Healthy Living

The best way to stay warm this winter is by making a hearty soup or stew. Luckily, we have plenty of options to choose from! To meet our heart-healthy parameters, these recipes are made low in sodium and saturated fats. They also highlight delicious seasonal produce to help you take advantage of winter’s harvest. Recipes like our High-Protein Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup and our Garlicky Cabbage Soup are cozy and nourishing dishes you’ll love.

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High-Protein Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup

This hearty, plant-based soup is packed with protein from lentils and gets cozy flavors from warming spices like cinnamon, cumin and coriander. A swirl of tangy strained (Greek-style) yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh parsley finish each bowl with brightness and creaminess. Serve with lemon wedges for an extra pop of flavor.

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02 of 27

One-Pot High-Protein Chicken, Cabbage & White Bean Soup

This one-pot soup is the kind of meal you’ll want on repeat. A splash of lemon keeps the broth bright, and a dollop of basil pesto stirred in at the end adds rich, herby flavor that makes the soup taste special. Easy enough for weeknights and better as leftovers, this soup proves that simple ingredients can still be delicious.

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03 of 27

Garlicky Cabbage Soup

Warm, hearty and nourishing, this soup is rich with the aromatic flavor of garlic and tender-sweet cabbage. Packed with veggies and a savory broth, this soup is perfect as a light meal on its own or as a starter.

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04 of 27

Lemon-Turmeric Cabbage & White Bean Soup

This cozy soup combines tender cabbage and creamy cannellini beans with aromatic spices, plus a splash of lemon juice to brighten every spoonful. It’s light yet satisfying and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

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05 of 27

Chicken Fajita Soup

The vibrant, smoky flavors of traditional fajitas are just as delicious when turned into a comforting soup. To kick up the heat, add a chopped jalapeño to the veggie mixture. You can swap out the rotisserie chicken for another protein or make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and subbing tofu.

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06 of 27

Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup

This vibrant and wholesome soup recipe helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene. Lycopene is a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation and reduce your risk of heart disease.

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07 of 27

Chicken Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

This fragrant soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients—boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto, which is swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor.

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08 of 27

Pho-Inspired Beef Noodle Soup

For this spin on Pho, a traditional Vietnamese noodle dish, we've used unsalted beef broth seasoned with garlic, ginger, pepper, cinnamon and clove. Garnish your bowl however you please; we suggest bean sprouts, scallions, basil, chiles, mint and lime.

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Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup

The Greek lemon-chicken soup avgolemono is the inspiration for this 20-minute recipe. Eggs and lemon are tempered into the broth to add richness and creaminess.

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10 of 27

Three Sisters Stew

This cozy stew highlights the Three Sisters (corn, beans and squash), which have been planted together for centuries by Native peoples. It’s perfect for a cold winter day, and wonderful as an encore the next day if you have any leftovers.

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Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables & Barley

Be sure to use bone-in chicken here–it enhances the flavor of the broth, and the bones are easy to remove after cooking. This healthy chicken soup can be made in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

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Four-Bean & Pumpkin Chili

This healthy vegetarian chili has a fragrant touch of cinnamon for added flavor. Let diners top it with whatever suits their taste.

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Chicken Parmesan Soup

This chicken Parmesan soup combines the rich flavors of a traditional chicken Parm with the warmth and comfort of a soup. We love the punchy burst of flavor that Parmesan crisps offer as a garnish, but feel free to add freshly grated Parmesan in their place.

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Vegetable and Tofu Soup

In this veggie-packed soup, tofu gets marinated in Italian seasoning for up to four hours, for a flavorful and nourishing meal.

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Pesto Chicken & Cannellini Bean Soup

This healthy, Italian-inspired chicken soup recipe is loaded with fiber-rich vegetables and beans and gets an extra boost of flavor from a swirl of pesto at the end. 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.

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Red Lentil Soup with Saffron

This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice.

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Italian Egg-Drop Soup

Italian egg-drop soup, Stracciatella, is traditionally a light soup made with just chicken broth, eggs and herbs. We added pasta, chickpeas and arugula to turn it into a meal. Feel free to swap out the chickpeas for cannellini beans or even the pasta for gnocchi if you prefer.

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Sichuan Ramen Cup of Noodles with Cabbage & Tofu

The Sichuan province in the southwestern corner of China is known for its fiery dishes. Here, the richness of tahini tempers the spicy chile paste in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar soup recipe. This vegan cup soup is packed with 19 grams of protein to keep you satisfied until your next meal.

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Sichuan Ramen Cup of Noodles with Cabbage & Tofu

The Sichuan province in the southwestern corner of China is known for its fiery dishes. Here, the richness of tahini tempers the spicy chile paste in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar soup recipe. This vegan cup soup is packed with 19 grams of protein to keep you satisfied until your next meal.

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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.

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Quick Beef & Barley Soup

Quick-cooking barley and sirloin helps get this beef-and-barley soup on the table in a snap—and it doubles easily.

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Chicken & Cabbage Soup with Pesto

This one-pot chicken soup is topped with flavorful store-bought pesto. Big, fiber-rich butter beans add a creamy bite, but you can easily swap them out for cannellini beans or navy beans if you prefer.

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Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Got leftover cooked chicken or turkey? Cook up a pot of soup! This low-sodium soup recipe is a healthier twist on a classic creamy turkey and wild rice soup that hails from Minnesota. Serve with a crisp romaine salad and whole-grain bread

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Mushroom Stew

This mushroom stew is hearty and flavor-packed, with both fresh and dried mushrooms adding to the rich taste. Quinoa adds protein and a boost of fiber. This flavorful fall soup will be enjoyed by vegetarians and carnivores alike.

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Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

If you like Buffalo wings, you'll love the flavors in this warm, hearty chili that comes together easily in the slow cooker. Sour cream helps cut the heat, but you could also use plain strained yogurt.

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Ash-eh Reshteh (Persian Bean & Pasta Soup)

Ash-eh reshteh is a hearty bean and noodle soup that’s packed with fresh herbs. The vegetarian soup is often made for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, but it’s delicious any time.

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Chicken & White Bean Soup

Rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure—especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

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Packed with protein and fiber, lentils are a great pantry staple to have on hand, and these dinner recipes are the perfect way to transform them into a tasty meal. Recipes, like our High-Protein Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup or our Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad, take just 30 minutes or less of active time to prepare. Try one (or all!) of these recipes and unlock all the tasty potential that lentils have to offer.

01 of 10

High-Protein Butternut Squash & Lentil Soup

This hearty, plant-based soup is packed with protein from lentils and gets cozy flavors from warming spices like cinnamon, cumin and coriander. A swirl of tangy Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh parsley finish each bowl with brightness and creaminess. Serve with lemon wedges for an extra pop of flavor.

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02 of 10

Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad

This squash lentil salad packs 11 grams of fiber and features plenty of kale, a powerful prebiotic that helps set the stage for a healthy gut. This salad can be assembled in a Mason jar so you can prep it the night before for a healthy, grab-and-go lunch the next day.

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03 of 10

Lemony Lentil & Cauliflower Cup Soup

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.

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04 of 10

Braised Black Lentil & Quinoa Bowls

These healthy vegetarian bowls feature black lentils braised in spices like thyme and smoked paprika. Riced cauliflower and quinoa bulk up the dish to make it satisfying for any weeknight dinner. A creamy yogurt topping finishes the recipe.

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05 of 10

Red Lentil Fritters with Ginger-Yogurt Sauce

Here we soak lentils instead of fully cooking them, which gives them just enough added moisture to be whirred up into a fritter without being too wet. Serve these curry-spiced fritters on top of a green salad or tucked into a pita.

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06 of 10

Red Lentil Soup with Saffron

This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice.

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07 of 10

Braised Lentils & Kale with Fried Eggs

These braised lentils are cooked with tender kale and bathed in a fire-roasted tomato broth with an egg on top to pack in the protein. Microwaveable lentils need just a short time in the pan to finish cooking. If you have cooked or canned lentils on hand, you can use them in their place, but you may have to shave a few minutes off the cooking time so they don’t get too soft. We like how the soft, runny yolk coats the dish. If you want a harder yolk, cover the pan and add 2 or 3 minutes to the cooking time.

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08 of 10

Daal Tarka (Spiced Lentils)

Variations of daal (or dal) and tarka (or tadka)—a mixture of aromatics, vegetables and spices spooned over the top of the daal for extra flavor—are served throughout the Indian subcontinent and parts of southeast Asia. This version is served at Nepali Mountain Kitchen, part of the Mango House community in Aurora, Colorado. Give the dish a generous stir before digging in to ensure the tarka gets thoroughly incorporated.

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Quick Lentil Salmon Salad

In this budget-friendly salmon recipe, canned salmon tops lentils, carrots and celery–ingredients you probably have on hand already. Fiber-rich lentils come in a variety of colors and they typically cook faster than dried beans, so they’re a great choice for a fast weeknight dinner.

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Slow-Cooker Lentil, Carrot & Potato Soup

Puréeing some of the lentil-vegetable mixture then combining it with the remaining vegetables and lentils gives the soup a texture that satisfies both those who love a creamy soup and those who prefer it chunky. Serve this slow-cooker lentil soup with crackers.

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