Soup vs stew: nutrition compared
Full comparison · Protein · Calories · Carbs · Healthier
Per 3.5 oz (100 g), soup has 49 calories and 3.5 g of protein; stew has 107 calories and 8.8 g. Fiber: 1.8 g vs 1.3 g.
Where each one is ahead
- Stew has clearly more protein (18% DV vs 7%), vitamin a (14% DV vs 4%), vitamin b12 (32% DV vs 4%).
Side by side, per 3.5 oz (100 g)
| Soup | Stew | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 49 calories | 107 calories |
| Protein | 3.5 g (7% DV) | 8.8 g (18% DV) |
| Fat | 1.3 g (2% DV) | 5.1 g (6% DV) |
| Saturated fat | 0.35 g (2% DV) | 1.9 g (10% DV) |
| Carbohydrate | 6.1 g (2% DV) | 6.3 g (2% DV) |
| Fiber | 1.8 g (6% DV) | 1.3 g (5% DV) |
| Total sugars | 1.3 g | 1.6 g |
| Sodium | 247 mg (11% DV) | 307 mg (13% DV) |
| Potassium | 169 mg (4% DV) | 254 mg (5% DV) |
| Calcium | 14 mg (1% DV) | 17 mg (1% DV) |
| Iron | 0.7 mg (4% DV) | 1 mg (5% DV) |
| Magnesium | 13 mg (3% DV) | 16 mg (4% DV) |
| Vitamin A | 40 mcg (4% DV) | 130 mcg (14% DV) |
| Vitamin C | 5.2 mg (6% DV) | 7 mg (8% DV) |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin K | 10 mcg (9% DV) | 5.9 mcg (5% DV) |
| Folate | 33 mcg (8% DV) | 15 mcg (4% DV) |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.1 mcg (4% DV) | 0.8 mcg (32% DV) |
| Cholesterol | 7 mg (2% DV) | 27 mg (9% DV) |
— not reported by USDA for this food.
Per typical serving
Servings differ: 1 cup (8.6 oz, 245 g) of soup and 1 cup (9 oz, 255 g) of stew, the serving sizes we use for each (USDA household measures; 4 oz for meat and fish).
| Soup | Stew | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 120 calories | 273 calories |
| Protein | 8.6 g (17% DV) | 22.3 g (45% DV) |
| Fat | 3.2 g (4% DV) | 12.9 g (17% DV) |
| Saturated fat | 0.86 g (4% DV) | 4.9 g (25% DV) |
| Carbohydrate | 14.9 g (5% DV) | 16 g (6% DV) |
| Fiber | 4.4 g (16% DV) | 3.3 g (12% DV) |
| Total sugars | 3.2 g | 4 g |
| Sodium | 605 mg (26% DV) | 783 mg (34% DV) |
| Potassium | 414 mg (9% DV) | 648 mg (14% DV) |
— not reported by USDA for this food.
What the numbers don't tell you
Most people want the difference between the dishes. We have no evidence that defines either, and this page is about food, not the video game. Per cup in the table, soup has about 120 calories, 8.6 g of protein and 605 mg of sodium, and beef stew about 273 calories, 22 g and 783 mg. Homemade is no guarantee of less salt. A standard UK homemade vegetable soup has 315 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), canned 230 mg.
As a starter, vegetable soup cut total lunch calories by 20 percent in a randomized trial in 60 adults, whatever its texture, over single lab meals. In stew the liquid holds nutrients. By USDA factors, braised beef eaten without its juices keeps 55 percent of its potassium and 35 percent of its vitamin B6, against 100 and 50 with them.
Big pots need care. CDC links food cooked in large batches and held at unsafe temperatures to outbreaks. In one outbreak in Uganda, 97 percent of the sick had eaten leftover beef stew, against 40 percent of those who stayed well. Refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat leftovers to 165 °F (74 °C). On hemodialysis, soup counts toward your liquid limit.
Soup as a starter may shrink the meal, stew gives more protein per cup, and its juices keep nutrients.
Evidence behind this note
- Level E UK food tables list homemade vegetable soup at 315 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), more than canned vegetable soup at 230 mg. CoFID 2021, Public Health England, codes 17-684 and 17-712
- Level B In a randomized crossover trial in 60 adults, eating vegetable soup before lunch cut total meal energy by 20%, whatever form the soup took. Appetite, 2007
- Level E By the USDA table, braised beef eaten without its juices keeps only 55% of potassium and niacin and 35% of vitamin B6, against 100%, 90% and 50% when the juices are eaten too. USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007)
- Level E CDC links C. perfringens outbreaks to foods cooked in large batches and held at unsafe temperatures. It advises keeping cooked food at 140 F or hotter or 40 F or colder, refrigerating within 2 hours of cooking and reheating leftovers to 165 F. CDC, Preventing C. perfringens Food Poisoning
- Level C In a funeral food poisoning outbreak in Uganda, 97% of cases against 40% of controls had eaten leftover beef stew for breakfast (OR 57). BMC Infect Dis, 2025
- Level E For people on hemodialysis, NIH's kidney institute says limiting salt is one way to limit how much liquid they take in, because salt makes you thirsty. It also says foods that are liquid at room temperature, such as soup, contain water and count toward that liquid. NIDDK (NIH), Eating & Nutrition for Hemodialysis
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Soup: a starter that shrinks the meal and quietly adds salt
- Stew: keep the juices, respect the leftovers
Rankings and guides
Where the numbers come from
- Soup: USDA FoodData Central, Soup, NFS, FDC ID 2709144 · all forms of soup
- Stew: USDA FoodData Central, Stew, beef, FDC ID 2706592 · all forms of stew
Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.