Hello, welcome to our article about keto-friendly soups. As you may know, the ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that can be beneficial for weight loss and improving overall health. One of the challenges of following a keto diet can be finding delicious and satisfying meals, but soups are a great option.
In this post, we’re going to share two delicious keto-friendly soup recipes with you. The first soup is a vegan-friendly option, making it perfect for those following a plant-based diet. The second soup is a classic keto recipe that is packed with healthy fats and protein. We’re excited to share these recipes with you plus tips for making keto soup and adapting soup recipes so they are suitable for a keto diet and hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!
What is the Keto Diet?
The ketogenic diet, or keto diet for short, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been shown to help some people lose weight. The goal of the diet is to put your body into a state of ketosis, which is when your body starts to burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
Here’s how the diet works:
- Low Carbohydrates: The keto diet typically involves consuming very few carbohydrates (typically less than 50 grams per day) in order to force the body to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.
- High Fat: To compensate for the lack of carbohydrates, the diet emphasizes the consumption of healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds.
- Moderate Protein: The diet also includes a moderate amount of protein, enough to support muscle mass and other bodily functions.
- Food choices: foods such as meat, fish, eggs, low-carb vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats such as avocado, coconut oil, and olive oil are encouraged. Processed foods, grains, legumes, fruit, and sugary foods are typically avoided.
The keto diet is a very restrictive diet, and it’s not suitable for everyone. It’s important to talk to a healthcare professional before starting any new diet, particularly if you have any underlying health conditions. Additionally, this diet requires a lot of planning and discipline, and it can be hard to stick to it long-term.
Why Is Soup Great for the Keto Diet?
Soup is a great option for people following a keto diet for a few reasons:
- Low in carbs: Many soups, especially those made with vegetables, are naturally low in carbohydrates, making them a great option for people following a keto diet.
- High in fat: Many keto-friendly soups are made with healthy fats, such as coconut milk or heavy cream, which help to increase the fat content of the soup and make it more keto-friendly.
- High in protein: Many soups also contain high levels of protein, which is important for maintaining muscle mass while on a low-carb diet.
- Filling: soups are a great way to eat a lot of food with few calories, this can help you to feel full and satisfied after eating and avoid snacking on non-compliant food.
- Versatile: There are many different types of soups that can be made keto-friendly, such as cream soups, broth-based soups, and pureed soups. This variety makes it easy to incorporate soups into your diet and enjoy different flavors.
Additionally, soups are also easy to store and reheat for quick and convenient meals, making it an ideal option for people following a keto diet who are looking for easy to make and portable meals.
How to Convert Traditional Soup Recipes to Make Soup for a Keto Diet
How to convert traditional soup recipes to make them suitable for a keto diet:
- Reduce or eliminate starchy ingredients: Many soups include starchy ingredients such as potatoes, pasta, or grains, which are high in carbohydrates. To make the soup keto-friendly, these ingredients should be reduced or eliminated altogether.
- Use low-carb vegetables: Vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, and kale are low in carbohydrates and can be used to replace starchy ingredients. They can also be blended to make creamy soups.
- Add healthy fats: To increase the fat content of the soup, you can add healthy fats such as butter, olive oil, coconut milk, or heavy cream. This will also make the soup more satisfying and filling.
- Use keto-friendly thickeners: Instead of using flour or cornstarch as a thickener, you can use xanthan gum, or mashed cauliflower or avocado.
- Avoid or reduce sugar: many soups contain sugar or sweeteners, which should be avoided or reduced when following a keto diet.
- Consider the protein: soups should include a moderate amount of protein, that you can add by adding meat, poultry, fish, or eggs.
- Seasoning: use keto-friendly herbs and spices to season your soups, such as garlic, onion, pepper, and herbs like thyme or rosemary, they will add great flavor while keeping the recipe low-carb.
It’s important to keep in mind that converting recipes to be keto-friendly may require some experimentation, but with a few adjustments, you can enjoy a delicious keto-friendly soup.
Keto Friendly Soup Recipes
We have two keto friendly soup recipes for you to try 🙂 These will give you a warming and nutritious meal while keeping to your keto diet.
Keto Friendly Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Here’s a recipe for a creamy cauliflower soup that is both keto-friendly and easy to make:
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp of butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: chopped chives or bacon bits for garnish
Instructions:
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower florets and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender.
- Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional: garnish with chives or bacon bits.
- Enjoy!
Note: You can also add some diced carrots or celery for more flavor and texture.
Vegan Keto Friendly Cauliflower and Spinach Soup
Here’s a recipe for a keto vegan cauliflower and spinach soup:
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
- 2 cups of spinach leaves
- 2 cups of vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup of coconut milk
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
- Add the cauliflower to the pot and stir to coat with the onions and garlic. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, until the cauliflower starts to soften.
- Add the vegetable broth to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Remove from the heat and add the spinach leaves to the pot. Stir until the spinach is wilted.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender and blend the soup in batches.
- Stir in the coconut milk and return the pot to the heat. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the soup is heated through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
This recipe is low in carbs and high in healthy fats from the coconut milk, it’s also a good source of vitamins and minerals from cauliflower and spinach. You can garnish with some chopped parsley or chives for additional flavor. Note: you can use other non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, or asparagus to make this recipe.
What to Serve With Keto Friendly Soup
Here are a few ideas for what to serve with soups suitable for a keto diet:
- Salad: A green salad with mixed greens, avocado, and a vinaigrette dressing is a great option.
- Low-carb bread: You can make or buy low-carb bread, such as almond flour bread, to serve with your soup.
- Crackers: Low-carb crackers made from nuts, seeds or cheese can be a good option.
- Cheese: Hard cheeses like cheddar or gouda are high in fat and low in carbs, and can be a good accompaniment to soups.
- Nuts and seeds: A handful of nuts or seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, or pecans can be a great snack to serve with your soup.
- Meat or fish: You can serve a small portion of cooked meat or fish on the side, such as grilled chicken, steak or salmon.
- Pickles, olives or fermented vegetables: They are a good source of probiotics, and can be a great addition to soups.
- A keto-friendly condiment: you can serve your soup with a keto-friendly condiment like a keto-friendly mayo, aioli, or a keto-friendly mustard
Remember, the best thing to do is to check the nutritional information of your ingredients, and make sure you keep track of the macronutrients (fat, protein, carbs) to stay in ketosis.
Tips for Making Keto Soups
Yes, here are a few tips for making keto soup:
- Use low-carb vegetables: Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, kale, and zucchini are great options for making keto soups. They are low in carbs and high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Add healthy fats: Soups can be a great way to incorporate healthy fats into your diet. You can add ingredients like coconut milk, olive oil, avocado, or nuts to your soups to increase the fat content and make them more satisfying.
- Use broth or stock: Instead of using water as a base for your soups, use broth or stock. Chicken, beef, or vegetable broth are all good options. They will add flavor and nutrition to your soups.
- Experiment with different herbs and spices: Herbs and spices like garlic, onion, rosemary, thyme, and cumin can add a lot of flavor to your soups without adding many carbs.
- Add protein: You can add protein to your soups by adding meat, fish, eggs, or tofu.
- Be mindful of the serving size: soups can be a great way to get a lot of nutrients in one meal, but it’s important to be mindful of the serving size and make sure that the total amount of carbs consumed fits within your daily limit.
- make it in bulk: soup is a great dish to make in bulk and freeze for later, this way you can have it as a quick meal when you don’t have time to cook.
- Adjust the thickness: Some soups may be too thick, you can adjust the thickness by adding more broth or stock to the soup.
- Experiment with different flavor combinations: don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavor combinations, you can make a creamy cauliflower soup, or a spicy broccoli and cheese soup, or a creamy pumpkin soup.
- Experiment with different textures: you can make soups smooth and creamy, or you can make them chunky with vegetables and meat, or you can make them with a puree texture.
In conclusion, soups can be a delicious and satisfying option for those following a ketogenic diet. The soups we’ve shared in this article, one being vegan-friendly, are a great way to incorporate healthy fats and low-carb vegetables into your diet. We hope that these recipes have inspired you to try making your own keto-friendly soups at home. Remember to experiment with different vegetables, herbs, and spices to find your favorite flavor combinations. And don’t forget to be mindful of serving sizes to make sure you stay within your daily carb limit. Enjoy!