3 soup recipes that are just like salads, as shared by chefs and authors

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A warm soup is often the perfect match for cold days around this time of year.

While a variety of soups can offer great flavor and texture, many are also quite nutritious – almost like a salad.

Boston-based registered dietitian Meagan Curtell, MS, RD, LDN (@nutrition_by_meagan), even started a viral series on TikTok called "soups that are basically salads" — featuring soup recipes that are delicious and healthy.

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Below are three soup recipes shared by different chefs that are both delicious and great for your health.

Dig right in!

Coconut Lentil Soup by chef?Hiranth Jayasinghe

Hiranth Jayasinghe is the chef at New York City's Plant Junkie, a vegan restaurant that specializes in "100% plant-based comfort food."

Chef?Hiranth Jayasinghe's coconut lentil soup includes butternut squash, carrots and celery. (iStock)

Ingredients

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 cup medium diced carrots

1/2 cup medium diced celery

1/2 cup medium diced butternut squash

1/2 cup medium diced potatoes

1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes

1 cup French green lentils

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

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1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 tablespoon curry powder (Madras or Jamaican)

6 curry leaves (if available)

4 cups vegetable stock

1 can 14-ounce coconut milk

2 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish ? cup chopped cilantro (or scallions)

Vegan yogurt if desired

This lentil soup involves various spices, including turmeric and curry powder. (iStock)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and lightly browned around the edges, approximately 8 to 10 minutes, reducing heat as needed to not burn.

3. With heat on low, add garlic, ginger, turmeric, curry powder and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Increase heat to medium-high. Add squash, potatoes, celery and carrots. Sautee for 5 to 7 minutes until squash and potatoes soften.

5. Increase heat to high. Add tomatoes, lentils, stock, coconut milk, ? tsp salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Bring it to a boil.

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6. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes.

7. Stir in lime juice. If the soup is too thick, add ? cup more vegetable stock, repeat to desired thickness.

8. Serve in a bowl with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro (or scallion) on top. Add a dollop of vegan yogurt if desired.

This recipe is owned by chef Hiranth Jayasinghe and was shared with Fox News Digital.

Green Pozole with Zucchini, Chayote and Mushrooms by chef Pati Jinich

Serves 8

Washington, D.C.-area chef and cookbook author Pati Jinich told Fox News Digital that it's "rare to find a pozole without any meat." 

Yet the mix of vegetables like zucchini and mushrooms "stand in" for the traditional pork or chicken in this dish.

Chef Pati Jinich's green pozole uses zucchini and mushrooms instead of the traditional pork or chicken. (Pati Jinich)

"I had been loyal to the bold, bright, festive red pozole since I could first hold a spoon and even had it at my wedding," she said. 

"But one bite of this velvety, smooth, nurturing green pozole allowed me to let a second type of pozole deep into my heart."

Ingredients

? cup pumpkin seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1 pound tomatillos (about 6 medium), husked, thoroughly rinsed, and quartered

1 pound poblano chiles (4 or 5), seeded and coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped white onion

1? cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and upper part of stems

1 garlic clove

1 cup water

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3 tablespoons canola or safflower oil

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or to taste

8 cups vegetable or chicken broth, homemade or store-bought

3 cups cooked hominy (one 29-ounce can) or cooked dried hominy 

1? pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), diced (4 cups)

1? pounds chayote squash (about 2), peeled and diced (4 cups)

8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned, and diced

For the garnish

2 limes, quartered 

Chopped fresh cilantro 

Chopped white onion

4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced

Jinich's green pozole calls for fresh chayote squash that is peeled and diced. (iStock)

Directions

1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until they begin to brown and pop, like popcorn. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Toast the oregano in the same pan for 8 to 10 seconds, just until it goes from green to brown, stirring constantly and taking care not to burn. Immediately transfer to the bowl with the pumpkin seeds.

3. Place the tomatillos, chiles, onion, cilantro and garlic in a blender, add the water and purée until smooth.

4. In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the green purée. It will sizzle, sear and smoke, which is what you want! 

5. Add the salt and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken and darken in color and the flavors will intensify.

6. Meanwhile, place the toasted pumpkin seeds and oregano in the blender, along with 3 cups of the broth, and purée until completely smooth.

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7. Stir the pumpkin seed mixture into the simmering green sauce and reduce the heat to medium. Cover partially, as the mixture will splutter, and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir from time to time to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot; it will be thicker and pastier on the bottom.

8. Add the remaining 5 cups broth and bring to a simmer. Add the hominy, cover partially and simmer for 10 minutes. 

9. Stir in the zucchini, chayote and mushrooms, cover partially and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the soup is thick and olive green. Taste and adjust the seasoning. 

10. Ladle the pozole into bowls and serve, passing the garnishes on the side.

This recipe is owned by chef Pati Jinich and was shared with Fox News Digital.

Nutritious Vegetable Soup by chef Joseph Hawke

In chef Joseph Hawke's upcoming cookbook, "The Man Cave Cooking Guide: How to Feed Your Family – and Yourself – with Love," the author and home cook shares a healthy alternative for winter that's similar to a cold salad in the summer.

This vegetable soup was prepared by at-home cook and author Joseph Hawke, author of "The Man Cave Cooking Guide: How to Feed Your Family – and Yourself – with Love." (Joe Hawke)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

? cup finely diced onion

1 clove garlic

? cup mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 fresh plum tomato, diced

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

? cup bell pepper (green, red or yellow), chopped

Kosher salt and grinds from a pepper mill, to taste

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Dash cayenne pepper or paprika

2 cups chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian option)

2 cups cooked (or 1 can) black beans, drained

2 stalks green onion, cleaned, trimmed and sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro cleaned, trimmed and chopped

Optional heat: Up to seven whole green Thai chilis

1 cup brown rice (uncooked, see remaining instructions below)

Sour cream or yogurt to taste

Some ingredients for vegetable soup include bell peppers, mushrooms, black beans, spinach and more. (Joe Hawke)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan or medium pot, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat.

2. Add the cumin seeds, then toss in the diced onion. If you like onion, feel free to add more than ? cup. This is the minimum to give it the intended flavor. This onion can be yellow, white or red. Use what you have.

3. Add the garlic, then add the sliced mushrooms. Cover and let the mushrooms cook. Uncover after a couple of minutes and stir, being sure to flip the mushroom slices for even frying.

4. Uncover and add the diced tomatoes, chopped spinach and bell peppers. If you’re game for the chilis, add them at this time.

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5. Season with ? teaspoon to 1 teaspoon (or 3 fat pinches) of kosher salt and crank your pepper mill at least five times. Be sure to knock your pepper mill before you put it down so you get the goodness into the pot. Also add the cayenne or paprika now (feel free to turn it up if you like spice).

6. Cover again to wilt the spinach and allow the tomatoes, peppers and spices to cook, stirring occasionally. The spinach, tomatoes and peppers will add liquid.

7. Uncover and add the broth as well as the black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

The rice can be prepared before the soup or while the soup thickens. (iStock)

Rice directions

The rice can be made in advance or concurrently while the soup thickens.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter (use olive oil for a vegetarian/vegan option)

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups water, beef or chicken broth, or a combination thereof

Directions

1. Melt/heat the butter/oil.

2. Rinse the rice and place the drained rice in the butter/oil.

3. Turn the heat up and stir to coat the rice grains.

4. Add the liquid and bring to a gentle boil, then turn down and cover. Brown rice will need about fifty (50) minutes to cook fully. Be patient. Don’t allow to boil over, move off the heat if it starts to, and don't be afraid to uncover and stir to see how it's progressing. 

5. When the liquid is below the rice, keep the top on for the remainder of the time and as you get closer to the end of fifty minutes, feel free to turn up the heat until you can see the steam coming out from under the lid. For the last 3-5 minutes, turn off the burner and allow the rice to rest covered on a cool burner.

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 6. While the rice is cooking and the soup is thickening, line up your trimmed and cleaned green onions and cilantro and chop finely. This will be a garnish on the served soup.

 7. Remove the sour cream or yogurt (plain, whole milk) from the refrigerator. If you eat dairy, this will be a dollop on the served soup.

8. Scoop some rice into a bowl and add the soup. Top with dairy, green onions and cilantro.

This recipe is owned by chef Joseph Hawke and was shared with Fox News Digital.