Can I eat soup with ulcerative colitis?
A simple broth- or puree-based soup is naturally low in the insoluble fiber that's harder to digest during a flare, and long simmering breaks vegetables and meat down into an easier-to-digest form. Reviews of ulcerative colitis nutrition specifically recommend boiling and pureeing or blending vegetables, and limiting dietary fiber during a flare with diarrhea or pain, which is essentially what a smooth, well-cooked soup already does.
During a flare
Clear or pureed, low-fiber soups (chicken and rice, blended vegetable) are commonly used as an easy-to-digest flare-time meal.
In remission
In remission, soup can carry more texture and fiber (whole vegetables, legumes) as tolerated, reintroduced gradually.
Ways to make it gentler
- Puree or blend vegetables well during a flare
- Skip heavy cream bases if dairy is a personal trigger
- Peel and deseed vegetables before adding to the pot
Safer swaps
pureed vegetable soup · chicken and rice soup · miso broth
Sources
- Nutrition and Supplementation in Ulcerative Colitis — PMC (National Library of Medicine)
- Food (patient information leaflet) — Crohn's & Colitis UK
Last checked 2026-08-12
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