18 Best Broth-Based Soups for Weight Loss
Lucas Weaver wasn't exactly the kind of guy you'd want to trade lives with. Working as a dishwasher was hard enough, but standing in front of a sink supporting 289 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame made Weaver's daily life all the more miserable. After an accident resulted in needing knee replacement surgery, Weaver felt like he'd hit rock bottom. "I was a huge guy," he told CNN.
But "was" is the operative word. Washing dishes at a Chula Vista, California restaurant called Souplantation, Weaver decided to try incorporating the soups on the menu into his daily meals and supplementing them with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In just a year, Weaver dropped 100 pounds and has maintained his newly found 189-pound body by staying committed to his diet and by biking, hiking, and running on the beach. "I feel like a 100% new person," he claimed.
We can't promise your entire life will turn around just by eating more soup. But the right kind of soup—broth-based concoctions loaded with vegetables and fiber—can play a big role in a healthy diet, especially as the cold weather starts to kick in. The editors of Eat This, Not That! have collected some of their favorite soup recipes here, so stop stewing about your weight—and get ready for a souped-up new body! And then get even more brilliant tips and tricks for melting the pounds with ways to lose 5 inches of belly fat!
One-Pot Chicken and Bacon Orzo Soup
Serves: 6
Nutrition: 263 calories, 8.2 g fat (2.3 g saturated), 285 mg sodium, 16.8 g carbs, 1.8 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 28.2 g protein (calculated without added salt)
We love this soup so much, we just had to share it again. One of our healthy Crock-Pot recipes, this chicken and bacon orzo soup is both easy to make and comes with all the added benefits of a lightweight, low-cal, broth-based soup. Besides containing vitamin-A-rich carrots and detoxing celery, it's also low in sodium, which is especially important to get a flat belly because sodium causes water retention.
Get the recipe from Savory Simple.
Spicy Sausage, Kale and Whole-Wheat Orecchiette Soup
Serves: 4
Nutrition: 225 calories, 10.7 g fat, (2.4 g saturated fat), 573 mg sodium, 21.8 g carbs, 3.2 g fiber, 1.5 g sugar, 9.3 g protein
Lean turkey sausage comes together with energizing B-vitamin-rich kale in this simple but flavorful soup. If you're one of those people who can't tolerate raw kale because of its hearty texture and robust earthy flavor, try it when it's boiled down and infused with a warm, spicy broth.
Get the recipe from How Sweet It Is.
Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup
Serves: 12
Nutrition: 258 calories, 6.2 g fat, 1.7 g saturated fat, 635 mg sodium, 18.1 g carbs, 7.1 g fiber, 2.3 g sugar, 29.9 g protein (calculated with low-sodium chicken broth, fresh salsa verde, and no added toppings)
Switch up your boring chicken noodle soup routine with this broth-based soup. This jalapeño-lime chicken soup is fresh, tangy, and full of exotic flavors. Lime juice brightens up a refreshing broth of salsa verde, beans, and chicken, as well as your complexion, with its skin-repairing Vitamin C. Lime is also a key ingredient in our favorite detox waters.
Get the recipe from Pinch of Yum.
Bacon and Egg Drop Soup
Serves: 3
Nutrition: 163 calories, 6.5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 557 mg sodium, 8 g carbs, >1 g fiber, >1 g sugar, 17 g protein (calculated with low sodium chicken broth, turkey bacon, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp red chili flakes)
Egg drop soup earned its name from, well, dropping eggs into soup! The spicy, rich, and bacony broth scrambles the eggs as they swirl around your bowl, cooking up a nutritious meal. Don't worry that this soup only has 163 calories, it'll certainly quell your hunger as it's packed with 17 grams of appetite-suppressing protein from the eggs and bacon.
Get the recipe from My Name is Yeh.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup
Serves: 8
Nutrition: 243 calories, 10.8 g fat (4.6 g saturated fat), 847 mg sodium, 18.5 g carbs, 2.1 g fiber, 2.3 g sugar, 13.5 g protein
Don't restrict yourself from making this Irish soup only on St. Paddy's day. Bursting with a rainbow of ingredients, from pink beef and orange carrots to yellow potatoes and leafy green cabbage, this soup can (and should) be enjoyed any time of the year because of its wide array of health benefits. Carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamin C, all compounds found in the veggies in this soup, can help protect you against cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cataracts, according to an article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Get some more greens besides cabbage, along with ways to burn fat, with these green teas.
Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves: 4
Nutrition: 286 calories, 10.3 g fat (2.4 g saturated fat), 505 mg sodium, 16.6 g carbs, 1.8 g fiber, 2.7 g sugar, 29 g protein (calculated with 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce)
A spiced-up take on a cold-fighting classic, you'll want to whip up this Asian chicken noodle soup right when you notice that first sniffle. Adding spicy, sinus-clearing Thai chilies cements this soup as a surefire cure for colds. Even better? There's no added salt to raise the sodium levels thanks to a secret ingredient: soy sauce.
Get the recipe from Love and Olive Oil.
Mini Chicken Meatball Soup
Serves: 4
Nutrition: 420 calories, 9.3 g fat (1.6 g saturated fat), 980 mg sodium, 42.2 g carbs, 3.4 g fiber, 4.5 g sugar, 28.5 g protein
If you've gone to Ikea recently, you've probably been craving some mini meatballs. Well, we have just the recipe for you. Whip up some of your own homemade meatballs for this broth-based soup. We love that this blogger substitutes the traditional beef and pork blend for chicken, one of our 29 Best-Ever Proteins for Weight Loss.
Get the recipe from How Sweet It Is.
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Serves: 6
Nutrition: 230 calories, 16.3 g fat (9.6 g saturated fat), 707 mg sodium, 9.1 g carbs, 1.6 g fiber, 3.1 g sugar, 11.7 g protein (calculated with low sodium beef broth, unsalted butter, 6 slices of gruyere and no bread)
French onion soup is the queen of broth-based soup. Basically just beef broth and onions, this blogger makes it even simpler by adapting it to a slow-cooker recipe. Before you think it's too good to be true, wait until you get to the toppings. Add a slice of indulgent gruyere cheese to your bowl and you still won't tip over the 300-calorie mark.
Get the recipe from Creme de la Crumb.
French Vegetable Soup
Serves: 4
Nutrition: 249 calories, 3.9 g fat (0.6 g saturated fat), 803 mg sodium, 51.1 g carbs, 7.8 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 5 g protein (calculated with 5 carrots, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt)
Despite containing a simple medley of leeks, carrots, fennel, and potatoes, this soup has an amazing depth of flavor from the added herbs and long cook time. The added health benefits are also far from simple. Leeks are high in inulin, a prebiotic that serves as food for probiotics, i.e. your good gut bacteria. In addition to promoting a healthy gut flora, inulin can stimulate your bone health by enhancing calcium absorption, according to a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Another food that is great for your gut? Yogurt! One of the key ingredients in our smoothies for weight loss.
Get the recipe from Gormande in the Kitchen.
Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves: 5
Nutrition: 446 calories, 19.3 g fat (4.2 g saturated fat), 722 mg sodium, 20.9 g carbs, 2.9 g fiber, 4.1 g sugar, 45.1 g protein (calculated with 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cloves garlic, and no optional toppings)
It just isn't a broth-based soup article without a classic chicken noodle soup recipe, but this is far from "classic" because it's made in a slow cooker. Even better than your mom's chicken noodle recipe, this one requires next to no work—exactly what you need when you're feeling sick and mom's not there to whip this up for you.
Get the recipe from Cooking Classy.
Lentil Soup
Serves: 6
Nutrition: 280 calories, 11.2 g fat (3.3 g saturated fat), 753 mg sodium, 38.4 g carbs, 16 g fiber, 8.2 g sugar, 13 g protein (calculated with 1 tbsp thyme and 5 cloves garlic)
If you don't have a go-to lentil soup, you should. And make it this one. Smoky paprika and bright tomatoes combine with earthy herbs and one of our favorite foods for uncovering your abs: lentils. Not only are lentils economical, but they are also packed with protein, folate (a B vitamin), and fiber, which have all been shown to play roles in the prevention of heart disease and possibly certain types of cancer.
Get the recipe from The First Mess.
Sorrel and Potato Leek Soup
Serves: 4
Nutrition: 153 calories, 4.1 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 681 mg sodium, 26 g carbs, 5.3 g fiber, 7.5 g sugar, 4.7 g protein (calculated with coconut oil)
No, this isn't a boot company soup. Sorrel (with two r's) is actually a perennial herb similar to spinach but carries a much more lemony flavor and unique spiciness. Paired with the calming, basal flavors of leeks and potatoes, this soup is well-balanced and bursting with flavor. Additionally, leeks contain flavonol glycosides, antioxidants that can help lower blood pressure, improve your cholesterol profile, and lower your risk of a heart attack.
Get the recipe from A House in the Hills.
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Serves: 6
Nutrition: 473 calories, 9.9 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 795 mg sodium, 77 g carbs, 20 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 22 g protein
This homemade vegetable soup with quinoa is perfect for any time of the year, just throw in your favorite seasonal veggies. We like pairing the quinoa soup with zucchini and yellow squash because they make a seriously awesome nutritional team. Zucchini contains riboflavin, a B vitamin that helps you convert your food to energy while yellow squash boasts huge doses of fiber, manganese, magnesium, and folate.
Get the recipe from Cookie and Kate.
Chipotle Black Bean Tortilla Soup
Serves: 5
Nutrition: 228 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 906 mg sodium, 47.3 g carbs, 10.4 g fiber, 7.8 g sugar, 10.4 g protein (calculated with avocado oil and no additional serving options)
Skip your next Chipotle run and whip up this chipotle black bean soup instead. Super simple to make in just a single pot, it's teeming with spices and packed with fiber and protein. Top it off with some ripe avocado, a fruit that can help lower "bad" cholesterol levels enough to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, and then check out some more avocado recipes for weight loss.
Get the recipe from Minimalist Baker.
Vegan Pho
Serves: 5
Nutrition: 135 calories, 0.8 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 456 mg sodium, 32.8 g carbs, 4.4 g fiber, 3.6 g sugar, 3.7 g protein
If you're planning on making a broth-based soup, the star of the show (the broth) better be flavorful. And this pho doesn't disappoint. A lot of ingredients go into creating its distinctive flavor, but the process is quite simple. Lucky for you, this blogger takes you step-by-step in how to make this vegan version with its pervasive licorice flavors from star anise, charred onions, and fresh cilantro to top it all off.
Get the recipe from One-Ingredient Chef.
Lemon Chicken and Spinach Orzo Soup
Serves: 6
Nutrition: 331 calories, 12.4 g fat (2.6 g saturated fat), 216 mg sodium, 24.6 g carbs, 2.5 g fiber, 3.4 g sugar, 29 g protein
Turn your favorite weekday meal into a soup with this blogger's recipe. With generous amounts of spinach and fresh lemon juice, this meal is loaded with fatigue-crushing iron and detoxifying de-limonene. Even better? It's super low in sodium, the element that makes your body retain water, causing you to feel bloated. So, cutting down on salt might be the absolute best way to shed belly fat.
Get the recipe from Cooking Classy.
Chicken, Butternut Squash, and Orzo Soup
Serves: 4
Nutrition: 430 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 770 mg sodium, 61 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 32 g protein
A superfood variation of chicken noodle soup, this broth-based soup has sweet butternut squash, sage, and orzo pasta. Butternut is a superfood because it's packed with fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and rich in carotenoids that fight heart disease and asthma.
Get the recipe from Inquiring Chef.
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Serves: 7
Nutrition: 584 calories, 7.6 g fat (1.7 g saturated fat), 545 mg sodium, 83.9 g carbs, 19.8 g fiber, 9.2 g sugar, 45.6 g protein (calculated without added salt and low-sodium chicken stock)
Yes, all slow cooker recipes are easy, but this one is even easier than most. You basically get to toss everything in the slow cooker—yes, that even means the chicken—without any prep work besides chopping up some onions (we hope that didn't make you cry). Once it's done, shred the chicken and you're ready to go! Like keeping it simple? Check out more of our fast recipes for weight loss.
Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
