This is the ultimate collection of over 50 hearty Mediterranean soup recipes, ranging from vegetable and white bean soup to rich, comforting chicken soups.
A big bowl of Mediterranean soup is all you need for a nourishing, wholesome meal. Forget about powders and trendy ‘superfoods’, this is real food that supports your health. Whether you’re craving something light or deeply satisfying, these soups are perfect for any occasion.
Why It’s Good for You
Mediterranean soups are packed with fresh, wholesome ingredients that contribute to long-term health and longevity. The Mediterranean diet aligns with the Blue Zone diet, where people live long, healthy lives. and longevity. That is why we call them truly hearty soup – flavorful, filling, and full of goodness!
- These soups often include garlic, onions, tomatoes, and leafy greens, all rich in antioxidants and essential vitamins.
- Beans, lentils, and chickpeas provide protein and fiber, supporting digestion and heart health.
- Extra virgin olive oil, a staple in Mediterranean cooking, offers anti-inflammatory benefits and supports brain function.
- Fermented ingredients, fresh herbs, and vegetables promote a healthy gut microbiome, an essential healthy gut.
1. Top 5 Mediterranean Classic Soups
Minestrone Soup
One of the most well-known Mediterranean soups is minestrone, a hearty vegetable and bean soup that varies by region but always includes a mix of seasonal vegetables and beans. This soup is the perfect example of how Mediterranean cooking maximizes flavor and nutrition using simple, wholesome ingredients.
Mediterranean White bean Soup
A classic staple in the Mediterranean diet is tuscan white bean soup recipe packed with protein and fiber. This soup is often prepared with fresh herbs like oregano and parsley and served with grated parmesan cheese.
Fire Roasted tomato soup – Gazpacho
Another beloved Mediterranean soup is gazpacho, a refreshing vegetable soup made with fire roasted tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumber. Unlike hot soup, this chilled delight is a perfect example of how Mediterranean-style soups can be both nutritious and hydrating. I love it with parmesan rinds.
Avgolemono
Avgolemono, a Greek classic, is a silky, lemon chicken and rice soup that brings a perfect balance of protein and citrusy brightness.
Moroccan Harira
Harira is a traditional Moroccan soup made with tomatoes, chickpeas, lentils, and spices. Often eaten before meals, it’s so flavorful that it’s become a staple snack in Moroccan cuisine.
2. Vegetable Soups
These include Nutrient-rich soups featuring Mediterranean vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers. Using a large pot or dutch oven you can bring to a boil a mix of vegetables like celery, carrots, and zucchini in a base of vegetable broth or stock. These soups often include cannellini or an extra can of beans to add creaminess to the soup.
Tuscan bean and vegetable soup
Ribollita, a Tuscan bean and vegetable soup, is a hearty dish that transforms simple ingredients like kale, white beans, and old bread into a deeply satisfying meal. You can also use spinach or another leafy green.
Squash Soup
This rich pumpkin and carrot soup is both nutritious and delicious, making it ideal for chilly winter days. Creamy and vegan, it’s a comforting dish that the whole family will enjoy.
Carrot Soup
This homemade Zuppa di Carote is a simple, flavorful Italian carrot soup. Naturally sweet and creamy, it doesn’t need any cream.
Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
This flavorful stovetop soup with cauliflower and broccoli is a healthy, beginner-friendly recipe. I make it often for dinner since it’s ready in just 30 minutes, and the kids always enjoy it.
Leek Soup without Potatoes
This no potatoes leek soup is another delicious option, featuring cauliflower, leek and celery cooked in vegetable broth. Adding a smoked paprika and minced garlic can make a big difference in the depth of flavor.
Pappa al Pomodoro
This Tuscan tomato soup is made with ripe tomatoes, bread, and basil. Hope you get a chance to try the soup!
Hortosoupa
Ironically, soups like Hortosoupa (hor-TOH-sou-pah, meaning vegetable soup) were once seen as peasant food, unworthy of fine tables. Today, we recognize that these humble dishes are not only delicious but also incredibly healthy and nutritious. With our understanding of the Mediterranean diet’s role in longevity and quality of life, these simple meals have now become haute cuisine!
Caldo Gallego
This Spanish soup caldo gallego made with greens, potatoes, and chorizo is warm and hearty and my family’s favorite meal during the long winter
Zuppa Toscana
As a soup lover, I always enjoyed having Zuppa Toscana as my appetizer, even as a child. I loved its rich, creamy broth paired with the hearty chunks of potato and sausage. It’s one of those soups that truly feels like a complete meal.
Mediterranean Cabbage Soup
There’s nothing like a pot of simmering cabbage soup on the stove with diced carrot, leek and cabbage and herbs.
Greek Spinach and Rice Soup
This healthy Greek soup with spinach, rice, and a touch of lemon is best served with feta cheese and croutons.
Fennel Soup
This refreshing Mediterranean Fennel soup with fennel, potatoes, and a hint of lemon is nutritious, and made with just a few ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes!
Potatoe Kale Soup
This healthy kale bean potato soup is filled It’s filled with kale, beans, and potatoes and warms you up from the inside out.
Tomato and Cucumber Soup
A cold Mediterranean soup made with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and yogurt makes a healthy summer lunch and can be made ahead to save time on busy days.
3. Legume Soups
This section includes Protein-packed soups with lentils, chickpeas, white beans, and fava beans.
Chickpea Soup – Revithia
Revithia is one such dish that offers a hearty, protein-rich meal cooked with vegetable stock or stock. In Ikaria, a famous Blue Zone, soups like lentil and white bean soup are simmered slowly with fresh herbs like parsley and oregano.
Kibbet Raheb
A Lebanese lentil soup with tangy yogurt and bulgur dumplings, packed with herbs and Middle Eastern spices.
Red Lentil Soup
Red Lentil soup is a staple Mediterranean dish that combines red lentils and sweet carrots in a tomato-based broth. To make the soup even more flavorful, always add rosemary, chopped red onion, garlic, and crushed tomatoes.
Turkish lentil soup with rice & bulgur
This heartwarming traditional Turkish soup made with lentil, bulgur wheat, vegetables, and spices is flavoured with the tomato and red pepper pastes.
Fasolada
Greek bean soup made with tomatoes, olive oil, and herbs is a soup you’ll love for its rich flavor and hearty, comforting warmth.
Shorbat Adas
This Egyptian red lentil soup, known as shorbat adas, combines red lentils, tomatoes, garlic, onion, carrots, and potatoes for a rich and flavorful dish. It’s traditionally served with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of heavy cream.
Borlotti Bean Soup
This delicious Italian borlotti bean soup is a hearty mix of beans and vegetables, making it a classic staple in Italian cuisine.
Moroccan Chickpea, Carrot, and Spinach Soup
This soup is one of those recipes showing the Mediterranean way of turning simple ingredients into a rich, satisfying dish, with chickpeas becoming silky and tender in just 30 minutes.
Turkish Yogurt Soup (Yayla Çorbası)
This comforting Turkish soup made with creamy yogurt, rice, and a hint of mint. This light yet nourishing dish is gently thickened and often finished with a drizzle of butter and paprika, making it a staple in Turkish cuisine.
Fava Bean Soup
This traditional fava bean soup from Provence is a simple yet flavorful dish made with tender fava beans, garlic, olive oil, and a touch of lemon. Light and nourishing, it adds fresh Mediterranean flavor to the soup, which can be enjoyed with crusty bread and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
4. Hearty Meat & Poultry Soup Recipes
Here you can find flavorful broths and soups made with beef, lamb, chicken, and other meats, perfect for a satisfying meal.
Youvarlakia (Greek Meatball Soup)
This traditional Greek meatball soup, Youvarlakia Avgolemono, is a comforting dish with a bright lemony broth. Tender, herb-seasoned meatballs with rice add both flavor and heartiness to this warming soup.
Greek Beef Soup – Kreatosoupa
This is hearty, aromatic and warming Greek beef soup (Kreatosoupa) with potatoes and veggies for the whole family to enjoy!
Lamb and Lentil Soup
This robust Lamb and Lentil Soup comes together with spices, tomato, Mediterranean herbs, salt and pepper, and chicken broth in my favorite Dutch oven. After simmering for an hour, it fills the house with a delicious aroma that makes you hungry the whole time it cooks.
Lamb and Vegetable Soup
This Moroccan Lamb Soup is deliciously hearty, thanks to the slow simmering in a tagine. Packed with chickpeas, tomatoes, and spices, it’s filling, with the harissa adding a unique twist.
Sopa de Ajo
Sopa de Ajo, or Sopa Castellana, is an ancient Spanish soup from Castilla y León. Made with garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, stale country bread, serrano ham, sweet smoked paprika, chicken stock, and eggs, this humble dish has its roots in peasant cuisine. Originally a source of nourishment after the Spanish Civil War, when rations were scarce and stale bread was often the only available ingredient, it remains a comforting, hearty meal.
Sopa de fideos con pollo
This Spanish chicken soup with noodles is a comforting, flavorful dish, perfect for any time of the year. It’s healthy combination of chicken, onions, celery, carrots, and egg noodles that make it hearty.
5. Seafood & Fish Soups
Refreshing fish broths and low-calorie hearty fish soups made with a variety of seafood offer a light yet satisfying meal. This includes Traditional Mediterranean fish soup recipes, shrimp soups, and bouillabaisse.
Psarosoupa
This nutritious Psarosoupa is a traditional Greek fish soup made with fresh local fish and vegetables. With a hint of lemon juice and olive oil, it may be one of the factors contributing to Ikaria’s longevity.
Sopa de Pescado
This classic Spanish fish soup, called Sopa de Pescado, is a favorite dish along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Packed with authentic Spanish flavors, it’s easy to make and ready in about 30 minutes.
Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo Soup
This Mediterranean shrimp and orzo soup is a comforting, protein-packed dish with plenty of veggies, fresh herbs, bold spices, lean protein, and whole wheat pasta, making it a satisfying yet light meal.
Sopa de Mariscos
This Seafood Soup (Sopa de Mariscos) is a favorite seafood dish that’s quick and easy to prepare, made in just one pot in under an hour. It features a delicious mix of clams, shrimp, white fish, Spanish Fideo noodles, and simple pantry ingredients for a satisfying, flavorful meal.
Zuppa di Pesce
Immerse yourself in the warmth and depth of Zuppa di Pesce, a cherished Italian fish soup. Perfect for any season, it features fresh seafood like clams, mussels, squid, shrimp, and cod all simmered in a flavorful tomato, white wine, and fennel broth.
Bouillabaisse
A classic Provençal seafood soup with fish, shellfish, and aromatic herbs, typically served with rouille sauce and crusty bread. As a result, it’s incredibly satisfying, with a delicious aroma to match.
Caldeirada
This easy Portuguese Fish soup (Caldeirada), is made with fish or shellfish in a fragrant saffron broth with potatoes. Rustic and light, this summer stew is ready in just 30 minutes and pairs perfectly with rice or crusty bread!
Minestra di Pesce
This traditional Italian fish soup is made with a variety of seafood, tomatoes, and olive oil, often flavored with garlic and basil.
Fisherman’s Soup
This flavorful yet simple fisherman’s soup is packed with tilapia (or other white fish), shrimp, and a spicy tomato broth. Despite its rich taste, it’s surprisingly healthy and low in fat.
Kalamari Soup
This Greek Calamari soup is the simplest and most delicious seafood soup I’ve ever made. It features crispy deep-fried baby squid paired with a tomato and onion relish.
6. Foraged Soups
This section includes soups that feature wild greens, herbs, and medicinal plants from the Mediterranean region. While they are packed with health benefits, they are seasonal, so one must patiently wait for the greens and fruits to emerge. Moreover, the foraging window is quite short, which means you’ll need to act quickly to enjoy these vibrant ingredients.
Dandelion Soup
This hearty soup is easy to prepare and is perfect for those chilly days when you want something warm and comforting. Moreover, it’s best to eat in spring when dandelion greens are most tender.
Nettle Soup
One of the best herb sources of iron is nettle. When cooked with potatoes and zucchini the healthy and nutritious nettle soup is born. The best time to harvest the young green leaves is early spring, right before they grow tall and start flowering.
Rosehip Soup
This rosehip soup is a seasonal delicacy often served with cream or vanilla ice cream as a dessert. Packed with vitamin C, this rose hip soup recipe is a shame to miss out.
Wild Asparagus Soup
Made from foraged wild asparagus, this soup is light yet flavorful, often paired with potatoes, onions, and a touch of olive oil.
Chickweed Soup
Chickweed, a common wild green, can be used in a simple, nutritious chickweed soup with garlic, onions, and broth.
Sorrel Soup
Sorrel is one of the first greens of spring, rich in vitamin C and a good source of iron. Its tangy, lemon-like flavor comes from oxalic acid, the same compound found in rhubarb. Sorrel leaves give a tangy flavor to sorrel soups, often combined with onions, egg yolks and a dollop of cream.
