10 Soul-Hugging Soups That’ll Warm You Up This Winter

There’s no better cure for the chills on a snowy winter day than a bowl of hot, nutritious soup. We have a recipe for all lifestyles and preferences!

Keto

If you’re not used to it yet, keto can be one of the hardest diets to eat for. Soups and stews can be challenging. Many of these brothy dishes are rife with carb-loaded vegetables, grains or noodles. We’re making it easier with the following two low-carb high-protein dishes.

Egg Drop Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms & Shrimp

For healthy eaters tight on time, egg drop soup is an easy and minimalistic must-know recipe. We elevate it in our version with meaty bites of shiitake mushrooms and shrimp. Try topping with extra sriracha and sesame oil, or a drizzle of honey if you prefer to go sewet.

Chicken Noodle Soup

What’s a soup collection without this classic dish? Our take on Chicken Noodle Soup – or rather chicken zoodle soup – is Whole 30-friendly as well. With not a single wheat noodle in sight, this low-carb soup features zucchini noodles instead. Plus, it has all the standard fixings for a delicious chicken noodle: A mirepoix base, chicken breast and a bouquet of aromatic herbs.

Paleo

If you’re eating paleo, you already know the struggle of finding compliant soups and broths. Too often, any soup that lauds itself as filling and healthy features legumes. Instead, try the following recipes, free of legumes, dairy products, refined carbohydrates and any other offenders on the paleo no-go list.

Curried Coconut Squash Soup

The beloved butternut squash, a paleo diet staple, stars in this flavorful soup. If the paleo diet is making you miss creamy soups, fear not. We use hearty coconut milk for a rich broth that doesn’t break the rules. Meanwhile, curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and Thai basil make it excitingly flavorful.

Italian Wedding Soup

Mamma mia! This incredibly healthy soup is sure to become a staple in your house once you’ve given it a go. In terms of ingredients, it seems relatively bare-bones: Ground beef meatballs for protein and a classic mirepoix, plus escarole and herbs. But altogether, this meat-and-veg dish makes for a perfect paleo meal you’ll keep coming back to.

Plant-Based

Who says a protein-rich stew needs to include chicken and beef? Not us! If you’re on a plant-based diet, try these hearty soups for your meat-free daily dose of protein. 

White Bean Soup with Caper Almond Pesto

The name gives it away – the starring protein in this rich soup are white beans such as navy or cannellini. In our recipe, we puree these beauties down with chicken broth, but you can easily sub with veggie broth to make it vegan. Don’t skimp on the spices and aromatics though: Shallots, garlic, herbes de provence, fresh basil and capers.

Golden Cauliflower Soup

This sunny soup features our favorite inflammation-busting spice. Can you tell what it is? The color gives it away – we’re talking about turmeric, of course. Along with it are other healthful spices like garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. These all live in a creamy base of blended veggies: Cauliflower, carrots and shallots.

Pescatarian

At Clean Eating, we love fish and seafood. Our volumes of Mediterranean diet-related content has given that away already. Seafood contains unique health properties that are hard to find elsewhere, as you’ll see below. (Both the below recipes are made using chicken broth. We recommend simply swapping for veggie broth).

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

This creamy, zesty soup is a staff favorite, thanks to its perfect medley of vibrant flavors. The main “meat” in this dish is shrimp. These meaty morsels are low in calories and high in nutrients. For example, a 3-oz serving of shrimp can contain roughly 48% of the recommended daily intake of selenium. This is an essential mineral, required for optimal thyroid function and tied to numerous health boons. For example, studies show that selenium may reduce risk of certain cancers.

Thai Curry Mussels Soup

The mussels in this filling noodle soup provide an abundance of nutrients. Notably, these include vitamin B 12, omega-3 fatty acids and selenium. They’re also high in protein — one 1-cup serving contains almost 18 grams. In our recipe, we whip them up on an aromatic base, infuse them with white wine and float them in a broth with coconut milk.

Gluten-Free

We feel you, gluten-free eaters. The struggle is real when it comes to brothy dishes, when every other hearty dish features noodles or pasta. That’s why in our gluten-free soup recipes, we stick to rice and quinoa.

Chicken & Rice Miso Soup

What could be more comforting on a chilly day than a steaming bowl of miso soup? While miso is generally gluten free, we recommend gluten-free eaters read the ingredients label. Some miso paste is made with barley, which does contain gluten. Our grain of choice is jasmine rice.

Chipotle Tomato Soup with Crispy Quinoa Topping

The standard mirepoix base is French in origin, but it sees a South American reawakening in this recipe featuring chipotle. Chipotle chiles are smoked, dried jalapeño peppers, and they lend a rich flavor and some heat here. We love a colorful meal, so we top this recipe with sliced radishes. You can choose whatever veggies you like best (though we do make some professionally decided-upon recommendations in the ingredients).