This is a page of meatless soups with the exception of a few that call for chicken broth. Vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth or vegetarian "no-chicken" broth.

The best purchased broths are organic broths in quart boxes sold in “natural foods” stores or sections of supermarkets.

For Phase 1 Soups using Meat, click here: Phase 1 Soups with Meat

Black Bean Chili

Makes 8 servings.

4 cans black beans (drained, and rinsed if desired)

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes (not drained)

1 yellow onion, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon from jar)

2 teaspoons oregano, crushed

2 teaspoons cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Water or broth to desired consistency

Combine all ingredients in order and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Excellent reheated too. If chili gets too thick, add water to desired consistency.

If desired, top each serving with some shredded cheese or sour cream. Leftovers are good reheated.

Black Bean Soup

TexMex Black Bean Soup

Six servings.

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

1 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans (rinse and drain, if desired)

Black pepper

1 cup water or broth (or 1/2 cup broth and 1/2 cup salsa)

 (use salsa with no added sugars, Herdez is good)

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, cook 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder, and oregano.

Puree 1 can of undrained black beans and add to pot. Add second can of black beans (undrained, and do not puree). Drain and rinse last can of black beans and add to pot whole (do not puree). Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add black pepper to taste. Can add more water or broth to desired consistency.

Optional: Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro.

Awesome Black Bean Soup

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups broth
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic from jar)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Spices to your taste*

Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and celery. Bring to a sizzle. Sauté until veggies are crisp-tender. Add garlic and stir about a minute. Add beans and broth. (Note: If desired, some of the beans can be mashed before adding.) Simmer a few minutes to blend flavors. Can add more broth for thinner consistency.

*I use 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon dried cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Optional: Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro

Black Bean Soup

From a SBD forum.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced bell peppers (any color, or mixed)

1 cup diced onion

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon basil

2 teaspoons dill

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon (or less) chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for those who love heat)

3 15-oz cans black beans

1 15-oz can plum tomatoes with basil

Water (to desired consistency)

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: You can also add a teaspoon each of coriander and cardamom

Optional: Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, fresh cilantro

In a large pot (about 3 quarts), heat the olive oil, and sauté all the veggies with all the spices until the onions become nearly translucent. Add the tomatoes and break them with a spoon (or put them in a bowl and mash before adding). Bring to a boil.

Add all the beans and their canning liquid,* and enough water to make it soupy. Cook about 20 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Even though the recipe calls for undrained beans, I always drain and rinse. This makes beans more digestible.

Almost Instant Black Bean Chili

Weight Watchers Three Bean Chili

Quick Veggie Chili

Chili with Peppers and Veggie Crumbles

Makes about four cups.

Chili with Veggie Crumbles

Southwestern Surprise Chili

Garbanzo Soup

California Three-Bean Chili

From www.mccormick.com.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt (use 1/4 teaspoon if using cooking wine)

1/2 cup dry red wine (cooking wine is okay)

1 can (14.5 ounces) petite-diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) white northern or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups water (or to desired consistency—it will thicken as it cooks and cools)

California Spice Blend:

4 teaspoons McCormick Chili Powder

1 teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon McCormick Oregano Leaves

1 teaspoon McCormick Basil Leaves

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Seasoned Pepper Blend

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and green bell pepper, cook 5 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in Spice Blend and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Veggie Chili with Soy Crumbles

Lima Bean Soup

Five-Can Dump Soup

1 can diced tomatoes (Italian herbed is good)
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cups vegetarian broth (or 1 can chicken broth)
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can green beans

Spices to taste

Just heat, simmer, and serve. Garnish with shredded low fat shredded cheese, if desired.

You can add anything you like to this, such as chopped cabbage, zucchini, chicken, whatever you have on hand (if adding a lot, also add more broth). Can also add Italian herbs or other spices.

Navy Bean-Vegetable Soup

Zucchini-Bean Soup

Three to four servings. From a SBD forum.

1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 small tomato, cut into wedges
Minced garlic to taste
Salt and pepper to taste (I omit salt)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
V8 (any variety) for broth
Basil to taste
Olive oil

Sauté chopped zucchini, onion, and garlic in olive oil until crisp tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato and kidney beans. Add enough V8 to cover all the veggies; season with basil. Cook until heated through. Garnish with low fat shredded cheddar, if desired, or use veggie cheese.

Tomato-Curry Lentil Stew

Four servings. Adapted from www.allrecipes.com: Dried lentils are cooked with garlic and stewed tomatoes in curry-seasoned broth with onions and celery. Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 50 minutes.

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups water (or chicken broth or vegetable broth)

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 stalks celery, chopped, with leaves
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
3 to 6 cloves garlic, minced (to taste, or use crushed garlic from a jar)
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Combine lentils and water, bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer, add tomatoes, onion, and celery. Cover and let simmer 45 minutes. Check every 15 minutes to stir, and add water if necessary. Add seasonings the last 15 minutes. Taste and add more seasonings if necessary before serving.

Variations: You can add some veggies such as zucchini or bell pepper. If you want, you could sauté the onions and celery (and whatever other veggies you want to use) in a bit of olive oil before adding to lentils. You could also add some cayenne pepper for some more zing. Leftovers are good warmed up.

Cannellini Bean Soup

From SBD forum.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 roasted red pepper, diced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1 handful chopped flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Vegetable stock to desired consistency
Coarse salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add garlic and onion, and sauté 3 minutes to soften onion bits. Add beans and chopped roasted red pepper to the pan. Heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary and parsley, and season beans with salt and pepper. Add vegetable stock as desired and simmer to blend the flavors.

Note: Fresh basil can be used instead of rosemary, if desired.

Minestrone

From SBD forum.

1/2 lb garbanzos (soaked according to package directions)

1/2 lb great northern beans (soaked all day)*

1 onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, diced

1 green pepper, diced

5 to 6 cloves garlic (or to taste) minced (or use minced garlic from jar)

1 bag (12 oz)  frozen Morningstar Farms veggie crumbles (optional, but a good protein boost)

3 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 bay leaves

1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes

Broth

Drain the beans and add 8 cups water. Cook beans for about 1 1/2 hours.

Sauté onion, celery, pepper, garlic, crumbles, and spices until browned and sticking to the pan. Once browned, add a cup or so of water to deglaze the pan, stirring to loosen bits sticking to the pan. Add this mixture, along the tomatoes, to the beans.

Add some veggie bouillon to desired consistency. Cook about 1/2 hour longer, until beans are tender.

Remove bay leaf before serving. Optional: Add about a 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to the pot before serving.

Broccoli-Cream Cheese Soup

Broccoli-Garlic Soup for One

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped fine

1 clove of garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon from jar, or freeze-dried garlic)

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/3 cup half and half or cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth and garlic to a boil. Add broccoli and simmer just a few minutes, until broccoli is soft but not mushy. Add the half land half and heat for another 30 seconds or so.

Optional: Add about 1/4 cup cheddar cheese with the half and half. Heat on low until cheese is melted.

Turkish-Style Vegetable Stew

Four servings.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, halved then sliced

2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

6 oz. green beans, trimmed and halved lengthwise, then crosswise

6 oz. okra, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices*

28-oz. can whole peeled Italian-style tomatoes, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3/4 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in green beans, okra, tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, broth, and cumin. Bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with wooden spoon. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-low. Stir in zucchini, parsley, salt, and pepper; cover and cook until zucchini is just tender, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.

Finish each serving with a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese.

*A package of frozen okra can be substituted for fresh—add during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Creamy Italian White Bean Soup

Makes 4 servings. From SBD forum: Hearty and healthy soup that is a bit more involved than some recipes here, but it’s good, so I’m posting it for those who might have time to make it. It sounds more difficult than it is. You can make it easier by not blending the beans (this is good with the beans whole).

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 (15 ounce) cans white kidney beans (Canellini beans), drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth or 2 cups vegetarian broth

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups water

1 small bag baby spinach (about 6 ounces)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and celery and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, continually stirring. Add beans, chicken broth, pepper, thyme, and 2 cups water. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

While soup is simmering, rinse spinach.

This is optional (can leave beans whole): With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups of the bean and vegetable mixture from soup and set aside. In blender at low speed, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth (it helps to remove the center piece of the blender lid to allow steam to escape.) Once blended pour soup back into stock pot and stir in reserved beans.

Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat and serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Chickpea Soup

Four servings. From What to Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House to Eat.

4 large cloves garlic, peeled

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves

2/3 cup canned Italian tomatoes, undrained, roughly chopped

2 16 oz cans chickpeas, drained

1 cup broth (beef or chicken or vegetarian)

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the whole garlic
cloves in the olive oil until they are a nutty brown.  Remove the garlic.
 

Crumble the rosemary leaves between your palms and add, then immediately add the tomatoes with their juices.  Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add the drained chickpeas and stir into the tomato sauce.

Add the broth, stir, and bring to a simmer.  Simmer 15 minutes.

Taste and add salt and pepper.

If desired, puree all or part in a blender or food mill and reheat to serving temperature.  Serve with grated cheese.

This soup is even better the next day.

Creamy Black Bean Soup

Four to six servings.

1 pound dried black beans

6 to 7 cups water (for soaking)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup cream (or half and half, or plain soymilk)

Tortillas for garnish (optional, and use 100% whole wheat, fried and cut into strips)

Lettuce for garnish

Soak beans overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water. Add the garlic. Simmer until soft, about 2 hours. Do not undercook. Blend the beans with the cooking water and return to pot. Reheat with salt, olive oil, and cream (or soy milk).

Summer Stew

Makes about 21/2 quarts. From http://www.pcrm.org/health/recipes.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (4 to 6 cups)

1 green bell pepper, diced

5 large garlic cloves, minced

1 12-ounce jar water-packed roasted red peppers, including liquid

3 small zucchini, sliced (about 3 cups)

2 cups chopped fresh basil

1 cup water or vegetable broth

1 15-ounce can cannelini beans or navy beans

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot and add onions. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add a small amount of water if onions begin to stick.

Add eggplant, bell pepper, and garlic, then cover and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Coarsely chop red peppers and add, with their liquid.

Add zucchini, basil, and water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

Stir in cannelini beans, including liquid, salt, and black pepper. Cover and cook until zucchini is just tender, about 3 minutes.

Italian Zucchini and Tomato Stew