Summertime is upon us! And although soup may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a cool, refreshing meal, a surprising number of cold soup recipes make for a summer meal.
Soup is estimated to have originated in China as far back as 20,000 BC, and it’s since made its way into almost every culture worldwide.
To help you make the most of the warmer weather, we asked Carlee Hayes, RDN, CD, and Nutrition Manager here at NutriSense, to share a few of her favorite summer soup recipes. They'll help you stay cool and get the nutrients your body needs. Read on to find out more about the soups she recommended.
From gazpacho to creamy avocado soup, there are many unique ways to prepare your summer vegetables into a hearty and flavorful meal.
Summer may call for cold soups most of the time, but there are a few hot ones we love that can still hit the spot in warmer weather.
We’ve chosen various flavors and styles so almost anyone can find a new soup to enjoy with friends and family. We've got you covered whether you’re looking for hot or cold soups, plant-based options, low-carb, or gluten-free recipes.
This cold, refreshing soup is the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors and is full of vitamins and minerals. Pair it with some whole grain crackers for the perfect crunch.
This soup is an excellent combination of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. To improve the nutrient density of this dish, consider swapping the heavy cream for coconut milk or good-quality whole milk!
I’d recommend using fresh-squeezed orange juice and omitting the added sugar to make it more glucose-friendly, as added sugars are more likely to cause higher blood sugar responses.
To make this soup part of a balanced meal, pair it with a high-quality protein source (think grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu) and eat that portion first. It's an easy way to mitigate larger blood sugar spikes!
This hearty soup is filled with nutritious vegetables and a great plant-based protein and fiber source. Try making it on a rainy summer night for the perfect comfort meal.
This soup is full of nutritious vegetables, fiber, and plant-powered protein, making it a great choice for anyone looking for an easy meal to throw together. To make this a part of a balanced meal, pair it with your favorite protein food!
This unique take on a Spanish classic is a light, refreshing lunch or snack option to try out on a hot summer day. It has the perfect combination of fresh fruits and vegetables packed with crisp flavors.
This gazpacho recipe is an easy way to add extra vegetables into your diet without even noticing! Research shows that vinegar consumption before meals may even help mitigate glucose spikes, so this is a perfect soup to have before the main meal to reap those benefits.
This creamy, vegetable-packed soup makes for a tasty, satiating, low-calorie meal. It makes for a great afternoon snack or can even be a side dish to pair with your meal.
This soup is another great way to sneak more vegetables into your diet to ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need. Asparagus is high in fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K and is a great vegetable to add to your diet.
This thick and creamy cold soup, full of protein and healthy fats, is a great summertime option.
The healthy fats from the avocado pair very nicely with the protein from the Greek yogurt to make for a nutritious and satisfying meal that won’t spike your blood sugar. Avocados are a great source of potassium, folate, and monounsaturated fats.
This sweet and satisfying take on chicken soup is delicious and easy to make. It’s sure to hit the spot after a long day and is full of comforting flavors.
This chicken soup recipe is an excellent source of high-quality protein and carbohydrates, and it’s as easy as adding a few simple ingredients to your shopping list.
You can even easily add in a few more vegetables to up the vitamin and mineral content!
Consider adding in some leafy greens like chopped kale or spinach to balance out the starches from the corn.
This rich and flavor-packed soup will satisfy your craving for a hearty, comforting meal, even when it’s hot outside.
Squash is full of essential vitamins, so this recipe is a great thing to throw together now and then to ensure you’re getting them in your diet. The many herbs and spices don’t only add flavor. They also have many health benefits and can even help regulate blood sugar.
This vegan soup is full of protein, fiber, and delicious flavor. Surprise your house guests with this flavorful soup that everyone will love!
This soup is a great option for anyone, not just vegans and vegetarians, as it’s full of nutritious protein and fiber and is a great source of vitamins and minerals. Celery is also great for keeping your blood sugar levels steady. Remember that beans are a source of carbohydrates, so opt for a moderate portion of this soup and pair it with your favorite protein food or a leafy green salad!
This zucchini soup can be served hot or cold and is a great way to add a little spice to your day.
This soup is another great source of essential nutrients and can make for a great meal when paired with a high-quality source of protein. Try cutting up some lean chicken to toss in or eat on the side to balance this meal.
This vegetarian take on a timeless tortilla soup is earthy and full of yummy herbs and spices. The black beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and the Tex-Mex flavors will satisfy your spicy cravings.
It's a great vegetarian option full of all the macronutrients most people need for a balanced diet. Black beans are high in protein, calcium, and phosphorus. This is a higher carbohydrate soup, so it might be best to time this around times of best insulin sensitivity, such as after exercise or earlier in the day (think lunchtime meal!).
This simple corn soup is fun to make at home and full of delicious creamy flavor. It can easily be made as a vegan dish, but you can also add dairy products if you prefer.
This tasty soup is great as a treat on special occasions, but be sure to be mindful of portion sizes as it contains high levels of carbohydrates. To help regulate blood sugar levels, toss in chunks of tofu, ground beef/pork, or chicken to boost the protein content, or pair it with a side salad with a vinaigrette for a balanced meal!
This easy and elegant borscht recipe is full of flavor and is refreshing to snack on during a hot afternoon.
Beets are high in fiber and vitamin C, and adding them into your diet via a tasty soup is an easy way to take advantage of these nutrients and get some extra veggies on your plate.
This classic soup is easy to throw together and full of all the flavors you know and love. Plus, the chilled version is a great dinner option that will keep you full on a summer night.
Minestrone is rich in fiber, supporting gut health and digestion. This recipe is a great option to boost your veggie intake and can be a satisfying way to batch cook for the work week!
Soup can be a quick, easy, and nutritious meal or snack year-round. There are endless styles and variations of soup, but it’s essential to keep blood sugar in mind, especially if you’re at risk of diabetes.
One thing to note is that starches such as potatoes and corn, common ingredients found in soups, can lead to blood sugar spikes, so adding additional sources of fiber and protein to your soup can help blunt these spikes.
Soups with high fiber content or added protein can often be good options for stabilizing your blood sugar, as they take longer for the body to digest and are very satiating. Luckily, it’s easy to customize any soup to your liking to ensure it has a healthy balance of these nutrients.
Many soups are also high in sodium, so preparing a healthy soup at home is an excellent option as it allows you to control the added amount. Salt may not affect your blood sugar, but eating too much of it can lead to conditions such as high blood pressure.
Making homemade soup from scratch has several benefits. For one, if you have extra vegetables piled up in your fridge, tossing them into a soup is a great way to add fiber and vitamins into your diet while not letting food go to waste.
Making your meal at home also allows you to control the amount of butter, oil, and salt that goes into it, which can be helpful for anyone looking to limit their intake of those ingredients. Here are a few more easy tricks to turn any soup into a healthier meal.
You can have many healthy additions as a side dish to complement your healthy soup. For example, the classic soup and salad combination is a great way to increase your intake of leafy greens. Aim to steer clear of refined carbs from things like croutons and instead swap them out for crunchy vegetables or homemade cheese crackers.
Nutrition is one of the most important factors for our overall health and making sure to get sufficient macro and micronutrients can make a huge difference in how you feel.
If you’re interested in seeing how nutrition affects your body, using a CGM from NutriSense’s CGM program can help you see which dietary choices influence your blood sugar and learn how to create smarter eating habits.
NutriSense members can also work closely with their own credentialed dietitian to get expert guidance on eating patterns and learn how to meet their health goals using real data. See how the NutriSense program can help you optimize your health today.