Soup can be a healthy low-fat option to add to your diet. Choosing nutrient-dense ingredients will create hearty soups that have enough bulk to be filling without adding too much fat to your meal. Using fiber, protein and vitamin filled ingredients is the most effective way to keep fat content low while also creating a delicious bowl of soup, according to Joanna Pruess and Lauren Braun in their book, "Soup for Every Body: Low-Carb, High-Protein, Vegetarian, and More."
Chicken and Rice Soup
A combination of white meat chicken breast and rice will add bulk to your soup with very few added grams of fat. Lean chicken breast adds to the heartiness of a soup by supplying protein and rice adds fiber to help make the soup filling. Start by combining onion, celery and carrot with a teaspoon of olive oil, Pruess and Braun instruct. Saute until the vegetables are tender. Add cooked and chopped chicken and low-fat chicken broth with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Bring to a boil, add uncooked rice and simmer until the rice is tender. This soup has only about 4 g of fat per serving and also supplies about 10 g of protein and about 2 g of fiber.
Creamy Tomato Soup
Many creamy soups rely on heavy cream to create texture. Replacing heavy cream with half and half or skim milk will significantly reduce the number of fat grams in your soup, according to Leslie L. Cooper and Robert K. Cooper, in their book, "Low-Fat Living Cookbook: 250 Easy, Great-Tasting Recipes." Tomatoes and pasta are nutritious and filling and the milk will add about 3 g of protein per serving so that your soup is satisfying. Saute garlic and onions with olive oil for five minutes. Add low-sodium canned tomatoes, chicken broth, fresh basil and dried thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes and add cooked whole wheat pasta. Gradually stir in a 1/2-cup of half and half or milk and serve hot. One serving of this soup will have about 8 g of fat and 6 g of fiber.
Fish and Vegetable Soup
Fish is a low-fat soup ingredient that is packed with protein that will add heartiness to your soup, according to Pruess and Braun. Tilapia or flounder can even be cooked right in the soup broth as it simmers. Combine bulky vegetables such as carrots, peas, green beans, tomatoes and squash in a soup pot with low-fat fish stock or vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a simmer and add chopped fish pieces. Simmer until the fish is cooked through and season with your favorite herbs and seasonings for a filling soup with only 2 g of fat and10 g of protein and 3 g of fiber.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a versatile soup that can be prepared using different fruit and vegetable ingredients. It is served cold, so it is refreshing as well as low-fat and filling. Add fruits and vegetables to your blender. Soft fruits such as honeydew, avocado, tomatoes, grapes and cucumber are all fiber rich options that can add as many as 4 g of fiber to gazpacho. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and add chopped vegetables such as jalapeno pepper or bell peppers, and add your favorite spices. Chill for two hours before eating. This can be a fat-free soup if you omit the avocado, however, avocado contains healthy unsaturated fats.
References
- "Soup for Every Body: Low-Carb, High-Protein, Vegetarian, and More"; Joanna Pruess and Lauren Braun; 2006
- "Low-Fat Living Cookbook: 250 Easy, Great-Tasting Recipes"; Leslie L. Cooper and Robert K. Cooper; 1998
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