10 Slow Cooker Fall Soup Recipes for Weight Loss

Soup is one of the more consistently studied foods for weight management: because it’s mostly water, it adds volume to a meal without adding many calories, and multiple studies on food volume and satiety have found people eat less at the next meal after starting with a broth-based soup (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). A slow cooker makes that easier to act on during a busy fall, ingredients go in during the morning and dinner is ready without any evening effort.

These 10 recipes are all built for a slow cooker, all under 300 calories per serving, and all carry enough protein and fiber that a bowl works as a full dinner rather than something you need to pad out with a side.

Why Slow-Cooked Soup Works for Weight Loss

Beyond the volume effect, the long, low cook time of a slow cooker breaks down tough cuts of meat and fibrous vegetables without needing added fat to keep them from drying out, the way a quick sear or roast sometimes does (Mayo Clinic). That means a slow cooker soup can use leaner cuts of meat and still come out tender, which keeps the calorie count down without sacrificing texture. Building each recipe around a real protein source, whether that’s beans, lentils, chicken, turkey, or beef, is what turns a light broth-based soup into something that actually holds you over through a fall evening. If you want dinner on the table in under an hour instead, our healthy Instant Pot recipes use pressure cooking to get similar tender results much faster.

1. Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Stew

A classic, no-frills beef stew that only gets better as it sits in the slow cooker all day.

Why It Works: Lean stew beef becomes fork-tender after hours on low heat, and the long cook time means you can use a leaner, cheaper cut without ending up with anything tough or dry.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 8 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb lean stew beef, cubed
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 3 potatoes, cubed
• 1 diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and stir to combine.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours, until beef is fork-tender.
3. Season to taste before serving.

2. Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Wild rice adds a chewy texture and nutty flavor that holds up better in the slow cooker than white rice, which tends to turn mushy.

Why It Works: Chicken breast keeps this lean and high in protein, while wild rice contributes more fiber than white rice for a similar calorie cost.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 6 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 3/4 cup wild rice, rinsed
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 diced onion
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Instructions:

1. Add chicken, rice, vegetables, broth, and seasoning to a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours, until chicken and rice are fully cooked.
3. Remove chicken, shred, and return to the pot before serving.

3. Slow Cooker Lentil and Vegetable Soup

An entirely plant-based option that still lands well over 10 grams of protein per bowl, thanks to the lentils. For more ideas, see our high-protein lentil recipes for weight loss.

Why It Works: Lentils are one of the highest-fiber legumes available and don’t need pre-soaking, so this is one of the easiest recipes on the list to just dump and cook.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 7 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 diced onion
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and stir to combine.
2. Cook on low for 7 hours, until lentils are tender.

4. Slow Cooker White Bean and Kale Soup

A simpler, greener take on Tuscan-style bean soup, with kale stirred in near the end so it doesn’t overcook.

Why It Works: White beans bring both protein and fiber in one ingredient, and kale added late in the cook keeps some texture instead of dissolving into the broth completely.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 7 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• 1 diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

1. Add beans, onion, garlic, broth, and seasoning to a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6.5 hours, then stir in kale and olive oil and cook 30 more minutes.

5. Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

A hands-off chili that only needs the turkey browned first, everything else goes in raw.

Why It Works: Ground turkey and two kinds of beans stack protein sources on top of each other, making this the highest-protein soup on the list.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 7 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb lean ground turkey, browned
• 1 can (15oz) kidney beans, drained
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, drained
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 diced onion
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Instructions:

1. Brown the turkey in a skillet, then transfer to a slow cooker with all remaining ingredients.
2. Cook on low for 7 hours, stirring occasionally if convenient.

6. Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

A vegetable-forward Italian classic that’s easy to adapt with whatever produce is on hand.

Why It Works: This is the lowest-calorie soup on the list, mostly vegetables and beans, which makes it a good option when you want real volume without a big calorie cost.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 6 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15oz) kidney beans, drained
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 diced onion
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup small whole wheat pasta, added in the last hour

Instructions:

1. Add beans, vegetables, tomatoes, broth, and seasoning to a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 5 hours, then stir in pasta and cook 1 more hour, until pasta is tender.

7. Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

A cold-weather classic that turns into a thick, hearty soup almost entirely on its own.

Why It Works: Split peas are naturally high in fiber and, unlike some legumes, break down into a creamy texture without needing any cream added, which keeps the fat content low.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 8 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups dried split peas, rinsed
• 1 cup diced lean ham
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 diced onion
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and stir to combine.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours, until peas have broken down into a thick soup.
3. Remove bay leaf before serving.

8. Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Shredded chicken, black beans, and corn in a tomato-chile broth, finished with toppings just before serving.

Why It Works: Shredding the chicken after slow cooking means it stays moist through the long cook time, and the toppings (avocado, lime, cilantro) let you customize richness without changing what’s actually cooking in the pot.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 6 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, drained
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 diced onion
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Lime, avocado, and cilantro to top

Instructions:

1. Add chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, broth, and cumin to a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours, then shred the chicken and return to the pot.
3. Top individual bowls with lime, avocado, and cilantro before serving.

9. Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

Barley adds a chewy bite and extra fiber compared to a beef soup made with rice or potatoes alone.

Why It Works: Barley is one of the higher-fiber grains available, and combined with lean beef this becomes one of the more filling soups on the list, gram for gram.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 8 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb lean stew beef, cubed
• 3/4 cup pearl barley
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 diced onion
• 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and stir to combine.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours, until beef is tender and barley has cooked through.

10. Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup with Sausage

Chicken or turkey sausage adds savory depth to a simple cabbage-and-tomato broth.

Why It Works: Cabbage is extremely low in calories per cup but adds real volume, and browning the sausage first (a quick step outside the slow cooker) builds more flavor into the broth than adding it raw would.

Prep Time: 15 minutes  |  Cook Time: 6 hours (slow cooker)  |  Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken or turkey sausage, sliced and browned
• 1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
• 1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 diced onion
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions:

1. Brown the sausage in a skillet, then transfer to a slow cooker with all remaining ingredients.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours, until cabbage is tender.

Tips for Meal Prepping These Soups

• Almost all of these freeze well for up to 3 months. The exceptions are soups with pasta (minestrone) or dairy, both of which change texture after freezing, so add pasta fresh when reheating a frozen batch.
• Brown meat the night before if mornings are tight. Storing browned turkey or sausage in the fridge overnight means the actual slow cooker assembly takes under 5 minutes in the morning.
• Low and slow beats high and fast for tough cuts. If a recipe calls for stew beef, cooking on low for the full time breaks down connective tissue more completely than rushing it on high.
• Taste and adjust salt at the end. Broth brands vary widely in sodium, so season right before serving rather than at the start.

Quick Reference: All 10 Recipes at a Glance

Bottom Line

A slow cooker takes almost all the effort out of a hearty fall dinner, and soup in particular is one of the more evidence-backed ways to eat a filling, lower-calorie meal. Built around real protein and fiber instead of just broth and starch, these 10 recipes turn a hands-off cooking method into a genuine tool for weight loss, not just convenience.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized advice from a registered dietitian or your healthcare provider.

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