Anti-inflammatory soup: 8 recipes and the formula behind all of them
Soup is the easiest way to eat this diet on autopilot. One pot holds legumes, vegetables, olive oil and spices, it costs little, it freezes, and it reheats in three minutes. Almost every food that scores well on our inflammation scale can go in a soup.
Below are eight soups from our recipe library compared on fiber, protein and time, then a six-step formula for making your own from whatever is in the fridge, freezer rules, and what to check on a canned soup before you buy it.
The 8 soups compared
Per serving, from each recipe's nutrition panel. Sorted by fiber.
| Soup | Fiber | Protein | Kcal | Total time | Serves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili | 18g | 16g | 380 | 50 min | 4 |
| Healing Lentil Turmeric Soup | 15g | 20g | 320 | 40 min | 4 |
| Lentil and Kale Soup | 15g | 18g | 320 | 45 min | 2 |
| Hearty Lentil Curry Soup | 15g | 18g | 350 | 35 min | 2 |
| Moroccan Chickpea Stew | 13g | 12g | 345 | 35 min | 2 |
| Italian White Bean Soup | 10g | 11g | 250 | 30 min | 4 |
| Mushroom Barley Soup | 10g | 8g | 250 | 55 min | 2 |
| Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Soup | 6g | 5g | 340 | 35 min | 4 |
Which one to make first
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
Highest fiber of the eight. Thick enough to count as dinner.
Healing Lentil Turmeric Soup
Red lentils, turmeric and ginger. The best all-rounder for protein.
Lentil and Kale Soup
Green lentils hold their shape. Kale goes in at the end.
Hearty Lentil Curry Soup
Curry spices in the base. Good from frozen.
Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Chickpeas and warm spices. Almost a stew.
Italian White Bean Soup
Lowest calorie, 20 minutes of cooking.
Mushroom Barley Soup
Barley is a whole grain with a chew that survives reheating.
Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Soup
The creamy one. Lowest protein; add chickpeas to fix it.
The 6-step formula for any soup
Every recipe above follows this order. Follow it with what you have and you do not need a recipe.
| # | Step | What | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fat | 1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil | Scores 1. Sauté the base in it instead of butter (6). |
| 2 | Aromatics | Onion, garlic, celery, carrot | The flavor base. Garlic and onion both score 2. |
| 3 | Spice | Turmeric + black pepper, ginger, cumin | Turmeric scores 1. The pepper helps curcumin absorption. |
| 4 | Body | Lentils, beans, chickpeas or barley | Fiber and protein. Lentils score 2. |
| 5 | Liquid | Low-sodium broth, bone broth or water | Bone broth scores 2. Watch sodium in store-bought stock. |
| 6 | Greens | Kale, spinach or chard, last 3 minutes | All score 1. Added late so they stay green. |
Ratio that works: one onion, two carrots, two celery stalks and three garlic cloves to 1 cup of dry lentils and 6 cups of liquid, simmered 25 to 30 minutes. Finish with lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. That is four servings of soup made entirely from foods scoring 2 or lower.
Ordering soup out? Check it in a second.
Photograph any bowl and Flammy scores it from 1 to 10 for inflammation, and flags the cream, the noodles or the sodium-heavy base. Free on iOS and Android.
Freezing homemade, buying canned
Freezer rules
- Best quality for 2 to 3 months (USDA FoodKeeper).
- Cool before freezing; freeze in single portions.
- Leave an inch of headspace for expansion.
- Freeze without the greens; add them when reheating.
- Lentil and bean soups freeze best. Creamy soups can separate.
Canned soup label check
- Legumes and vegetables first in the ingredient list.
- No cream, cheese or butter base.
- Sodium: "low sodium" means 140 mg or less per serving (FDA). The Daily Value is 2,300 mg.
- Check servings per can: many cans hold two.
- Skip noodle soups made with refined pasta.
Toppings that add points, toppings that take them away
The last spoonful on top changes more than people think. A drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon make a soup taste finished without cream or cheese.
| Add | Instead of |
|---|---|
| Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil | Pat of butter |
| Squeeze of lemon, fresh herbs | Extra salt |
| Spoon of Greek yogurt | Sour cream |
| Toasted pumpkin seeds or walnuts | Croutons or crackers |
| Sliced avocado | Shredded cheese |
| Chili flakes, black pepper | Bacon bits |
Soups that undo the point
| Soup | Problem ingredient | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Broccoli cheddar | Cheese (6/10) and cream | Blend broccoli with white beans; a little nutritional yeast for the cheesy note |
| Loaded baked potato soup | Bacon (8/10), cheese, sour cream | Sweet potato base, top with scallions and Greek yogurt |
| Canned chicken noodle | Refined noodles, high sodium | Homemade with chicken, vegetables and barley or brown rice |
| Clam chowder (New England) | Cream and butter (6/10) | Tomato-based (Manhattan) chowder |
| French onion | Butter, white bread and cheese on top | Keep the onion broth, skip the bread and cheese lid |
The common thread is the same as everywhere else on this diet: saturated fat from cream, cheese and processed meat, and refined flour. The broth was never the problem. For the full picture, see inflammatory foods to avoid and bone broth vs Greek yogurt.
Anti-inflammatory soup: common questions
Can I make these soups in a slow cooker or pressure cooker?
Yes. In a slow cooker, sauté the onion, garlic and spices first for flavor, then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours; add greens at the end. In a pressure cooker, lentil soups cook much faster than on the stove; follow your cooker's chart for lentils and beans, and add greens after releasing the pressure.
What soup is good for inflammation?
Legume-based soups with vegetables, olive oil and spices: lentil and turmeric soup, lentil and kale, white bean, chickpea stew, or a sweet potato and black bean chili. They combine fiber, plant protein and spices like turmeric and ginger in one bowl.
Is chicken soup anti-inflammatory?
A homemade chicken and vegetable soup with olive oil, garlic and herbs fits the diet well. Chicken breast scores 4 (neutral) on our scale; the vegetables, garlic and broth do the rest. Canned chicken noodle soup is a different product: refined noodles and often a lot of sodium.
Is bone broth anti-inflammatory?
Bone broth scores 2 out of 10 on our scale and makes a good base. Claims that it heals the gut on its own go beyond the evidence; think of it as a better liquid than a salty bouillon cube.
How long does homemade soup last in the freezer?
The USDA's FoodKeeper guidance is 2 to 3 months for soups and stews for best quality. Freeze in single portions, leave room for expansion, and add fresh greens when you reheat.
Is canned soup OK on an anti-inflammatory diet?
Some are. Look for a short ingredient list built on legumes and vegetables, no cream base, and check the sodium: 'low sodium' on a label means 140 mg or less per serving by FDA definition, against a Daily Value of 2,300 mg for the whole day.
Are creamy soups inflammatory?
Soups thickened with heavy cream or cheese carry saturated fat (cheese scores 6, butter 6). Blending part of the soup, or using white beans or a little coconut milk, gives the same texture.
Where to go from here
Scan a food in 2 seconds. Know if it's healing or hurting you.
Point your camera at any meal, ingredient, or label. Get an instant inflammation score, the science behind it, and better alternatives. All free.
