January Health Tip: Stay warm and healthy with homemade soups.
Soups are a great way to introduce hearty nutrients into your diet while also staying warm! Another great thing about soups is that they are easy to make and easy to adjust to your preference. Take on the cold season by experimenting with creating your own prefect soup with a variety or vegetables, beans, lentils, and meats.
Soup tips:
Adding starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potato, or cassava will help to thicken your soup.
Incorporate different beans and lentils in your soup to increase your protein intake.
Go crazy with the veggies! Vegetables are the food group that most people eat the least of but what we need the most of!
Be cautious when using both canned broths and different seasonings as you do not want to overload on sodium.
Use herbs like thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary, or seeds like caraway, to add depth and flavor to your soup. It may be easier to secure your herbs and seeds in cheesecloth to ensure that they flavor your soup without getting lost in your soup.
Below is a basic soup from CHOW.com that can easily be adjusted. Enjoy!
Basic Vegetable Soup by CHOW Food Team
Turn forgotten produce and herbs loitering in the fridge into this easy, quick soup.
Difficulty: Easy
Total Time: 1 hr
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium carrots, medium dice
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, medium dice
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the celery and, if using, any hearty vegetables (such as cabbage and fennel) and the bay leaf and thyme. Season again with salt and pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes. If using, add the wine or vermouth (for some acidity) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the alcohol has reduced by about half, about 2 minutes.
Add the broth, potatoes, and any quicker-cooking vegetables (such as asparagus and peas). Let the soup come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, about 15 to 25 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. If you choose, serve with a dollop of pesto.
