric, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and bay leaves
How to make ?
Sauté the veggies. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and saute onion, celery and carrots, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic, cooking another 3 minutes.
Let the soup simmer. Stir in the chicken stock, bay leaves, turmeric, crushed red pepper, sea salt, pepper and chickpeas, bringing everything a boil. Mix in the shredded rotisserie chicken, cover and turn down the heat to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. If you are using boneless skinless chicken breasts, you’ll want to add them in with the chicken stock and let them simmer for about 25 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink. Then remove the chicken breasts, shred with two forks, and add the chicken back into the pot.
Mix in kale and serve! Add in the chopped kale and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. You could also sprinkle in some fresh parsley. Enjoy!
6.Mushroom And Kidney Bean Soup
Ingredients
32 ounces chicken broth you may use low-sodium
▢3 cups V-8 juice *see recipe notes
▢28 ounces Italian diced tomatoes
▢1 small onion
▢2 cloves minced garlic
▢8 ounces sliced mushrooms
▢3 carrots peeled and sliced
▢1 zucchini diced
▢1 yellow squash diced
▢2 cups green beans fresh or frozen
▢14 ounces kidney beans drained and rinsed
▢3-4 cups shredded cabbage
▢1 teaspoons Italian seasoning
▢Salt and Pepper to taste
How to make ?
In a large frying pan sprayed with cooking spray, sauté garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes.
In a large crockpot, combine sautéed garlic and vegetables with the remaining ingredients.
Cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until vegetables are fork-tender.
FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
This makes a large batch of soup. If you would like to freeze portions of it to use later, undercook the vegetables just a little. Pour the soup into freezer Ziplock bags and let as much air out as you can. Lay the bags flat on a cookie sheet and freeze. Once the soup is frozen flat, it is easy to layer in your freezer and won’t take up much room. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge for 24 hours and then reheat
7.Spicy Southwest Chicken Soup
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cans Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles (4.5-ounce cans)
14.5 ounces “fire roasted” crushed tomatoes
3 quarts chicken stock
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoons turmeric
2 1/2 cups sliced carrots
4 cups chopped cabbage
3 cups small broccoli florets
2 avocados, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
How to make ?
Set a large 6-8 quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped onions, and garlic. Sauté for 5-6 minutes to soften. Then add whole raw chicken breasts, Old El Paso Chopped Green Chiles, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, all the spices, carrots, and 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20+ minutes, until the chicken breasts are cooked through. Then remove the chicken with tongs and set them on a cutting board to cool
Add the chopped cabbage and broccoli to the pot. Continue to simmer to soften the broccoli. Meanwhile, shred the chicken breasts with two forks, and stir them back into the soup. Once the broccoli is tender, taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
Serve warm with a generous amount of diced avocado on top!If the soup base boils down too much, add 2-3 cups of water to the broth. Then taste for seasoning.
You can store this recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The combination of the Old El Paso green chiles and the spices, enhances the natural flavor of the chicken and veggies for a bold tantalizing flavor
Plus, the release of toxins from this detox soup helps your body work more efficiently, meaning:
Purging water retention
A metabolic boost
More energy
And better sleep!
8.Fat-Burning Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
1 onion large
1 carrot large
2 celery stalks
3 garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 cabbage large
8 cups water
2 vegan chicken flavoured bouillon cubes
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
Introduction
Wash, pat dry, and finely chop vegetables.
In a large soup pot, heat up the olive oil and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and minced garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant.
Add the 8 cups of water. Crumble the chicken cubes by hand and add to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Add in the chopped cabbage, parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir soup to mix well.
Simmer on low for 30-40 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve!
9. Zero-Point Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
3 cups nonfat beef broth (reduced sodium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chopped cabbage
1⁄2yellow onion
1⁄2 cup chopped carrot
1⁄2 cup green beans
1⁄2 cup chopped zucchini yellow or green
1⁄2 teaspoon basil
1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
salt & pepper
How to make ?
Spray pot with nonstick cooking spray. Saute onions carrots and garlic for 5 minutes.
Add broth, Tomato paste, cabbage, green beans, basil, oregano, and Salt & Pepper to taste.
Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until all vegetables are tender then add the zucchini and simmer for another 5 or so minutes.
I have tried different variations. Leaving out green beans. Adding chopped green onions in addition to the yellow onion.
All very good. Use whatever vegetables you like.
Check post above for directions on how to use your Slow Cooker or Instant Pot.
Serving size ½ cup
10.Broccoli and Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
1 medium onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1.5 cups broccoli
1/2 cup red lentils
some mint leaves (5-10)
some cilantro (optional)
1 red chili pepper (optional!)
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Soak lentils for 30min-1h. Prepare the rest – peel garlic and onion, wash herbs and vegetables and chop broccoli, onion, chili (optional), cilantro (optional), mint leaves.
In a small cooking pot add 1tbsp olive oil and sautee the garlic and onions at medium-high for about 1 min. Add the spices (turmeric, ginger, cumin and opt. cardamom). Stir and add “a sip” of water, so that the spices don’t burn.
Stir again and add chopped broccoli, lentils, 1/2 tsp salt (approx. I’m still struggling with measuring salt, I usually pinch) and 2-3 cups of water (so that everything is covered).
Cover everything with the lid and cook for 8-10 min until lentils are tender and everything else is cooked.
Add the herbs (mint and optionally cilantro). Take off heat.
With your hand blender blend the soup. I didn’t blend all the way through as I like soups chunky. If you’d like – blend all the way through until smooth (won’t affect taste, just texture). Add 1 more tbsp olive oil and stir in. Salt to taste, add water if too thick (shouldn’t be).
Optionally: Slice red chilli pepper and add at the end.
Serve hot and if you’d like top with some hot paprika flakes and cumin.
