6 Hearty Bean Soup Recipes For Fall and Winter
This list of satisfying soups include both vegetarian soup recipes for meatless meals as well as meat based bean soups. These easy and healthy soup recipes will inspire your healthy meal plans for cozy fall and winter nights.
Beans are a great source of fiber and protein and create cozy and satisfying fall and winter dinners. This recipe list features a variety of flavors and cuisines, like a more traditional ham bean soup and a Turkish spiced lentil soup. I included a few smooth puréed bean soup recipes as well as chunky soups. Sometimes I have a specific preference and wanted to give ideas to fit both. These recipes are also perfect for a Mediterranean Diet soup, as beans, spices and herbs are important components in the eating pattern. I make bean soup in a big batch to get at least 4 servings, which is 2 dinners for us. I love doing the work once and getting multiple meals out of it.
Even though beans are a great source of protein, you might want to add some extra protein to these soup dinners depending on your needs. I add more protein by using bone broth (mixed with chicken broth for flavor), adding some chicken (or other meat) into the soup/on the side or serving with a cheesy whole wheat toast. You could even add a poached egg to the top for a protein boost. Below I’m sharing a curated list of fiber rich bean soup recipes that are nutrient dense, easy to make and great to reheat for a quick dinner.
Blended Bean Soup Recipes
Turkish Red Lentil Soup
I personally love this Mediterranean lentil soup recipe so much. It uses garlic, onion, carrot, potato, red lentils, broth and spices. You purée it using the immersion blender for a bit of texture, or a blender for a silky smooth texture (how I made it). It’s easy to make and super satisfying. I served this with oven toasted whole wheat pita rubbed with extra virgin olive oil.
Easy Black Bean Soup
This bean and veggie soup is sort of a take on taco soup, with similar flavors but blended into a thick soup. You can top it with taco toppings like chopped cilantro, chopped red onion, sliced scallion, diced avocado, chopped tomatoes, sour cream or a little cheddar cheese. You could even make a little quesadilla to have on the side and dip in.
Spiced Red Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup
This bean and vegetable soup uses red lentils, root vegetables, coconut milk and various spices for a nutrient dense and flavorful soup. Then it’s blended smooth. If you too enjoy warm curry flavors in the fall and winter this will really satisfy.
Chunky Bean Soup Recipes
Hearty Bean Soup
This recipe is for (bacon) ham and bean soup. Anna uses bacon in the recipe, but I would personally sub for a good smoked ham (not honey baked or sweetened), chopped into small cubes. This swap provides a leaner protein and reduces the fat and calories a bit but still packs a ton of flavor. I’d also swap out couscous for the more nourishing farro.
Fire Roasted White Bean Soup
This recipe is nutritious, with a bit of indulgence from the heavy cream. You can easily omit this or use creamy alternatives like cashew cream or cream cheese (blended with a bit of broth first to mix in). She uses spinach in the recipe, which is great, but if you’re looking for a good kale and white bean soup, you can swap it for kale. I personally enjoy the chew that kale adds to soup.
One-Pot Brothy Beans with Herbs & Lemon
This cozy white bean soup recipe is made with a simple base of onion, garlic and celery and is infused with herbs and spices. She adds miso for extra depth of flavor, but I think it would be delicious even without if you don’t have it. Though miso lasts for a while in the fridge, so it could be a good thing to keep on hand. I use soy-free chickpea miso personally. This recipe doesn’t add any greens, but you could make it a white bean kale soup by adding kale (or even spinach) if you wanted to.