Today is the day, my friends, when millions will be watching the Philadelphia Eagles (Go Birds) take on the Kansas City Chiefs in this year’s Super Bowl game.
Some of us, not interested in football, may be indulging in other activities, like reading, getting a facial, knitting, binging Netflix or making soup.
I love to make soup, especially in the winter, with whatever I have in the fridge or freezer.
A hearty bowl of hot soup is so satisfying, wouldn’t you agree? Add some chewy bread, fruit and cheese and you have a filling meal.
Now let me ask you this. How often do you make soup? All the time, sometimes, never, or “I don’t know how”.
Here are some great reasons to consider making your own soup:
The amazing smell of its cooking permeates your kitchen.
The process itself – very contemplative, zen-like as you prep, chop, saute, and puree your ingredients.
You can batch your soup and freeze separate containers for later. This is especially good when you have a large batch of fresh vegetables that you want to use up.
It’s fairly simple to make a nourishing and tasty soup with just a few ingredients.
It will save you money. I don’t know about you, but have you noticed the prices in the supermarket lately? Staples are starting to become luxury items.
You control the amount of salt when you make it yourself. Have you looked at the sodium content on most processed soup products lately? Even reduced sodium soups have too much salt in them. Check the labels before buying.
Not yet convinced? Well, consider that having a cup of soup before dinner curbs your appetite. Soup is a convenient lunch that is warming and nourishing too. Soup can be a great way to get more vegetables into your diet on a daily basis. As a timesaver, soup can be made in batches one day a week and you are all set, especially if you freeze it.
Americans consume 3400 mg of sodium daily, while the recommended amount is 2300. People with hypertension and other diseases where they need to watch their salt intake should only consume 1500 mg. That being said, we need sodium in our diet. Just not quite that much, as too much can contribute to high blood pressure, which in turn can lead to stroke and heart disease.
Most of our sodium comes from packaged and prepared foods. For example, if you got Panera Bread Broccoli Cheddar soup at lunch you are looking at 1080 mg of sodium per serving – wow! Even Amy’s Organic soup can be problematic, with the creamy tomato coming in at 860 mg per serving. It’s just too much. And watch those in-house soups at your favorite supermarket, which are also quite high in sodium.
When choosing prepared soups in cans or boxes, look at the % of Daily Value (DV) tool as a guide. If 2300 mg is recommended, and you see a product that has 5%DV that is low sodium, while 20% DV or more of sodium per serving is high and you need to steer clear.
Generally speaking, broths are always a better choice than a creamy soup. I particularly like the Kettle and Fire bone broths, to which you can add your own vegetables, beans (a great source of fiber), or grains. I usually make my own stock but, in a pinch, the Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Bone broth brand has only 90 mg of sodium and tastes delicious.
Convinced to give soup-making a try? Great, here are some healthy soup recipes for you to make and enjoy!
LEFTOVER TURKEY NOODLE SOUP
131 Cals 5 Protein 25.5 Carbs 0.5 Fats
TOTAL TIME:
20 mins
YIELD:4 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
6 cups homemade turkey stock, or low sodium canned
1 bay leaf
1 cup diced carrot
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup diced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 oz no yolk egg noodles
2 cups leftover shredded turkey, about 8 ounces
INSTRUCTIONS
Fill a large saucepan with homemade turkey stock (or canned).
Add bay leaf, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and simmer 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Add parsley, noodles and shredded turkey; cook according to noodle directions, about 5 minutes.
Discard bay leaf and serve.
Calories: 131 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.5g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 0.5g, Sodium: 57mg, Fiber: 4.5g, Sugar: 2.5g
Low Sodium "Condensed" Cream of Mushroom
Save multiple hundreds of your sodium budget with this simple Low Sodium Cream of Mushroom soup, which also serves as a essential base for numerous other recipes.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: (3) 1/2 cup ea.
Calories: 102 kcal
Author: Bill
Ingredients
● 1 Tbsp butter no salt added
● 4 ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced or diced
● 1 cup chicken broth unsalted
● 1/2 tsp onion powder
● 1/8 tsp dried thyme
● 1/4 tsp garlic powder
● 1/2 cup milk
● 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
● freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until bubbly. Add mushrooms, stir to coat and cook down until they have released most of their liquid, about 5 minutes.
Stir in unsalted chicken broth, onion powder, and garlic powder and bring heat down to a simmer.
In a small bowl, whisk together milk and flour.
Stir in milk mixture and cook until soup has thickened, about 1 minute. Season to taste with pepper or favorite no salt seasoning.
Notes
Recipe makes close to a 10 oz. can of soup give or take. To make soup, add 1 cup water or unsalted chicken broth to this full recipe. You can use ½ cup chopped onion and 1 Tbsp garlic to replace onion and garlic powder if making a plain mushroom soup. You may use more mushrooms if you prefer. You may use any mushroom type you prefer. I think bellas have a good taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 102 kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.8g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 4.8g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2.2g
Low Sodium Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup
PREP TIME:5 mins
COOK TIME: 5 hrs 50 mins
TOTAL TIME: 5 hrs 55 mins
SERVINGS: 8 people
CALORIES: 236 kcal
INGREDIENTS
● 1 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
● 1 medium Yellow Onion chopped
● 4 cloves Garlic minced
● 1 medium Yellow Bell Pepper chopped
● 1 medium Red Bell Pepper chopped
● 4 15 oz cans Black Beans no salt added, drained, and rinsed
● 4 cups Water
● 1 tsp Cumin ground
● 3/4 tsp Black Pepper freshly ground
● 4 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
● 1/2 cup Cilantro chopped
● 2 Limes (juice of)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large skillet, saute the onions, yellow and red peppers for 4 to 5 minutes on medium high heat until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and saute another minute or so until the garlic is fragrant. then remove from heat.
Add the beans and the onion, pepper, garlic, mixture to the crockpot. Add the water, broth, cumin, pepper, and lime juice and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. If you use an Instant Pot, this will only take 1.5 hours.
Once the soup is done, add the cilantro and serve.
NOTES
To use dried beans, soak one pound of black beans in 6 cups of water for 8-12 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking liquid and use in place of canned beans. Soup will stay in refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or you can freeze it for 4 to 6 months.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1.5cup Calories: 236 kcal Carbohydrates: 41g Protein: 13g Fat: 2g Sodium: 72mg Potassium: 129mg Fiber: 10g
Personal favorite:
Creamed Fennel and Cauliflower Soup
This soup get it’s creamy texture from cauliflower.
Serves: 4 | Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 extra large or 2 medium sized fennel bulbs, stalks and fronds removed
1 pound cauliflower florets
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups broth (bone broth or vegetable broth)
2 teaspoons salt
Optional: Truffle oil, for serving
Optional: Black pepper for serving (NOTE: this recipe is AIP-friendly if you skip the pepper).
Directions:
Slice the onions, mince the garlic, and chop the fennel. If your cauliflower is not already chopped into florets, do that now. In the bottom of your pressure cooker, heat up the coconut oil. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, fennel, and cauliflower. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the edges of the vegetables begin to turn golden.
Pour the broth and coconut milk into the pot. Add salt. Cook on the soup setting for at least 5 minutes.
Once the pressure cooker is done cooking, release the pressure and remove the lid. Use a standing blender or an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth, creamy consistency.
Scoop into serving bowls and drizzle with truffle oil. Top with freshly cracked pepper, and garnish with a leftover fennel frond. Serve hot.
Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free | Caitlin Sherwood | forageddish.com