Healthier Takes on Hearty Winter Soups

Cut cooking time drastically with your favorite electric multicooker or set it and forget it with your trusty slow cooker. No matter your preference, we have you covered with indulgent and nutritious options for chicken soups and Southern gumbos.

chicken noodle soup and chicken rice soup
Photo: Blaine Moats

Chicken Soup: Indulge vs. Go Healthy

Indulge: Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Stew

"I used cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of chicken soup. I will definitely make this again." —Belinda

chicken noodle soup

Go Healthy: Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup

"Using brown rice and cornstarch thickens this soup and keeps it gluten free. This Allrecipes Magazine recipe is based on Jane Cooks It Up's Instant Pot® Chicken Pot Pie (Crustless and Gluten Free). Garnish with lemon wedges and dill sprigs." —Allrecipes Magazine

chicken rice soup

Healthy Tricks

The Instant Pot chicken and Rice Soup has half the saturated fat of the stew and nearly 300 fewer milligrams of sodium. Here’s why.

  1. Replacing chicken thighs with lean chicken breasts reduces saturated fat and calories.
  2. Subbing in reduced-sodium broth for regular broth and condensed soups cuts sodium. Fresh lemon and dill amp up the flavor so you don’t miss the salt.
  3. Using brown rice and cornstarch thickens the soup and keeps it gluten-free. Substituting brown rice for egg noodles also boosts fiber.

Gumbo: Indulge vs. Go Healthy

gumbo comparison

Indulge: Slow Cooker Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

"It was nice to not 'babysit' the pot like you do with regular gumbo. I was able to throw it together before a party and still enjoy the gathering." —sbaumann

sausage gumbo

Go Healthy: Healthier Slow Cooker Gumbo

"Packed with veggies, this healthier slow cooker gumbo is easy to throw together before a party so you have plenty of time with your guests." —luv2golfandcook

healthy gumbo

Healthy Tricks

The Healthier Slow Cooker Gumbo has half the carbs of the one on the left and 22 fewer grams of fat. Here’s how we did it:

  1. Replacing traditional andouille sausage with a chicken variety cuts fat and calories. Adding veggies and shrimp boosts volume without overdoing it on the calories.
  2. Using salt-free Cajun seasoning cuts sodium while keeping flavor.
  3. Serving the gumbo over riced cauliflower instead of white rice reduces the total carb count and increases vitamin C.

Related

  • Try these recipes for Skinny Satisfying Winter Soups.
  • Get healthier versions of our most popular recipes in our Healthy Makeover Recipes collection.

This article originally appeared in the February/March 2020 issue of Allrecipes Magazine.

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