Healthy Recipes Healthy Lifestyle Diets Mediterranean Diet 17 Mediterranean Diet Soups for Fall By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 17, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close Photo: Antonis Achilleos 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. 01 of 17 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. View Recipe 02 of 17 One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan Antonis Achilleos 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. View Recipe 03 of 17 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. View Recipe 04 of 17 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. View Recipe 05 of 17 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. View Recipe 06 of 17 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. View Recipe 07 of 17 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. View Recipe 08 of 17 Slow-Cooker Lentil, Carrot & Potato Soup Pureeing some of the lentil-vegetable mixture, 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. View Recipe 09 of 17 Curried Chickpea Stew Who says a meatless meal isn't filling? Packed with fiber-rich vegetables and chickpeas, this fragrant stew satisfies. View Recipe 10 of 17 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. View Recipe 11 of 17 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. View Recipe 12 of 17 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. View Recipe 13 of 17 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. View Recipe 14 of 17 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. View Recipe 15 of 17 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. View Recipe 16 of 17 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 time-saver. 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. View Recipe 17 of 17 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 standout 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. View Recipe Medically reviewed by Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit