17 Mediterranean Diet Soups for Fall
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Soup season is coming up quickly, making it the perfect time to try one of these fall soups! These dishes are packed with veggies like celery, sweet potatoes, carrots and kale to help you enjoy the flavors of the season. Plus, each recipe aligns with the Mediterranean diet and is full of other delicious nutrient-dense foods like legumes, seafood and whole grains. Try options like our One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan and our Red Pea Soup for a cozy meal that will help you kick off soup season.
Chicken & Kale Soup
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
This easy chicken and kale soup will keep you warm on a cold and rainy day or any day that calls for a simple, hearty soup. For convenience, you can make this soup with frozen kale without the need to thaw it beforehand.
One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan
This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. If you avoid cheese made with rennet, look for vegetarian Parmesan cheese, which is made without it.
Red Pea Soup
Jason Donnelly
In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris' series on foods of the African diaspora, the author and historian shares her recipe for a soup starring kidney beans. Called red peas in Jamaica, this ingredient connects this Jamaican soup with Africa's Caribbean diaspora.
20-Minute White Bean Soup
Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This fiber-rich soup is an easy, healthy dinner when you’re pressed for time. This brothy soup is finished with a bit of heavy cream for body and richness. For a thicker soup, mash 1/2 cup of the beans and stir into the soup right before adding the cream. Frozen sweet potatoes and collard greens keep the prep to a minimum, but if you have a little extra time on your hands, fresh veggies work just as well. Serve with crusty bread for dunking.
Lemony Lentil & Cauliflower Cup Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This bright lemony soup gets its boost of fiber and earthy, nutty flavor from ingredients like lentils and bulgur. Bulgur adds heartiness and a nice chewy texture, but you can swap it out for another cooked grain like brown rice or quinoa. Plus, the broth gets gentle heat from harissa paste. If you don’t wish to travel with vegetable broth or don’t have access to a microwave, you can use reduced-sodium bouillon instead and just add hot water.
Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Diet Stew
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
With a focus on vegetables, fiber-rich legumes and healthy fats, this slow-cooker stew fits the bill for those following the Mediterranean diet. Swap out the chickpeas for white beans for a different twist, or try collards or spinach in place of the kale. A drizzle of olive oil to finish pulls together the flavors of this easy vegan crock pot stew.
White Bean Soup with Tomato & Shrimp
With capers and olives, this heart-healthy soup draws inspiration from Italian puttanesca sauce. Serve with crusty whole-grain bread to soak up the broth.
Slow-Cooker Lentil, Carrot & Potato Soup
Puréeing some of the lentil-vegetable mixture, and then combining it with the remaining vegetables and lentils gives the soup a texture that satisfies those who love a creamy soup and those who prefer it chunky. Serve this slow-cooker lentil soup with crackers.
Curried Chickpea Stew
Who says a meatless meal isn't filling? Packed with fiber-rich vegetables and chickpeas, this fragrant stew satisfies.
Slow-Cooker Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
If you love spinach and artichokes, this is the perfect soup for you. The creamy base is packed with veggies and shredded chicken, which soaks up the broth while adding a boost of protein. Frozen artichoke hearts have less sodium than canned, but canned can be used in their place. Just be sure to give them a good rinse before adding them to the slow cooker.
Slow-Cooker Chicken & Chickpea Soup
The only things better than healthy dinner ideas are easy healthy dinner ideas. This set-it-and-forget-it slow-cooker soup recipe is just that. It simmers away all day so you come home to a warm and healthy dinner the whole family will love. Using bone-in chicken thighs is the key to making rich soup without adding broth.
Lemony Lentil Soup with Collards
You don't need broth for this lentil soup recipe--it's rich thanks to the browned bits in the bottom of the pan that meld into the soup, packing it with flavor. Ground coriander, from the seed of the cilantro plant, has a floral, citrusy flavor that dovetails nicely with the lemon.
Moroccan-Inspired Chicken & Sweet Potato Soup
This healthy chicken soup recipe gets bold Moroccan flavor from sweet potatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and a touch of fiery harissa. To get a homemade stock flavor using store-bought broth, we simmer bone-in chicken breasts in the broth before adding the rest of the soup ingredients.
Hearty Chickpea & Spinach Stew
This satisfying stew comes together in a snap. Mashed chickpeas add body to the broth, and tomato paste adds a savory note without adding too much sodium to this healthy recipe for weight loss.
Kale, Wild Rice & Chicken Stew
Chicken thighs get perfectly tender in just a few hours in the slow cooker. Plus, cooking everything together low and slow infuses all the flavors together for complexity in every bite.
One-Pot Chicken & Rice Soup
Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This chicken and rice soup is the epitome of cozy vibes in a bowl, with dried tarragon stealing the show. Dried tarragon has a more muted flavor than fresh, providing a mellow flavor that complements the other ingredients beautifully. Instant brown rice is a massive timesaver. To cut down even further on prep time, look for pre-chopped mirepoix (carrots, onions and celery) in the produce aisle where prepped vegetables are sold.
Slow-Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup Freezer Pack
Your favorite restaurant soup just got easier and healthier with this freezer-to-crock-pot recipe. If you keep a special bottle of olive oil on hand for stand-out dishes, this is the recipe to pull it out for. The headiness of the fruity olive oil truly elevates the flavors in this Italian meal-prep slow-cooker soup.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
