Vegetable soup: a starter that trimmed lunch in the lab

In a randomized crossover study of 60 normal-weight adults, eating vegetable soup before lunch cut total meal energy by 20%, about 134 calories, in single laboratory lunches, and long-term weight was not tested. Chunky soup, pureed soup and broth with the vegetables served apart showed no significant difference. In 68 overweight and obese women, 6.8 fl oz (200 ml) of vegetable soup with added MSG before lunch lowered energy eaten at lunch compared with the same soup without it, and the abstract gives no size for that drop. Salt is the number to watch. A cup of US vegetable soup is 245 g with about 66 calories, 2.5 g of fiber and 595 mg of sodium, recalculated from 100 g values. A whole 19 oz (525 g) can of canned vegetable soup holds about 1365 mg of sodium, and the reduced sodium version about 961 mg.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• In the UK composition table, homemade vegetable soup carries 1206 micrograms of carotene per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 18 in canned, while canned has less fat and sodium. — CoFID records for homemade and canned vegetable soup (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Carotene 1206 vs 18 ug, fat 4.2 vs 0.6 g, sodium 315 vs 230 mg, energy 55 vs 39 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A cup of vegetable soup in the US survey is 245 g with about 66 calories, 2.5 g of fiber and 595 mg of sodium. — FNDDS record Soup, vegetable (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 27 calories, fiber 1 g, sodium 243 mg; per cup 245 g
• A whole 19 oz (525 g) can of US canned vegetable soup holds about 1365 mg of sodium, and the reduced sodium version about 961 mg. — FNDDS records for canned vegetable soup, regular and reduced sodium (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Sodium 260 vs 183 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g); per can 1365 vs 960.8 mg

What your body absorbs

• In a 4-week randomized crossover trial, adding five portions of fruit and vegetables as carotenoid-rich soups and drinks raised plasma beta-carotene by 250% and lowered homocysteine by 8.8%. — Adult volunteers on fish oil supplementation (n = not given in abstract) Evidence B source
  Plasma alpha-carotene +362%, beta-carotene +250%, lycopene +31%, homocysteine -8.8% (P<0.01); oxidative stress markers unchanged
• With a rice and vegetable soup meal, women absorbed 13.0% of iron from ferrous sulfate fortified fish sauce against 8.7% from ferrous lactate. — Adult women, 10 per absorption study (n = 10 per study) Evidence B source
  Fractional iron absorption 13.0% (ferrous sulfate) vs 8.7% (ferrous lactate), P = 0.003

What cooking and storage change

• In a randomized crossover study of 60 adults, eating vegetable soup before lunch cut total meal energy by 20%, about 134 calories, whether the soup was chunky, pureed or broth with vegetables served apart. — Normal-weight men and women, lunch once a week for 5 weeks (n = 60) Evidence B source
  Meal energy intake -20% (134 +/- 25 calories) vs no preload; soup form made no significant difference

What it does to your health

• In a double-blind crossover trial of 68 overweight and obese women, 6.8 fl oz (200 ml) of vegetable soup with 0.5 g/100 ml of MSG before lunch lowered lunch energy intake compared with the same soup without MSG. — Overweight and obese women without eating disorders, BMI 25.0-39.9 (n = 68) Evidence B source
  Significantly lower lunch energy intake and less energy from high-fat savory foods; size not given in abstract

Safety, limits and interactions

• A 10-month-old developed methemoglobinemia at 22% after a homemade potato and chard puree kept 3 days in the fridge, and the authors advise eating vegetable soups straight after preparation, keeping them no more than 24 hours in the fridge, or freezing them. — One 10-month-old girl (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Methemoglobin 22%, resolved with methylene blue
• A woman taking orlistat for over a year, who drank vegetable soup and strong herbal tea daily, developed oxalate crystal acute kidney injury that resolved after the drug was stopped. — One adult woman on orlistat (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Intratubular oxalate crystals on biopsy; renal function recovered after withdrawal

Who this works differently for

• Toddlers who were served spinach and endive soups twice a week for 7 weeks ate about 2 oz (58 g) more of them afterward, an effect of repeated exposure. — Healthy toddlers, mean age 35 months (n = 28 analyzed of 40) Evidence B source
  Ad libitum intake +58 g for both vegetable soups, stable at 2 and 6 months

The bottom line

Homemade and canned soup differ. In the UK table homemade vegetable soup has 1206 micrograms of carotene per 3.5 oz (100 g) against 18 in canned, 4.2 g of fat against 0.6 g, and 315 mg of sodium against 230 mg. The homemade recipe used more carrot and added fat, so the gap reflects recipe as well as processing. In a 4-week randomized crossover trial in adults taking fish oil, adding five portions of fruit and vegetables as carotenoid-rich soups and drinks raised plasma beta-carotene by 250% and lowered homocysteine by 8.8%. Soups and drinks were pooled there, and the abstract does not say how many volunteers took part. With a rice and vegetable soup meal, 10 women per study absorbed 13.0% of iron from fish sauce fortified with ferrous sulfate against 8.7% from ferrous lactate, a comparison of fortificants with the soup only as the vehicle. Toddlers can learn to eat it. Children around 35 months old who were served spinach and endive soups twice a week for 7 weeks ate about 2 oz (58 g) more of them afterward, and the gain held at 2 and 6 months. The study was small, analyzing 28 of 40 children, and adding energy to the soup made no difference to intake. Storage matters for babies. A 10-month-old developed methemoglobinemia at 22% after a homemade potato and chard puree kept 3 days in the fridge, a single case, and the authors advise eating vegetable soups within 24 hours of making them or freezing them. A woman who had taken orlistat for over a year and drank vegetable soup and strong herbal tea daily developed acute kidney injury with oxalate crystals, which resolved after the drug was stopped. That is also a single case, and the authors note that orlistat itself can cause excess oxalate. We have no card on vegetable soup in pregnancy.

Sources

1. vgsp-r3-10 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   Soup, vegetable, homemade (CoFID 17-684): Energy 55 kcal; Fat 4.2 g; Protein 1.0 g; Sodium 315 mg; Carotene 1206 ug per 100 g. Soup, vegetable, canned (CoFID 17-712): Energy 39 kcal; Fat 0.6 g; Protein 1.4 g; Sodium 230 mg; Carotene 18 ug per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, codes 17-684 and 17-712 · checked 2026-09-29
2. vgsp-r3-08 · USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, dataset
   Soup, vegetable (FDC 2710113): 1 cup 245 g; Energy 27 kcal, Fiber, total dietary 1 g, Sodium, Na 243 mg per 100 g; per cup 66.2 kcal, 2.5 g fiber, 595.4 mg sodium
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, FDC 2710113 (code 75649110) · checked 2026-09-29
3. vgsp-r3-09 · USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, dataset
   Soup, vegetable, canned (FDC 2710111): Sodium, Na 260 mg per 100 g; 1 can 525 g, 1365.0 mg. Soup, vegetable, canned, reduced sodium (FDC 2710112): Sodium, Na 183 mg per 100 g; 1 can 525 g, 960.8 mg
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, FDC 2710111 and 2710112 · checked 2026-09-29
4. vgsp-r3-02 · Randomized crossover trial
   Compared with the control treatment, consumption of the carotenoid-rich soups and beverages increased dietary carotenoids, vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol, potassium, and folate, and the plasma concentrations of alpha-carotene (362%), beta-carotene (250%) and lycopene (31%) (P < 0.01) and decreased the plasma homocysteine concentration by 8.8% (P < 0.01).
   J Nutr, 2006 · checked 2026-09-29
5. vgsp-r3-03 · Randomized crossover trial
   In three separate absorption studies, 10 adult women each consumed a basic test meal of rice and vegetable soup seasoned with isotopically labeled, iron fortified fish sauce. ... Fractional iron absorption (geometric mean; -1s.d., +1s.d.) was 8.7(3.6; 21.4)% for ferrous lactate compared to 13.0(5.4; 31.4)% from ferrous sulfate, P = 0.003 (study 1)
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2005 · checked 2026-09-29
6. vgsp-r3-01 · Randomized crossover trial
   When soup was consumed, subjects reduced meal energy intake by 20% (134+/-25 kcal; 561+/-105 kJ). The type of soup had no significant effect on test meal intake or total meal energy intake.
   Appetite, 2007 · checked 2026-09-29
7. vgsp-r3-04 · Randomized crossover trial
   A fixed portion (200 ml) of control vegetable soup or the same soup with added MSG (0·5 g/100 ml) was provided 10 min before an ad libitum lunch and an ad libitum snack in the mid-afternoon. ... The soup with MSG in comparison with the control soup resulted in significantly lower consumption of energy at lunch.
   Br J Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
8. vgsp-r3-06 · Case report
   The consumption of vegetable soups must occur immediately after preparation. Storage in a refrigerator must last no more than 24 h and if longer storage is needed, vegetable soups should be frozen.
   Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
9. vgsp-r3-07 · Case report
   This patient had a habit of drinking vegetable soup and strong herbal tea daily. Orlistat, an intestinal lipase inhibitor, may cause secondary hyperoxaluria, that is, intestinal hyperoxaluria.
   Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
10. vgsp-r3-05 · Randomized intervention
    Results showed a significant increase (~58g) in ad libitum intake for both vegetable soups (stable over time), but irrespective of the energy content.
    Appetite, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29