15 Satisfying Lenten Soup Suppers

By Mary Claire Lagroue
February 04, 2021
Credit: Westgal

When you're missing meat and want a warm, hearty dinner, you can't go wrong with soup. Our best meatless soup recipes for Lent include vegetarian and seafood options, family favorites, and easy soups to turn to when your schedule makes Friday fasting extra challenging. 

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Black Bean and Salsa Soup

Credit: bd.weld
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Turn to our top-rated Black Bean and Salsa Soup when you don't have time to shop for groceries. As long as you have black beans, vegetable broth, chunky salsa, cumin, and sour cream on hand, you can have this soup on the table in just 20 minutes.

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Creamy Scallop Chowder

Credit: Bren
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Butter, flour, milk, and Swiss cheese give this chowder its creamy consistency. Our home cooks have made it their own with fontina cheese, canned baby clams, Old Bay seasoning, and more. "As a baseline recipe this is excellent," Pamela Cressey Gileno says.

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Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes)

Credit: Buckwheat Queen
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"Fakes (pronounced 'Fah-kehs') is a staple in the Greek kitchen, and an especially filling meal," Allrecipes editor Diana Moutsopoulos says. "It is traditionally served with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of vinegar. Though the vinegar is of course optional, try it. It lifts the lentils and adds another dimension of flavor!"

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Spicy Shrimp Tortilla Soup with Zucchini Noodles

Credit: bd.weld
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Most taco soups contain chicken or ground beef, but this recipe will convince you that shrimp is the superior taco soup protein. And between zucchini noodles, canned tomatoes, and the optional avocado garnish, it's quite healthy.

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Jamie's Minestrone

Credit: House of Aqua
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Home cook Jamie wanted this recipe for classic minestrone soup to overflow with vegetables; it does. Complete with pasta and kidney beans, this vegetarian favorite will fill up your family. 

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Beaker's Vegetable Barley Soup

Credit: Fit&Healthy Mom
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Averaging a five-star rating, this soup makes a substantial dinner thanks to barley, chickpeas, and a hefty serving of vegetables.

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Authentic Japanese Scallop Soup with Ramen Noodles

Credit: Aja
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If you left ramen behind in college, you're missing out on the starchy comfort it brings to Japanese-style soups, like this scallop and shiitake recipe. 

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Cajun Corn and Crab Bisque

Credit: Angela Guillory
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Here's a recipe that will make you forget you're fasting. "This creamy Cajun crab soup has been in my family for years," Jodi Hanlon says. "It's comfort food during the winter, a 'stick to your bones' soup!"

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Old-Fashioned Potato Soup

Credit: Westgal
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What's more comforting than a bowl of Old-Fashioned Potato Soup? Two bowls. Lenten-friendly chicken bouillon powder adds flavor, but this rich recipe is otherwise meatless.

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Creamy Salmon Chowder

Credit: Kim
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Not your average chowder. Carrots, potatoes, green beans, peas, and corn join salmon in a creamy soup that's neither too light nor too indulgent.

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Vegetarian Kale Soup

Credit: CFraser
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Feel good about Friday's dinner with a top-rated soup that's chock full of leafy greens, tomatoes, starchy potatoes, and cannellini beans. Reviewers tell us this easy, eight-serving recipe even gets the thumbs up from preschool-age kids. 

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Spicy Shrimp Gumbo

Credit: Maryregina Pacheco
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Our Spicy Shrimp Gumbo takes about an hour to make, and though it's half the time of the average gumbo, you can always prepare it the night before to let the flavors meld overnight.

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Sandy's Homemade Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

Credit: Kim's Cooking Now
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Home cooks love that this super creamy soup uses fresh vegetables, takes very little time to prep, and fills up their families. It averages five-star reviews for a reason. 

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Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Soup

Credit: Rox
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Use our slurp-worthy Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Soup as a canvas for herbs and sauces. The recipe suggests hot pepper sauce and hoisin sauce, but take a cue from reviewers and add basil, cilantro, mint, and lime wedge for zing.

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New Year's Soup

Credit: KBaum
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New Year's Day has come and gone, but this healthy soup is still worth making through Lent. Plus, quinoa and black-eyed peas add the protein you need on a no-meat day.

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By Mary Claire Lagroue