10 Best Soup Recipes for Soft Food Diet

Sometimes you just need food that feels like a warm hug. Whether you’re recovering, dealing with dental stuff, or just want something gentle on your system, these soups are total comfort in a bowl. Nothing complicated, promise.

I’ve been making these for years, and they’re so easy you’ll wonder why you didn’t try them sooner.

1. Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, quartered
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil for garnish

Instructions:

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and toss in your onion and garlic.

Let them cook for about 3 minutes until they smell amazing. Not browned, just soft. If your garlic starts to get too dark, lower the heat a bit.

This is basically building all your flavor right here, so don’t rush it.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes, broth, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pot.

Bring everything to a boil, then drop it down to a simmer. The sugar helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes. Trust me on this.

Let it cook for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are completely soft and falling apart. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Step 3: Grab your immersion blender and blend everything until it’s totally smooth.

No chunks at all. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer it to a regular blender in batches. Just be careful because hot soup and blenders can be messy.

I learned that the hard way.

Step 4: Stir in the heavy cream and let it heat through for another 2 minutes.

Don’t let it boil once the cream is in or it might curdle. Just a gentle simmer. Taste it now and adjust your salt if needed.

Top with fresh basil and maybe a drizzle of cream. Honestly, this is my favorite part.

2. Chicken and Vegetable Puree Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless chicken breast
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add your chicken breast.

Season it with salt and pepper, then cook for about 6 minutes per side until it’s fully cooked through. You want no pink in the middle.

Once it’s done, pull it out and set it aside to cool. Don’t worry if it looks plain right now, it’s all coming together.

Step 2: In the same pot, add the carrots, celery, potato, and zucchini with the chicken broth.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. The vegetables should be really soft, like you can easily smash them with a fork.

While that’s going, shred your chicken into small pieces. This happens to everyone, but sometimes the chicken is still a little warm and that’s fine.

Step 3: Add the shredded chicken and spinach to the pot and cook for another 3 minutes.

The spinach will wilt down super fast, so just stir it in and let everything heat through. Quick check, make sure your veggies are totally tender.

Okay, now the fun part.

Step 4: Blend everything until completely smooth using an immersion blender.

You want zero lumps for a soft food diet, so really blend it well. If it’s too thick, add a splash more broth.

Taste and season with extra salt and pepper if needed. I always add a little more pepper at this point because I like the kick.

3. Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pumpkin seeds for garnish

Instructions:

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic.

Cook for about 4 minutes until soft and fragrant. You’ll know it’s ready when your kitchen smells really good.

Don’t let the garlic burn or it’ll taste bitter. Just keep stirring.

Step 2: Add the pumpkin cubes, broth, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the pot.

Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. The pumpkin needs to be super soft, almost mushy.

Stir it every now and then. Sometimes pieces stick to the bottom if you walk away too long. I do this all the time.

Step 3: Blend the soup until silky smooth using an immersion blender.

This soup should be creamy and velvety, no chunks. If you’re using a regular blender, do it in batches and be careful with the steam.

Hold the lid down with a towel.

Step 4: Stir in the coconut milk and heat for another 2 minutes without boiling.

The coconut milk adds this amazing richness. If you only have regular cream, that works too.

Taste it and see if it needs more salt. Top with a few pumpkin seeds for crunch and you’re done.

4. Lentil Soup (Fully Blended)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a pot and sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic for about 5 minutes.

You want everything softened but not browned. The carrots will take a bit longer than the onion, so just keep them moving.

Smells so good already, right?

Step 2: Add the lentils, broth, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes. Red lentils cook pretty fast and they’ll basically start falling apart on their own.

Stir occasionally so nothing sticks. If it looks too thick, add a little more broth.

Step 3: Blend the soup completely until smooth and creamy.

Red lentils blend beautifully into this thick, almost velvety texture. It’s kind of magical how smooth it gets.

If it’s too thick for your liking, thin it out with broth or water little by little.

Step 4: Stir in the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning.

The lemon really brightens everything up. Taste it before and after you add it, you’ll see what I mean.

This soup gets even better the next day, so make extra if you can.

5. Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chives for garnish

Instructions:

Step 1: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the sliced leeks.

Cook them for about 6 minutes until they’re really soft and sweet. Leeks can have sand in them, so make sure you rinsed them well before slicing.

They should look wilted and smell mild, not sharp.

Step 2: Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot.

Bring everything to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Let it cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

You should be able to smash them easily against the side of the pot. Pull out the bay leaf before the next step.

Step 3: Blend the soup until completely smooth and creamy.

This one gets so silky, it’s unreal. If you want it even richer, you can add a splash of cream instead of milk.

Blend it really well so there are no potato lumps.

Step 4: Stir in the milk and heat gently for another 3 minutes.

Don’t let it boil or the milk can separate. Just a low simmer. Taste and add more salt if you need it.

Top with chopped chives and maybe a little black pepper. Classic and so comforting.

6. Carrot and Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Coconut flakes for garnish

Instructions:

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat and add the onion and ginger.

Sauté for about 4 minutes until the onion softens and the ginger smells incredible. Fresh ginger is key here, the jarred stuff just isn’t the same.

If you’ve never grated ginger before, use a microplane or the small holes on a box grater.

Step 2: Add the carrots, broth, coriander, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. The carrots need to be completely soft so they blend easily.

Stir every so often. Sometimes I throw in a little extra broth if it’s reducing too much.

Step 3: Blend everything until the soup is perfectly smooth.

Carrots can be a little fibrous, so really blend it well. You want that silky texture.

If it’s too thick, add broth a little at a time until you get the consistency you like.

Step 4: Stir in the coconut milk and warm it through for 2 minutes.

The coconut milk balances the ginger and makes it creamy. Don’t skip this part.

Taste it and adjust the seasoning. Top with toasted coconut flakes if you want a little texture on top.

7. Cream of Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced (button or cremini work great)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step 1: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the mushrooms.

Cook them for about 8 minutes until they release their liquid and start to brown. Don’t stir them constantly, let them sit so they get some color.

This is where all the deep, earthy flavor comes from.

Step 2: Add the onion, garlic, and thyme and cook for another 3 minutes.

The onion should soften and the garlic will smell amazing. Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around for about a minute.

This will help thicken the soup later. It’ll look a little pasty but that’s totally normal.

Step 3: Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer, cooking for 15 minutes.

The soup will start to thicken as it cooks because of the flour. Stir occasionally and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.

Those bits are pure flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Blend the soup until smooth, then stir in the cream.

Some people like to leave a few mushroom chunks, but for a soft diet, blend it completely. Heat the cream through for another 2 minutes but don’t boil it.

Taste and adjust seasoning. I always add a little extra pepper at the end.

8. Soft Noodle Vegetable Soup (Strained)

Ingredients:

• 4 oz thin egg noodles
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a pot and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute.

Just until it’s fragrant, not browned. Add the broth, carrot, celery, and broccoli.

Bring it to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes until the veggies are really soft. You want them totally tender.

Step 2: Add the noodles and cook according to package directions, usually about 6 minutes.

Stir them occasionally so they don’t stick together. The noodles should be very soft, not al dente.

For a soft diet, you want them almost overcooked. Add the spinach in the last minute and let it wilt.

Step 3: Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing gently on the solids.

You’re keeping the broth and the really soft noodles, but removing the larger vegetable pieces. This gives you all the flavor without any chunks.

Save those veggies for something else if you want, or just compost them.

Step 4: Return the strained soup to the pot and reheat gently.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. The broth should be rich and flavorful from all those vegetables.

If it’s too thin, let it simmer for a few more minutes. So easy and comforting.

9. Sweet Corn Soup (Smooth)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

Step 1: Melt butter in a pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic.

Cook for about 4 minutes until soft. Add the corn, broth, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. The corn should be really tender. Frozen corn works just as well as fresh here, honestly.

Step 2: Blend the soup completely until it’s silky smooth.

Corn can be a little tricky to blend, so really give it time. You want zero graininess.

If you’re using a regular blender, you might need to blend it in smaller batches. A high speed blender works best.

Step 3: Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer back into the pot.

This removes any bits of corn skin or fiber that didn’t blend completely. It takes an extra minute but makes a huge difference in texture.

Press gently with a spoon to get all the liquid through.

Step 4: Stir in the cream and heat through for 2 minutes.

Don’t let it boil. Taste and adjust your seasoning. This soup is naturally sweet, so you might want a pinch more salt.

Garnish with parsley and a swirl of cream. So simple but so good.

10. Rice Congee (Rice Soup)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup jasmine rice
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 green onions, white parts only
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• Green onion tops for garnish

Instructions:

Step 1: Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear.

This removes excess starch and keeps the congee from getting too gummy. Put the rice, broth, ginger, garlic, and green onion whites in a pot.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest simmer. This is going to take a while, so get comfortable.

Step 2: Let it cook uncovered for about 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

The rice will break down and the soup will get really thick and creamy. It should look almost porridge-like.

If it’s getting too thick, add more broth. I usually add about a cup more during cooking.

Step 3: Remove the ginger slices, garlic, and green onion pieces.

They’ve done their job flavoring everything. Use a slotted spoon to fish them out.

The rice should be completely broken down and the congee should be smooth and creamy. Stir in the sesame oil.

Step 4: Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

White pepper is traditional here and has a different flavor than black pepper. Start with a little and add more if you want.

Garnish with sliced green onion tops. This is the ultimate comfort food when you need something gentle and warm.

Final Thoughts

These soups are lifesavers when you need something soft and easy to eat. They’re all packed with flavor and won’t leave you feeling like you’re missing out. Make a big batch and freeze extras for later.

Which one are you trying first? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or your own favorite soft soup recipes.