10 Gut Healthy Soups to Nourish Skin and Soul
At Guts & Glory Health we looove our collection of healthy gut healing soups 🙂 Because we can pour our favorite nourishing ingredients into one pot and create a meal that makes you glow from the inside out. Choose your favorite recipe for summer soups here—guaranteed to boost your mood and energy!
Table of contents
Our favorite recipes summer soups
Looking after your gut health by eating gut-friendly foods can directly affect your energy levels.
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Making your own healthy soup from scratch allows you to skip unhealthy additives and focus on fresh, whole ingredients. Not only is this better for gut health, but it’s also a way to create soups tailored to your taste and nutritional needs.
Explore these ideas and find a gut healthy soup you’ll love!
Maximize your gut healing soups
Enhance your favorite “soups for health” with these tips that support gut health while delighting your taste buds.
1. Soup for digestion
Vegetables like broccoli, carrots, kale, spinach, and bell peppers are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These prebiotic-rich foods nourish beneficial gut bacteria, boosting digestion and boosting your immune system.
💡 Tip: Add a variety of colors to your gut health soups for a wider range of nutrients, which helps support a flourishing gut microbiome, essential for optimal health and well-being.
Vegetables are low calorie and high nutrient, therefore supporting overall health. This helps regulate bowel movements and prevent constipation.
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay
2. Spice it up
Herbs and spices like ginger, turmeric, garlic, and cinnamon not only enhance flavor but also have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. What’s more, they help support your gut microbiome, which is essential for wellbeing.
Herbs and spices to look for include:
- Ginger: Helps soothe bloating and nausea
- Turmeric: Its curcumin content fights inflammation
- Garlic: A prebiotic superstar that boosts beneficial bacteria
- Cinnamon: Balances blood sugar and supports gut health
💡 Pro Tip: Use Ceylon cinnamon for its superior health benefits
Why are herbs & spices a healthy choice?
Ginger: Ginger contains gingerol, which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps alleviate digestive discomfort such as nausea, bloating, and gas.
Turmeric: Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help reduce inflammation in the gut and promote overall digestive health.
Fennel: Fennel seeds contain compounds that can benefit heart health and may reduce inflammation. They are also used to relieve symptoms of indigestion and acid reflux. And they can add flavor to your gut healthy soup idea!
Cinnamon: Cinnamon has antimicrobial properties and can help balance blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for gut health. It may also reduce inflammation in the digestive tract. Cassia cinnamon contains higher levels of coumarin, a compound that can be toxic to the liver in large doses.
Ceylon cinnamon has significantly lower levels, making it safer for regular consumption, especially in higher amounts. While both types of cinnamon contain health-promoting compounds like antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, some studies suggest that Ceylon cinnamon may have superior health benefits due to its lower coumarin content and higher levels of certain beneficial compounds.
Overall, while both types of cinnamon can be used in cooking and baking, choosing Ceylon cinnamon can offer health benefits and a more refined flavor profile.
Image by Дарья Яковлева from Pixabay
Try adding whole cinnamon stick to delicious homemade bone broth, as base for your gut healthy soup idea!
Benefits of garlic
- Prebiotic effects. Garlic is a source of prebiotics, which are non-digestible fibers that act as food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut. By feeding these good bacteria, garlic helps support a balanced and diverse gut microbiome, which is crucial for overall digestive health.
- Anti-inflammatory Benefits. Chronic inflammation in the gut can lead to various digestive disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in the gut, potentially alleviating symptoms associated with these conditions. The sulfur-containing compounds in garlic, such as allicin, play a significant role in its anti-inflammatory effects.
- Immune system support. A healthy gut microbiome is essential for a strong immune system. Garlic can enhance immune function by modulating gut microbiota composition and activity. This, in turn, supports the body’s ability to fend off infections and maintain overall health.
Coriander: Coriander seeds contain compounds that can help alleviate digestive discomfort such as bloating, gas, and stomach cramps. They also have antimicrobial properties that may help maintain a healthy gut flora. Try this carrot and sweet potato flavor bomb, a gut friendly soup with coriander.
Oregano: Oregano contains compounds with antimicrobial properties that may help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria. Minestrone soup is for real our best soup for gut health, with oregano and thyme.
Cumin: Cumin seeds are rich in antioxidants and may help stimulate the production of digestive enzymes, promoting better digestion. And they can also boost the flavor of your gut health soup!
Herbs and spices summarized
Overall, incorporating these herbs and spices into your diet, for instance in gut healthy soups, can help promote a healthy gut microbiome and alleviate digestive issues. However, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions or are taking medications.
3. Choose whole grains
Swap refined grains for whole grains like quinoa, barley, buckwheat or brown rice. These provide fiber, prebiotics, and nutrients to promote a healthy gut. Additionally, they may help regulate blood sugar levels, which can influence gut health.
💡 Healthy Soup Hack: Add cooked quinoa or barley to your soup for extra texture and nutrition.
If you want to know more, whole grains are an excellent choice in healthy soups for many reasons:
Fiber Content: Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber, including both soluble and insoluble fiber. These fibers are not broken down completely during digestion, reaching the colon where they serve as a food source for beneficial gut bacteria. This promotes the growth of a diverse and healthy microbiota, which is essential for gut health. When adding filling fiber, these gut friendly soups can be real highlights in your weekly menu.
Prebiotic Properties: Certain types of fiber found in whole grains, such as beta-glucan and arabinoxylan, act as prebiotics. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that promote the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria in the gut. By consuming whole grains, you’re essentially feeding the good bacteria in your digestive system, which can lead to better gut health. Healthy soups are a great way to achieve that!
Regulation of Bowel Movements: The fiber in whole grains adds bulk to stool and helps regulate bowel movements. This can prevent constipation and promote regularity, which is important for overall digestive health.
Reduced Inflammation: Whole grains contain various phytonutrients and antioxidants that possess anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation in the gut can lead to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other digestive disorders. By consuming whole grains regularly, you may help reduce inflammation in the gut and lower the risk of these conditions.
Nutrient Density: Whole grains are also rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are beneficial for overall health, including gut health. These nutrients support various bodily functions and contribute to a healthy digestive system. So, a great added bonus to your gut healthy soup idea!
4. Start with homemade bone broth
A homemade bone broth is packed with collagen, gelatin, and amino acids that can strengthen the gut lining and support digestion. It’s also a great base for all gut healthy soup recipes.
💡 Healthy soup hack: Simmer your broth with herbs like oregano and thyme for added flavor and gut healing soup benefits
In short, if you Google “recipe healthy soup” then homemade bone broth should be part of it.
Try our scrumptious classic minestrone soup—one of our favorite gut friendly meals and best winter soup recipes.
Delicous and nutritious smoothies are a great way to boost gut health and energy levels—find your own favorite!
“The way you think and feel depends largely on what you eat” – read our top story 40 Mood Enhancing Foods.