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Photo: Jacob Fox
A decadently creamy bowl of soup doesn’t have to call for oceans of cream or mountains of butter. In these recipes, we purée veggies to make a thicker base for all your favorite creamy soups, starring everything from tomatoes or corn to cauliflower or broccoli. Recipes like our Creamy Corn Soup with Jalapeños & Cotija and Sheet-Pan Tomato Soup are rich, flavorful bowls of comfort that you’ll want to make again and again.
01of 17Sheet-Pan Tomato SoupView RecipeJacob FoxRoasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor, yielding a richly flavored soup. Make a manchego grilled cheese for dunking.
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Sheet-Pan Tomato Soup
View Recipe
Jacob Fox
Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor, yielding a richly flavored soup. Make a manchego grilled cheese for dunking.
02of 17Creamy Roasted Cauliflower SoupView RecipeAntonis AchilleosThis roasted cauliflower soup recipe is the perfect balance of texture and flavor. Lemon juice adds brightness while crushed red pepper adds a touch of heat. Toasted nuts bring a bit of crunch to this creamy soup.
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Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Antonis Achilleos
This roasted cauliflower soup recipe is the perfect balance of texture and flavor. Lemon juice adds brightness while crushed red pepper adds a touch of heat. Toasted nuts bring a bit of crunch to this creamy soup.
03of 17Creamy Corn Soup with Jalapeños & CotijaView RecipeGreg DuPreeThis creamy corn soup has underlying earthiness from the hominy and heat from the jalapeños. Fresh corn adds sweetness, which works well with the salty cotija cheese and other fresh and tangy garnishes.
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Creamy Corn Soup with Jalapeños & Cotija
Greg DuPree
This creamy corn soup has underlying earthiness from the hominy and heat from the jalapeños. Fresh corn adds sweetness, which works well with the salty cotija cheese and other fresh and tangy garnishes.
04of 17Creamy White Bean SoupView RecipeCaitlin BenselThis light, creamy white bean soup is richly flavored thanks to plenty of beans, veggies and Parmesan cheese. Blending half of the soup at the end adds its signature creaminess without adding cream.
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Creamy White Bean Soup
Caitlin Bensel
This light, creamy white bean soup is richly flavored thanks to plenty of beans, veggies and Parmesan cheese. Blending half of the soup at the end adds its signature creaminess without adding cream.
05of 17Creamy Potato-Carrot SoupView RecipeFred HardyIn this sweet and savory potato and carrot soup, carrots and apple lend the sweet notes, while potato and half-and-half add a savory counterpoint and a layer of creaminess. The bay leaf gives it a depth of flavor. Top this simple soup with celery leaves and a drizzle of half-and-half.
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Creamy Potato-Carrot Soup
Fred Hardy
In this sweet and savory potato and carrot soup, carrots and apple lend the sweet notes, while potato and half-and-half add a savory counterpoint and a layer of creaminess. The bay leaf gives it a depth of flavor. Top this simple soup with celery leaves and a drizzle of half-and-half.
06of 17Creamy Zucchini-Chickpea Soup with SpinachView RecipeCarolyn Hodges, M.S., RDNCanned chickpeas combined with tahini thicken this simple vegetable soup and give it a creamy consistency. The chickpeas also provide satisfying plant protein and combine with the veggies to add plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Serve this easy dinner with baguette slices.
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Creamy Zucchini-Chickpea Soup with Spinach
Carolyn Hodges, M.S., RDN
Canned chickpeas combined with tahini thicken this simple vegetable soup and give it a creamy consistency. The chickpeas also provide satisfying plant protein and combine with the veggies to add plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Serve this easy dinner with baguette slices.
07of 17Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with SherryView RecipeThis comforting and creamy slow-cooker soup is loaded with earthy, umami flavor from the mushrooms and soy sauce. Puréeing only some of the slow-cooker mushroom soup gives the dish complex texture and eye appeal. Garnish with additional black pepper and chopped fresh thyme, if desired.
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Slow-Cooker Mushroom Soup with Sherry
This comforting and creamy slow-cooker soup is loaded with earthy, umami flavor from the mushrooms and soy sauce. Puréeing only some of the slow-cooker mushroom soup gives the dish complex texture and eye appeal. Garnish with additional black pepper and chopped fresh thyme, if desired.
08of 17Slow-Cooker Potato SoupView RecipeThis easy slow-cooker potato soup has all the good stuff you love on a potato–including bacon, cheese and scallions. Serve this loaded baked potato soup with a salad for an easy dinner–just 15 minutes of active prep time!–whenever you’re in need of some serious comfort food. It would also be fun fare for a casual party. Serve it straight out of the slow cooker and set out bowls of toppings so everyone can assemble their own. You can easily make this soup vegetarian–just use vegetable broth and skip the bacon.
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Slow-Cooker Potato Soup
This easy slow-cooker potato soup has all the good stuff you love on a potato–including bacon, cheese and scallions. Serve this loaded baked potato soup with a salad for an easy dinner–just 15 minutes of active prep time!–whenever you’re in need of some serious comfort food. It would also be fun fare for a casual party. Serve it straight out of the slow cooker and set out bowls of toppings so everyone can assemble their own. You can easily make this soup vegetarian–just use vegetable broth and skip the bacon.
09of 17Healthy Cream of Mushroom SoupView RecipeThis better-for-you version of the traditional cream of mushroom soup calls for you to puree half of the soup for that rich, creamy mouthfeel and leave the other half as-is for hits of meaty texture. Don’t skip the parsley and tarragon as both add a nice pop of color and their flavors play so well with the mushrooms. Be sure to brown the mushrooms well as that’ll add even more depth to the soup.
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Healthy Cream of Mushroom Soup
This better-for-you version of the traditional cream of mushroom soup calls for you to puree half of the soup for that rich, creamy mouthfeel and leave the other half as-is for hits of meaty texture. Don’t skip the parsley and tarragon as both add a nice pop of color and their flavors play so well with the mushrooms. Be sure to brown the mushrooms well as that’ll add even more depth to the soup.
10of 17Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese CroutonsView RecipeSkip the dipping and add crispy grilled cheese croutons right into your soup instead. Don’t have a panini press? Make the grilled cheese for the croutons in a skillet or in a waffle maker instead. Opt for San Marzano tomatoes if you can. They have a much richer flavor and they tend to be lower in sodium.
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Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Skip the dipping and add crispy grilled cheese croutons right into your soup instead. Don’t have a panini press? Make the grilled cheese for the croutons in a skillet or in a waffle maker instead. Opt for San Marzano tomatoes if you can. They have a much richer flavor and they tend to be lower in sodium.
11of 17Cauliflower SoupView RecipeA healthy take on a loaded baked potato, this creamy cauliflower soup recipe has all the fixings of a loaded potato (bacon included) but for way fewer calories and carbs. Ready in a quick 20 minutes, this easy soup is great for busy weeknights or can be meal prepped ahead of time to take for lunch or frozen for a ready-made meal down the road. This recipe was originally made for one serving but can be easily adapted to serve more.
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Cauliflower Soup
A healthy take on a loaded baked potato, this creamy cauliflower soup recipe has all the fixings of a loaded potato (bacon included) but for way fewer calories and carbs. Ready in a quick 20 minutes, this easy soup is great for busy weeknights or can be meal prepped ahead of time to take for lunch or frozen for a ready-made meal down the road. This recipe was originally made for one serving but can be easily adapted to serve more.
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Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque
13of 17Instant Pot Cream of Carrot SoupView RecipeAntonis AchilleosThis luscious and healthy cream of carrot soup comes together with just 15 minutes of active time, thanks to the Instant Pot (or any other pressure cooker). For an even easier dish, use an immersion blender to puree the soup–you’ll only have the Instant Pot insert to clean after cooking. Serve this soup as a starter for a holiday meal or with crusty bread and a salad for dinner any night.
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Instant Pot Cream of Carrot Soup
This luscious and healthy cream of carrot soup comes together with just 15 minutes of active time, thanks to the Instant Pot (or any other pressure cooker). For an even easier dish, use an immersion blender to puree the soup–you’ll only have the Instant Pot insert to clean after cooking. Serve this soup as a starter for a holiday meal or with crusty bread and a salad for dinner any night.
14of 17Garden-Fresh Asparagus SoupView RecipeThis lemony asparagus soup is spiced with a touch of curry and gets added richness from “lite” coconut milk and creamy red potatoes. Top it with a dollop of crème fraîche or plain yogurt and serve warm or chilled.
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Garden-Fresh Asparagus Soup
This lemony asparagus soup is spiced with a touch of curry and gets added richness from “lite” coconut milk and creamy red potatoes. Top it with a dollop of crème fraîche or plain yogurt and serve warm or chilled.
15of 17Persian-Style Butternut Squash SoupView RecipeSwap out your basic butternut squash soup for this fragrant version that includes sweet potato and a medley of spices like cinnamon, cumin, coriander and saffron. A drizzle of maple syrup and a few drops of orange water brighten the flavors, while a sprinkle of sumac adds a pop of color and a tangy edge. This healthy butternut squash soup would be a wonderful starter for your Thanksgiving meal.
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Persian-Style Butternut Squash Soup
Swap out your basic butternut squash soup for this fragrant version that includes sweet potato and a medley of spices like cinnamon, cumin, coriander and saffron. A drizzle of maple syrup and a few drops of orange water brighten the flavors, while a sprinkle of sumac adds a pop of color and a tangy edge. This healthy butternut squash soup would be a wonderful starter for your Thanksgiving meal.
16of 17Sopa TarascaView RecipeThis famous soup from the state of Michoacán in Western Mexico is often made with a base of pureed beans along with tomatoes and dried chiles, which bring a lot of the character to the dish. Here we use ancho chiles, which are sweet, earthy and relatively mild. You could also use pasillas, which have a heat level similar to anchos–or, if you like it hot, gaujillos, which also bring some smoky notes to the pot.
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Sopa Tarasca
This famous soup from the state of Michoacán in Western Mexico is often made with a base of pureed beans along with tomatoes and dried chiles, which bring a lot of the character to the dish. Here we use ancho chiles, which are sweet, earthy and relatively mild. You could also use pasillas, which have a heat level similar to anchos–or, if you like it hot, gaujillos, which also bring some smoky notes to the pot.
17of 17Smoked Gouda-Broccoli SoupView RecipeSmoked paprika and smoked Gouda give this broccoli-and-cheese soup recipe a double hit of smoky flavor. If you can’t find smoked Gouda, smoked Cheddar gives delicious results as well.
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Smoked Gouda-Broccoli Soup
Smoked paprika and smoked Gouda give this broccoli-and-cheese soup recipe a double hit of smoky flavor. If you can’t find smoked Gouda, smoked Cheddar gives delicious results as well.
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