5 Gundry-Approved Lectin-Free Soups for Chilly Nights
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This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Talk with your clinician before changing your diet, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication.
Soup season is here, and it is one of the easiest times of year to eat lectin-light. A big pot of soup can be built almost entirely from Dr. Gundry–friendly basics — leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, leeks and onions, pastured chicken, olive oil and good stock — without leaning on potatoes, tomatoes, wheat noodles or corn.
This week’s roundup collects five warming soups from the Gundry MD lectin-free recipe library. All credit for the recipes goes to Dr. Steven Gundry, the Gundry MD team and the recipe creators named below. We are not reprinting their recipes — you’ll find our own quick take on each one, why it fits a lectin-free plan, and the gear and pantry items that make it easier. Tap through to Gundry MD for the full ingredient lists and steps.
Watch the Quick Video Guide
Why soup works so well on a lectin-free plan
- Easy swaps. Cauliflower stands in for potatoes, and lectin-free flours such as sorghum can thicken a broth instead of wheat.
- Lots of vegetables in one bowl. Dr. Gundry often emphasizes leafy greens and other polyphenol-rich vegetables; soup is a painless way to eat more of them.
- You control the sodium. Gundry MD points out that many store-bought and restaurant soups are high in salt. Homemade lets you season to taste.
- Pressure cooking helps with beans. Dr. Gundry generally advises limiting beans and legumes, and says that if you eat them, pressure cooking is the way to reduce their lectin content.
Watch: Dr. Gundry makes broccoli cheddar soup
1. Dr. Gundry’s Lemon Chicken Kale Soup
Think of this one as chicken noodle soup where the “noodles” are ribbons of kale. Shredded pastured chicken simmers in a bright, lemony broth, with a touch of Dijon and balsamic for depth and a shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. It is the most beginner-friendly soup in this roundup and a great way to win over leafy-green skeptics.
Why it fits: No grains, no nightshades — just greens, aromatics, olive oil and pasture-raised poultry. Gundry MD also notes it freezes well, which makes it ideal for packed lunches.
Key gear and pantry: a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, a good low-sodium or homemade chicken stock, and a few pint jars if you want single-serve portions in the freezer.
👉 Full recipe: Dr. Gundry’s Lemon Chicken Kale Soup on GundryMD.com
2. Dr. Gundry’s Leek & Cauliflower “Potato” Soup
Classic leek-and-potato soup gets a lectin-free makeover: cauliflower replaces the potatoes, then everything is blended into a silky, creamy bowl. Leeks bring a mellow, sweet onion flavor, and a little Parmesan and nutmeg make it taste far richer than it is.
Why it fits: Potatoes are a nightshade, so swapping in cauliflower keeps the comfort while dropping the lectins. Gundry MD also highlights leeks as a prebiotic, inulin-rich vegetable for your gut bugs.
Key gear and pantry: an immersion blender makes this a one-pot job (and avoids pouring hot soup into a blender). Use a large Dutch oven — the recipe makes a big batch.
👉 Full recipe: Dr. Gundry’s Leek & Cauliflower Soup on GundryMD.com
🛒 What you’ll need: Dutch oven and blended soups
- Lodge Essential Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, 6 qt — heavy enough to sauté aromatics and simmer big batches without scorching.
- MuellerLiving Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender — purée cauliflower and broccoli soups right in the pot.
- OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Ladle — for clean pours into bowls and jars.
- Ball Wide Mouth Pint Jars (12-pack) — handy single-serve portions; leave headspace when freezing.
3. Dr. Gundry’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Yes, broccoli cheddar soup can be lectin-friendly. Gundry MD’s version gets its creaminess from coconut cream instead of a flour-and-milk base, and swaps regular cheddar for goat’s milk cheddar. It comes together quickly on the stovetop, and the recipe notes a vegan option using nutritional yeast and vegetable stock.
Why it fits: No wheat roux, and Dr. Gundry generally prefers goat or sheep dairy over A1-casein cow’s milk. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable he regularly champions.
Key gear and pantry: canned coconut cream, goat’s milk cheddar (check your grocer’s specialty cheese case), and the immersion blender above if you like it smooth.
👉 Full recipe: Dr. Gundry’s Broccoli Cheddar Soup on GundryMD.com
4. Lectin-Free Chicken & Dumplings Soup
This is a weekend project — and worth it. Gundry MD recreated Dr. Gundry’s favorite childhood dish with recipe creator Claudia Curici (author of The Living Well Without Lectins Cookbook). You build a homemade chicken-and-fennel broth, thicken it lightly, and finish with tender drop dumplings made from a lectin-free flour blend.
Why it fits: The dumplings skip wheat flour in favor of millet, sorghum and tapioca, with psyllium for structure. Leeks, carrots and fennel round out the pot.
Key gear and pantry: sorghum flour (also useful for thickening other soups), a big pot for broth, and a second pot for simmering dumplings. Budget a couple of hours.
👉 Full recipe: Lectin-Free Chicken & Dumplings Soup on GundryMD.com
🛒 What you’ll need: lectin-friendly soup pantry
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Sweet White Sorghum Flour — for dumplings or lightly thickening a broth.
- Native Forest Organic Unsweetened Coconut Cream — the creamy base for dairy-light soups.
- Kettle & Fire Organic Low Sodium Chicken Bone Broth — a backup when you don’t have homemade stock. Dr. Gundry prefers homemade or salt-free stock, so read labels.
- Eden Organic Pinto Beans, No Salt Added — a canned bean brand many lectin-aware cooks choose; see the Phase 3 note below.
Watch: how Dr. Gundry makes cauliflower soup
5. Pinto Bean, Sweet Potato & Spinach Soup (Phase 3)
Submitted to Gundry MD by Gina Hill of Lectin Free Creations, this hearty, budget-friendly soup pairs pinto beans and sweet potato with wilted spinach, cumin and a sprinkle of Parmesan. It includes stovetop directions and an Instant Pot version.
Why it fits (with a caveat): The Gundry MD page is clear that beans are for Phase 3 only, only after they are properly prepared to reduce lectins, and should be an occasional treat rather than a staple. Pressure cooking is the method Dr. Gundry recommends. If you are early in the program, save this one for later. Note that Gundry MD says this submitted recipe was not tested by its team.
Key gear and pantry: an electric pressure cooker and a canned bean brand that is already pressure-cooked, such as Eden (the recipe calls for it by name).
👉 Full recipe: Pinto Bean, Sweet Potato, and Spinach Soup on GundryMD.com
🛒 What you’ll need: pressure cooking
- Instant Pot Duo 6 Qt 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker — sauté, pressure cook and keep warm in one pot.
- Not sure which size? Read our Instant Pot size guide and best pressure cookers for cooking lectins out of beans.
Tips for batch-cooking lectin-free soup
- Make stock on Sunday. Several of these recipes taste best with homemade or salt-free stock. Simmer a batch and freeze it in jars.
- Blend safely. Hot liquid expands in a countertop blender. An immersion blender avoids the problem; otherwise, blend in small batches with the lid vented.
- Freeze in single servings. Wide-mouth pint jars or freezer containers make grab-and-go lunches. Leave about an inch of headspace.
- Finish with good olive oil. A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil at the table adds flavor and is very much in the spirit of Dr. Gundry’s approach.
- Keep beans occasional. If you are in Phase 3 and eat beans, pressure-cook them and keep portions modest.
FAQ
Are these soups completely lectin-free?
They are built from ingredients Dr. Gundry generally considers lectin-light. The pinto bean soup is the exception — it is meant for Phase 3 only, with pressure-cooked beans.
Can I use store-bought broth?
Yes, but read labels for sodium and additives. Gundry MD’s recipes favor homemade or salt-free stock.
Do these soups freeze well?
Broth-based soups like the lemon chicken kale freeze especially well. Dumplings are best made fresh.
Where can I find more Dr. Gundry recipes?
Browse the Gundry MD lectin-free recipe library and check back here every Wednesday for a new themed roundup.
The bottom line
If you only try one this week, start with the Lemon Chicken Kale Soup — it is quick, freezer-friendly and full of greens. Save the Chicken & Dumplings for a slow Sunday, and keep the Leek & Cauliflower in your back pocket for anyone who misses potato soup. Big thanks to Dr. Gundry, the Gundry MD team, Claudia Curici and Gina Hill for the inspiration. Lectin-free eating should feel like comfort food, and these bowls prove it can.
