You just finished a fast and you don’t want to dive into a heavy meal right away. Eating too much after a period of fasting can lead to some serious stomach upset!

Soup is a great, easy to digest option to ease your body back into eating. Here are three healthy soup recipes that will boost your nutrition, while helping you transition into eating again.

3 Healthy Soups to Break a Fast

Creamy Carrot, Sweet Potato, and Apple Soup

This pureed carrot soup has a thick and creamy texture without added fat from cream or butter. The onion and apple are good sources of prebiotics. The yogurt topping contains probiotics which help support a healthy digestive system. Fresh ginger also aids in digestion, which may be beneficial following a fasting period. 

Makes approximately 4 1¼-cup servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

5 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 red apple, cored and chopped

1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp curry powder

4 cups vegetable broth

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt, for topping

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add sweet potato, apple, ginger, salt, pepper, curry powder, and vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until sweet potato pieces are cooked through.
3. Transfer batches of the soup to a blender, taking care not to overfill the blender, and blend until pureed. If you have an immersion stick blender, you can blend the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Stir the chopped cilantro into the soup and ladle into bowls. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons of yogurt. 

Nutrition Information

For 1 ¼ cups soup topped with 2 tbsp plain, whole milk yogurt

Calories: 205

Protein: 6.5 grams

Fat: 8.5 grams

Saturated Fat: 2 grams

Carbohydrate: 27.5 grams

Fiber: 6 grams

Sugar: 13 grams

Hearty Vegetable and Lentil Minestrone

Most people feel better beginning or ending a fast with vegetables versus animal protein. This minestrone style soup is packed with nutrient-dense veggies. The cauliflower and red lentils are good sources of insoluble fiber, which doesn’t break down in the digestive system, helping to keep you regular and regulate blood sugar levels so you don’t feel hungry soon after eating. 

Makes approximately 6 1½-cup servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 cups cauliflower, finely chopped

1 yukon gold potato, chopped into ½-inch cubes

1 tsp sea salt 

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp tomato paste

¾ cup split red lentils

3 cups chicken stock

1 ½ cups green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tbsp red wine vinegar 

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and saute until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes more.
3. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, cauliflower, potato, salt, pepper, oregano, tomato paste, lentils, and chicken stock to the pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the green beans and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the potato and lentils are cooked through and green beans are just softened.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar and parsley and serve.

Nutrition Information

Per approximately 1 ½ cup serving:

Calories: 200

Protein: 9 grams

Fat: 5 grams

Saturated Fat: 1 gram

Carbohydrate: 25 grams

Fiber: 8 grams

Sugar: 6 grams

Garlicky Greens & White Bean Soup

Light, broth-based soups are typically well-tolerated following a fasting period. This soup is filled with greens and potatoes, which are gentle on digestion. It also contains cannellini beans, which are a good source of protein and fiber to make this soup more filling. If you don’t have any spinach on hand, it can be substituted with another leafy green variety, such as swiss chard or kale. You can also puree this soup in batches in a blender or with an immersion stick blender right in the pot if you don’t care for the texture of cooked greens.

Makes approximately 4 1½-cup servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

6-8 cloves of garlic, minced

2 medium yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 ½ cups vegetable broth

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp garlic powder

4 cups tightly packed spinach (or any other leafy greens you have on hand)

1 cup green onion, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until just softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes more.
2. Add potatoes, beans, broth, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and garlic powder to the pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potato is cooked through. (Pierce a piece of potato with a fork to check doneness.)
3. Stir in spinach. When leaves are just wilted, remove the pot from heat, stir in green onions and lemon juice, and serve. 

Nutrition Information

Per approximately 1 ½ cup serving:

Calories: 250

Protein: 10.5 grams

Fat: 7 grams

Saturated Fat: 1 gram

Carbohydrate: 40 grams

Fiber: 8 grams

Sugar: 4 grams