What soups are allowed on a full liquid diet? A comprehensive guide

November 3, 2025 •

4 min read

Approximately 1 million adults undergo bariatric surgery each year, with many requiring a full liquid diet during recovery. For those needing to limit or eliminate solid food intake, understanding what soups are allowed on a full liquid diet? is crucial for maintaining adequate nutrition and hydration.

Quick Summary

A full liquid diet permits certain soups, including clear broths, strained vegetable purees, and smooth cream-based options, while excluding any containing solids or chunks of food. It is a transitional diet with higher nutritional content than a clear liquid diet but requires careful planning to ensure adequate nutrient intake.

Key Points

Clear Broths are Allowed: Fat-free, clear broths like chicken, beef, or vegetable are suitable for a full liquid diet.
Pureed and Strained Soups are Key: Soups containing pureed vegetables, like tomato, potato, or butternut squash, are permitted, but they must be completely free of solids and strained.
Cream Soups Must be Smooth: Smooth, cream-based soups like cream of mushroom are acceptable if they are thoroughly pureed and strained to ensure no chunks remain.
Avoid All Solids: Any soup containing chunks of meat, vegetables, pasta, rice, or beans is strictly forbidden on a full liquid diet.
Enhance Nutritional Content: You can boost the calories and protein of your soups by adding nonfat dry milk powder, heavy cream, or liquid nutritional supplements.
Monitor for Deficiencies: Since a full liquid diet is often low in fiber and some vitamins, it's important to consult a healthcare provider about potential vitamin and mineral supplementation.

Understanding the Full Liquid Diet

A full liquid diet is a short-term eating plan used for various medical reasons, such as preparing for or recovering from surgery, during certain medical procedures, or for individuals experiencing difficulty chewing or swallowing. It is a step up from a clear liquid diet, which consists only of transparent liquids like broth, tea, and juice without pulp. The key difference is that a full liquid diet allows for all liquids and foods that become liquid at room or body temperature, offering more calories and nutrients.

Soups are a staple on this diet, but not all are created equal. The most important rule is that the soup must be completely free of solids, including meat chunks, vegetable pieces, and grains. This means many traditional, hearty soups are off-limits unless they are prepared and processed to remove all solids.

Approved Soups for a Full Liquid Diet

Clear Broths, Bouillons, and Consommés

Clear, strained broths are the foundation of many liquid diets, and they are perfectly suitable for a full liquid diet. These options are easy to digest and provide essential fluids and electrolytes. Good options include:

Beef Broth: A flavorful base that can be purchased ready-made or prepared at home by simmering beef bones and straining the liquid. Ensure it is fat-free or that the fat has been skimmed off.
Chicken Broth: A classic, comforting choice, available in low-sodium varieties which are often recommended.
Vegetable Broth: An excellent option for flavor and for vegan or vegetarian diets, made from simmering vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions, then straining thoroughly.
Bouillon and Consommé: These are concentrated broths that can be dissolved in water to create a flavorful soup base.

Strained and Pureed Soups

Moving beyond clear broths, the full liquid diet allows for a variety of pureed soups made from vegetables or even some meats. The key is to blend the ingredients until perfectly smooth using an immersion or countertop blender and then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any remaining solids or fibers.

Here are some examples of pureed soups that are ideal:

Cream of Tomato Soup: A smooth tomato soup is a common and often enjoyable option.
Butternut Squash Soup: This can be made with pureed roasted squash and thinned with broth.
Potato Leek Soup: A creamy classic, where the potatoes naturally act as a thickener when blended.
Cream of Mushroom Soup: A rich and flavorful option, as long as all mushroom solids are pureed and strained.
Strained Meat Soup: In some cases, strained and pureed meats can be mixed into a broth for additional protein. This is common with baby food consistency meats.

Cream-Based Soups (without solids)

Many classic cream soups, while containing dairy, can be made suitable for a full liquid diet. As with pureed soups, the crucial step is to ensure no solids remain. Homemade versions are often best for controlling ingredients and texture.

Creating Nutrient-Dense Soups

While a full liquid diet is temporary, it can be nutritionally inadequate over time, especially in fiber, iron, and some vitamins. You can enhance the nutritional value of your soups with these strategies:

Add Nonfat Dry Milk Powder: Stirring dry milk powder into broth, pureed soups, or cream soups is an easy way to boost protein and calories.
Use Liquid Nutritional Supplements: Commercial supplements like Boost or Ensure can be mixed into soups to increase their nutrient density.
Incorporate Cream or Milk: Adding heavy cream, whole milk, or evaporated milk provides extra calories and a smoother texture.
Thicken with Approved Agents: Aside from pureed potatoes, you can use cornstarch or a simple roux (made with butter and flour, then blended) to thicken soups for a more satisfying texture. For those avoiding dairy or gluten, arrowroot or tapioca can also be used.

Soups to Avoid on a Full Liquid Diet

When preparing for this diet, it is equally important to understand what is not allowed. The following soups must be avoided as they contain solids that can hinder recovery or cause digestive issues:

Soups with chunks of meat, vegetables, or pasta
Soups with rice or beans
Soups containing seeds or skins
Thick soups with undissolved flour or lumps
Certain canned soups that contain solid pieces, even if they appear smooth

Comparison of Full Liquid Diet Soups


Soup Type	Suitable for Full Liquid Diet?	Common Example	Preparation Notes
Clear Broth	Yes	Beef, Chicken, Vegetable Broth	Must be fat-free and completely clear.
Strained Puree	Yes	Tomato, Butternut Squash	Blend thoroughly and strain to remove all solids.
Cream Soup	Yes (if pureed)	Cream of Mushroom, Potato Leek	Ensure all solids are pureed completely, no chunks.
Meat Soup	Yes (if pureed)	Strained Meat with Broth	Use pureed, baby-food consistency meat blended with broth.
Chunky Vegetable	No	Minestrone, Vegetable Beef	Contains solid, fibrous vegetables that are not allowed.
Pasta Soup	No	Chicken Noodle, Italian Wedding	Contains pasta and/or meat chunks.
Bean Soup	No	Lentil Soup, Split Pea Soup	Contains solids and can be too fibrous.

Conclusion

Navigating a full liquid diet can be challenging, but a wide variety of nourishing soups are available to provide comfort and nutrition during recovery. By focusing on clear broths, and carefully prepared strained or pureed cream soups, you can meet your dietary needs while adhering to medical guidelines. Always ensure that any homemade or pre-packaged soup is completely free of solid pieces. For long-term use, it is wise to consult with a registered dietitian to incorporate appropriate supplements to address potential vitamin, mineral, and fiber deficiencies. By being diligent in your choices, you can make this temporary diet a more manageable and palatable experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

A clear liquid diet only allows transparent liquids that you can see through, such as clear broth. A full liquid diet includes all liquids and foods that turn to liquid at body temperature, such as strained cream soups and pureed vegetable soups, in addition to clear liquids.

You can have canned soup if it can be pureed and strained to remove all solid pieces. However, many canned soups contain solid ingredients like meat chunks or pasta, which are not allowed. Always read the ingredients and be prepared to blend and strain carefully.

You can thicken your soup using a variety of full liquid-compliant methods. Options include stirring in nonfat dry milk powder, adding pureed potatoes or other pureed starchy vegetables, or incorporating a cornstarch slurry. Be sure to mix thoroughly to avoid clumps.

Yes, as long as it is a smooth, cream-based or pureed tomato soup without any chunks of tomato or other vegetables. It's crucial to ensure it has been fully strained to remove any pulp.

Yes, you can increase the protein in your soups by mixing in protein powder, nonfat dry milk powder, or a strained and pureed meat. This is especially important for meeting nutritional needs during recovery.

To make a pureed vegetable soup, first cook vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and celery in broth until very soft. Then, use an immersion blender or a high-speed blender to puree until completely smooth. Finally, pass the soup through a fine-mesh strainer to catch any fibrous bits.

If your soup is too thin, you can continue simmering it to reduce some of the liquid, or you can add a thickener. Approved thickeners include a cornstarch slurry, instant mashed potato flakes, or some pureed starchy vegetables mixed back into the soup.