Happy Soup Season, Everyone!

Happy soup season, everyone!

If you're like me, you've been looking forward to soup season since July. Soups are generally easy and always delicious. They offer so much opportunity to be creative and are such a great way to get in lots of nutrients and hydration. Soup is one of those foods where you can throw a bunch of stuff in a pot (veggies, protein, seasonings, and broth) and it's almost always going to turn out amazing, even if you didn't go in with a plan.  

Unfortunately, some soups can be super high in sodium or fat, or very low in fiber, depending on how many vegetables are in it. This is especially true for store-bought/canned soups. I want to challenge you to make at least one homemade soup this year!

Here are some tips and tricks for making a more nutritious soup this soup season:

1. Use a low-sodium broth or stock.

2. For creamy soups, try a low-fat or fat-free option such as skim or 2% milk. You can also use veggies such as butternut squash as the base for your soup, which will make it creamy without using any cream or dairy products!

3. Add more veggies - carrots, celery, leafy greens, onions, peppers, etc. 

4. Try adding beans or other plant-based proteins! I love to add a can of cannellini or Great Northern beans to my potato kale soup. It adds a great punch of fiber, protein, and texture to your soup! You could also try adding black beans to a chicken tortilla soup, or lentils to any kind of soup you like. 

5. Use whole-grain noodles instead of white noodles to boost your fiber. 

6. Use lean proteins - chicken, turkey, 95%-99% lean ground beef (drain excess fat).

7. Season with herbs and spices rather than tons of salt! It will add so much to the flavor of your soup that you won't even notice there's less salt!

Here's a hearty vegetable soup recipe to try this soup season. It's sure to keep you nourished, satisfied, and cozy all winter long. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 medium carrot, diced

• 1 small sweet potato, diced

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme or rosemary, chopped

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup green beans, chopped

• 1 zucchini, diced

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1½ cups kale, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and some ground black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the carrot and sweet potato, stir, and cook for 2 more minutes.

2. Add the canned tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. 

3. Stir in the broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

4. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, and chickpeas. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the green beans are tender.

5. Stir in the vinegar and the kale and cook for 5 minutes, or until the kale is wilted. 

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot and enjoy! 

7. Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze leftovers for 3-6 months. 

Try out some of the tips listed above to make this an even more nutritious meal than it already is, such as trying a low-sodium vegetable broth, adding a can of white beans, or adding a lean protein such as lean chicken sausage!

Check out the links below for more information about this delicious recipe and about making healthy swaps in your soups.

Happy souping, y'all!

https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegetable-soup/#wprm-recipe-container-42145 

https://midstatemedical.org/about/news-press/news-detail?articleId=66935

L.F.