Tis the Season of Soups!!

 

With it being the prime time for fall weather, nothing feels more festive than having a bowl of your favorite soup. Soup is the perfect comfort food to get you feeling warm and cozy on cold, rainy day in the fall. Not to mention the creativity that soups allow, giving you the opportunity to pack in all of the vegetables you want providing a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  You can also add in a variety of beans, lentils, meats, noodles, or rice to give you the perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein as well!! 

Sodium in Soups 

One caution that people should take when it comes to making or eating soups is that oftentimes soups contain high amounts of sodium.  Eating high amounts of sodium can be dangerous because sodium is what raises blood pressure, therefore when you eat a lot of salt, you can put yourself at risk for having high blood pressure. High blood pressure affects almost half of adults in the U.S, and can contribute to a variety of chronic disease. 

How to Limit Sodium in Soups

Great news!! When it comes to limiting salt, there are plenty of ways to use healthy alternatives within soups. An easy alternative would be switching to low sodium broths or no sodium broths. Other easy alternatives for decreasing salt without losing the flavor in your soups would be incorporating fresh ingredients such as garlic, lemon, lime, pepper, onion, or ginger. You can also include a variety of herbs and spices such as rosemary, thyme, dill, sage, basil, parsley, etc.

 Here is an example of a recipe for a low-sodium soup to keep yourself warm and cozy this fall: 

Low Sodium Chicken Tortilla Soup 

·      Ingredients

• 4 medium Poblano or pasilla peppers ((coarsely chopped))
• 1 medium onion ((coarsely chopped))
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp oregano
• fresh ground black pepper ((to taste))
• 1 clove garlic ((minced))
• 1 pound chicken breasts ((trimmed))
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 14.5-ounce cans no salt added stewed tomatoes ((I use Del Monte))
• 2 cups unsalted chicken broth ((I use Swanson))
• ¾ cup corn tortillas ((chopped or torn into small pieces)*)
• ¾ cup corn tortillas ((sliced into matchsticks)*)

 

Directions:

1. Turn the broiler on to high and place and oven rack about 6 inches from the heat. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Place the chopped peppers and onion onto the prepared sheet and put under the broiler for a total of 10-15 minutes. Stir the peppers and onions every few minutes so that they are evenly browned.
2. Place the broiled vegetables into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the seasonings on top and add the garlic, whole chicken breasts, corn, canned tomatoes, and the chicken broth. Cook in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.
3. When the chicken has cooked through and can be shredded, remove it from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot and stir.
4. Add the chopped or torn into corn tortillas to the soup and stir. Continue to cook on low until they have dissolved, thickening the soup slightly and adding lots of flavor.
5. While the soup is finishing in the crock pot, preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the sliced corn tortillas evenly on the pan. Spray a bit more cooking spray on top of the tortillas and bake for 9-12 minutes, or until crispy. Stir the tortillas at least once during baking to ensure even heating.
6. Serve the soup topped with the toasted corn tortillas and sour cream (if using).

 

CH

References: 

https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2023/06/salt-substitutes-a-healthy-alternative-to-the-real-thing

https://www.sodiumoptional.com/chicken-tortilla-soup/#tasty-recipes-5052-jump-target