20 Comforting, Creamy Soups That Can Help Reduce Inflammation

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Published on December 19, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Victoria Seaver, M.S., RD

a recipe photo of the Creamy Peanut Soup served in bowls with peanuts and green onions topping — Photo: Ali Redmond

These comforting and creamy soups are delicious ways to keep you feeling your best. These cozy soups contain anti-inflammatory ingredients like dark leafy greens, beans, whole grains and fatty fish, which, when included as part of a healthy diet, can help reduce inflammation and relieve pesky symptoms like joint stiffness, mental fog and digestive issues. Recipes like our Creamy Peanut Soup with Sage and Easy Chicken & Broccoli Soup are healthy and tasty choices for lunch or dinner.

01 of 20

Creamy Peanut Soup with Sage

a recipe photo of the Creamy Peanut Soup served in bowls with peanuts and green onions topping — Ali Redmond

This creamy peanut soup lets the flavor of the peanuts truly shine, and fresh sage adds a nice autumnal flavor. While we often call for natural peanut butters in our recipes, they're not recommended here, as they can make the soup gritty and oily.

02 of 20

Easy Chicken & Broccoli Soup

Easy Chicken Broccoli Soup — Jennifer Causey

This easy chicken and broccoli soup is creamy and luscious, but still light. The broccoli florets absorb the creamy soup base, while the chicken stays tender. This is the perfect soup to make on a busy weeknight when you have leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken on hand. While the recipe calls for chicken breasts, if thighs are what you have on hand, feel free to use those.

03 of 20

Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

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.

04 of 20

Slow-Cooker Creamy Butternut Squash-Apple Soup

slow cooker creamy butternut squash apple soup

The sweetness of the Granny Smith apple shines through the creaminess of the blended butternut squash, a combination that is sure to whet appetites. Don't be afraid to keep blending the soup-more air yields tastier, frothier soup. Garnish with additional fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired. To make this a vegan butternut squash soup, omit the heavy cream and use your favorite plant-based milk or yogurt instead.

05 of 20

Alaskan Cod Chowder

In this healthy fish chowder recipe, heavy cream is replaced with milk and flour-thickened fish (or seafood) broth and we keep sodium amounts reasonable with lower-sodium broth. By making your own homemade fish chowder, you'll save up to 300 calories, 20 grams of saturated fat and 500 milligrams of sodium per serving compared to many store-bought or restaurant chowders.

06 of 20

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

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.

07 of 20

Creamy Mushroom & Orzo Soup with Lemon & Parmesan

creamy mushroom orzo soup — Diana Chistruga

This creamy mushroom soup is filled with hearty orzo and plenty of veggies. The sherry, thyme and lemon boost and brighten the flavor, while sour cream thickens the broth and gives it extra tanginess.

08 of 20

Creamy White Bean Soup

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.

09 of 20

Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Curry Soup

Karla Conrad

In this healthy cauliflower soup recipe, roasting the cauliflower first adds depth and prevents the florets from turning to mush. A little tomato sauce and coconut milk give the broth a rich, silky texture. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

10 of 20

Creamy White Chili with Cream Cheese

creamy white chili in a bowl

This rich, yet healthy, white chicken chili recipe comes together in a flash thanks to quick-cooking chicken thighs and canned white beans. Mashing some of the beans acts as a fast thickener when your soups don't have a long time to simmer. Cream cheese adds the final bit of richness and a hint of sweet tang.

11 of 20

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Layering apple slices into grilled cheese sandwiches adds a little crunch to a favorite soup dipper. And creamy butternut squash soup with ginger, cumin and turmeric is a nice change of pace from grilled cheese's usual tomato soup partner. If you have a sensitive palate, you can cut back on the spices. Be sure to use seasonal squash for the best squash flavor. Serve the duo for a comforting and easy weeknight dinner for the family. The soup keeps well in the fridge, so save leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week.

12 of 20

New England Clam Chowder

Chopped clams, aromatic vegetables and creamy potatoes blended with low-fat milk and just a half cup of cream gives this chunky New England-style clam chowder plenty of rich body. Serve with oyster crackers and a tossed salad to make it a meal.

13 of 20

Creamy Turkey & Vegetable Soup

Creamy Turkey Soup — Fred Hardy

This comforting creamy turkey soup is a great way to repurpose your Thanksgiving leftovers. The vegetables are perfectly tender and the broth is creamy and flavorful—a perfect soup for when there's a chill in the air!

14 of 20

Creamy Tomato Soup with Tortellini

If you're a fan of the classic dipping duo of toasty grilled cheese and tomato soup, then you'll want to try this combo. Cheese-filled pasta floating in an earthy tomato base gives you that same creamy and delicious mashup without all the crumbs. This family-friendly tomato tortellini soup is popular with kids, but adults will love it too, for both its flavor and less than 30 minutes of active cook time.

15 of 20

Vegetarian Potato-Kale Soup

Vegetarian Potato-Kale Soup — Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee

This healthy soup recipe has a rich, yet light and velvety texture. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of wine for a cozy meal.

16 of 20

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Soup with Wild Rice

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Soup with Wild Rice — Marty Baldwin

Packed with vegetables, this creamy soup comes together easily for a warming meal. Wild rice adds a boost of protein and fiber, but you could substitute another whole grain like brown rice or barley, if you prefer.

17 of 20

Lobster & Corn Chowder

Lobster & Corn Chowder

The trick to making this healthy lobster chowder recipe have tons of rich flavor is to start with great fish stock. (The best is often in the freezer case at the supermarket.) Then cook the lobsters in the stock to intensify its flavor. There is no flour added in this healthy soup, so it's lighter than a typical creamy chowder--plus it's gluten-free.

18 of 20

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Soup

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Soup — Photographer / Brie Passano, Food Stylist / Annie Probst, Prop Stylist / Holly Raibikis

Loaded with umami from tomatoes, creaminess (and fiber!) from beans and bright flavor and satisfying mouthfeel from lemon, this vegetarian-friendly soup is compulsively eatable. And it could be on your table in 30 minutes. Plus, it's jam-packed with nutrients from spinach, and we cut the salt by using low-sodium vegetable broth and unsalted cannellini beans.

19 of 20

Butternut Squash Soup with Avocado & Chickpeas

Jazz up a can of soup by adding protein with chickpeas and flavor with curry powder. Stir in a little Greek yogurt to make it creamy.

20 of 20

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.

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